football

Adam O'Neill: 'The Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta is something special'

28 May 2025 - 7:16AM

In attendance at the Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta 2025 National launch at Croke Park in Dublin, are from left, Evan Ó Flatharta of Naomh Anna Leitir Móir, Galway, and Adam Ó Néill of Bhulf Tón, Meath. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile.

By John Harrington

If you want to know what the Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta means to Adam O’Neill, then judge him by his actions.

In 2023 he helped Meath to victory over Down in a Tailteann Cup group match on a scorcher of a day in Parnell Park.

He’d have been justified to rest on his laurels after those exertions, but instead he jumped in a car and set off for Donegal where his club Wolfe Tones were competing in the Comórtas.

They’d won their first game that Saturday, and with O’Neill in harness won the semi-final on the Sunday and final on the Monday to see the Meath club crowned champions for the second time in their history.

There was never any question in O’Neill’s mind as to whether or not he’d make the trip north despite his county commitments, the Comórtas is a huge draw for all the Gaeltacht clubs that take part.

“It's just the nature of the Comórtas, you want to get up there if you can at all and experience other Gaeltachts around the country,” says O’Neill.

“The link you have with them and with the Irish language is special so you're trying to just see what sort of life is going on in the other Gaeltachts.

“I just really wanted to get up there and play some games because it’s a class competition. I think it's everything that goes with the event that makes it so special. You're there for two or three days just with your team-mates.

“You're all staying in accommodation together and it's just such an experience to be able to spend time with them on the pitch, off the pitch, going to the beach for recovery sessions.

“It's great to be able to experience the local area where it's on too. I'm talking about everything that surrounds the event rather than winning it, but it's as much about the experience off the pitch as it is on it, that's how special the event is.

“Winning it is just the cherry on top at the end of it all. It was great to get the silverware in 2023 and show it off to everyone at home.”

In attendance at the Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta 2025 National launch at Croke Park in Dublin, are back, from left, Saoirse Ní Bhriain of Naomh Abán, Cork, Gearóid Mac Donncha of Raidió na Gaeltachta, Niamh Seoighe, Shane Walsh of TG4, Cathal Seoighe of Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta, Áine Uí Choinn of Cathaoirleach Choiste Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, Méabh Quinn of Cumann Pheil na mBan, Michelle Ní Chróinín of Údarás na Gaeltachta, Dónal Ó Laoire of Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta, Diarmuid Ó Cuirrín of An Seanphobal, Waterford, Evan Ó Flatharta of Naomh Anna Leitir Móir, Galway, Gavin Mac Aindriú of Cill Chomáin, Mayo Fergal Ó Griffín of Lios Pól, Kerry, Adam Ó Néill of Bhulf Tón, Meath and Oisín Ó Conbhuí of Na Gaeil Óga, Dublin, with, front, from left, Ali Sherlock of Clann na nGael, Meath, Labhraín Nic Aoidh of Bhulf Tón, Meath, Clíona Ní Mhuirithe of Béal an Mhuirthead, Mayo, Louise Ní Dhochartaigh of Naomh Columba, Donegal Adam Ó Néill of Bhulf Tón, Meath, Aisling Ní Aogáin of Na Gaeil Óga, Dublin, James Ó Flatharta of An Cheathrú Rua, Galway, Séamus Ó Domhnaill of Béal an Mhuirthead, Mayo, Fergal Ó Griffín of Lios Pól, Kerry, Pádraig Ó Tiarnáin of Clann na nGael, Meath and Éamonn Óg Ó Donnchadha of Clann na nGael, Meath. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Home is Baile Ghib, or Gibbstown, in the heart of Meath, which might not be a part of the country that immediately comes to mind when you think of the Gaeltacht areas of Ireland.

But the Baile Ghib Gaeltacht has both a long and very interesting history.

In 1937 a number of families from the western seaboard moved to the area as part of a resettlement scheme undertaken by the Irish Land Commission.

Many of the Wolfe Tones players would have ancestral links to that migration. Others, like O’Neill, have come to embrace the Gaeltacht culture through playing with the club.

“I don't actually come from an Irish-speaking family,” he says. “My father comes from Wilkinstown which is beside Baile Ghib but it's an English-speaking area and my mother is from Dublin so I think it was more so being involved with Wolfe Tones as a Gaeltacht club that you get those links to Irish. And then a bit of time spent in Connemara during the summer that kind of taught me Irish.

“Then after coming back you realise you have a Gaeltacht in your own area and so that strengthened the connection and pushed me further to engage more with the language and the culture.

“It's a big part of our identity as a club. The funny thing is there are three parishes that make up Wolfe Tones and only one is a Gaeltacht. Naturally enough you're not going to be a fully Irish-speaking club but there is a significant portion of us there that speak the language and have all the regular traditions of a Gaeltacht club and Gaeltacht area.

“The culture and the language is really respected around the area. We're trying to just engage more and more people to spread the language even further past Baile Ghib into Oristown and Wilkinstown and the local area. I think it's something we take great pride in as a club.”

The Wolfe Tones players celebrate after winning the Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta in 2023.

The closeness of the Báile Ghib community is reflected in how competitive Wolfe Tones are as a club.

They draw from a relatively small pool of players compared to some of their more urban rivals, but in recent times they’ve been serial contenders for silverware.

As a player from any other club team in Meath what the defining characteristic of Wolfe Tones is, and they’ll point to a team and club spirit that seems to help them punch above their weight.

“That's it, it’s is that identity thing,” says O’Neill. “The identity of the club comes from being a Gaeltacht club and that kind of tight-knit community. Where you're always looking more inside than outside for the friendship and community.

“That seems to be something. It's weird when other people talk about it because we think of it as being a normal club but it seems to be seen from outside as we are very tight-knit and you maybe only realise that when you're away from Baile Ghib or Wolfe Tones how tight-knit we are and much we really just stick together as a group.

“Everything about being a Gaeltacht club only strengthens that really.”

This year’s Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta will be hosted by a fellow Meath club, CLG Chlann na nGael, from the Rath Chairn Gaeltacht, and O’Neill hopes the county turns out in force for what should be a fantastic festival of football.

“I think there'll be a great buzz,” he says. “I think even just for Meath as a whole to be hosting the Comórtas, I think it hasn't been in Ráth Cairn since I think 1993.

“So it's something people probably haven't experienced, the whole Comórtas Peile na Gaeltacha event and everything that surrounds it. There's football there, but it's not just about football. There's loads going on around it.

“There will be traditional music, Sean nós, the Cailín Gaelach, everything that goes with it. The Meath public will hopefully come out. You don't have to be from Wolfe Tones or Rath Cairn or Clann na nGael to come along and enjoy the experience.

“Even if you're not watching the football it's some event to be at."

The following are the teams which will take part in Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta 2025:

Comórtas Sinsir na bhFear: An Tearmann (Dún na nGall), Bhulf Tón (An Mhí), An Rinn (Port Láirge), An Ghaeltacht (Ciarraí), Béal an Mhuirthead (Maigh Eo), Naomh Anna Leitir Móir (Gaillimh), Cill na Martra (Corcaigh), An Spidéal (Gaillimh)

Comórtas Sóisir na bhFear: Clann na nGael (An Mhí), Lios Póil (Ciarraí), Na Gaeil Óga (Áth Cliath), Cill Chomáin (Maigh Eo), An Cheathrú Rua (Gaillimh), Naomh Anna Leitir Móir (Gaillimh), Naomh Náille (Dún na nGall), Laochra Loch Lao (Aontroim), An Seanphobal (Port Láirge)

Comórtas Sóisir na mBan: Gráinne Mhaol (Gaillimh), Béal an Mhuirthead (Maigh Eo), Bhulf Tón (An Mhí), Clann na nGael (An Mhí), Na Gaeil Óga (Áth Cliath), Naomh Columba (Dún na nGall), Laochra Loch Lao (Aontroim)

Comórtas Idirmheánach na mBan: Gaeil Fhánada (Dún na nGall), Bearna (Gaillimh), Naomh Abán (Corcaigh), Naomh Anna Leitir Móir (Gaillimh)

Comórtas Sinsir na mBan: An Clochán Liath (Dún na nGall), Baile Cláir na Gaillimhe (Gaillimh)

The full Raidió na Gaeltachta and TG4 schedules for Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta 2025 are as follows.

Raidió na Gaeltachta – Live on Radio, online and on the app all over the world

from 11 am on Saturday, 31st of June

from 11.45 am on Sunday, 1st of June

from 10 am on Monday, 2nd of June

TG4

Friday, May 30

Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta - Réamhbhabta Sóisear na bhFear

Na Gaeil Óga v Laochra Loch Lao, 7.15pm (Spórt TG4 YouTube)

Saturday, May 31