PUC hosts Gaelic Games Advanced Medical Emergencies course 

Following on from a hugely successful inaugural Level 3 Gaelic Games Advanced Medical Emergencies (GAME) Course for inter-county medics in Croke Park back in November 2025, the GAA’s Medical, Scientific, and Welfare Committee, in conjunction with the Gaelic Athletic Medical Association (GAMA), were delighted to host the second iteration of the course in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

The overall attendee list to date has included medical practitioners from 22 different counties across the country. Building on this momentum, there are further plans to deliver subsequent courses in Ulster and Connacht towards the end of the 2026 inter-county season.

The course is designed to equip GAA inter-county doctors, physiotherapists and athletic therapists with the knowledge, practical skills, and decision-making abilities to manage acute medical and traumatic emergencies that occur in the high-intensity environment of Gaelic games, with an emphasis on pitch-side assessment, initial management, safe extrication, and effective communication with voluntary and statutory emergency services.

Professor Adrian Murphy, team doctor with the Cork senior hurlers and a Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Cork University Hospital, was the Medical Director for both iterations of the GAME course to date.

“The purpose of this course ultimately is to ensure that every inter-county Gaelic Games fixture has a skilled and competent medical team to provide the best possible response for players in the event of a medical emergency,” says Professor Murphy.

“The ultimate vision for the course here is that every GAA venue in the country should be the safest place in the community to have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, where we have a guaranteed response from participants that have undertaken the course.”

By the end of the Level 3 GAME Course participants will be able to:

• Perform structured on-field assessment using the ABCDE approach
• Manage airway, breathing, and circulation in a pitch-side environment
• Recognize and manage sports-specific injuries such as concussion, spinal injury, fractures, and cardiac arrest
• Demonstrate safe and effective extrication and immobilisation techniques
• Use automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and emergency medical equipment
• Coordinate with voluntary and statutory Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and provide accurate handovers using the ATMIST format
• Implement pre-match emergency action planning and communication protocols

GAA Medical, Scientific, and Welfare Committee Chairperson, Sean Dunnion, hopes the successful piloting of the Level 3 GAME Course will be built upon in the coming years.

“The GAA's Medical, Scientific and Welfare Committee are delighted to support this initiative, which aims to help inter-county medics with their ongoing learning and development,” said Dunnion.

The course’s success was made possible by the enthusiastic engagement of our practitioners, the commitment of the GAME Course Faculty, and the invaluable support of St John Ambulance members who gave their time and expertise during the pitch-side scenarios.

GAME Course Faculty – Páirc Uí Chaoimh

Prof. Adrian Murphy
Course Medical Director
Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Cork University Hospital
Cork Senior Hurling Team Doctor

Dr. Ronan Kearney
Consultant in Sports & Exercise Medicine, Blackrock Clinic

Dr. Daragh Matthews

Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Cork University Hospital

Dr. Simon Walsh
Consultant in Emergency Medicine & Retrieval Medicine
Cork University Hospital

Mr. Paul Traynor
Helicopter Emergency Medical Service Advanced Paramedic
National Ambulance Service

Mr. Kieran Henry
Senior Lecturer in Paramedical Studies
University College Cork

Mr. Michael O’Reilly
Advanced Paramedic
National Ambulance Service

Mr. Tadhg O’Shea
Advanced Paramedic
National Ambulance Service

Mr. Eoghan Tuohey
GAA Player Welfare Manager
Croke Park, Dublin

Mr. Mark Caulfield
Games Administration & Player Welfare Graduate