Vannes provides fitting backdrop for Euro Gaelic Games 2025

Vannes provided a fitting and vibrant backdrop for the Kingspan Euro Gaelic Games 2025. For one weekend, the city welcomed Europe’s best to celebrate skill, community, and a shared sporting identity rooted in Irish tradition, but proudly expanding across borders.

The Euro Gaelic Games were created to help Europe’s elite representative teams prepare for the GAA World Games, which take place every three years. The event allows countries and regions to trial top-level coaching setups, test new players, and build cohesion among their best talent. Far more than just a tournament, it’s now recognised as a festival of culture and local pride in Europe’s Gaelic Games calendar, and a vital step in developing the international game. This year marked a new era with Kingspan joining as Gaelic Games Europe’s flagship sponsor.

After an action-packed opening day of football, the entire tournament community came together for a parade of teams through the city centre of Vannes. Players from every region and age group marched proudly behind their colours, joined by coaches, volunteers, and supporters. The streets were filled with cheers, flags, and music, creating a powerful moment of visibility for Gaelic Games in a historic French city. For many, especially the younger players, it was a proud and unforgettable highlight of the weekend.

Another milestone in 2025 was the first-ever inclusion of youth teams in the Euro Games. Led by a committed network of development officers — coordinated by Europe’s Youth Officer, Pearse Bell, based in Vannes — thousands of schoolchildren across Europe were introduced to Gaelic Games this year. That work culminated in the U18 Final, where France Gorm edged out Germany in a thrilling 2-4 to 2-3 finish. Many of these players had already travelled to Féile Peile na nÓg in Derry earlier in the year, continuing a remarkable season of development and opportunity.

The adult tournament featured elite regional representative teams drawn from a pool of over 40 clubs across Europe. These weren’t club entries, but select squads made up of each region’s top talent.

Regions represented in the adult competitions included:

• France

• Brittany

• Neustrie

• Gascony

• Alsace

• Siroc

• Germany

• Italy

• Catalonia

• Benelux

Competitions were held across:

1. Men’s Division 1

2. Men’s Division 2

3. Ladies Football

4. U18 Youth Division

The climax of the weekend unfolded in the Stade de la Rabine, a state-of-the-art rugby stadium - but on this occasion hosting Gaelic Football. With close to 2,500 supporters filling the stands, it was the largest-ever paid attendance for a GAA event in continental Europe.

The finals at Stade de la Rabine were also streamed live by SPORTALL, the same French-language platform now broadcasting the All-Ireland Series to audiences across France.