Omani players celebrate during the 2016 GAA World Games.
By Micky Quigg
A chief aim of the GAA is to provide the opportunity for lifelong participation and engagement in Gaelic Games to as many people as possible, regardless of where they call home. Our national games have developed into a vehicle for much broader goals than there were originally, which were to grow and support Irish communities internationally. For every generation of Irish and non-Irish people abroad, Gaelic Games provide a community they can call their own, an unrivalled network that provides them with support and assistance, and a source of social capital that is inextricably linked with Irish culture.
With over 530 GAA clubs in existence outside of Ireland, the World Games is a unique opportunity for International Units to represent their country, region or club on a global stage. This year promises to be the biggest and best event yet, with Derry and Owenbeg Centre of Excellence playing host to the fourth ever GAA World Games, with the finals day taking place in Celtic Park on July 28th. Join us on our journey as we build up to this momentous event, celebrating the growth of our games globally, and welcome our friends from all around the world as we unite for a really special week in the GAA calendar.
onan McGinty, left, and James Shaughnessy of Middle East lift the cup after beating Australasia in the Renault GAA World Games Mens Football Irish Cup Final during the Renault GAA World Games 2019
The concept of the GAA World Games was first mooted by Pat Daly, Director of Games Development & Research, in 2009. An opportunity to progress the concept came about in the form of an international hurling tournament which was held in 2013, in conjunction with "The Gathering".
On the back of the original proposal, it was decided to bring 16 hurling teams to Galway to participate in a once-off event. It was agreed to include five "Native-Born" teams (Buenos Aires, Milwaukee, Denver/Indianapolis, Barley House Wolves/Allentown & Europe). This decision would prove to be an enlightened one.
The inaugural GAA World Games took place in March, 2015 in Abu Dhabi and featured 26 teams participating in men's and ladies' football from Canada, the US, Asia, the Middle East, South Africa, Argentina, South America and Continental Europe. The event also included four Native-Born teams from Argentina, South Africa, Galicia and the Middle-East. This event would form a strong base for the staging of the second World Games in 2016 in Dublin, from 7th-14th of August, with University College Dublin as the main venue. This event included, for the first time, four codes - Hurling, Camogie, Ladies' Football and Men's Football, with both a Native-Born and Irish-Born dimension in each code. In 2019 the World Games took place in Waterford, with for the first time ever, 60% of teams were native-born.
This leads us nicely into July 2023 - where Derry is set to become the 4th host of the FRS GAA World Games. The magnificent Owenbeg Centre of Excellence will be the venue for the majority of the action. An opening parade will kick off proceedings in stunning fashion on the evening of July 24th after the first batch of games, and, following this, three more action-packed days of Gaelic Games across 7 pitches, comprising of 98 teams and 1300 players will ensue.
It's a family friendly, free event all week, and the atmosphere is sure to be electric. There's a fun and social aspect to the tournament, but the bottom line is that each of these teams have been training for months in preparation, with the goal being to secure a final spot, and a chance to take the field in Celtic Park, Derry City, on July 28th.
Be sure to follow us across all our social channels, @GAAWorldGames over the next few weeks to stay up to date with the latest news and features, and be sure to be part of what is going to be the biggest and best GAA World Games to date!