By John Harrington

Keira Kinahan-Murphy’s experience of playing Gaelic Games in Sydney, Australia is a fairly typical one.

When she first arrived in the city the then Kilkenny camogie star was on her travels and had no intention of picking up a hurl while she was there.

Three weeks later she was playing a match and had arranged for her hurl and helmet to be posted over to her.

What was meant to be a short-term stay in the city turned into something entirely different when she met Wexford man Adrian Murphy, who was coaching the Central Coast camogie team she had just joined.

Seven years on, Keira and Adrian are happily married with a baby boy, the latest in a long line of couples who have met through the GAA in Sydney.

Both remain heavily involved in the local Gaelic Games scene and feel part of a greater GAA family that has turned Sydney into a home from home.

“I think there's just a huge sense of community,” Kinahan-Murphy told GAA.ie. “That's why people who are non-players also get so involved. Your club becomes your family out here.

“Unfortunately when things don't go right or something happens or someone has a problem everyone just comes together and gels together so well.

“I think it's a real comfort. I definitely don't think I'd have been here as long as I have been if it wasn't for the GAA. They're your family and your friends. It's brilliant.”

Teresa Connolly-Hughes, a native of Scotstown in Monaghan, tells a similar story to Kinahan-Murphy.

She’s been in Sydney for over eight years now and also met her husband, Cóilín Daly, through her involvement in Gaelic Games in the City.

Now the dynamic duo are very much the power couple of GAA in Sydney. Teresa is the secretary of New South Wales GAA and Cóilín is the Chairman.

Those roles keep them very busy because Gaelic Games in the Australian state have gone from strength to strength in the last ten years.

They’ve doubled their numbers to over 1000 members with nine different clubs fielding 27 teams.

According to Connolly-Hughes, it’s a vibrant scene because there’s such a collective effort from everyone involved at all levels.

“It's so different for players because they rock up on a Sunday and they have to give their tenner at the gate to play a game,” said Connolly Hughes.

“They're buying into the GAA here, big time, because they do have to financially pay a little bit to play which wouldn't be happening in Ireland, but to fund the GAA here it's needed for the general running of equipment, gear.

“The clubs have a huge social network. It's not just players who get involved. We find that we have members of our club who have never touched a football but are heavily involved organising events.

“Because we're out here, it's different at home, there's a gap between your committee and your players.

“Whereas here a lot of players are also involved with committees. They're doing the fund-raising, getting the sponsors, and it all ties together really well.

“The clubs are all very well run otherwise it wouldn't work.”

Former Cork hurler Cathal Naughton has experienced that at first-hand since arriving in Sydney just under two years ago.

He joined the Cormac McAnallens club shortly after arriving in the city with his girlfriend, and his involvement in the local GAA scene quickly took the edge of any homesickness he was feeling.

“Once you do get involved with a club, in fairness everyone really helps each other out,” said Naughton.

“As regards work and social scenes, people who come over are a bit homesick at the start, but the GAA gives you that sense of place.

“You go to Centennnial Park on a Tuesday in January or February, the sun is shining there could be the bones of 100 players out there and it's great. All the clubs out there kicking or pucking a ball around.

“You have a barbecue at certain trainings and it's a great opportunity to meet people from all over Ireland who play football and hurling.

“I'm only here 18 months and I've played against or with lads from nearly every county in Ireland which is great.”

The sense of community was very apparent among the crowd who attended the recent Wild Geese Trophy match between the hurlers of Galway and Kilkenny at the Spotless Stadium in Sydney.

It meant a huge amount for all the ex-pats in the city, especially those heavily involved in the local GAA scene, to have two of the best hurling teams from home play a seriously competitive game of hurling in Australia.

It was also an opportunity to showcase just how seriously they take their Gaelic Games Down Under.

New South Wales and Victoria played a high quality match as a curtain-raiser for the inter-county game, with NSW eventually coming out on top after a hugely entertaining tussle.

“The standard is really good over here,” said Naughton, who starred on the day for the New South Wales hurlers.

“It's very competitive. There's great teams in all the codes. There are nine clubs and they're all very strong and on any given day anyone can beat anyone in all codes.

“It's very well organised. You get your fixtures at the start of the year and then you know exactly when you're playing for the whole season.

“That's definitely one of the main advantages of playing here. You get your fixture list in January or February and every single Sunday you know where you're going to be. You have all the bank holidays off, St. Patrick's weekend and Easter off.

“That's nice, because you can organise things if you want to go away somewhere or do something.

“The range of competitions are nice here too. You've seven-a-side competitions, a football competition on the beach.

“So, it's a great way of getting involved and playing different competitions during the year which makes it a bit more fun and interesting.

“You're not doing the same thing all over again.”

New South Wales GAA Chairman Cóilín Daly can only see the GAA scene in the state going from strength to strength in the coming years.

The second phase of the development of NSW GAA’s playing grounds in Ingleburn will soon be underway, and will include the building of a club-house that will be a fitting monument to the vibrancy of Gaelic Games in Sydney.

“It's actually 119 years ago that the GAA first started here in New South Wales,” said Daly.

“Building this club-house will give us a proper home. We're here so long and now we can really call this our home.”

Not just a home, but a home away from home.