Gaelic Games Europe
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| Irish: | Cumann Luthchleas Gael na hEorpa |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s): | GGE |
| Province: | International unit |
| Ground(s): | Sportspark West, Negenputruwe 1-5, 6218 RA, Maastricht, Netherlands |
| County colours: | Blue with yellow trim |
| Website: | County board website |
The European Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (Irish: Cumann Luthchleas Gael na hEorpa) or Gaelic Games Europe is one of the international units of the GAA (outside Ireland), and is responsible for organising Gaelic games in continental Europe. Gaelic Games Europe is also responsible for the European Gaelic football, hurling, camogie and ladies' Gaelic football teams which compete every three years at the GAA World Gaelic Games.
The first evidence of Gaelic games in Europe dates back to a hurling match in 1774 in Belgium,[1] various games were played across the continent after that with their frequency increasing in the late 20th century.
While sporadic attempts were made to form clubs and organise competitions, the first four clubs were organised into a ‘County’ Board at a meeting in 1999 organised by Joe McDonagh, the then President of the GAA. Since then, rapid growth has resulted in over 100 clubs spread across 24 countries, catering for over 5,000 players who play camogie, hurling, men's & ladies football and handball competitions from Oulu near the Arctic Circle in Finland to Gibraltar beside the Mediterranean and from the tiny Channel Islands to capital cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Paris, Prague, Rome, Madrid, Moscow, Stockholm, Vienna and Warsaw.
The European County Board (ECB) changed its name to Gaelic Games Europe at the Annual Convention in Leuven (Belgium) in November 2016.
Two members of European clubs have received GAA Presidents Awards for their long service and dedication to developing gaelic games. Mary Gavin, who founded Den Haag GAA club in 1979 and was instrumental in the establishment of the European Board in 1999, was recognised in 2013[2] and the Camogie Association also named a World Gaelic Games trophy in her honour in 2019.[3] Long time advocate for European GAA, Tony Bass[4][5][6] who has held various positions on the European board since 2004 including chairperson, secretary and GAA central council and Congress delegate[7][8][9] and founded the Maastricht Gaels club[10][11] was recognised in 2021.[12][13][14]
Structures[]
Gaelic Games Europe governance structures promote inclusion, democracy and a volunteer culture. Every member is equal and every registered club can influence policies. Any member can submit a motion to their club's annual general meeting suggesting new policies, amendments to an existing policy or propose changes to the playing rules. If approved, the motion is discussed at the Gaelic Games Europe Annual Convention.
Annual Convention[]
Every club can send between two and four delegates to the Annual Convention which is the main decision making body for Gaelic games in Europe. Five official regions are also entitled to appoint one delegate each. Delegates discuss issues, decide on motions and elect Officers to serve on the Management and European (County) Committees. Motions to change GAA playing (or other governance) rules, if approved, are then submitted to the Annual Congress of the Gaelic Athletic Association, the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association or the Camogie Association which take place every year in Ireland.
European ('county') Committee (EC)[]
Meets at least four times per year in person and/or by video conference. The EC has responsibility for decision-making, approving regulations and overseeing policy implementation between Annual Conventions. All sub-committees and work groups report to the EC. There are 26 members, 21 are GGE officers (17 elected at Annual Convention; 4 appointed by EC) who have responsibility for specific areas of work and 5 others who represent the clubs in their region.
| Members | Appointment method |
|---|---|
| Chair; Vice-Chair; Secretary; Treasurer; Public Relations Officer; Coaching Officer; Development Officer (7) | Elected to Management Committee at Annual Convention |
| GAA Central Council Delegate; Asst.Secretary; Asst.Treasurer; Youth Officer, Language & Culture Officer and 'code' officers (mens football; ladies football; camogie; hurling & handball) (10) | Elected at Annual Convention |
| Referee Administrator; Sponsorship Officer; IT Officer and Health & Well-being Officer (4) | Appointed by European Committee at first meeting following Annual Convention |
| Regional Representatives (5) | Elected by clubs in each region (Benelux; Central/East; Iberia; Nordics and North/West) |
Management Committee (MC)[]
This is a sub-committee of the EC and is responsible for managing activities, dealing with correspondence and making decisions between EC meetings or where urgent action is required. MC pays close attention to financial issues, prepares agenda items for EC meetings and may also have additional tasks delegated to it by the EC. It meets at least once a month - mainly by video conference - and has seven members (Chair; Vice-Chair; Secretary; Treasurer; PRO; Development Officer and Coaching Officer) who are elected at Annual Convention and have specific roles and responsibilities.
Competitions Control Committee (CCC)[]
The Competitions Control Committee (CCC) is responsible for all aspects of running our competitions and games, including planning dates and venues for fixtures, appointing referees, dealing with disciplinary issues and transfers. The CCC is chaired by the Vice-Chair of the MC, the Secretary of the CCC is the Asst. Secretary of the MC. Other members are the 'code' officers (handball, football, hurling, camogie and ladies football) and the Referee's Administrator (only votes on referee appointments).
Hearings Committee[]
This committee deals with discipline issues when a party does not accept a penalty proposed by the CCC. They request a 'hearing', where the CCC presents their case, the defending party responds, witnesses are heard and then the Hearings Committee makes a decision. The committee has five members who cannot be members of the EC or CCC.
Appeals Committee[]
If a defending party is not satisfied with a decision of the Hearings Committee, they can submit an appeal to this committee. The Appeals Committee hears from all parties and witnesses as well as considering any other evidence before making a decision which is final. The committee has five members who cannot be members of the EC, CCC or Hearings Committees.
Other Sub-Committees & Work Groups[]
There are also other sub-committees and work groups which include:
- operational areas such as Development, Planning & Training; Youth; Public Relations & Marketing; Health & Well-being; Referees; and,
- 'code' committees covering men's football; ladies football; camogie; hurling and handball.
Members are appointed by the EC and include a Chairperson and/or relevant GGE Officer (and sometimes other officers if role is relevant to committee's work). Representatives are also appointed by each of the five GGE regions. (GGE Chair, Secretary and Treasurer are 'ex-officio' members of all sub-committees and work groups)
Development Plan - Committees/Groups
The GGE Development Plan 2019-2021 which was endorsed at 2018 Annual Convention requires the establishment of the following;-
- Steering Committee (Joan O'Flynn- former CEO of the Camogie Association and 5 x Chairpersons of GGE regions)
- Devolved Governance Transition Group (GGE Chairperson + representatives of regions)
- Coach Education Workgroup (Coaching Officer + TBC)
- Referee Education Workgroup (Referee Tutors + TBC)
- Communications Workgroup (PRO + TBC)
- Social Media Network (PRO + TBC)
- Youth Development Network (Childrens/Youth Officers + TBC)
- Mgt. Ctte. ‘Club Development’ Sub-Group (Club Development Officer + TBC)
- Mgt. Ctte. ‘Human Resources’ Sub-Group (Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer + GAA HQ official)
Regions[]
Clubs across Europe are assigned to a "region". Each region elects a "Regional Committee" which is responsible for organising competitions and developing Gaelic games in their area. The GGE Management (MC) or European (EC) Committees may delegate other tasks. Regions elect one EC representative each and are also represented on many sub-committees. Currently there are five Regions (Benelux, East and Central, Iberia, North West and Nordics), two of which are divided into "sub-regions":
| Benelux | Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany (western lander) | |
|---|---|---|
| Central-East | Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany (eastern & southern lander), Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland | |
| Nordic | Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Russia, Sweden | |
| Iberia | Andalucía | Gibraltar, Andalusia |
| Galicia | Galicia | |
| Central | Portugal, rest of Spain | |
| North-West | Bretagne | Brittany |
| Federal | Channel Islands, rest of France | |
Competition formats[]
In GAA terms 'Europe' comprises all of continental Europe (excluding Ireland & Great Britain) with great distances between each team, so Gaelic Games Europe has various competition formats.
Since 2006, men's and ladies football competitions have been played on a regional basis. Teams play in regional competitions and may also enter European Football Championships. Some regions also have their own competitions (e.g. Brittany, Galicia).
Many of the regional competitions use a system of 'rounds' (also called 'tournaments') spread over a number of months with 3-5 rounds being the norm in regional football championships. Each round is competed in a single day with teams playing a single round-robin group or multiple groups followed by knock-out style play-offs (e.g. quarter & semi-finals) and a final which determine the ranking of every team present on the day. Teams are awarded points (25 points for the winner, 20 points for the runner-up, etc.) which are added to those accrued in other rounds to determine the competition winners for that season.
All men's (11-a-side) and ladies (9-a-side) teams may enter the European Football Championships which is a one-day event, usually in October. Teams are seeded into different grades (Senior, Intermediate and Junior). Each team plays 3-4 group games before progressing to the play-off stages of a Championship, Shield & Plate competition depending on their results.
The 'Premier' championships are for 15-a-side teams in men's and ladies' football and are organised on a 'knock-out' basis - as is usual in GAA championships with 60 minute games - played over a number of weekends in Maastricht, where there is a full-GAA size astroturf pitch, or other regional venues. Winners then represent Europe in the All Ireland Club Championships.
The European camogie and hurling championships are played by teams (9-a-side) from across Europe who compete together over five 'rounds' in various cities between May and October annually.
Other matches such as internationals (which have featured France, Italy, Germany, Galicia and Brittany) are also played, along with national 'Cup' competitions confined to teams in a single country e.g. Finland, Germany.
Every three years, a variety of camogie, hurling and ladies/men's football teams from Europe compete in the GAA World Games in both Irish-born and Non-Irish categories.
Officers[]
The principal officers and the year of their election/appointment at the Annual Convention (normally in November/December) are as follows:
| Year* | Chairperson | Club | Secretary | Club | Treasurer | Club | GAA Central Council Delegate3 | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | John Cunningham | Gavle GAA | ||||||
| 2021 | John Murphy | Amsterdam GAC | John White (from Feb.2019) | Zürich Inneoin | Daire Kivlehan | München Colmcilles | Marie-Therese Dockery | GSC Luxembourg |
| 2020 | ||||||||
| 2019 | Tony Bass | Maastricht Gaels | ||||||
| 2018 | JJ Keaney (to Jan.2019) | Madrid Harps | ||||||
| 2017 | Deirdre Kelleher (from Feb.2017) | Den Haag | ||||||
| 2016 | Brian Sheehy | Zürich Inneoin | JJ Keaney (to Jan.2017) | Madrid Harps | Tony Bass | Maastricht Gaels | ||
| 2015 | Marie-Therese Dockery | GSC Luxembourg | ||||||
| 2014 | ||||||||
| 2013 | Tony Bass | Maastricht Gaels | ||||||
| 2012 | ||||||||
| 2011 | William Cashin | Belgium GAA | Ciaran McGuill | Paris Gaels | ||||
| 2010 | ||||||||
| 2009 | ||||||||
| 2008 | Eileen Jennings | Paris Gaels | ||||||
| 2007 | ||||||||
| 2006 | Stephen Dillon | Amsterdam GAC | ||||||
| 2005 | ||||||||
| 2004 | ||||||||
| 2003 | Paul Larkin | München Colmcilles | Herve Guichard | Ar Gwazi Gouez (Rennes) | ||||
| 2002 | Barry Moroney (from mid-2002) | Guernsey Gaels | Eamon O'Brien | GSC Luxembourg | ||||
| 2001 | Mark Scanlon
(to mid-2002) |
Paris Gaels | Cathal Lynch | Brussels | Barry Moroney | Guernsey Gaels | ||
| 2000 | Ann Donnelly | Paris Gaels | ||||||
| 19991 | ||||||||
* Annual convention year
1 European County Board formed at the end of 1999 and the first officers served for 1999 and 2000.
2 Representation on GAA Central Council from March 2013.
3 Delegate elected at GGE Convention commences term at GAA Congress of the following year.
Gaelic football (men)[]
| European Senior Football Championship (11-a-side) | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2001 |
| Title holders | Madrid Harps (1st title) |
| First winner | Paris Gaels |
| Most titles | Den Haag (4 titles) |
Senior Championship[]
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | not played due to pandemic | |
| Madrid Harps | Cumann Warsaw | |
| 2018 | Cumann Warsaw | |
| 2017 | Cumann Warsaw | GSC Luxembourg |
| 2016 | GSC Luxembourg | Jersey Irish |
| Paris Gaels | ||
| Belgium GAA | ||
| Guernsey Gaels | Belgium GAA "A" | |
| Belgium GAA | ||
| Guernsey Gaels | Den Haag | |
| Den Haag | Paris Gaels | |
| Den Haag | Paris Gaels | |
| Belgium GAA | Paris Gaels | |
| GSC Luxembourg | ||
| Den Haag | ||
| Paris Gaels | ||
| Paris Gaels | ||
| Den Haag | ||
| Paris Gaels | ||
| European Intermediate Football Championship (formerly 'European Shield') | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 |
| Title holders | Frankfurt Sarsfields (1st title) |
| First winner | Maastricht Gaels |
| Most titles | Copenhagen (3 titles) |
Intermediate Championship (formerly 'European Shield')[]
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | not played due to pandemic | |
| Frankfurt Sarsfields | Vienna Gaels | |
| EGHB Liffré | Frankfurt Sarsfields | |
| Earls Of Leuven | Den Haag | |
| EGHB Liffré | Eindhoven/Maastricht/Hague (combined team) | |
| Vienna Gaels | ||
| Vienna Gaels | Amsterdam "B" | |
| Malmö | ||
| Copenhagen | ||
| Copenhagen | Frankfurt Sarsfields | |
| Copenhagen | Frankfurt Sarsfields | |
| Copenhagen | ||
| Ar Gwazi Gouez (Rennes) | ||
| Maastricht Gaels | ||
| European Junior Football Championship | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 |
| Title holders | Copenhagen GAA (1st title) |
| First winner | Frankfurt Sarsfields GAA |
| Most titles | Augsburg, Clermont, Frankfurt, Lorient, Munich, Rennes, Slovaks, Copenhagen (1 titles) |
Junior "A" Championship[]
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | not played due to pandemic | |
| Lorient | ||
| Lorient GAC | ||
| Ar Gwazi Gouez (Rennes) | ||
| Slovak Shamrocks | Belgium "B" (*disqualified) | |
European Premier Football Championship (15-a-side)[]
| European Premier (15s) Football Championship | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2013 |
| Trophy | Croke Park Hotel Cup |
| Title holders | Amsterdam (5th title) |
| First winner | Guernsey |
| Most titles | Amsterdam (5 titles) |
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| not played due to pandemic | ||
| [15] | Berlin GAA | |
| GSC Luxembourg | ||
| Guernsey Gaels | Zürich Inneoin | |
Ladies' Football[]
| European Ladies Gaelic Football Championship | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2001 |
| Title holders | Belgium GAA (11th title) |
| First winner | Belgium GAA |
| Most titles | Belgium GAA (11 titles) |
Past winners[]
European Ladies Senior Gaelic Football Championship[]
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | not played due to pandemic | |
| Belgium GAA | Cumann Warsaw | |
| Cumann Warsaw | Belgium GAA | |
| Belgium GAA | A Coruna | |
| Belgium GAA | Holland Ladies | |
| Belgium GAA | ||
| Belgium GAA | ||
| Belgium GAA | Holland Ladies | |
| Belgium GAA | ||
| Belgium GAA | Munich | |
| Belgium GAA | ||
| Belgium GAA | Paris Gaels | |
| Belgium GAA | ||
| Paris Gaels | ||
| GSC Luxembourg | ||
| Holland Ladies | ||
| GSC Luxembourg | ||
| GSC Luxembourg | ||
| GSC Luxembourg | ||
| Belgium GAA | ||
European Premier ladies Football Championship (15-a-side)[]
| European Premier (15s) Ladies Football Championship | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 |
| Title holders | Belgium/Holland (2nd title) |
| First winner | Belgium |
| Most titles | Belgium, Belgium/Munich, Belgium/Holland (2 titles) |
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| not played due to pandemic | ||
| Belgium GAA/Holland Ladies | ||
| Belgium GAA/Holland Ladies | ||
| Belgium GAA / Munich Collmcilles (combined team) | Holland Ladies | |
| Belgium GAA / Munich Collmcilles (combined team) | Holland Ladies / Luxembourg (combined team) | |
| Belgium GAA | Holland Ladies | |
| Belgium GAA | Holland Ladies | |
Hurling[]
| European Hurling Championship | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2002 |
| Title holders | Belgium (8th title) |
| First winner | Den Haag |
| Most titles | Belgium (8 titles) |
Past winners[]
European Hurling Championship[]
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Shield | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| not played due to pandemic | ||||
| GSC Luxembourg | Hamburg GAA | |||
| GSC Luxembourg | ||||
| GSC Luxembourg | ||||
| Den Haag | ||||
| Den Haag | ||||
| Den Haag | ||||
| Zürich Inneoin | Den Haag | |||
| GSC Luxembourg | ||||
| GSC Luxembourg | ||||
| GSC Luxembourg | ||||
| Den Haag | GSC Luxembourg | |||
| Zürich Inneoin | ||||
| Zürich Inneoin | Munich Colmcilles | |||
| Zürich Inneoin | Munich Colmcilles | |||
| Den Haag | Zürich Inneoin | |||
| Den Haag | Zürich Inneoin | |||
Camogie[]
| European camogie Championship | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 |
| Title holders | Belgium (9th title) |
| First winner | Luxembourg |
| Most titles | Belgium (9 titles) |
Past winners[]
European Camogie Championship[]
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| not played due to pandemic | ||
| Hamburg GAA | ||
| GSC Luxembourg | ||
| GSC Luxembourg | ||
| Paris Gaels | ||
| Paris Gaels | ||
| Zurich Inneoin | ||
| GSC Luxembourg | ||
| GSC Luxembourg | ||
| GSC Luxembourg | ||
Affiliated Clubs[]
These are the 92 affiliated clubs as at November 2020.[16] Brittany (France), Galicia and Andalucia (Spain) have their own competitions. Teams hailing from these regions play both locally and in their regional competitions (North-West and Iberia).
References[]
- ^ O'Brien, Denis (2021). THE RISE OF GAELIC SPORTS IN EUROPE (published May 5, 2021). ASIN B0948KS7QG. ISBN 979-8732147209.
- ^ "Mary Gavin honoured with a President's Award 2013 by Liam O'Neill, President of the GAA". Gaelic Games Europe. 2013-03-15. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ McCrea, Michael (2019-07-29). "Mary Gavin to be honoured at GAA World Games". Camogie Association. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Scally, Derek. "'Anywhere I've gone in the world there's been a Gaelic team'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ "How GAA In Europe Is The Template For Its Eventual Return In Ireland". Extra.ie. 2020-05-27. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ O’Connor, Colm (2011-05-30). "Far away fields are greener as GAA goes global". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ Keane, Paul (2013-02-28). "GAA to get tough on abuse". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ "Committee established to monitor Playing Rules". www.gaa.ie. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ Fogarty, John (2018-02-28). "Bass stands by Congress CPA criticism". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ Egan, Kevin (2021-04-01). "A thriving club and a European hub". GAA.ie. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Maastricht - The capital of European GAA". JOE.ie. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ "GAA President's Awards - INTERNATIONAL AWARD – Tony Bass, Maastricht Gaels, The Netherlands". YouTube. 2021-03-21. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ "PRESIDENT'S AWARD FOR TONY BASS". Cuala GAA. 2021-05-03. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ "Oprichter Maastricht Gaels ontvangt award". Maastricht Sport (in Dutch). March 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Berlin GAA Claim European Title
- ^ Clubs lists by country
External links[]
- Gaelic games governing bodies
- Sports governing bodies in Europe