The Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), or Cumann Lúthchleas Gael in Irish,
is the governing body for Gaelic games in Ireland.
The Gaelic Athletic Association (G.A.A.) was founded in November 1884,
as a means to keep alive and promote Iris games, Irish culture and tradition. Three men
must take most of the credit for the foundation of the Association, Michael Cusack, Maurice Davin
and Archbishop Croke. Dr. Croke, Archbishop of Cashel was the first Patron of the GAA and it is him
who Croke Park is named after.
Until the late 1800's the Irish language and traditions were being steadily
eroded by emigration, desperate poverty and outside influences.
The first meeting of the GAA was in a town called Thurles in November 1884.
Within six months of that first meeting, clubs began to
spring up all over Ireland and people began to play the games of Hurling and
Gaelic Football and take part in Athletic events with pride. In 1925 the G.A.A.
handed over the organisation of Athletics to a separate organisation.
The present-day G.A.A. is a multi-million pound business with over
200,000 players in approximatly 2,500 clubs in Ireland and many more clubs in many
other countries around the world. The playing of Gaelic Games is based on a club system, and
each of the 32 counties in Ireland have their own club competitions, culminating
in county winners in the championships and leagues. Clubs outside of Ireland have
their own league and championship competitions with the format dictated by the
number of players and clubs available.
Croke Park
The headquarters of the GAA is Croke Park
in Dublin (shown below). Croke Park is a state of the art stadium and holds the finlas of the national leagues and
championships for the Gaelic sports of football, hurling and camogie. The stadium also hosts
the national club finals. On Final Day the stadium is full to capacity holding almost
80,000 people.
Click here for a basic plan view of Croke Park.
For more information about the GAA you should visit: www.gaa.ie