| Gaelic games prove a hit with Yorkshire
kids  BY
Trevor O’sullivan
KIDS born and raised in Yorkshire have started to shun traditional British
games for a slice of the action on the GAA pitch.
Eager to build on the massive interest in GAA from the non-Irish community
in Yorkshire, St. Benedicts GAA Club is looking to travel to schools in
the area to show kids how it’s done.
Jimmy Houton, PRO for Yorkshire GAA, has been among those trying to get
children from outside the Irish community playing the game.
He said: “We know of many English-born children that have no Irish
connection that just play with their friends because they love the game.
The parents think it’s something different.
“I’ve been involved with the GAA in Yorkshire for 32 years and
when I came here first it was mostly all Irish lads playing.
“But the Benedicts club played in the senior championship this year
against Young Irelands and probably 10 of the starting line-up were English-born
kids who came up through the under-age structure.”
Eager to build on that success Yorkshire GAA is looking to hire a full-time
coaching officer to teach and promote the game in the region.
GAA Information Officer Fergal McGill said: “The GAA are currently
in the process of developing a strategic plan for the entire country and
senior GAA officials would have visited both London and Manchester the week
before last. While there they engaged in a broad consultation process with
all officials.
“Coaches will be appointed as part of an overall strategic plan but
they won’t be appointed on an ad hoc basis.”
Gaelic football teams have been playing games in Yorkshire for over 50 years.
The game originally started at adult level but there are now growing numbers
of children playing in Yorkshire.
The underage structure is currently thriving and clubs like St. Benedicts
Harps, JF Kennedys and Young Irelands are promoting the GAA to a whole new
legion of admirers.
Mr Houton is hopeful that one day kids from Yorkshire might get the chance
to play on Croke Park’s hallowed turf.
He said: “The first match of the opening of the lights at Croke Park
showed the ethnic groups in Ireland playing an under-14 match. It was great
to see.
“We thought afterwards wouldn’t it be a great thing for Britain
if you could get for example a Yorkshire under-14 side and a Lancashire
under-14 side playing an opening match like that at a big occasion in Dublin.”
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