| GAA shorts warwickshire
pilot youth league plan
This week a Warwickshire School’s GAA development side take on their
Roscommon counterparts in a pilot inter-county youth league in Ireland.
The Midlands Under-16 squad will take on both Roscommon and Mayo in Ireland
with both counties visiting Warwickshire during the months of April and
May. The Warwickshire panel of 21 players and three coaches fly to Knock
Airport on Friday, April 20 and visit Hyde Park in Roscommon where they
will be coached by top GAA county coaches. The squad will face the under-15
Roscommon development squad the following day. Local club players from
St. Brendans, Sean McDermotts, John Mitchels, Connellys and Roger Casements,
representing Warwickshire, will look to compete against one of Ireland’s
rising GAA counties with Roscommon clinching the minor Gaelic football
title in September 2006.
the home of gaa
The big GAA games in Ireland are held at Croke Park. It is one of the
biggest stadiums in Europe holding 83,000 people and has a state-of-the-art
playing surface. It was bought by the GAA in 1913 for £3,500. When
it was refurbished recently it cost £200million. Croke Park is named
after Dr Thomas Croke, Catholic Archbishop of Cashel and the first patron
of the GAA.
The Hogan Stand is called after Michael Hogan. He was the Tipperary goalkeeper
in 1920. The Cusack Stand is called after Michael Cusack the teacher from
Clare who was one of the founders of the GAA. Hill 16 was built using
the rubble from Sackville Street (now known as O’Connell Street)
which was destroyed during the 1916 Rising. The Canal End stand is named
after the Royal Canal which runs beside Croke Park.
Some significant dates in the history of Croke Park:
1953 American Football was played in Croke Park.
1961 The biggest attendance ever at an All-Ireland final 90,566.
1972 Mohammad Ali boxed at Croke Park.
1984 International Rules Series first held in Croke Park.
2003 The Special Olympics World Summer Games opening and closing ceremonies
were held.
2007 Rugby and soccer played at Croke Park for the first time.
Starting them young
Most boys and girls in Ireland first play Gaelic games in primary school.
Cumann na mbunscol an organisation of primary school teachers runs Gaelic
football, hurling, camogie, handball, rounders and athletics in 3,500
schools in Ireland.
Children take part in skills training and they play class leagues in the
school playground.
They play friendly games and inter-county challenge games with their schools.
Children get their first chance to wear their county jersey when they
play in Cumann Na mbunscol games.
Almost all of today’s senior county players all played in Cumann
na mbunscol leagues. Cumann na mbunscol is now organised in all 32 counties
and teachers encourage children to join their local GAA club.
In Britain London, Hertfordshire and Warwickshire all have Cumann na mbunscol
boards and play in a national primary school competition in Pairc Na h’Eireann
in Birmingham each year. |
