Gaelic Games Europe
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.
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| Irish: | Cumann Luthchleas Gael na hEorpa | |
|---|---|---|
| Province: | International unit | |
| Nickname(s): | GGE | |
| County colours: | Blue with Yellow trim | |
| Ground(s): | Sportspark West, Negenputruwe 1-5, 6218 RA, Maastricht, Netherlands | |
| Standard kit | ||
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The first evidence of Gaelic games in Europe dates back to a hurling match in 1774 in Belgium, 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 almost 90 clubs spread across 20 countries, catering for over 4,000 players who play camogie, hurling, men's & ladies football, handball and rounders competitions from Oulu near the Arctic Circle in Finland to Gibraltar beside the Mediterranean and from the tiny Channel Islands to big cities such as Moscow in Russia. The European County Board (ECB) changed its name to Gaelic Games Europe at the Annual Convention in Leuven (Belgium) in November 2016.
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 MC 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 MC, CCC or Hearings Committees.
Other Sub-Committees & Work Groups
There are also other sub-committees and work groups which include:
- Coaching & Games Development Committee
- Youth Development Committee
- Public Relations & Marketing Committee
- Health & Well-being Committee
- Culture Committee
- Referees Administration Committee
- 'code' committees for men's football, ladies football, camogie, hurling and handball.
Members are appointed by the EC and include a Chairperson (GGE Chair's nominee); relevant GGE Officer (who acts as Secretary) and sometimes other GGE officers if their role is relevant to a committee's work. One representative is 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
Currently, clubs across Europe are assigned to one of five "regions". Clubs in each region elect a "Regional Committee" which is responsible for organising competitions and developing Gaelic games in their own region. The Management Committee (MC) may also delegate other tasks and each Region appoints a representative to the EC and many of the sub-committees. Currently there are five Regions, 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. Europe is divided into five regions: Benelux, East and Central, Iberia, North West and Nordic. Each team plays in its regional competition with the top teams qualifying for highest grades at the European Football Championships. Some regions also have sub-regional structures with their own local competitions (Brittany, Galicia, Andalusia).
Many of the regional competitions use a system of 'rounds' played as one-day tournaments spread over a number of months. Each tournament is competed in a single day with teams playing in groups before moving to knock-out stages (or in a round-robin format) leading to a final. Semi-finals and other ranking games can be played if needed to determine the rankings of every team present on the day. Each team gains a number of points depending on its ranking at each tournament (25 points for the winner, 20 points for the runner-up, etc.). After each tournament, a team's ranking points are added to those accrued in previous rounds and after the final round the overall rankings determine the competition winner for that season. 3-4 rounds are the norm in each regional football championship.
All men's (11-a-side) and ladies (9-a-side) teams can play in the European Football Championships held as a one-day event in October with teams seeded into different grades (Senior, Intermediate and Junior). Teams play 3-4 group games within their grade before progressing to the semi-finals of either a Championship, Shield & Plate competition.
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 - and played over a number of weekends in Maastricht, where there is a full-GAA size astroturf pitch. Both winners progress to 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 Delegate* | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Tony Bass | Maastricht Gaels | John White (from Feb.2019) | Zürich Inneoin | Daire Kivlehan | München Colmcilles | Marie-Therese Dockery | GSC Luxembourg |
| 2018 | ||||||||
| 2017 | JJ Keaney (to Feb.2019) | Madrid Harps | ||||||
| 2016 | Brian Sheehy | Zürich Inneoin | Deirdre Kelleher (from Feb.2017)
JJ Keaney (to Feb.2017) |
Den Haag | Tony Bass | Maastricht Gaels | ||
| 2015 | Marie-Therese Dockery | GSC Luxembourg | ||||||
| 2014 | ||||||||
| 2013 | Tony Bass | Maastricht Gaels | ||||||
| 2012 | ||||||||
| 2011 | William Cashin | Belgium GAA | ||||||
| 2010 | ||||||||
| 2009 | Ciaran McGuill | Paris Gaels | ||||||
| 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 | Guernsey Gaels | Eamon O'Brien | GSC Luxembourg | ||||
| 2001 | Barry Moroney (from mid-2002) / Mark Scanlon (to mid-2002) | Guernsey Gaels / Paris Gaels | Cathal Lynch | Brussels | Barry Moroney | Guernsey Gaels | ||
| 2000 | Mark Scanlon | Paris Gaels | Ann Donnelly | Paris Gaels | ||||
| 1999 |
Note: * Europe were granted representation on the GAA Central Council from March 2013 Note: * European County Board formed at the end of 1999 and the first officers served for 1999 and 2000
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Madrid Harps | Cumann Warszawa |
| 2018 | Amsterdam GAC | Cumann Warszawa |
| 2017 | Cumann Warszawa | GSC Luxembourg |
| 2016 | GSC Luxembourg | Jersey Irish |
| 2015 | Paris Gaels | |
| 2014 | Belgium GAA | |
| 2013 | Guernsey Gaels | Belgium GAA "A" |
| 2012 | Belgium GAA | |
| 2011 | Guernsey Gaels | Den Haag |
| 2010 | Den Haag | Paris Gaels |
| 2009 | Den Haag | Paris Gaels |
| 2008 | Belgium GAA | Paris Gaels |
| 2007 | GSC Luxembourg | |
| 2006 | Den Haag | |
| 2005 | Paris Gaels | |
| 2004 | München Colmcilles | |
| 2003 | Paris Gaels | |
| 2002 | Den Haag | |
| 2001 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Frankfurt Sarsfields | Vienna Gaels |
| 2018 | EGHB Liffré | Frankfurt Sarsfields |
| 2017 | Earls Of Leuven | Den Haag |
| 2016 | EGHB Liffré | Eindhoven/Maastricht/Hague (combined team) |
| 2015 | Vienna Gaels | |
| 2014 | Amsterdam GAC | |
| 2013 | Vienna Gaels | Amsterdam "B" |
| 2012 | Malmö | |
| 2011 | Amsterdam GAC | Copenhagen |
| 2010 | Copenhagen | Frankfurt Sarsfields |
| 2009 | Copenhagen | Frankfurt Sarsfields |
| 2008 | Copenhagen | |
| 2007 | Ar Gwazi Gouez (Rennes) | |
| 2006 | Maastricht Gaels | Amsterdam GAC |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Copenhagen GAA | Malmö GAA |
| 2018 | München Colmcilles | Lorient |
| 2017 | Lorient GAC | München Colmcilles |
| 2016 | Clermont GFC | |
| 2015 | Rómhánaigh Augsburg Óg | |
| 2014 | Ar Gwazi Gouez (Rennes) | |
| 2013 | 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 | Berlin (1st title) |
| First winner | Guernsey |
| Most titles | Amsterdam (4 titles) |
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 [1] | Berlin GAA | Belgium GAA |
| 2018 | Amsterdam GAC | Eindhoven Shamrocks |
| 2017 | GSC Luxembourg | Amsterdam GAC |
| 2016 | Amsterdam GAC | |
| 2015 | Amsterdam GAC | |
| 2014 | Amsterdam GAC | |
| 2013 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Belgium GAA | Cumann Warzawa |
| 2018 | Cumann Warzawa | Belgium GAA |
| 2017 | Belgium GAA | A Coruna |
| 2016 | Belgium GAA | Holland Ladies |
| 2015 | Belgium GAA | |
| 2014 | Belgium GAA | |
| 2013 | Belgium GAA | Holland Ladies |
| 2012 | Belgium GAA | |
| 2011 | Belgium GAA | Munich |
| 2010 | Belgium GAA | |
| 2009 | Belgium GAA | Paris Gaels |
| 2008 | Belgium GAA | |
| 2007 | Paris Gaels | |
| 2006 | GSC Luxembourg | |
| 2005 | Holland Ladies | |
| 2004 | GSC Luxembourg | |
| 2003 | GSC Luxembourg | |
| 2002 | GSC Luxembourg | |
| 2001 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Belgium GAA/Holland Ladies | |
| 2018 | Belgium GAA/Holland Ladies | |
| 2017 | Belgium GAA / Munich Collmcilles (combined team) | Holland Ladies |
| 2016 | Belgium GAA / Munich Collmcilles (combined team) | Holland Ladies / Luxembourg (combined team) |
| 2015 | Belgium GAA | Holland Ladies |
| 2014 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Belgium GAA | GSC Luxembourg | Hamburg GAA | Darmstadt GAA |
| 2018 | Belgium GAA | Dresden GAA Club | Darmstadt GAA | |
| 2017 | GSC Luxembourg | Belgium GAA | ||
| 2016 | Belgium GAA | GSC Luxembourg | ||
| 2015 | Belgium GAA | |||
| 2014 | Belgium GAA | Den Haag | ||
| 2013 | Belgium GAA | |||
| 2012 | Den Haag | |||
| 2011 | Zürich Inneoin | Den Haag | ||
| 2010 | Belgium GAA | GSC Luxembourg | ||
| 2009 | Belgium GAA | GSC Luxembourg | ||
| 2008 | GSC Luxembourg | Belgium GAA | ||
| 2007 | Den Haag | GSC Luxembourg | ||
| 2006 | Zürich Inneoin | Belgium GAA | ||
| 2005 | Zürich Inneoin | Munich Colmcilles | ||
| 2004 | Zürich Inneoin | Munich Colmcilles | ||
| 2003 | Den Haag | Zürich Inneoin | ||
| 2002 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Belgium GAA | Hamburg GAA |
| 2018 | Belgium GAA | |
| 2017 | Belgium GAA | GSC Luxembourg |
| 2016 | Belgium GAA | GSC Luxembourg |
| 2015 | Belgium GAA | |
| 2014 | Belgium GAA | |
| 2013 | Belgium GAA | Paris Gaels |
| 2012 | Paris Gaels | Belgium GAA |
| 2011 | Belgium GAA | Zurich Inneoin |
| 2010 | Belgium GAA | GSC Luxembourg |
| 2009 | GSC Luxembourg | |
| 2008 | GSC Luxembourg |
Affiliated Clubs
These are the 96 affiliated clubs as at Dec 2019.[2] 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).
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External links
- Gaelic Games Europe (official website)
- Frankfurt Sarsfields GAA Club
- Hogan Stand article
- European Irish - 10 years reporting on the GAA in Europe
- European GAA News on hoganstand.com
- French Federation and clubs
- Belgium GAA Club
- Belgium EC Junior Gaelic Football Club
- Denmark GAA
- Finland GAA
- Luxembourg GAA
- Amsterdam Gaelic Athletic Football Club
- Groningen GAA Club
- The Hague GAA Club
- Mastricht Gaels
- München Colmcilles eV.
- Spanish GAA club sites
- Swiss GAA
- Valencia GAA
- Tolosa Gaels / Toulouse