While Ireland loves rugby, horseracing and pretty much every other sport, the ones that are native to our island are really special. These sports are organised by the
Gaelic Athletic Association. They’re fast, furious and bring out the best in Ireland’s people, too.
The GAA includes several sports under its umbrella, each as compelling as the last. Gaelic football is the most popular, with hurling close behind: each county has its own team – and they’re often the pride of their communities. All players partake voluntarily too!
So what’s it all about? Well, let’s start with Gaelic football. Played by teams of 15, it’s the player’s job to get balls in nets – but in this sport, you can use your hands as well as your feet to do so. Televised Gaelic football matches reach thousands of people every year.
Hurling is the GAA’s other super-popular sport – and has been for thousands of years. Hurling is thought to be over 3,000 years old and is one of the fastest games on earth, so pay attention! Played with a hurley (a stick) and a sliotar (a small ball), hurling follows similar rules to Gaelic football: two sets of goals, and the team with the most points wins.
Sounds simple? It really isn’t – but that’s what makes it so exciting. If you fancy tracking down one of these games in Ireland, you can – there’s a GAA club in virtually every town in Ireland, and we have a dedicated stadium, Croke Park, that you can visit to learn more about our native sports.
Want to go a step further and try your hand? Head to
Experience Gaelic Games, in Dublin, Galway or Cork where you can discover how to play these amazing sports.