Bringing the Eurozone back home

HOW DO you do justice to what we saw in the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on Saturday?

Anyone wandering in off the street to check out was happening in the freezing floodlit foggy ground would have thought they were witness to a minor event, just a few hundred people — relatives and friends of those involved — huddled in the covered stand.

But no, this was not minor. In its own quaint fashion, the GAA has designated the continent of Europe as just another county and last Saturday, in a format designed to suit a setup where some of the clubs are over a 1,000 miles apart, the European County Board (yes, the ECB in short) played out the final event on their annual competitive calendar, with three titles at stake — the Ladies Championship, the Men’s Shield title, and the big one, the Men’s Senior Championship.

In the Ladies final, backboned by former home stars Grainne Ni Fhlatharta (Kerry) and Caoimhe Ni Shuilleabhain (Wicklow), Belgium maintained their stranglehold, retaining their title for a fourth consecutive season with a thumping 5-9 to 0-1 win over hapless Paris Gaels.

The Shield final was a cracker, with Belgium B (their A team plays in the senior championship) and Amsterdam going into extra-time courtesy of a late Dutch goal, then into sudden-death after they had been tied again. The winner for Belgium, when it came, was from a most unlikely source and by a most unlikely method.

The clincher came courtesy of a first-time volley of a breaking-ball from about 20m that flew over the bar, kicked by a Kilkenny native, Pearse Ó Chaoimh — hardly a county renowned for its big-ball exponents!

A neck injury to Belgium’s Ricky Collins that saw the former St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield player removed to hospital and meant an additional delay to the day’s marquee decider. But when it finally kicked off, the quality of the fare on offer at the highest level in this newest GAA ‘county’ was soon evident.

The Hague met Guernsey Gaels in the senior final. Three goals in the opening minutes, one of better quality than the next, but unfortunately for The Hague all three were for Guernsey. The first was by former Éire Óg, Roscommon star David McNulty, stealing in behind a dozing defence to fist home a high ball everyone else had assumed was going wide. The second was a rocket by former Tuam Stars player Paul Doherty, the third another piledriver, this one from Seoirse Lee, inspiring Guernsey to its first title.

Those are the details, but that’s all they are. The real story of what went on in Limerick — first in UL, then in the Gaelic Grounds — on Saturday, is in the individuals concerned, the 400 plus men and women of over 20 nationalities from the 25 clubs who made it to this tournament. But also — and more importantly — it was further proof of just how deeply embedded the GAA is in the Irish psyche.

Belgium match-winner Pearse Ó Chaoimh explained: “I work for an external organisation that works for the European Commission. It’s great to have the GAA in Brussels, it is great to have that link to home. I was with the Danesfort club at home and gave up hurling at around 16 but the football appeals to me. There’s great camaraderie within the group, especially for this trip back to Ireland. Coming back here and winning is a big deal. This team has been together for a years and you can see what it means.”

It was the same for David McNulty and Paul Doherty of Guernsey Gaels. McNulty said: “A good friend of mine, Ger Doyle was over there and asked me to come out some weekend and maybe get in a bit of football. I did, he got me a job, bricklaying, and I’m doing well now. You can see by the strength of the team what’s happening in Ireland with the recession. It’s a very good standard of football. I only started last year but the fitness levels, the effort the lads put in is ferocious, just amazing. When you work hard, sometimes you get the reward.”

Doherty continued: “I qualified as an accountant a couple of years ago but there was no work in Galway so I applied to go abroad. Guernsey is a good centre for accountancy, a big financial services area — it’s great to be there and getting good experience. Mind you, when I headed there I didn’t think I was going to be back in Limerick within a year playing in a county final! I have to say I’m enjoying it — this is one of the major strengths of the GAA. For lads like myself, it’s great to have a ready-made community to slot into, something you’d be familiar with back home. It’s predominantly soccer and cricket there so it is nice to have a bit of culture in your week!”

Grainne Ni Fhlatharta, a translator with the European Commission, outlined the expense involved. She said: “It’s quite costly, you have to put your hands fairly deeply into your own pocket. I’d say each tournament costs us about €500, with the flights, the accommodation, the food, everything. With some of the local-based tournaments you can drive — to Paris, to Holland, places like that. We generally stay in hotels but people are very good for sussing out deals on the internet, and because we get the fixtures so early, in March, it’s up to you to look ahead and book flights and so on. It was nice to come back and play in Limerick, lovely to come home and tie up with family and friends.”

Last word to another Irish European worker, and a man who — in his time as GAA president — did so much to promote the GAA on the continent.

Seán Kelly went from Croke Park to Strasbourg and Brussels, an MEP, but he is still president — of the Belgian GAA. “I’m president of the Belgium GAA, a very onerous position. I’m enjoying it — it’s probably the only club in the world that holds its AGM in parliament! As an MEP I can host meetings, and the AGM is coming up in a few weeks now and that will be held in parliament. Being out in Strasbourg and Brussels I see what it means to not only the native Irish but also to those from other countries who have joined GAA clubs. It’s a wonderful event to bring them all together to play and to socialise, but also to let these people know what’s happening in terms of networking — many get jobs from those contacts. It’s a great way of helping one another, and that’s a huge part of what the GAA is all about.”