Ireland’s Eastern promise

WHEN Michael Cusack and his band of pioneers founded the GAA in Hayes’s Hotel 127 years ago, they would never have believed how big that organisation would grow.

From those humble beginnings they formed an association which gave a nation its identity.

In 1996 something similar happened in the Far East. Over a few drinks, Paraic McGrath and some devoted GAA supporters came up with the idea of forming a tournament for Gaels in Asia. Five teams came together for the first Asian Games.

Today, in the South Korean city of Suwon, 705 players, 57 teams and 22 clubs will play 180 games over two days.

And just like the association born in Thurles in 1884, this latest evolution serves a higher purpose too — establishing business links with the emerging markets.

“I’m from a business background and I’ll go to Bangkok and meet an Irish guy setting up a business in translations and I’ll be able to put him in contact with a few people which will help his business,” said McGrath, who emulated his father PJ, Mayo chairman and 1982 All-Ireland final referee, in becoming chairman of a county board.

“Because we’ve these hubs, we have great connections. The government agencies are always at the tournaments and embassies love it because it gives them something outside of the mundane to do. And typical Ireland, half the people will know each other. We’ve got all these little parishes all over the region.”

With the situation at home now coming to their doorstep every day in the guise of a new member, they know their task is more than just providing games and a community for Irish emigrants.

Last year Paraic’s club Singapore Gaelic Lions’ number swelled by 32. An influx of physiotherapists with no work at home invaded the city and a job was found for every one of them thanks to the club. One of those was Dublin’s Rachel Ruddy. In 2008 she was a camogie All Star nominee and the following year won an All-Ireland football title and an All Star.

While Paraic and most of the founders travelled to Asia for the experience, the latest arrivals are coming due to necessity. Combining patriotism with compassion for those youngsters, the Asian County Board are working to build Ireland’s business relations and prevent those numbers swelling further.

This weekend they will host the Asian Pacific Irish Business Forum with Tanáiste Eamon Gilmore getting the opportunity to meet Steve Yang, chairman of Hyundai, and first-time guest at the Games.

“People will get jobs and contracts from this forum. That connection is vital. No other overseas board have developed that connection yet,” said McGrath. “They’ve talked about it but you’ve got to be able to build on it and that’s why we started a few years ago and we’re still at it with 250 people booked into the forum on Friday.

“You’re getting serious hitters coming and still we had companies yesterday ringing to sponsor us asking was it too late and we had to say it was. This year Fexco is the naming sponsor and we also have strategic sponsors ESBI, Guinness, Kerry Group and PCH International.”

But don’t let that take any of the mystique away from the rare matches taking place. Since it was set up, the Asian County Board became the biggest geographic body in the association, governing teams from Saudi Arabia and the UAE all the way over to Japan, up to Mongolia and south to Indonesia.

“There’s a couple of Mayo and Galway lads working as engineers in Mongolia and they got on to us asking could they play this year,” McGrath said of the latest team to join the board. “Two lads are hurlers the rest are footballers and they’re bringing a few Aussies too. The Mongol Khans is their name after Genghis Khan.”

It’s a proud moment for Paraic but one that desperately needs added impetus. He will lobby his guests, GAA president Christy Cooney, president of the ladies association Pat Quill, president of camogie Joan O’Flynn and Leinster chairman Martin Skelly to assist in funding for a full-time officer.

“Getting it up [the Asian Games] and running wasn’t too hard, it just took time,” he said. “Keeping it going will take more time which individuals don’t have. We need a full-time executive keeping the day-to-day running going with websites and marketing demands, so we hope to get that financed by the GAA and other parties.”