Gaelic Games Research Articles

The “Temporary Diaspora” at Play: The Development of Gaelic Games in British Universities

In the second half of the twentieth century, a new significant grouping emerged in the pattern of migration from Ireland. During this period the numbers of Irish students attending universities and colleges of higher education in Britain rose steadily. Many of these students returned to Ireland as soon as their course of study ended, and so they could be said to comprise a ‘temporary diaspora’. [1] Corresponding with their growth in numbers, these Irish students have increasingly played Gaelic games at their respective universities in Britain. The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and its sports have thus become the primary vehicles for the expression of Irishness among Irish students in the British higher education environment, and have become one of the links binding a new generation of Irish émigrés to their native land.

Gaelic Games, Ethnic Identity and Irish Nationalism in New York City c.1880–1917 [1

Although evidence exists of hurling being played in New York as early as the 1780s, it was not until the 1880s that codified forms of this game along with Gaelic football were seen in the city. The significance of Gaelic games for the Irish in New York in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries extended far beyond the provision of opportunities to play sport. Hurling and Gaelic football, strongly nationalistic and resonant of ‘home’, allowed sections of New York's Irish community to mix with their own people, mark themselves out as a distinctive ethnic group, retain their Irishness and adjust to the rigours of life in their new, and often difficult, environs. Crucially, these sports also allowed Irish immigrants to express themselves as Irish nationalists and to give their support to the struggle for Irish independence. This essay examines the early history of Gaelic games in New York with particular reference to the broader social, cultural and political functions that they played for the city's burgeoning Irish migrant population.

The Role of Gaelic Games in the lives of the Irish Diaspora in Europe

It was only during the latter part of the twentieth century that the Irish emigrated to mainland Europe in sufficient numbers to warrant investigation into their motivations for doing so. [1] In most cases this has simply meant a search for better employment whilst an improved lifestyle has also been a common concern amongst migrants. [2] Aside from their qualifications and skills some of these individuals have brought long standing cultural interests and pastimes with them. Foremost amongst these have been the indigenously Irish games organized and promoted by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). Whilst Gaelic Games have been played, albeit unofficially, throughout Europe since the mid-twentieth century, it is only of late that they have come under the control of a formal governing body, Coiste Chontae na hEorpa (European County Board). [3] The games attract a cross section of followers but the administration and management of GAA proceedings remains the preserve of young, well-educated Irish professionals, the embodiment of the so-called ‘Ryanair generation’ of the late 1980s. [4] The dominant ethos underpinning GAA activity on mainland Europe is inclusivity and is defined by a policy of equal opportunities for all. That said one of the most noteworthy aspects of the GAA scene in Europe is the way its presence allows opportunities for localized sub-groups to further underline their separation from established states.

Wearing the Baggie Green: the Irish and Australian Cricket

Although it is often assumed that Irish nationalists have shown little interest in cricket, regarded as it is as the quintessentially English game, this essay begins by highlighting the counter argument that cricket was played extensively in nineteenth-century Ireland by followers of Gaelic games and, indeed, by leading nationalist politicians. This helps to explain why on their arrival in Australia, many Irish immigrants were attracted to the game. It should also be recognized that although playing the English at their own game may well have been a contributory factor, Irish Australian enthusiasm for cricket was also linked to a wider process whereby Irish Catholics sought to become good Australians. Ironically, at times this brought them into conflict with pro-British Australians and, with this rivalry in mind, the essay concentrates primarily on relations between Donald Bradman and his ‘Irish’ team mates. The essay goes on to discuss the value of the concept of habitus for understanding the ‘Irish’ world view expressed by players such as Bill O'Reilly and Jack Fingleton and concludes with a comment on the extent to which the issue of sectarianism in sport, as demonstrated by this particular example, is commonly a matter of perception rather than of empirical evidence.

Plyometric Training in Gaelic Games: A Case Study on a County-Level Hurler

A 10-week plyometrics-based intervention was carried out with a county-level hurler during preseason preparation. The intervention resulted in a number of physiological changes specific to hurling performance. Most notably, it enabled the athlete to complete repeated sprints with less decrement in performance compared with baseline scores.

Emigrants at Play: Gaelic Games and the Irish Diaspora in Chicago, 1884–c.1900

This article uncovers the origins and early history of Gaelic games in late-nineteenth-century Chicago and examines the ways in which membership of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) allowed sections of the city's Irish population to preserve and express their ethnic specificity and support for Irish nationalism. In doing so, it adds to the author's earlier research which has begun to redress the neglect of Gaelic sport in the broader historiography of the Irish in America.

The politics of sports tourism in Northern Ireland

Due to political division within Northern Ireland, spectator sports, particularly Gaelic games, have been a contentious issue and, as result, have not been developed as a tourism product. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how politics can impinge on policies relating to sport, tourism and consequently sports tourism. The first section deals with the political situation in Northern Ireland and how it has affected local tourism and sport. The second section analyses the tourism potential of local sports now that the country has entered a new era of peace. The third and final section of the paper deals specifically with Gaelic games and recommends how Northern Ireland's tourism industry could capitalize on a sport which is unique to the island of Ireland.

Gaelic sport and the Irish diaspora in Boston, 1879–90

Although Gaelic sports have been played in an organised fashion for over a century in the United States, academic research on the development and role of these sports among the Irish diaspora has been extremely limited. This is hardly surprising, given the more general disregard of the significance of sport in the burgeoning literature examining the Irish experience in America. In its most general aspect, this study seeks to redress this neglect. Drawing predominantly on archival material from the John J. Burns Library at Boston College and from Boston Public Library, the article charts and explores the processes involved in the transfer of Gaelic sports from Ireland to one of the most significant focal points of Irish immigration, Boston. This analysis not only identifies and examines the key agencies and individuals responsible for the early development of Irish sports in Boston, but also seeks to explore the role they played in the promotion and preservation of a distinctively Irish ethnic identity. In particular, the article assesses the extent to which Gaelic games have functioned as an arena in which Irish nationalism was fostered in the greater Boston area during the 1880s. Before turning to these central concerns, it is important to understand the social milieu in which these games developed. Thus the article begins with a brief context-setting discussion that charts Irish emigration to Boston and offers some insights into the socio-economic and political environment encountered by the Irish on completion of their journey.

Sport and Nationalism in Ireland: Gaelic Games, Soccer and Irish Identity since 1884

Sport and Nationalism in Ireland: Gaelic Games, Soccer and Irish Identity since 1884

Sport and Nationalism in Ireland: Gaelic Games, Soccer and Irish Identity since 1884 by Mike Cronin (review)

Sport and Nationalism in Ireland: Gaelic Games, Soccer and Irish Identity since 1884 by Mike Cronin (review)

‘When the world soccer cup is played on roller skates’: The atttempt to make Gaelic games international: The Meath‐Australia matches of 1967–68

‘When the world soccer cup is played on roller skates’: The atttempt to make Gaelic games international: The Meath‐Australia matches of 1967–68

One hundred and ten sports related facial fractures.

In a 1 year period (1993) 332 facial fractures were treated in Cork Regional Hospital. Of these 110 (33%) were sports related. Males accounted for 94.5% of patients and 77% of patients were aged below 30 years. Nasal fractures were the most common fractures seen (56%). Almost half (49%) of sports related facial fractures occurred while playing Gaelic games. The incidence of hurling fractures has been more than halved over the last 20 years. Seventy eight percent of patients required operative treatment.

Sport, Sectarianism and Society in a Divided Ireland by J. Sugden and A. Bairner

There is, then, an ambivalence at the heart of this small but powerful book. An economic analysis, Kennedy’s argument is nonetheless driven by political, not to say moral, imperatives. In ways, Facing the Unemployment Crisis is discouraging because it rightly admits of no ready economic solution. But proposing a political approach offers tangible possibilities, including a clearer collective conscience because something is being done. The mobilization of public opinion would salve the social and economic dualism which long term unemployment threatens to succor. Kennedy’s real concern, underlying the economic discussion, is a broader indictment of Irish society’s urge to avoid facing unpleasent issues be they unemployment , emigration, poverty, abortion, or even Northern Ireland. The usual excuse for such passivity is a claim that they are unsoluable problems. As Kennedy’s title suggests, the real key to finding solutions to social and economic issues is to face them. In the Irish context, that might be revolution enough. One may not find perfect solutions, but the effort in itself promises a form of salvation. —Eamon McKee Sport, Sectarianism and Society in a Divided Ireland, by J. Sugden and A. Bairner, pp. 151, Leicester, England: Leicester University Press, 1993, $69.00. A title in the “Sport, Politics and Culture” series published by Leicester University Press, this book explores a much-ignored facet of life in Northern Ireland— that of sport and leisure. While addressing the domestic “political sociology of sport,” Sport, Sectarianism and Society in a Divided Ireland contributes to the growing body of literature in comparative physical education and sport. While not native to Northern Ireland, the authors, John Sugden and Alan Bairner, both lecture at the University of Ulster at Jordanstown and draw from their experience of living, working and playing in the North for over ten years. Their effort is directed primarily for the many members of the Northern Ireland sports community; a reader unfamiliar with the area’s locales and subgroups will suffer initially while getting the terminology sorted out. A section with definitions of the “players”—Nationalist, Unionist, Loyalist, Republican—in this otherwise well-conceived book, would have been helpful. The rst chapter discusses the confrontational nature of modern sport and how this leads to potential political and economic interference as ``the locus of control for defining the context and limits of competition moves progressively away from the athlete towards interests operating outside of the sport . . .” (9). The authors then explore the relationship between sport and national identity, both globally and in the province. They succinctly discuss the social contexts of sport, with contributing factors of sectarianism, ethnic and national identification and social class, as well as civil society and hegemonic theories proposed by Antonio Gramsci. BOOK REVIEWS 171 The chapter concludes by contrasting the dichotomous population’s customs, traditions and symbols. Other chapters portray “Gaelic Games and Irish Politics,” “British Sports and Irish Identity” and ``World Sport in an Irish Setting.” Each provides a unique portrait of the myriad of games and sports that have been national pastimes or are imported physical activities. Extensive citations develop the historical backgrounds of sport in both Northern Ireland and the Republic. Britain can be cited for linking sport with nationalism and introducing rugby, cricket, and field hockey to its colonies. The Irish can boast of their promotion of indigenous games such as hurling , handball, and Gaelic football. The latter have been actively sponsored by the Gaelic Athletic Association since its inception in 1884, and the group continues to provide a strong administrative power base throughout the island. The G.A.A. has been inexorably bound to religious, political and cultural fronts—especially in its historic role in promoting specifically Irish sports and in mobilizing the population in the cause of a united and independent Ireland. For nearly every sport mentioned, Sugden and Bairner recount controversies at local, regional and national levels which have resulted in intercommunity territorial issues, venue and funding conflicts, or violence. Ultimately, the authors conclude that, as is the case in youth football, “. . . administrators of the game in Northern Ireland . . . far from being interested in allowing their sport to help the process of community reconciliation . . . may actually have a vested inerest in maintaining its...

Hand injuries in Gaelic games.

Hand injuries in Gaelic games.