The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (Irish: Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders. The GAA also promotes Irish music and dance, and the Irish language. It is the largest organisation in Ireland with some 800,000 members from the island's population of six million.

Gaelic football and hurling are the most popular activities promoted by the organisation, and the most popular sports in the country. The women's version of these games, ladies' Gaelic football and camogie, are organised by the independent but closely-linked Ladies' Gaelic Football Association and the Camogie Association of Ireland respectively.

History

The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) was founded on November 1st 1884, by a group of spirited Irishmen who had the foresight to realise the importance of establishing a national organisation to revive and nurture traditional, indigenous pastimes.

Until that time all that was Irish was being steadily eroded by emigration, desperate poverty and outside influences. Within six months of that famous first meeting, clubs began to spring up all over Ireland and people began to play the games of Hurling and Gaelic Football and take part in Athletic events with pride. From 1925 the GAA handed over the organisation of Athletics to a separate organisation.

The Irish who emigrated brought their national games with them and both regional and club units are now well established in America, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Canada, mainland Europe and in many other parts of the world where the large Irish diaspora are located.

Clubs

The GAA has over 2,500 clubs in Ireland alone. The playing of Gaelic Games is based on the GAA Club, and each of the 32 Counties in Ireland have their own Club competitions, culminating in County Winners in championship and league. Club units outside of Ireland have their own league and championship competitions with the format dictated by the number of players and clubs available.

Clubs are generally based in a specific geographic area (usually a parish), and draw their players from that area. In certain cases, e.g. universities, the club will represent an organisation or institution and will draw their players from the members of that organisation.

Clubs will field one or more teams at various levels, and will play in their county's leagues, cups and championships. Most clubs will have both hurling and football teams, but some clubs will concentrate exclusively on one or other of the two Gaelic Games.

The winner of the County Championship will go forward to represent that county in the Provincial Club championship, and should they win that, to the latter stages of the All-Ireland Club Championship, the finals of which are played in Croke Park on St Patrick's Day (17th March).

Inter-county teams are selected from the best players from the clubs in every county.

EUROPEAN GAA - EUROPEAN COUNTY BOARD (ECB)

The European Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) or Europe GAA is one of the boards of the GAA outside Ireland, and is responsible for organizaning Gaelic Games in Europe, with the exception of Ireland and Great Britain. The board is responsible for European Gaelic football, Hurling, Camogie and Ladies' Gaelic football teams. There is now over 40 clubs and 1 National Federation.

The ECB is divided into 5 regions: Benelux, East & Central, Iberia, North & West and Scandinavia.

List of Clubs

• Austria: Vienna Gaels
• Belgium: Belgium GAA
• Channel Islands: Guernsey Gaels, Jersey Irish
• Czech Republic: Prague Hibernians
• Denmark: Copenhagen GFC
• France: Ar Gwazi Gouez (Rennes), Paris Gaels, Brest, Bains sur Ouest, Liffré, Lyons, Nantes, Nice
• Germany: Bad Homburg GAA, Frankfurt Sarsfields, München Colmcilles,
• Hungary: Budapest Rangers
• Luxembourg: Luxembourg Gaelic Sports Club
• Netherlands: Amsterdam GAC, Den Haag, Maastricht Gaels, Holland Ladies
• Norway: Oslo GAA, Bergen (St. Sunnivais)
• Poland: Cumann Warszawa
• Spain: Barcelona Gaels, Costa Gaels, Madrid Harps, Valencia GAA, Pamplona (Naoimh Fermin), Seville GAA
• Sweden: Gothenburg GAA, Malmo GAA, Stockholm GAA
• Switzerland: Inneoin Zurich HC