First Inaugural Regional GAA Tournament Takes Place in Berlin
The tournament consisted of 18 teams from different locations around Europe
June 15th, 2016
On the 11th of June, Berlin was the setting for Berlin’s first regional Gaelic football tournament. The tournament included matches for men and for women. Berlin GAA club entered teams into both the men and women tournaments. Berlin is one of two GAA clubs in Berlin and is the only club which is officially affiliated with the European Board of GAA.
The club includes members from a number of different countries, including of course Ireland and Germany. The club actively encourages new members to join, regardless of whether or not they have any past experiences playing Gaelic games.
Nigel Clark, a representative from the Irish Embassy in Berlin, kicked off the competition by throwing in the ball of the first match of the competition. The Irish embassy is extremely keen to promote Irish culture in Berlin and to build relations between the Irish who live in Berlin and the native Berliners. Through events like this one, Irish culture will continue to grow within the city.
In total there was 18 teams from various different locations, taking part in the tournament. Berlin GAA’s men’s team reached the semi-final which saw the men from Berlin progress to play against Vienna, a match which they narrowly lost by only 3 points, the final score being 3-09 to 3-12 in favour of the men from Vienna GAA. In the end, the Berlin men’s team secured a third place finish in the tournament with a win over Munich.
Berlin’s women team also performed excellently in the competition, especially as it was their first season competing in both the GAA league and the tournament. They secured a 6th place finish in the tournament and a second place finish in the League, an incredible achievement.
References:
Neasa Howley, Berlin Global
