European Gaelic Football Finals this weekend in Maastricht Netherlands

30 October 2009
Maastricht Netherlands

A total of 24 Gaelic Football teams will play in Maastricht this Saturday wih teams from Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Hungary and Spain.

Europe’s Gaelic Football Men’s Championship Final Round will be contested by 6 teams from Budapest Hungary, Paris & Rennes (France), Belgium, The Hague (Netherlands) and Luxembourg. After 3 rounds played, the Championship crown is this year on a balance between Paris Gaels and Den Haag, in this historic 10th year of the European GAA County Board. Belgium still has an outside chance of topping the Championship, while Luxembourg, Budapest and Rennes will attempt to spoil the party and win the tournament on Saturday.

There is also a second tier of Men’s Gaelic Football contested across the Continent, and this year Frankfurt (Germany) and Copenhagen (Denmark) teams lead the challenge for Europe’s Gaelic Football Shield. On Saturday Maastricht (Netherlands) will field its team and host teams from Amsterdam (Netherlands), Liffré (France), Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Zurich (Switzerland), Valencia (Spain) and a Belgium B side.

Regional Men’s Gaelic Football Championships have already been completed over the Spring and Summer months– in Iberia, in Benelux, in France and Channel islands, in Scandinavia, in Central Europe, and Brittany France.

Ladies Gaelic Football has grown from strength to strength across mainland Europe, and on Saturday the 31st, Maastricht will also host the 7th and Final Round of the 2009 Ladies Championship. There were also 4 rounds of the Iberian Ladies Football Championship completed earlier in the year. Maastricht will be hosts for this Finale, with teams coming from Holland (2 teams), Maastricht (another team from Holland), Munich (Germany), Budapest (Hungary), Copenhagen (Denmark), Belgium (2 teams), Paris (France) and Rennes (France).

“A total (and a new European record), of 24 Gaelic Football teams will play in Maastricht this Saturday.” reminds Michael Cryan, Finals Committee Secretary, and vice Secretary of the European GAA County Board. “We have 10 Ladies teams, 8 Men’s Shield and 6 Men’s Championship teams”.

Referees are : John Bannon, Jerome Henry, Pat Kelleher, Derek Brady, Tony Bass and Mike Cryan.”

Throw-in of the first matches will be at the Maastricht grounds at 09:30hrs, with up to 47 matches to be played throughout the day, and the Finals scheduled for 15:40 (Men’s Shield), 16:20 (Ladies’ Championship) and 17:00 (Men’s Championship).

“More than 350 men and women will play at the European GAA Finals on Saturday. The game has truly moved to multi-national dimensions across mainland Europe with more than 50% of European GAA Club players being non-Irish.” explained Siasy Collins, Editor of EuropeanIrish.com, “As well as players from every county in Ireland, there are Spanish, French, Hungarian, German, Dutch, Belgian, Luxembourg, Danish, Swiss, Australian, English, Italian, Swedish, Austrian, Czech, Norwegian, and American Gaelic Footballers now playing Gaelic Football with their local clubs on a regular basis.”

ECB Secretary Tony Bass informs us “In conjunction with the hosting of the final round of the pan-European football championships, and to celebrate the GAA’s 125th anniversary, and European GAA’s 10th Anniversary, a commemorative programme will be available for the event in Maastricht on October 31st ”.