Foreign Players in the GAA

[Aaron Boone]

Anyone know the situation in Dublin?

[GalwayBayBoy]

Surprised Galway don't have a few fancy dans from Gort playing by now.

There was a Brazillian lad from Gort who by all accounts was a cracking hurler and would have been on the Galway minor team last year (who won the All-Ireland in the end) but his family moved back to Brazil. I only know this as he came back to go to the All-Ireland hurling final last September. It was in a couple of the papers at the time.

Actually found it. http://connachttribune.ie/brazilian-back-home-for-the-hurling-in-galway-909/

And more here http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/gort-still-reverberating-to-the-samba-beat-1.1855994

[seafoid]

Surprised Galway don't have a few fancy dans from Gort playing by now.

There was a Brazillian lad from Gort who by all accounts was a cracking hurler and would have been on the Galway minor team last year (who won the All-Ireland in the end) but his family moved back to Brazil. I only know this as he came back to go to the All-Ireland hurling final last September. It was in a couple of the papers at the time.

Actually found it. http://connachttribune.ie/brazilian-back-home-for-the-hurling-in-galway-909/

And more here http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/gort-still-reverberating-to-the-samba-beat-1.1855994

you would think the family could be fixed up with something so he could stay and emulate Keady...

[mrhardyannual]

Many clubs in Mayo have newcomer members on underage teams. Kids are gradually being integrated through their schools. It was difficult for kids who came into the country to pick up the skills and soccer clubs were better placed to facilitate them. But as families settle you will see a big increase in participation. Sad to say that it is still easier to accommodate people coming from all over the world than to accommodate Travellers.

[stephenite]

There was a Cork family with strong Fijian origins that had a couple of handy hurlers and footballers a few years back, might have even won a few Senior All Ireland's.

Think the father was from Fermanagh. Can't remember their names though.....

[AZOffaly]

That's right. I remember neither parent came from a hurling stronghold, as such.

[rosnarun]

We've spent a fair bit of time here in the North trying to get local British guys interested in the GAA.  Not much success so far even thought they're 50% of the population.  Some of them even have Irish surnames so you'd think that would be a start.

Playing the national anthem for the Republic before matches is a good way to make unionists feel not welcome. A lot of hard work will need to go into targeting the unionist population and engaging them meaningfully in the GAA. Minorities there's a lower barrier to entry and hopefully more and more players with diverse background take part.

I know that for a lot of the older crowd when a lad is good at sport they transcend the colour of their skin even if that is otherwise an issue, a lot see the talented athlete and not a person of colour. That's what sport can do, bring communities together. In Ballagh the Muslim community is pretty well integrated and it's generally been very good for the town with the local cricket team being set up and thriving as well as Akram leading the way for other Muslim kids in the area to take part in the GAA.

now if only we could integrate the roscommonites in the town it would be a major step forward. maybe if we added a yellow streak to the flag?

[Syferus]

We've spent a fair bit of time here in the North trying to get local British guys interested in the GAA.  Not much success so far even thought they're 50% of the population.  Some of them even have Irish surnames so you'd think that would be a start.

Playing the national anthem for the Republic before matches is a good way to make unionists feel not welcome. A lot of hard work will need to go into targeting the unionist population and engaging them meaningfully in the GAA. Minorities there's a lower barrier to entry and hopefully more and more players with diverse background take part.

I know that for a lot of the older crowd when a lad is good at sport they transcend the colour of their skin even if that is otherwise an issue, a lot see the talented athlete and not a person of colour. That's what sport can do, bring communities together. In Ballagh the Muslim community is pretty well integrated and it's generally been very good for the town with the local cricket team being set up and thriving as well as Akram leading the way for other Muslim kids in the area to take part in the GAA.

now if only we could integrate the roscommonites in the town it would be a major step forward. maybe if we added a yellow streak to the flag?

There's no need to integrate the native populace.

[Jinxy]

I believe Hank Traynor was from Texas originally.

[seafoid]

That's right. I remember neither parent came from a hurling stronghold, as such.

You don't have to come from a hurling family to excel. It's all about starting at the right age.

[AZOffaly]

That's right. I remember neither parent came from a hurling stronghold, as such.

You don't have to come from a hurling family to excel. It's all about starting at the right age.

Jesus Seafoid. Whooosh.

[seafoid]

That's right. I remember neither parent came from a hurling stronghold, as such.

You don't have to come from a hurling family to excel. It's all about starting at the right age.

Jesus Seafoid. Whooosh.

Sure look at Offaly in 1981.
Not a medal between them

I wish Offaly could get back to.that level of performance

[AZOffaly]

Again whoosh. I was making a reference to Mícheáls famous line.

[Jinxy]

Micheál who?

[sans pessimism]

That's right. I remember neither parent came from a hurling stronghold, as such.

You don't have to come from a hurling family to excel. It's all about starting at the right age.

Jesus Seafoid. Whooosh.