Breton GAA

[Eamonnca1]

Breton GAA Moves

Source : Celtic League Porte parole: Publié le 30/12/11 12:10 MANX —

The Breton and Irish Branches of the Celtic League are working together to help coordinate a Gaelic football match between a Breton team and an Irish team, with the aim of progressing the recognition of a Breton team by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).

The Breton and Irish Branch secretaries have been in contact with each other over the last few months following communication between the Breton branch and members of the Gaelic football movement in Brittany. Previous resistance among members of Gaelic Football's European County Board (ECB) to Brittany's participation in international matches in their own right, seems to have been overcome.

It has been reported to the Celtic League, following a Den Haag GAA meeting earlier this month, that the new chairperson of the ECB, Willie Cashin, and ECB Secretary, Tony Bass, are now beginning to recognise that Brittany has a good case to be included in the ECB. It seems that with the replacement of the previous Chairperson of the ECB, Eileen Jennings, the position of the ECB has shift away from opposition to a Breton team included in international competitions to their preferred participation, along with other national minority groups like the Basques. Comments made by Eileen Jennings at a previous meeting, where it was reported to the League that the Chair person jokingly questioned peoples knowledge of where Brittany was located had worked against her argument of not including the historic nation in the ECB.

Irish branch secretary, Caoimhín Ó Cadhla, who is a member of Na Gaeil Óga (CLG) ? an Irish language Gaelic Football organisation in Ireland ? has been in touch with members of Gaelic Football in Brittany about the possibility of organising a match between the Gaelic speaking team from Ireland and a Breton speaking team from Brittany, to possibly coincide with the Lorient Inter Celtic Festival orthe Breton Language National Festival, where a gaelic football demonstration took place this year. In his communication with the Breton Secretary, Gi Keltik, Caoimhín Ó Cadhla, suggested trying to organise a meeting with the GAA outlining the reasons for recognition of a Breton Team, adding:

there is a precedent already in the GAA for recognising national minorities and not only that but a Celtic Country, in the form of Scotland with the Hurling /Shinty Matches.

The Celtic League has previously written to the GAA to ask that it stops referring to Scotland as a `County' and recognise its national status. The General Secretary of the League will be writing again to the president of the GAA and Chairperson of the ECB to ask that Brittany is considered as a full participating member in international matches.

Further information about gaelic football developments in Brittany will be made available on Celtic News as they arise.

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