History of Gaelic Football
Gaelic football is a popular field sport played in Ireland. It's been described as a mix between rugby and soccer. Players score points by kicking the ball into the net or over the crossbar and through the uprights.
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History
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In Ireland, football was first mentioned in 1308 at a game at Newcastle, County Dublin. It was again mentioned in the 1527 Statue of Galway. The first inter-county game was in 1712 between Meath and Louth.
Governing Body
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The governing body for Gaelic football is the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It was formed in 1884 by Irish nationalists "who had the foresight to realize the importance of establishing a national organization to revive and nurture traditional, indigenous pastimes," according to the GAA.
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Geography
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Gaelic football is primarily played in Ireland. The All-Ireland championship consists of teams from each of the 26-county Republic of Ireland and the six-county Northern Ireland. The sport is also played in pockets overseas mostly by people of Irish heritage.
Significance
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Gaelic football had a role during an important event in Ireland's War of Independence. On Nov. 21, 1920, the Black and Tans--a unit of the British military--entered a game between Dublin against Tipperary and killed 13 people. The event was called "Bloody Sunday."
Fun Fact
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The 1947 All-Ireland final was held in New York at the Polo Grounds as Cavan beat Kerry. The game was played after an exiled priest supposedly wrote a letter appealing to the GAA Congress that Irish immigrants in New York should see a game live. The letter was proven to be a hoax, but the game still went on, according to the GAA.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Athena Flickr
