Athletic association Gaelic

The athletic Association Gaelic or GAA ((in Irish: Cumann Lúthchleas Gael , in English Gaelic Athletic Association ) is an Irish cultural organization of which the principal goal is to promote the culture Gaelic.

This promotion is done in two main axes: sports gaelic (Hurling, Camogie, Football Gaelic, Handball Gaelic and Rounders) and Irish culture (language, music and dances).

It is the principal one and the most popular association of Ireland with nearly 800.000 members (out of 5 million inhabitants on the island).

GAA has its seat at the famous stage of Croke Park with Dublin.

Foundation of the GAA

The founders of the organization are Michael Davitt, Michael Cusack born in 1847 in the Comté of Clare. After having been during many years with Blackrock College with Dublin. After having created its own school the purpose of which was to prepare young Irish with the entrance examination in the British administration, Cusak considered the question of the Irish traditional sports which were in lose speed. With the other enthusiastic ones (John Wyse Power, John K. Braken and Pj O bryan) it founds on November 1st 1884 with Thurles in the Comté of Tipperary athletic Association Gaelic. Its initial goal was to restore the " Tailteann Games" a kind of Olympic Games disputed in ancient Ireland.

Goals of the GAA

To promote the sports and plays of Irish origin
To open the athletic activities with all the social classes
To help with the creation of clubs of hurling and football Gaelic and with the organization of matches between the various counties.

The GAA obtained many results:

the hurling was saved disappearance. It (just as football Gaelic) was regulated to make a sport of it.
It gave a true structure to horse on two states (Ireland and Northern Ireland) in which the members could take part as well in the sports activities as with community life. It was the first democratic Irish structure and formed thus good number of future Irish politicians.
With the League Gaelic and the movement of Irish literary revival, its action has was used as compost with the creation of an Irish identity feeling.
Thanks to its organization being contingent on the traditional structure of Ireland (Parish, County, Province and Country) it joined together various elements resulting from the various Irish cultures (Catholicism with the British parishes, laws with the Counties and the history of Ireland with the provinces and the nation).

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