Irish Cultural Center to host national Gaelic Games

On Labor Day weekend, August 29-31, the Irish Cultural Center in Canton will play host to the North American Gaelic Games, the annual climax to the season for the thousands of players, members and supporters of the North American Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).

The 2014 playoffs will see over 120 teams gather in Canton, some traveling from as far as Seattle and the Cayman Islands. More than 2,500 GAA players will be taking part in what promises to be a marathon festival of Irish sports. Since the start of the North American GAA season in April, the regional divisions that make up the North American County Board (NACB) have been running their divisional competitions in hurling, camogie, and Gaelic football. From Páirc na nGael in San Francisco to Gaelic Park in Chicago, teams have been battling it out locally in order to qualify for what are commonly referred to as the “North Americans.”

The five playing fields at the Irish Cultural Center will be filled throughout Labor Day weekend with teams from all over North America. After more than 120 games of hurling, camogie and Gaelic football, the North American champions at all adult levels will be crowned on Sunday afternoon. Current GAA President Liam O’Neill will also be on hand to present cups and medals to the winning teams and players.

The Boston GAA, the host division of this year’s Gaelic Games, is the largest of all of the North American divisions, comprising more than 40 teams and 1,000 registered players, many of whom grew up learning the skills of the games right here in the Boston area.

For the past six months the local teams have been competing in the qualifying rounds, and thousands will cross the footbridge at the ICC in Canton on Sunday, August 23, for the divisional playoff finals. Only two New England teams will be left standing, and only one of them can win a Northeast divisional championship and progress to the North American finals the following weekend.

Teams are made up of a mix of Irish emigrants, along with many locals who have taken up these unique games as adults. In Boston alone, there is a burgeoning underage section with seven growing clubs promoting the games to the youth in the region.

In addition to hosting the North American finals, the Boston GAA is also excited to serve as host of the 2014 Gaelic Football All-Star game, which will take place at the Irish Cultural Center this fall. The best Gaelic footballers in the world, taken from the 2014 All-Ireland Football Championships, will meet the 2013 All Stars in an exhibition of Gaelic football right here on our doorsteps in Canton.

For more information about the 2014 North American Gaelic Games, go to www.bostongaa.com.

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Posted by Canton Citizen on Aug 22 2014. Filed under Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.