Gaelic Games History in brief

Nobody really knows where football came from. It was apparently mentioned in the Statutes of Galway of 1527, but the first definite reference was Iomán na Bionne . Seamus Dall MacCuartha in 1670 mentioned this game in a poem - but he could have meant Hurling as well.
According to him a prototypical version of football seems to have been played especially in Northern Dublin, Meath and Louth according to the poet.
Eight men per side were fighting for control over a ball. Literally - MacCuarta mentions free-for-all wrestling matches as being not against the rules. The game lasted a whole afternoon.
Football was very popular in the 19th century, at the same time being very parochial - every parish played, but with rules as thought up in the parish. Not even size or form of the ball were regulated. Many "serious" sportsmen thus switched to rugby, just becoming popular in British schools, colleges, universities and army units. Teacher Michael Cusack was bitten by the rugby-bug too ... but soon refrained from playing because his Irish-nationalist politics estranged him from the rest of the team. Rugby in Ireland was the game played by "West Brits", Cusack an ardent supporter of home rule.

In 1884 Michael Cusack became one of the foundes of the Gaelic Athletics Association (GAA), promoting "national sports" in a decidedly nationalistic context. Football soon became the most popular game in the GAA - with rules centrally compiled.

Gaelic Football - The Basic Rules

The basic rules of football are simple and surprisingly flexible in details:

• The size of the rectangular playing field is at least 130 by 80 meters, up to a maximum 145 by 90 meters.
• Scoring space is the middle of the shorter sides - marked by at least seven meters high goal-posts, 6.5 meters apart. A net is supported by the crossbar and the goalposts.
• Team size is 15 players - a team can start off with 13 players but must field the full complement of fifteen at the end of the first half.
• The ball should weigh less than 425 grams, but more than 370. It also should have a diameter between 69 and 74 centimeters.
• A goal is scored when the ball passes between the goalposts and below the crossbar; should the ball pass between the goalposts and above the crossbar a point is gained. A goal is the equivalent of three points in the final score.
• A player may either carry the ball in his hands for four steps (or the equivalent time), "toe-tap" the ball from his foot into his hands, bounce the ball off the ground back into his hands (but only after a toe-tap), shoot the ball by hitting it with his open hand or fist ... or even throw the ball away for a further toe-tap, for a kick or as a pass. Any player may relieve an opposing player of the ball by hitting it with his flat hand.
• Players may physically attack other players in possession of the ball as long as the attacker remains with one foot on the ground. Only the goalkeeper may not be attacked within an exclusion zone in front of the goal - but the ball may be hit from his grip by an open hand.
• "Aggressive fouls" warrant a free kick if taking place within a certain distance of the goal, immediately in front of the goal any foul will lead to a free kick. Free kicks are taken from the middle of the 13 meter line.
• The fouled player may take his free kick with the ball dropped from his hands or lying on the pitch. He may also get another player to take the free kick - in which case it has to be kicked from the ground.
• Should the ball not cross the goal line because it was stopped or diverted by anybody except players or a referee ... the referees may decide to award a goal anyway. Historical decisions regarding intoxicated fans or enthusiastic dogs have been seen.

Gaelic Football & Hurling Association of Australasia

In the early 1840's there was a newspaper report of a form of Gaelic football played in South Australia and it is acknowledged that similar games were played on the goldfields of Victoria in the 1850's.

There is a lack of documentation of many challenge games of Gaelic football and hurling which were played between the Irish of Melbourne and Sydney in the 1920's and 1930's

Associations were formed firstly in Victoria and New South Wales to control and organise local games. This was followed in 1963 by the formation of an Association in South Australia and in Western Australia and Queensland soon after.

The first interstate championships in both codes was played between NSW, Victoria and South Australia in 1971 in Melbourne.

At a meeting convened in Sydney in 1974 representatives from NSW, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia met and formed the Gaelic Athletic Association of Australia to promote, control and foster Gaelic games on a national level. Subsequent to this with the affiliation of Auckland and Hutt Valley - Wellington from New Zealand the name changed to the Gaelic Athletic Association of Australasia.

The role of the Australasian association has grown immensely in recent years in the administration and promotion of Gaelic games. Developments include, a Level 1 Coaching Course with subsequent appointment of Coaching Directors in each Australian States, a one-day Referees Course to secure more qualified referees and the construction of the association's website. As a result these initiatives there has been more than a doubling of the number of teams competing in Gaelic football over the last couple of years.

These developments have been made possible with the continuing funding of a full time Secretary by the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland

More About the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)

The GAA - A Governing Body Official GAA Homepage