THE GAELIC Games Association is set to welcome its first-ever LGBT+ club.
The GAA and the sports of Gaelic Football, Camogie and Hurling is one of the most important parts of Irish culture to hundreds of thousands of people living in Ireland and abroad.
GAA Clubs can be found in every corner of the world, from London to New York, Australia to the Philippines, China to South Africa-- and now a new one is set to make the game even more inclusive and diverse.
Na Gaeil Aeracha ('The Gay Gaels' as Gaeilge) prides itself on being Ireland's "first explicitly LGBTQ-friendly GAA team", and was launched in September of this year.
Co-founder Caoimhe Baxter told GCN.ie that Na Gaeil Aeracha will be based in Dublin initially and that they hope to get the team out on the pitch and competing in tournaments next year.
Writing on their new Twitter page (which you can follow here) Na Gaeil Aeracha said "Sport is for all and LGBTQI+ inclusion is so important", responding to a DCU Webinar Event for Diversity and Inclusion in Sport.
Speaking at the event, Croke Park's first Diversity and Inclusion Officer Geraldine McTavish said inclusivity in the GAA was important, as "it's about having confidence in your dressing room and having a safe environment around you so you feel comfortable in coming out".
"That is the GAA’s mission and it is everyone’s responsibility, at every level from clubs upwards, to be their allies," she added.
Members of the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association pictured taking part in teh 2019 Dublin Pride Parade in Dublin (Image: GAA.ie)The GAA has previously made calls for more people from the LGBT+ community to get involved in Gaelic Games: in June of this year, the GAA's Gender Diversity Working Group Chariperson Gearóid Ó Maoilmhichíl, said:
"The word is out, people know that we're actually serious about ...promoting a greater participation and being more welcoming and understanding as well as we do it.”
To learn more about Na Gaeil Aeracha, or to get involved, you can visit their Twitter page here.
