OVER 1,200 people took part in the Middle East GAA League in Bahrain last week in what is reportedly the biggest ever gathering of GAA players outside of Ireland and the USA.
There were 151 matches in the latest round of the league, which has grown considerably since launching six years ago, with the players made up of both locals and Irish immigrants.
James Kennedy, Chairperson of Middle East GAA, has been involved since the start of the project and has described the growth in interest as 'phenomenal'.
He said: “I remember when we launched the league six years ago we had nine teams playing in the league then, there’s 72 teams playing in the league this weekend, and eight social teams here as well.
“It’s absolutely been phenomenal what’s gone on here in the Middle East. You can just feel the buzz and the excitement from just listening to the people.
“We’ve had Oman GAA here, we have a couple of Bahrainis playing, two from Kuwait, so it’s fantastic to see it being brought to the locals here too.
Hurling, Gaelic football, Camogie and Ladies football were played at all age levels over the duration of the weekend.
See former BBC Northern Ireland reporter Jerome Quinn’s report in the above video.
