Home     Gaelic Football             Summary About,  Ireland,  Other Counties  
  The modern game consists of two teams with fifteen and  is played over 70 min, on a pitch  145m long x 100m wide. The goals consist of two upright posts and a crossbar (similar to Rugby posts) with a net as in soccer on the lower half  under the crossbar. Scoring consists of a goal for shooting into the net and a point for scoring over the bar and between the uprights. The goal is the same value as three points, so for example, if a team scores seven points it can beat a team which has scored two goals.
The ball is moved from one end of the field by kicking, hand or fist passing. A player cannot carry the ball for more than three steps or it is a foul. He/she must then make alternating use of a bounce or a toe tap. The toe tap is one of the skills of the game where a player in full flight can actually drop the ball on to his foot and flick it back into his hands again, without breaking their stride. High catching or fielding is a joy to behold as is the fast pace ,accurate passing and high scoring.
The atmosphere at the games is colourful and electric as supporters from opposing teams sit together, and there is a mixture of fun and good natured banter.		  

The game originated in Ireland and became popular in the 16th century. Originally,  all the able-bodied men of a town or parish participated with 25 to 100 players per side The game would start  midway between two towns or parishes and ended when the ball

The modern rules were produced in 1884 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, known as the GAA. The game is an amateur sport but at the highest level the players train like professionals in all aspects except financial reward.  The sport is still controlled by the Gaelic Athletic Association. There is a strong Ladies Gaelic Football   Association controlling the game in Ireland at all levels.
A European arm is growing, controlling competition between European clubs.The sport is played in many countries now. -see South Australia,   New South Wales,  Auckland GAA   or North America. 

 
 If you need more information, contact Terry our Gaelic Football Librarian.

The Sam Maguire Cup  for the All Ireland Championship  is held in September each year, between the winners  of the provisional championships, attracting crowds of  35,00-60,00 .The semi-finals and finals are played in Croke Park ,the GAA headquarters in Dublin which is the fifth largest largest stadium in Europe, and was host to the Special Olympics in 2004.
World Cup Both male and female teams from Australasia, London, Europe, North America, Canada and the Rest of Britain participated in 2000 at Pormarnock
    About know the game

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  Gaelic Football in 'Wikipedia;' explains the game, the rules and the origins, championship results
     
The game in Ireland There are thirty two counties in Ireland and each  county has it's own club championship. Each parish in a county will have it's own team with three divisions in each county. There is also an underage structure with each club having an Under 10, 12, 14, 16 and under 18 team as well as their senior squad. Each county has it's own team made up of a pick of the elite players from the clubs. These players play for both club and county. Each county plays in its provincial championship. Winners them compete for the Sam Maguire Cup.
     
    The Gaelic Athletic Association Controls all the Gaelic games,  of which football is just one  
  GAA The Gaelic Athletic Association. Covers all the Gaelic sports, not just football. For football, it covers news and archived news,  fixtures, results and results archive, links to county and club sites, team of the millennium, all stars, links to GAA activities abroad.
Football resources from the GAA: ground specifications and rules, support for coaching, referees and players, history of the games and the GAA, including profiles of personalities.
GAA Museum Dublin; online information
Ladies Gaelic Football   official site; news, player information, colleges, forum (need to register), history# , honours, all stars, links
    
  Dublin (Hill 16)  news, fixtures, club links, club notes, league tables
Maghery has a good introduction to the sport and the history in this area,
   
Gaelic Football in Other Countries  North America Links  Nafianna
  Link Directories from GAA, The Shamrocks
Seattle Irish Football