Gaelic Games Canada (GGC), or the Canadian GAA (CGAA), is responsible for
Gaelic games
Gaelic games ( ga, Cluichí Gaelacha) are a set of sports played worldwide, though they are particularly popular in Ireland, where they originated. They include Gaelic football, hurling, Gaelic handball and rounders. Football and hurling, the ...
across
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, overseeing approximately 20 clubs.
"GAA" is the abbreviation for the
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...
.
It has the same status as one of the
county board
A county board is a common form of county legislature, particular of counties in the United States.
Related forms of county government include:
* Board of Supervisors — a form of county legislature in some U.S. states
* County commission, ...
s of
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and is one of over thirty regional GAA executive boards throughout the world. The board is responsible for
Gaelic football
Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...
,
hurling
Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...
,
camogie
Camogie ( ; ga, camógaíocht ) is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and worldwide, largely among Irish communities.
A variant of the game of hurling (which is played by men onl ...
,
rounders
Rounders is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams. Rounders is a striking and fielding team game that involves hitting a small, hard, leather-cased ball with a rounded end wooden, plastic, or metal bat. The players score by running aroun ...
,
gaelic handball
Gaelic handball (known in Ireland simply as handball; ga, liathróid láimhe) is a sport where players hit a ball with a hand or fist against a wall in such a way as to make a shot the opposition cannot return, and that may be played with two ( ...
, and
ladies' Gaelic football
Ladies' Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach na mBan) is a women's team sport. It is the women's equivalent of Gaelic football. Ladies' football is organised by the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association. Two teams of 15 players kick or hand-pass a ...
teams in Canada.
The CGAA connects with three Gaelic games and cultural organizations: the
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...
(GAA), the
Ladies Gaelic Football Association
The Ladies' Gaelic Football Association ( ga, Cumann Peil Gael na mBan) is the main governing body for ladies' Gaelic football. It organises competitions such as the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship and the Ladies' National Footb ...
(LGFA) & the
Camogie Association
The Camogie Association ( ga, An Cumann Camógaíochta, formerly ga, Cumann Camógaíochta na nGael) organises and promotes the sport of camogie in Ireland and around the world. The association has close ties with the Gaelic Athletic Associati ...
(CA) whose headquarters are based in Dublin, Ireland.
One of the more important tournaments for Gaelic football in Canada is the annual
Western Canadian Championship. In North American competition, Canadian teams compete in the
USGAA Finals, hosted by the
United States GAA
The United States County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or USGAA, is one of the 3 county boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in North America, and is responsible for Gaelic games in the United States (except for the New Yor ...
, an annual Gaelic Games championship between qualifying clubs in North America. The Gaelic games involved include hurling, camogie, and Gaelic football. Matches are held throughout the weekend of the tournament with the winning teams declared the USGAA champions in their respective divisions and sports. Internationally, Canada GAA has sent Canadian teams to the
GAA World Games in
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
and
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
.
History
Gaelic games have been played in Canada since before the foundation of the
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...
in the 1880s, with some sources indicating that games of
hurling
Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...
were played in
St. John's, Newfoundland
St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.
The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...
in 1788.
Since the formation of the
American County Board in the 1950s, Canadian teams have competed alongside teams from the United States.
A separate and distinct Canadian County Board was founded in November 1987, and represented upwards of 20 clubs within Canada.
The organization has since been renamed, "Gaelic Games Canada" (GGC).
In 2017, Jim Kelly, the Irish
ambassador to Canada, was quoted as having said:
Organization
The Canadian County Board of the GAA has overall control of GAA activities in Canada and organized into three divisional boards. These boards, representing different areas of Canada, include the Toronto Board, Western Divisional Board and Eastern Canada GAA Board.
Toronto Division (TGAA)
Established in 1947,
the Toronto (or Central) Board covers teams in the
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. In total, the region contains 25 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. The Greater T ...
. Today, the Toronto Gaelic Athletic Association (TGAA) divisional sub committee organizes Gaelic games clubs and competitions in the
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
and
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
areas. As of mid-2020 this included 6 Men's
Gaelic football
Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...
teams, 5
Ladies Gaelic football
Ladies' Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach na mBan) is a women's team sport. It is the women's equivalent of Gaelic football. Ladies' football is organised by the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association. Two teams of 15 players kick or hand-pass a ...
teams, 2
hurling
Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...
teams, 2
camogie
Camogie ( ; ga, camógaíocht ) is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and worldwide, largely among Irish communities.
A variant of the game of hurling (which is played by men onl ...
teams and 3 minor programs.
Western Division (WCGAA)
Founded in May 2003, the Western Canada Gaelic Athletic Association (WCGAA), or Western Division, covers Gaelic Athletics Activities in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
Many of the clubs in the division have field both men's and ladies' teams. Other clubs are also invited to attend tournaments, even though they are not affiliated with the division, (e.g. Lethbridge Laochra, Seattle Gaels, Fort McMurray, Vancouver Irish, etc), or not affiliated with the GAA (e.g.
Vancouver Cougars
The 'Vancouver Cougars'' are a member of the Australian Football League Canada and compete in thBritish Columbia Australian Football League (BCAFL)
The club was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on January 15, 2001, becoming the fir ...
,
Calgary Kangaroos
The Calgary Kangaroos is an Australian rules football club based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They welcome all new players, regardless of prior experience, practice at A E Cross High School in Glamorgan, play games at the Inland Athletic Park ...
, and
Calgary Kookaburras
The Calgary Kookaburras is a ladies Australian rules football club based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They play at the Queen Elizabeth School, Hillhurst and are members of AFL Canada. They were the first women's football club formed in Canad ...
Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
teams).
The main competition in the Western Division is the
Western Canadian Championship. Teams also play in local competitions, including the Alberta Cup, which serves as a feeder to the Championship, and is hosted by the individual teams themselves.
Eastern Division (ECGAA)
The Eastern Division Gaelic Athletic Association (ECGAA) divisional sub committee, or Eastern Division, was established in 2014,
and covers eastern Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
The primary competition of the Eastern Division is the
Eastern Canadian Championships. This competition was first established in 2014, and held in Newfoundland.
In 2017, youth games were included at the Championships held in Ottawa.
Clubs
There are clubs in every province of Canada with the exception of
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
, the
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
,
Nunavut
Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...
, and the
Yukon
Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...
.
The following are the GAA clubs of the Canadian Gaelic Athletic Association, (CGAA):
Eastern GAA
* GFC =
Gaelic Football
Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...
Club
*
GAA =
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...
Toronto GAA (Central Canada)
* GFC =
Gaelic Football
Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...
Club
*
GAA =
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...
Western Canada GAA
* GFC =
Gaelic Football
Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...
Club
*
GAA =
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...
* ISSC = Vancouver
Irish Sporting and Social Club
Tournaments
Canadian tournaments
Canadians who participation in
Gaelic Games
Gaelic games ( ga, Cluichí Gaelacha) are a set of sports played worldwide, though they are particularly popular in Ireland, where they originated. They include Gaelic football, hurling, Gaelic handball and rounders. Football and hurling, the ...
have a number of opportunities to compete at the local, provincial, and inter-provincial level, within Canadian borders.
These include the
Western Canadian Championship, which is a tournament for Canadian
Gaelic football
Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...
teams.
North American tournaments
In North American competition, Canadian teams compete in the USGAA North American Championships, hosted in America by the
United States Gaelic Athletic Association (USGAA).
International tournaments
GAA World Games
Canada GAA has sent Canadian teams to the GAA World Championships in the past, including the
2016 Etihad Airways GAA World Games
The 2016 Etihad Airways GAA World Games was a global competition of Gaelic football, hurling, and camogie run by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), featuring teams from six continents. This was the 2nd GAA World Games and the first to be play ...
. For the
2019 Renault GAA World Games, thirty-four
Montreal Shamrocks
The Montreal Shamrocks were an amateur, later professional, and then amateur again men's ice hockey club in existence from 1886 to 1924, based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They were spun off from the Montreal Shamrocks lacrosse club. Starting off ...
were selected to represent Canada. This competition was hosted in Ireland in July 2019.
It was the largest delegate from 1 club in Canada. This included the following:
* Men's
Gaelic football
Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...
- 5 players
*
Women's Gaelic football - 13 players
*
Hurling
Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...
- 6 players
*
Camogie
Camogie ( ; ga, camógaíocht ) is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and worldwide, largely among Irish communities.
A variant of the game of hurling (which is played by men onl ...
- 10 players
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canadian Gaa
Sports organizations established in 1987
Gaelic games clubs in Canada