{"id":33613,"date":"2016-11-15T11:20:41","date_gmt":"2016-11-15T11:20:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/?p=33613"},"modified":"2016-11-15T11:20:41","modified_gmt":"2016-11-15T11:20:41","slug":"cardiff-goes-gaa-gaa-for-gaelic-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2016\/11\/15\/cardiff-goes-gaa-gaa-for-gaelic-football\/","title":{"rendered":"Cardiff goes GAA GAA for Gaelic"},"content":{"rendered":"

With immigration a hot button issue, how do these newcomers keep their culture in a different country? Gaelic football (aka GAA<\/a>) serves as a linchpin for Irish immigrants to celebrate their culture wherever they are in the world, including Cardiff.<\/p>\n

Ireland is celebrating a streak of success in international sports, but their national game, Gaelic, is not one of these. A sport with a long history, these ties are kept strong by local team St. Colmcille’s.<\/p>\n

\"Sean

This popularity means that the sport has been exported around the world with the Irish diaspora. Established in 1956, St. Colmcille\u2019s GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) club now has 150 members. It was formed to promote Irish culture and to provide a link to home for immigrants.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Gaelic plays a massive role in keeping Irish people in touch with the homeland.\u00a0\u00a0The club is a community which creates a home from home for everyone involved,\u201d says Kate Cunningham, captain of Colmcille\u2019s ladies team. \u00a0Kate moved to Cardiff last year and\u00a0notes that she has women from Ireland getting in touch before they move over, which indicates the desire among ex-pats to maintain their links to Ireland.<\/p>\n

\"Two

This is a sentiment shared by Aidan Farrelly, a member of Colmcille\u2019s men\u2019s team, who has lived in Cardiff for eight years. He says\u00a0that the club uses every opportunity to promote the sport, including appearing on S4C and fundraising for local charities annually. He adds\u00a0that the club is \u201cinclusive\u201d of everyone, regardless of nationality.<\/p>\n

Aidan draws parallels between the Irish and Welsh cultures, comparing the local Gaelic club\u2019s role in the Irish community to that of the local rugby club in a Welsh one. He\u00a0states\u00a0that living abroad for anyone, \u201cMakes you more aware of your own heritage and keeping your own sense of cultural identity.\u201d
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