Gaelic Sports in Argentina
Gaelic games have undergone a revival in recent years in Buenos Aires, with the support of the GAA and thanks to the dedicated efforts of enthusiasts at Hurling Club in Buenos Aires.
The gaelic football team representing Argentina were victorious in the Men’s Shield competition at the 2015 World GAA Games held in Abu Dhabi in March 2015. This was an incredible achievement for a team made up mostly of Argentine-born players who had only recently taken up the sport.
Argentine success at World GAA Games
The team included a number of ‘dual’ players, who previously represented Argentina at the ancient Irish sport of hurling, at the Gathering tournament in Galway, Ireland in 2013. Amongst the stars of the team were men who’s ancestors had played during the heyday of hurling in Argentina, in the early 20th century, under the auspices of the Federation of Argentine Hurling.
Hurling Club, based in Hurlingham in the west of Buenos Aires, is extremely proud of its strong and continuous links to Ireland, very much in evidence at the clubhouse. In addition to its role in reviving Gaelic sports, it boasts successful rugby and hockey sections and was a natural base for Ireland’s touring rugby team in 2014.
The Embassy is delighted to be in a position to support the revival of gaelic games through the Global Games Development Fund, a partnership between the GAA and the Emigrant Support Programme of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.