The Na Gaeil Aeracha hurling team won promotion in their very first year of existence.
By John Harrington
Two years ago Karl Hatton was in the crowd watching the Dublin LGBTQ+ Pride Festival march when a group of Na Gaeil Aeracha (The Rainbow Gaels) GAA club members strode happily past.
He remembers it now as lightbulb moment, the realisation that perhaps he could after all rekindle his love for playing Gaelic games after seven years of going without.
When he came out as gay at the age of 15, a few months afterwards he felt like he had no option other than to stop playing Gaelic football and hurling, even though he was very talented at both.
He doesn’t blame his former club, Naomh Barróg, for this. Rather it was a case of finding himself in a situation that so many others will be familiar with.
The dressing room culture is a difficult one to navigate for young, gay men, and the fear that your team-mates will overly self-conscious around you can be suffocating.
Sometimes too, sadly, words can be said that confirm your worst fears and leave you feeling isolated rather than part of a team.
“When I made that decision to stop playing GAA it wasn't one I made lightly, it was over a couple of months,” recalls Hatton now.
“With coming out there was a lot of pressure and I was in my head quite a bit.
“Then there were a couple of things with some people where I came from, slight bits of homophobia and stuff that helped me make that decision.
“I felt like it just wasn't worth it for my own sake. I wasn't getting the enjoyment out of it that I used to and I started going to training late and leaving early just to avoid situations.
“It was a tough decision and it probably would have been one of my biggest regrets, leaving, because I allowed other people to make that decision for me if that makes sense?”
Na Gaeil Aeracha hurling team captain, Karl Hatton.
Founded in 2020, Na Gaeil Aeracha is the world’s first explicitly LGBTQ+ inclusive GAA club, and when Hatton joined he was welcomed with open arms.
Having gone so long without playing the sports he love, getting the opportunity to do so again was both joyous and cathartic.
“It's hard to describe that feeling,” he says. “I was something I never thought I'd do again. I loved playing Gaelic football and hurling and it was a tough decision to give it up.
“It's like riding a bike. It's daunting getting back on it but the minute you do it's like you never left.
“The minute I walked back on the pitch I almost felt like I had never left and I was just delighted to get back in.
“Last year I was vice-captain so that was even more of a proud moment. To not only be back playing, but be vice-captaining for an LGBTQ+ team was something I was very proud of.”
Now captain of the hurling team, when he joined Na Gaeil Aeracha Hatton found his tribe, not just a new GAA club.
Many of his team-mates have a similar story as his to tell, and that shared experience lends itself to a unique team and club spirit.
“Yeah, a lot of us would have similar experiences for sure,” says Hatton.
“It’s so important that NGA is doing this, because for myself growing up there was never that representation of gay people in sport that I was aware of, especially in the GAA.
“I wish we had something like this when I was growing up but the fact that I am a part of that now for people who were in my situation a couple of years ago is fantastic.
“We have all codes across the board in NGA. That representation is so important.
“If NGA wasn't there a lot of us wouldn't have gotten back in. We probably would never have played again.”
The Na Gaeil Aeracha ladies football team.
In their four years of existence, Na Gaeil Aeracha have grown rapidly and now have over 200 members.
They first fielded an LGFA team in 2021, a Gaelic football team followed in 2022, hurling in 2023, and there are plans to establish a camogie team in the coming year.
Remarkably, after just one year of competitive action, the hurlers have inked a significant page in the club’s history books by becoming the first Na Gaeil Aeracha team to achieve promotion in the championship.
“When I first joined there was five of us starting with little puck-abouts and then once word got out we grew massively,” says Hatton.
“I didn't think we'd have enough to get into the League last year but we did and had a lot of subs on the line. We had a lot of people who played before and a lot of others who didn't have any experience joining in and we grew massively very quickly.
“We've people of all skill levels. Some of them have 10 plus years or some with no experience.
“The one thing I have noticed about NGA is that it's very positive environment. There's no negativity if you fumble the ball or anything like that, it's all positive encouragement.
“I know it can be daunting coming in as a new person but everyone involved with the club is just so welcoming.
“The improvement that new players have made over the last couple of months has been phenomenal. We've had people join us with no experience now playing full matches and doing really well.
“The promotion in the championship was incredible in our first year considering we weren't sure if we'd be even able to field a team.”
The Na Gaeil Aeracha hurlers celebrate their first championship win.
The highlight of Hatton’s first year with Na Gaeil Aeracha came when he played a match against his former club. He was initially anxious at the prospect, but it was ultimately a cathartic experience.
“Got back into those gates was quite nerve-wracking,” he says. “But we had a good match and a lot of their players I would still be familiar with.
“I captained the team that evening and we won the match so it was a pretty surreal moment for me, and I got a positive reaction from my old club, they were all asking me to transfer back!
“Back then when I was so young I felt there was a real spotlight on me because I was gay.
“But standing with NGA, everything that I was insecure I was about back then is celebrated.
“So it was a full circle moment and something I was really proud of.”
You can be sure that many young men now find themselves in the position that Hatton did when he was 15.
With the benefit of his own lived experience, what advice would he have for them?
“I think the best thing is to stick to what you love. I loved GAA and it was a difficult decision to stop playing when I did and I would say now it’s important not to let anyone make that decision for you. To make sure you make that decision for yourself if that’s the decision you make.
“And if you don't feel comfortable continuing to play with your own club then the NGA is there.
“We are there for people in situations like I found myself in but it’s important to say too that we're not just an LGBTQ+ team, we're an inclusive team and you don't have to be a part of the community to play with us, you can be an ally, anyone can join us.”
Na Gaeil Aeracha have recently established a camogie panel, so now all Gaelic games codes are played in the club.
Since joining Na Gaeil Aeracha Hatton hasn’t just rediscovered his passion for Gaelic games, his life has also been enhanced by being part of a whole new community.
“To be honest before I joined NGA my own gay community was quite small and I wasn't very social,” he says.
“But the NGA not only allowed me get back into sport, I've also made life-long friends there.
“I have a whole NGA group now, we're all really great friends and one big social group. As cringe as it sounds it has definitely changed my life.”
If you are interested in joining Na Gaeil Aeracha, check out their website here - https://www.nagaeilaeracha.ie/
