Over 250 children from 11 different clubs participated in Gaelic Games Europe's Cúl Camps.
By John Harrington
The rapid growth of youth participation in Gaelic games in Europe was thrown into sharp relief over the last two weekends by the staging of six very successful GGE Cúl Camps.
Over 250 children from 11 different clubs participated in the camps which were hosted by Rennes, Berlin, Frankfurt, Zurich, Amsterdam, and Strakonice.
“Last year we had two GGE Cúl Camps and this year we're up to six so it's been a huge success,” says Gaelic Games Europe’s Youth Officer, Pearse Bell.
“This year we wanted to put a bit focus on Cúl Camps so Sean Gannon, the National Cúl Camp Coordinator, came to our annual youth convention in Paris and showed us how to run a successful Cúl Camp and what was needed.
“20 clubs from all over Europe attended that and it was great to have Sean tell us what was needed to run a Cúl Camp because people can sometimes be a little bit nervous about running them because there's a lot to organise.
“Sean was brilliant as was Emma Byrne, the GAA's Learning and Development Support Officer, who also came over and went through the sort of fundamental movement skills we should incorporate into the camps.
“We got a great response. For example, Louis Donnelly in Strakonice and Shane Healy in Zurich only set up their youth section in the spring but had over 50 kids between them.
“It would remind you of the line in that Kevin Costner film, The Field of Dreams, 'if you build it they will come'.”
Ann Derwin, Ambassador of Ireland to the Netherlands, pictured at Amsterdam GAC's Cúl Camp.
More and more GAA clubs in Europe are investing in their youth programmes and Bell is confident the participation numbers will continue to rise exponentially in the coming years.
“It's amazing to see the growth of the youth section right across Europe,” he says. “Youth officers in the clubs are now really taking ownership of it and putting proper structures in place. Coaches are getting their badges, and clubs are working together to host Cúl Camps which is fantastic to see.
“I do see it growing and growing. I'll have a Cúl Camp in my own club Vannes in a couple of weeks which will be for children with additional needs. Hopefully that's an initiative that will be replicated in other clubs.
“The GAA said to us at the start of the year that they'd hope we'd have three Cúl Camps and we ended up with six. Next year I'd hope we can have at least 10.
“It's about building communities and living up to the GAA's manifesto, 'Where We All Belong'.”