By Cian O'Connell

The All Britain Competition will take place between July 6 and 9 at two venues in London.

Now in its 11th year the tournament is a festival of Gaelic Games for clubs and schools in Britain.

Catering for players from U7 to U17 the action is scheduled for Tír Chonaill Gaels in Greenford and McGovern Park, Ruislip.

The fact that Ruislip is being added as a second venue for the 2023 event illustrates the growth and interest in the ABCs according to Stephen Lavery, Britain GAA's Head of Games Development and Operations.

"Expanding to the two venue format is a huge logistical feat, but one the ABC committee have been working hard on since October of last year,” he explains.

"This year there is going to be roughly 700 games across the two venues over the four days. It is a pretty phenomenal achievement, really."

Lavery is encouraged that clubs throughout Britain are investing significant time and energy in underage structures.

"It has grown massively," Lavery says. "The hurling is getting there and we are encouraged by the camogie entries this year.

"The secondary schools will be back involved again after Covid and the late cancellation of the Friday in 2022 due to the weather."

The ABCs is a vital event for clubs and schools across Britain with CDA's Ailish Gaughan and Cormac Duffy instrumental in the organisation of the upcoming 2023 tournament. "It is the highlight of the calendar year," Lavery responds. "I used to be a CDA in Hertfordshire, it was all the clubs and kids talked about, even when you were in the schools - 'when is the ABCs?'

"So there is such a buzz and it is great for them to play against each other with teams from all over Britain.

"The most important thing about moving to the two venue format was we wouldn't turn any child away. If we stayed with one venue we probably would have had to rejig the format a little bit, to not let as many entries in.

"There is a huge buzz across the whole of Britain. We had teams down from Scotland last year which is a massive undertaking- every county is represented."

Enjoying a few days in London assists teams and clubs development. "The teams that travel a distance, it is a massive effort for them, but there is a real festival feel about the event," Lavery adds.

"You have Irish music and dancing on, our sponsors are there to support too. Clubs might bring down a few different teams so it is a chance for their teams to bond, the parents too.

"There is a nice feel about the event, there is lots going on, the ice cream vans, of course, are usually a big hit."

Producing homegrown talent matters deeply to clubs throughout Britain. "The counties have put a real emphasis on the youth in the last number of years," Lavery says. "The work that the CDAs and County Boards do is phenomenal in creating that pathway.

"You only have to look at a lot of the clubs across Britain now at adult level, homegrown players are trickling through.

"Look at the London and Warwickshire teams competing in the All-Ireland Junior series, they are all homegrown. The same with Hertfordshire, they have a majority homegrown team, Yorkshire, the same.

"So the players are coming through. These events provide another step on the pathway to get them through."

Sponsored by ESB Energy, O'Neills, and The Irish Post team registration closes on Friday June 9. For further information email secretary.abc.britain@gaa.ie