GaelicSportsCast

Now that the St. Patrick’s Day festivities are behind us and the weather is about to break, GAA folk around the world are gearing up for high season. In today’s Podcast we catch up on the latest news from Europe with European GAA PRO Brian Clerkin. 20:05

In our Podcast today we talk with former London GAA chairman Tommy Harrell about London footballers and hurlers recent National League action and to their weekend games. 9:42

Seoul Gaels teams at the 2012 Asian Gaelic Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo courtesy of Seoul Gaels). It’s been a while since we focused on Gaelic Sports happenings in Asia so in our Podcast today we turn our attention to the Far East and to the country of South Korea where we profile the Seoul Gaels Club. Formed from humble beginnings shortly after the World Cup Tournament of 2002, the Seoul Gaels, the first GAA club to form in South Korea, immediately made an impact that year at the Asian Gaelic Games in Thailand. Since then the club has prospered and influenced the growth of new clubs and a brand new league in the country. Club chairman Thomas Gaughan and founder member Kevin Tobin talk to GaelicSportsCast about this thriving club. 32:28      

Round 1 of France/Northwest Football Regional takes place at Toulouse on Saturday with teams from Paris, Niort, Clermont, St. Brieuc and host’s Tolosa Gaels in action. Last weekend in Brittany spelled the first salvo’s of 2013 for European GAA. The first tournament took place at Guerande with the Rennes club coming out winners and there was challenge matches also in Italy with another tournament in Toulouse, France this coming weekend. In the Podcast today Europe GAA PRO Brian Clerkin looks to the season’s early schedule, tells about Europe’s hurlers heading for the Aer Lingus Gathering Tournament at Galway in September and how Europe is at the beginning stages of preparing a five year plan. 15:48

Though it may be coldest February across the US Midwest, the folks in the city of Cleveland, Ohio are warmed and excited about hosting the North American GAA Nationals for the first time in over two decades later this summer. The last time the Championships came to Cleveland was in 1989 and the driving force behind attracting the event this year to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame city is Midwest GAA and host committee chairperson St. Pat’s club-man Mark Owens. Mark spoke to GaelicSportsCast about preparations ahead of the big event later in the year.

Bonjour à tous en la Bretagne because in the podcast aurjourd’hui we focus on the Brittany Football Championship. La deuxième partie or second part of Round 1 of the championship takes place at Guerande on Saturday  – la première partie started in October with five time champions Liffre the winners.  At the weekend five teams are taking to the field – Nantes, Rennes, Brest, Guerande, and new club Lorient. President of Le Nantes Football Gaélique Dimitri Martin spoke to us about Saturday’s tournament. 14:21  

St. Gabriels London Senior Hurling Champions 2012. (Photo courtesy of London GAA PRO Declan Flanagan). In the Podcast we report on last Sunday’s Intermediate Club Hurling Final at Croke Park, Dublin where London hurling champions St. Gabriels had to give way to Kilkenny side Clara. We’ll also be focusing on the early club scene last weekend in London with two Preliminary Senior Football Championship games and look ahead to London footballers NFL Div 4 Round 2 clash with Carlow on Saturday. Former London GAA Chairman Tommy Harrell takes us through the action. 13:15

2013 British University GAA Men’s Division One Champions John Moores University (Photo courtesy of BU GAA Facebook). Liverpool John Moore’s University took revenge on their great rivals Liverpool Hope in Manchester last Sunday when winning this year’s Men’s Division One BU Championship title. The two met in the 2012 final with Hope coming out on top and these two were joined in this year’s competition by Scottish sides Napier and University of Glasgow – 2012 Div 2 champs – and unknown quantity University of Northumbria from Newcastle. Meanwhile, in the Division Three of the Ladies Championship six teams battled it out with University of Glasgow edging Birmingham in the decider. Here to give us a full report in the podcast on the weekend’s action, including a detailed account of the men’s final, is BU GAA Co-ordinator Ronan McCarthy.

In today’s podcast we hear from Dubai Celts Chairperson Paddy Darcy about the recent Men’s and Ladies Round Three Gaelic Football action in this year’s ME League, and look ahead to the forthcoming 2013 Dubai Duty Free Gulf Gaelic Games next month. 15:11

It promises to be the biggest game ever for London Senior Hurling champions St. Gabriels as they take on Kilkenny champions Clara in Sunday’s All Ireland Club Intermediate Final at Croke Park. Though prolific in the London Championship over the years, Sunday is a milestone for St. Gabriels as it’s their first All Ireland final appearance. On route to the decider, Gabriels overcame rivals Kilburn Gaels in the London senior final last year, next defeated Ulster intermediate champions Lisbelaw in the All Ireland club quarter final before their recent Over Time semi final win over Galway champion’s Killimordaly. In the Podcast we talk with former London GAA Chairman Tommy Harrell about St. Gabriel’s chances against the Kilkenny intermediate champs. 15:32

One of the biggest weekends of year for the British GAA University circuit gets underway tomorrow with the start of the Men’s Division 1 National Football Championship and Ladies Division 3 Football Championship. There are six teams in the premier event, the Mens Div 1, with last year winner’s Liverpool Hope bidding to retain their title. They join Scotland’s Napier and Northumbria to make up Group 1 games at Northampton, while at Corby a very competitive Group 2 sees Liverpool John Moore’s, London’s St. Mary’s, and form team University of Glasgow last year’s 2012 Div 2 winners, all bidding for glory. The semi finals and final will take place in Birmingham on Saturday and Sunday respectively and here to preview the weekend’s action is BU GAA Co-ordinator Ronan McCarthy. 7:54  

GaelicSportsCast gets into a new season of worldwide Gaelic Sports coverage with a special report on Monday’s nights historic first ever exhibit of Gaelic football at a Spanish La Liga soccer game. At the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in Seville, home side Seville FC were taking on Granada in this topflight Spanish soccer venue, however at half time it was the turn of Eire Og Seville playing a brand new game … Gaelic Football. Spanish soccer supporters were enthused with what they witnessed, and Eire Og player and chairman Kevin Lenane takes us through the evening. 15:22

Last weekend’s final of the Division 1 Men’s Football English Regional took place in Liverpool on Sunday and it turned out to be a thrilling Extra-Time win for champions’ Liverpool Hope over local rivals John Moores University. In our podcast today, BU GAA Co-ordinator Ronan McCarthy looks back on a close and exciting final. 10:01 NOTE: Please excuse technical issues with website over the past four weeks as outside influence has hindered site functionality.    

Glasgow University upset the odds at Edinburgh last weekend when overturning last year’s champions Napier to take the 2012 Mens Division 1 Gaelic Football Scottish Universities title. Meanwhile in the Mens Division 1 BU GAA England, Liverpool John Moores and St. Mary’s of London were battling it out for the right to join 2011 BU GAA champions Liverpool Hope in the final this coming weekend. There was competition also in Manchester and London and to take us through the action is BU GAA Co-ordinator Ronan McCarthy. 14:16    

Some of the 60 Flemish PE teachers who took part for the first time ever in a Gaelic football introduction session at last month’s Belgian government sponsored school sports camp in Gent, Belgium. An exciting development in the world of international Gaelic Sports development took place last month in Belgium when some 60 PE School Teachers were introduced to the sport of Gaelic football for the very first time. In today’s Podcast, GaelicSportsCast talks to Europe GAA Youth Development Officer and Vice Chairman of the EC Brussels Youth GAA, Aidan Grimes about the event and its meaning for football and other Gaelic Sports development in the region and across Europe. 23:53