GaelicSportsCast

The 2012/2013 British Universities GAA (BUGAA) season got underway in Scotland last weekend and kicks into full swing this Saturday in five regions across Britain. GaelicSportsCast spoke this week to one of the busiest GAA officials in the UK, BU GAA National Co-ordinator Ronan McCarthy, who gave us a rundown on the structure, competitions and teams involved in the annual BU regional leagues and championships.   17:34   Ronan will be back next week to give us the results from this weekend’s regional BU GAA games.    

In today’s Podcast we look ahead to Round 2 of the Pan European Men’s & Ladies Gaelic Football Championships which take place this weekend for the first time ever in the Austrian capital of Vienna. On Saturday some 23 teams from across the continent will be in action at the Sportzentrum stadium with five competing in the men’s championship, ten in the ladies and a further eight in the men’s shield. Here to preview Round 2 is European GAA PRO Brian Clerkin.   19:16

Last week's Leinster GAA Roadshow on the beach at Dinard, France. The event was organised by Bretagne and European coaching officers and attracted 1800 students from 45 schools. (Photo courtesy of Europe GAA). In the Podcast today we report on the latest GAA news across Europe. We report on the recent European mens and ladies football seven’s teams in Ireland, three friendlies in three different European countries, and a special Gaelic Sports Roadshow event on a French beach. Reporting from Europe is PRO Brian Clerkin. 17:26

The Kingdom Kerry Gaels team that defeated Parnells in last Sunday's London Senior Football Championship Semi Final at Ruislip. (Photo courtesy of London PRO Declan Flanagan). While the All Ireland Hurling Final Replay took center-stage in the GAA world last Sunday, there was also two very important football games taking place in London on the weekend to decide this year’s senior final pairings. In the first semi on Saturday favourites Tir Chonaill Gaels were taking on St. Kiernans while the second semi final, timed to take place prior to the hurling in Dublin, was between last year’s runners-up Parnells and 2011 league champions Kingdom Kerry Gaels. Reporting on how the games went is London GAA PRO Declan Flanagan. In the Podcast, Declan fills us in also on London’s entry into the Hurling Championship next year. 15:57

With the growing interest amongst Americans for the sport of hurling and with the All Ireland Hurling Final Replay coming up this weekend, GaelicSportsCast decided to broaden horizons and get two American hurlers perspective on Sunday’s big re-match. In the Podcast we hear from Scott Cooper of the Akron Celtic Guards in Ohio as well as from Andy McKee of the Milwaukee Hurling Club out of Wisconsin. 15:47

The London Senior Football Championship heats up this weekend with two semi finals taking place at Ruislip. In the first semi on Saturday Tir Chonail Gaels will be hotly fancied to overcome St. Kiernans, while in the second game early Sunday afternoon, it will be the turn of runners-up for the past two years Parnells taking on Kingdom Kerry Gaels who showed good form when beating Neasden in the quarter final. Here to preview both semi finals is London GAA PRO Declan Flanagan. 13:04 NOTE: Coming up in our next Podcast later today, American hurlers discuss the forthcoming All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final Replay.

Late September marks a special occasion for Gaelic Sports enthusiasts across Australia and New Zealand as it’s time to find out the best state teams in the annual Australasian GAA Championships. This year the event is taking place in Perth, Western Australia with over 20 state teams participating in men’s and ladies Gaelic football, hurling & camogie as well as U18 football. The competition, which has been going strong since the early 1970s, begins this Sunday at the Bateman Reserve, Canning Vale,Perth and finishes the following Saturday, October 6. To give us a rundown on this year’s event and the likely favourites in each championship code is Australasian GAA President Seamus Sullivan. 21:18 2012 Australasian Games Draw  

The last hurling tournament of the season for the mid-western region of the U.S. took place on Saturday last with the Hurling Club of Madison hosting their 5th Mid West Hurling Tournament. Two teams from Wisconsin, Milwaukee and newcomers Fox River, were joined by clubs from Minnesota and those mighty men who traveled all the way from the wheat state of Kansas for the annual tournament at the Hurling Club of Madison’s venue the Wisconsin Rugby Sports Complex. It turned out to be a very successful competition and here to take us through the action is Hurling Club of Madison Chairperson Michael Stapleton and club hurling director Mike Statz. 12:11      

Malmo celebrate their victory in the Men's Shield in Pan Europe Round 1 at Copenhagen on Saturday last. (Photo courtesy of Europe GAA). The Little Mermaid city of Copenhagen, Denmark played host last weekend to the first round of the 2012 Pan Europe GAA Football Championships with highly competitive games the order at the Kløvermarken Sports Complex. Teams from 23 clubs across 10 countries were on hand to battle it out for first round points with 2011 European champion Guernsey favorites in the men’s championship and last year’s Ladies championship winners Belgium hoping for a good start to land an unprecedented five titles in succession. European GAA PRO Brian Clerkin was in Copenhagen and he gives us a full rundown on Pan Europe Round 1 . 22:40   Player of the Men’s Championship – Airy Cleere, Guernsey Gaels Player of the Ladies Championship – Claire Kavanagh, Holland Ladies Player of the Shield – Sean Coogan, Copenhagen

St. Brendans pictured after winning the London 2012 GAA Intermediate Football Championship last weekend at Ruislip. (Photo courtesy of London GAA). The first of this year’s London GAA Championship Finals took place over the weekend with two hard fought games in the intermediate and junior football deciders. There was semi final action in hurling at the same grades as well, and also semis in the senior ranks when last year’s champions Robert Emmetts took on the undefeated Kilburn Gaels, while in the second semi final 2011 runners-up St. Gabriels were hoping to get back to another final in their match versus Sean Treacys. To take us through all the action at Ruislip is London GAA PRO Declan Flanagan. Listen here 21:35   Watch out for upcoming Podcasts from Europe and Madison WI.      

This Saturday marks an important occasion for hurlers across the mid-western states of America as the last tournament of the season takes places in the guise of the Midwest Hurling Tournament at Madison, Wisconsin. The tournament is hosted by the Hurling Club of Madison and is a much anticipated event each season, and in the podcast we talk with club chairman Michael Stapleton and hurling club director Mike Statz about this year’s tournament. 13:24    

It’s always an exciting time for Gaelic Sports enthusiasts across Europe as this weekend in Copenhagen, Denmark, sees the first round of this year’s Pan Europe Mens & Ladies Gaelic Football Championships. Over 20 teams from 10 different countries will be competing in this Pan Europe Round 1 with championship points up for grabs in three competitions – men’s and ladies championship and men’s shield. The venue is the Klovermarken Sports Complex in the heart of Copenhagen and here to preview Round 1 is European GAA PRO Brian Clerkin. 21:02   Pan Europe Round 1 Draw

It was a day for the underdog at Willawong’s Gaelic Park in Brisbane on Sunday, the occasion, this year’s Queensland Hurling & Camogie Championship Finals. In hurling, undefeated league winners Na Fianna were the hotpot to beat Cuchaillans while in camogie Tara were thought to have the edge over Eire Og. Queensland GAA President Seamus Sullivan gives a full rundown on two highly competitive finals. 14:12   NOTE: Coming up tomorrow Wednesday the latest from London, and a look ahead to Round 1 of this year’s Pan Europe Football Finals in Copenhagen, Denmark and on Thursday a Preview of the Mid West Hurling Tournament from Wisconsin in America.

There were some shock results in last weekend’s London GAA Football Championships with two fancies in senior and intermediate biting the dust. Ruislip saw plenty of action with two senior quarter finals, two intermediate semi finals and one very interesting junior semi and here to give us a full report on all the action is London GAA PRO Declan Flanagan. 18:44  

It was football finals day in the Queensland GAA Championship on Sunday at Gaelic Park Willawong in Brisbane with several teams striving for back to back titles. In the Men’s Division 1 Football decider Harps were looking for a third championship in a row, while in Ladies Football the John Mitchell’s club was looking for a second title on the trot with their Division 2 men’s side also looking for the two in a row. Australasian and Queensland GAA President Seamus Sullivan takes us through all the action at Willawong on Sunday. 17:38