The GAA

The Gaelic Athletic Association (Cumann Lúthchleas Gael) is a 32 county sporting and cultural organisation that has a presence on all five continents.

It is Ireland’s largest sporting organisation and is celebrated as one of the great amateur sporting associations in the world today.

The GAA is a volunteer led, community-based organisation that promotes Gaelic games such as Hurling, Football, Handball and Rounders and works with sister organisations to promote Ladies Football and Camogie. It is part of the Irish consciousness and plays an influential role in Irish society that extends far beyond the basic aim of promoting Gaelic games.

The Association has its headquarters at Croke Park in Dublin where it has been based on a full-time basis since 1908. The stadium, which was redeveloped between 1993 and 2003, has a capacity of 82,300 and hosts some of the highest profile events in the Irish sporting calendar.

The GAA is underpinned by a democratic elective structure that sees members at various different levels elect officers to serving positions on a variety of tiers up to and including the position of Uachtarán (President).

The GAA’s internal management structure is multi-layered with the vast majority of all serving officers beginning their administrative involvement at club level. All administrators, regardless of rank or their level of involvement, are members of one of the Association’s 2,300 plus clubs.