GAA is ‘booming’ in France

One thousand players have registered to play Gaelic Games in France, largely thanks to a successful long-term growth strategy in Brittany.

‘It’s huge’, says Wicklow-born Anna Marie O’Rourke who is the European GAA Health & Wellbeing Officer and a driving force with the Rennes club. ‘Brittany is one of the hotspots in Europe’.

Speaking at the recent European Finals in Maastricht, where Rennes fielded four adult men and womens teams, O’Rourke put the success down to the ‘Celtic Connection’ and getting into the schools system a decade ago. ‘I’m proud to be part of this from the very beginning’.

Victor Jallou from the Lorient GAA club also features in the report.