University College Dublin And Croke Park To Host World GAA Games

More than 1,700 Gaelic footballers, hurlers and camogie players are to be hosted by University College Dublin and Croke park for the GAA World Games.

A total of 87 teams from 20 countries will play over 500 games, with most matches played at Belfield.

The finals will be held in Croke Park.

Teams from Australia, Argentina, Canada, the United States, the Middle East, Europe and Britain have signed up to play in the games alongside all-Chinese and all-South African teams.

There are over 400 GAA clubs outside Ireland. London GAA are the only non-Irish team to claim an All-Ireland, winning the senior hurling championship in 1901.

The number of competing teams will more than triple this year compared to the first GAA World Games held in Abu Dhabi in 2015.

An opening ceremony before the All-Ireland senior hurling semi-final at Croke Park will start the games on 07 August.

"In the years immediately after the formation of the GAA in 1884, Michael Cusack described the growth and expansion of Gaelic games activity as 'being like a prairie fire'," Aogán Ó Fearghail, president of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) said.

"This event will showcase the extent to which the passion and participation of Gaelic games has now spread far beyond our shores and will acknowledge the keepers of this flame."

(MH/LM)