If you didn’t get tickets to the Joe Thomas Enshrinement into the NFL’s Pro Football Hall of Fame, plan on joining others in NE Ohio for the Midwest Fest – Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) Finals 2023. North Olmsted will be a busy place this weekend with people from across the region AND Ireland!
Gaelic Football in Cleveland!
Cleveland St. Pat’s – St Jarlath’s GAA is celebrating 75 years in grand, Irish style with a slate of activities, fun, food, and youth clinics all ending with Sunday’s Midwest GAA division championship games.
From the Cleveland GAA web site.
First is a welcome party Friday night at PJ McIntyres. Around Saturday’s slate of semi-final youth matches and Sunday’s championships will be the showcase match with the Pittsburgh Celtics battling Achill GAA from Mayo, Ireland on Saturday evening. All matches will be at the Barton-Bradley Fields in North Olmsted.
Achill GAA
Achill GAA (CLG Acla), a Gaelic football club from across the pond, has made the trip to Ohio for the weekend festivities and not just for the Pittsburgh match but to celebrate a twenty year partnership with the Cleveland club. The Irish club is a collection of footballers from Achill island and the Currane Peninsula in Mayo.
The Gaelic Football Weekend Festivities
Cleveland GAA has a full itinerary here. If you can’t make Wednesday’s Pride of Erin, there will be a joint training session with Achill and Cleveland Thursday. Friday is the official Welcoming Party and of course the rest of the events Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets, merchandise and drink tickets are available at the website.
For those of you unfamiliar with Gaelic football, we have another piece that spells out the basics.
Watch the Gaelic Football videos!
But before reading that piece, take a moment and watch these YouTube videos on the sport. Think of a sport that combines soccer, rugby, basketball and football! That’s a good start for this fun and physical game!
The Original Beautiful Game
The Best of Gaelic Football 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiG5BfimrwM&ab_channel=AllThingsGAA
Interested in joining the Cleveland GAA? Their website has all the information you need for registration and membership.
Here is the link for their Facebook group.
NEO SportsInsiders will be there for the festivities! Stop by and say, “Dia Duit!”
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