Asian Gaelic Games in Bangkok boasts strong Mayo connections

As the All-Ireland season of games come to what feels like an early finale at home and the club championship takes centre-stage, it's fascinating to take a look across the globe to see just how far and wide Gaelic games have travelled and indeed where they are thriving.

Many at home may never have even heard of the World GAA and all the huge work going on internationally to promote the games from Toronto to Tokyo and Madrid to Melbourne. Most aficionados are aware that New York and London are so well developed that they actually compete in the senior championships, but what about elsewhere?

There are several international county boards or units, including New York, US GAA, Canada, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australasia. In these units there are a staggering 25,000 players in 500 odd clubs scattered across the globe in almost every major city.

This is a phenomenal reach for an amateur sport and through the World GAA strategic development plan, it is hoped that Gaelic games become the number one amateur sport globally in the near future.

A huge part of this plan is youth development and with the help of the GAA and Irish government and through the Global Games Development Fund, youth development has been going from strength to strength internationally. There are now teams from the US, New York, the UK, Europe and even Australasia competing in Féile, which is a remarkable achievement and a very positive sign for the future.

Across these units there are dozens of competitions, games and tournaments held regularly, and to coin a phrase from the outgoing president of the GAA, Larry McCarthy, who was nominated by his local unit of New York: “The sun never sets on World GAA.”

One unit with strong Mayo connections is Asia as its chairperson, Conor Melvin, treasurer, Jonathan Cleary, and North Asia officer, Chris Walshe, all hail from different parts of Mayo.

The Asian County Board recently held a launch at Croke Park for its annual marquee tournament, the Asian Gaelic Games, which will be held in Bangkok over the weekend of November 23 and 24.

In total, around 24 clubs and over 700 players are expected to attend the games, which will be played over two days in a blitz type format in the tropical heat of Thailand. The games are nine-a-side, seven minutes a half, with 10 minutes a half for the final, and it's a hugely exciting event with similarities to the Rugby 7s on display at the Olympics. Fast, fun and exciting!

Football, hurling and camogie will all be on show, and each year representatives from each association travel over to support the games.

It has been stated more than once that international units, where the three associations have been working together for decades, have played a large part in encouraging the unification of the associations at home, as the planned phase-in over the next three years has been taken up with gusto by the new GAA president, Jarlath Burns.

AMBASSADORS

Two tournament ambassadors are brought over for the games from Ireland from the GAA and LGFA, as well as the top referees.

This year it was announced that Michael Murphy of Donegal and Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh of Kerry will travel east. They will be auctioned off as celebrity bainisteoirí for charity, and the winning bidders will have them assist their team on the line and huddle throughout the weekend.

Referee David Gough is also confirmed, which will no doubt add some additional excitement to the games for all the Irish diaspora competing over the weekend.

As well as a strong Mayo contingent on the Asian board, they are supported additionally by some fantastic Mayo entrepreneurs and businessmen who have made Asia their home but are deeply involved with the GAA and the Irish community there.

Pat Gorham of MFE Formwork Technology in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is a native of Belmullet, and has been a long-time sponsor of the Asian Games and a backbone to his club Orang Eire and indeed the larger Irish community in Asia. The work he and the club do behind the scenes in hosting tournaments each year is second to none, and the current high standing of the GAA in Asia is due in no small part to them.

This year sees two new sponsors come on board, with Castlebar native Seamus McHugh, now based in Bangkok, and his company Study Ireland sponsoring the event for the first time.

Seamus’s company brings top tier third level students to Ireland to study at Irish universities, which has been a huge boost to the universities and the economy as a whole.

His company has been growing steadily and as a long-time player and valued member of the Irish community in Thailand, it is great that he is in a position to help out his club, which will host this year's games.

Also sponsoring the Asian Games and hailing from north Mayo is Chris Walshe, whose company Bolt, based out of Singapore and Taiwan, provides STEM education solutions to private, bilingual and international schools across Asia. As well as being the North Asian officer, Chris is making a documentary on the history of the GAA in Asia and the tragic yet fascinating story of Derek Brady and how the inaugural men's senior trophy was named after him.

Also on board to support the games in Bangkok are Kerry Group, O'Neills, DHL and Invest Northern Ireland, so it's lining up to be a fantastic weekend of games and craic – with the before- and after-party to be held on O’Shea’s rooftop bar and restaurant. All are welcome - just bring sun screen!