GAA All-Ireland and Inter-Pros Development Proposal 2030

All-Ireland Provincial Championships

Global Provincial Championships

GAA World Championship Proposal 2030

The 2030 timeline for a true GAA World Championship is without a doubt too soon, however, Eirball believes that the time shall come for the All-Ireland Champions to play a Global Championship winners in a World Championship Final. Back in the early 20th Century, the All-Ireland Champions played London for the All-Ireland Championship, and later in the 1960s the All-Ireland and National League Champions played New York for the World Cup Championship.

First of all, to facilitate growth in the Celtic Regions an Alliance with the Camanachd Association (Scottish Shinty is a version of Hurling); Welsh Baseball Union, Welsh Ladies Baseball Union and English Baseball Union (Welsh Baseball is a traditional Celtic Sport played in South Wales and Merseyside and is a kind of cross between Baseball, Rounders and Cricket); ASPE Pelota, Baiko Pelota and FFPB Pelota (Basque Pelota is a Handball like game played with a curved glove native to the Basque regions of Spain and France); Ancient and Medieval Hurling and Handball (Manx Cammag and Cornish Hurling).

Likewise growth in Britain could be facilitated by an Alliance with the Ancient and Medieval Football Codes in Orkney Islands, Northumberland, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.

A similar Alliance could be made with the Rounders Associations of England (including Guernsey and Jersey) and Australia (Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territories, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victioria and Western Australia).

Gaelic Football 7s and 11s in the seven Gaeltacht Regions (Connemara, Erris, Gweedore, Dingle, West Cork, Ring, Rathcairn) could be turned into County-level Championships and Inter-County teams. Similarly, Kilmacud 7s and similar Championships could lead to massive growth in non-Traditional Areas of Dublin, the Cities, and Ulster (Belfast City, Causeway, Clogher, East Antrim, Lisburn, and Mid-Ulster). Dublin itself could be promoted to Inter-Provincial status with its own Provincial Championship.

To help promote the game in a Globalised World, the Professionalisation of the game could take the form of the Inter-Provincial Championships: with a 9-team Inter-Pro Championship consisting of Connacht, Leinster, Munster, Ulster, Dublin, Americas, Britain, Celtic, and Oriental teams.

While not all counties may take part in every GAA sport, it is envisaged that each of the counties listed above may take part in at least one: for example in the list above, Jersey and Guernsey can only realistically take part in the Rounders; Cornwall in the Handball, and Isle of Man in the Hurling.

If Handball is taken into account, including the World Handball Council, Euro1Wall, Eton Fives, Frisian Kaatsen and CIJB (Pelota a Mano) the number of counties and provinces could be doubled. Further links could be made with distantly related sports such as Brannbol and Pesapallo (Scandinavian Rounders and Baseball) and Calcio Fiorentino (Tuscan Renaissance Football)

ABOUT THE GAA

[4] GAA (2022) About the GAA [Internet] Available from: https://www.gaa.ie/the-gaa/about-the-gaa/ [Accessed 30 January 2022]

[5] GAA (2022) Our Games [Internet] Available from: https://www.gaa.ie/the-gaa/games/our-games [Accessed 30 January 2022]

[6] GAA (2022) Gaelic Football [Internet] Available from: https://www.gaa.ie/my-gaa/getting-involved/gaelic-football [Accessed 30 January 2022]

Note: For References for Each County Logo/Crest Please Click on the Counties in the Banner at the top of thids page.

Item ID: 1282796593

Picture Credit:

Contributor

spatuletail

[Internet] Available from: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/milan-italy-december-12-2018-field-1282796593 [Accessed 5 January 2022]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to Fiona Corrigan, Niamh Hughes, Gillian Glynn, Rose McCabe, Roisin NicDhonnachadha, Caoimhe Mullaney, Michael O’Callaghan, Pippo O’Grady, Edmund Corrigan, Decy Maher, Luke Kelly, Enda Fahy.

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American & World Sports Archive / GAA World Archive

Last Updated: 18 February 2022

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2022

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.The Logos and Photos used in this article remain the property of the organisations and individuals which own the copyright and are used here for educational and information purposes only.