GAA growing in the Middle East

As GAA clubs throughout Ireland continue to mourn the loss of players to emigration, the GAA in the Middle East is one of the units that is benefitting.
Countries such as Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman and Saudi Arabia have men and women out training a couple of times a week and participating in tournaments throughout the year.
Oryx na hÉireann, Qatar, have gone from strength to strength since 2004 and now have a lot of silverware, medals and individual awards to show for their hard work, effort and success.
Michelle Kelly, a native of Kilmurry McMahon, moved to Qatar last year and joined the club.
“The men fielded three teams in the last competition and have an ever-growing number attending training and the tournaments. The Qatar men’s teams participate in all Middle East and Asian tournaments with a consistent degree of success, having been crowned men’s Middle East League winners in 2010/11 and 2011/12 and Middle East Championship winners in 2012.
“The league was only set up in the 2010-11 season, with the championship founded in 2012. The regional success of the team has been followed by the winning of the All-Junior sevens held in St Jude’s in September,” according to Michelle.
“The ladies, formed in 2009, now has two teams and recently won their first title and silverware at the Middle East Gaelic Games, which took place in Bahrain. The ladies showed great determination and worked very hard throughout the competition to gain an overall victory and now qualify to play in the league in future tournaments,” she added.
Continuing, Michelle said, “Many people who have come to live and work in Qatar, particularly Irish, have settled in very well because they have found a home away from home.
“This sense of familiarity and comfort comes from taking part in training sessions, social events and travelling to tournaments in the Middle East, where you regularly see familiar faces from college; school and even your neighbourhood back home.
“Oryx na hÉireann is not just about training and playing in tournaments; there is a huge social element to the club and it is seen as the starting point for countless Irish people moving to Qatar as a way to settle into life in the Middle East, networking for a new job and enjoying themselves in their surroundings.
“Membership of the club spans a range of nationalities, ages and backgrounds and everyone will find something that they enjoy in the club,” Michelle concluded.