GAA President Jarlath Burns chats to the kids at Páirc Realt na Mara on Sunday morning.
Some of Eastern Gaels’ founding members with GAA President Jarlath Burns on Sunday.
A presentation of a framed Eastern Gaels jersey is made to GAA President Jarlath Burns during his visit to Ireland’s youngest GAA club on Sunday. Picture: Paul Connor
GAA president Jarlath Burns receives a warm welcome from (l to r) Meath GAA chairperson Jason Plunkett, Cllr Stephen McKee, Cllr Sharon Tolan, Cllr Maria White and Eastern Gaels chairperson Brendan Quigley.
Drogheda Independent
Today at 03:30
Ireland’s newest GAA club Eastern Gaels was honoured to host a visit by Uachtarán Jarlath Burns to their home in Páirc Réalt na Mara in Mornington on Sunday.
The club was ratified in February 2023 and there was a huge turnout of members to meet the GAA president. He was updated on the club’s remarkable progress to date and then watched an exhibition game featuring the club’s Little Stars Academy, before meeting with senior adult players from the men’s and ladies’ teams.
The members were delighted to be addressed by Uachtarán Burns who was presented with a framed jersey, signifying Eastern Gaels’ status as the GAA’s youngest club. He told them that the GAA would learn lessons from the club’s experience.
He said: “This club was set up by a few people who decided that the population growth in this area warranted a new club – and you are right. As a result of the experiences of this club, one of the things we are looking at is setting up a Club Support Unit. Setting up a GAA club is an onerous task and the fact that you are here and that you are thriving, and that you have a plan, speaks volumes to your leadership.
“There are lessons that can be learned from your experience of creating a new club in an area where it is the most rational, logical thing – that we should be creating new clubs and the GAA should be getting almost ahead of this and locating areas where we need to be having new clubs and finding out if there are people in that area who would like to set up a new club. I wish you all the best and congratulate you so much.”
Eastern Gaels chairperson, Brendan Quigley said: “It was a great honour for Eastern Gaels to welcome Uachtarán Burns to our home and to share with him our progress and ambitions. As promised we have increased the opportunity to play Gaelic games here in east Meath and we have also delivered increased playing facilities which are so badly needed in our community. We are delighted that our experiences in creating a new club have been hugely insightful to the GAA and that learnings will benefit future newly founded clubs.
“Jarlath was very impressed by our achievements and encouraged us to continue our efforts to grow participation in our games here in east Meath.”
The club, based on Tower Road, Mornington, has senior men’s and ladies teams competing in Meath GAA leagues and championships, and there is also a thriving Academy, catering for five to 12-year-olds.