GAA county
Encyclopedia
A Gaelic Athletic Association county is a geographic region within the Gaelic Athletic Association
(GAA), controlled by a county board and originally based on the counties of Ireland
as they were in 1884. While the counties of Ireland have changed since the foundation of that date, the GAA counties have remained largely unchanged. However, particularly in the first 50 years of the Association but also in more recent times, there are many examples of clubs based in one of the administrative counties being allowed to participate in the leagues or championships of a neighbouring county. There are also instances where the official county boundary does not coincide precisely with the GAA county, for example where a club is based on a parish that crosses the county border. While in most cases the name of the GAA county is the same as that of the current or former administrative county, there have been exceptions: Derry
has never used the official county name of Londonderry
, and the Board of the county then officially known as Queen's County changed its name in 1907 to Leix and Ossary, later becoming Laois
. Each county board is responsible for organising GAA club fixtures within the county, and for the promotion and development of Gaelic games
and the other objectives of the Association.
The GAA county can also refer to the inter-county
team fielded by each county board.
Since the inception of the county system, there have been changes to the region of control of the overseas units. In Ireland the concept of the county is very strong and changing the county boundary is extremely controversial. A proposal to divide Dublin
in two was quickly and strongly opposed.
is a county for GAA purposes, while the remaining counties of Great Britain
cover wider areas than their names suggest. The Hertfordshire County Board
, for example, oversees clubs in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire; Gloucestershire GAA
reaches into South Wales, Warwickshire GAA
includes Staffordshire and Birmingham, and so on. There are also 'county boards' for Canada, the rest of North America, Europe and Asia, while other overseas GAA regions such as Australasia and Cayman Islands operate with their own structures not including county boards.
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
(GAA), controlled by a county board and originally based on the counties of Ireland
Counties of Ireland
The counties of Ireland are sub-national divisions used for the purposes of geographic demarcation and local government. Closely related to the county is the County corporate which covered towns or cities which were deemed to be important enough to be independent from their counties. A county...
as they were in 1884. While the counties of Ireland have changed since the foundation of that date, the GAA counties have remained largely unchanged. However, particularly in the first 50 years of the Association but also in more recent times, there are many examples of clubs based in one of the administrative counties being allowed to participate in the leagues or championships of a neighbouring county. There are also instances where the official county boundary does not coincide precisely with the GAA county, for example where a club is based on a parish that crosses the county border. While in most cases the name of the GAA county is the same as that of the current or former administrative county, there have been exceptions: Derry
Derry GAA
The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
has never used the official county name of Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
, and the Board of the county then officially known as Queen's County changed its name in 1907 to Leix and Ossary, later becoming Laois
Laois GAA
The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.-History:...
. Each county board is responsible for organising GAA club fixtures within the county, and for the promotion and development of Gaelic games
Gaelic games
Gaelic games are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The two main games are Gaelic football and hurling...
and the other objectives of the Association.
The GAA county can also refer to the inter-county
Inter county
Inter county, sometimes inter-county, is Gaelic Athletic Association terminology which refers to competitions or matches between two GAA counties...
team fielded by each county board.
Since the inception of the county system, there have been changes to the region of control of the overseas units. In Ireland the concept of the county is very strong and changing the county boundary is extremely controversial. A proposal to divide Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
in two was quickly and strongly opposed.
Gaelic Athletic Association 'counties' overseas
Gaelic Athletic Association counties outside Ireland cover large geographic non-traditional areas which are not considered as counties in any other context. For example, ScotlandScotland GAA
The Scotland Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Scotland GAA is one of the county boards of the GAA outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in Scotland. The county board is also responsible for the Scottish inter-county teams...
is a county for GAA purposes, while the remaining counties of Great Britain
British GAA
The British Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association or British GAA is the only provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in Great Britain...
cover wider areas than their names suggest. The Hertfordshire County Board
Hertfordshire GAA
The Hertfordshire County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Hertfordshire GAA is one of the county boards outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in Hertfordshire...
, for example, oversees clubs in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire; Gloucestershire GAA
Gloucestershire GAA
The Gloucestershire County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Gloucester GAA, is one of the county boards outside Ireland and is responsible for the running of Gaelic Games in the South West of England and South Wales...
reaches into South Wales, Warwickshire GAA
Warwickshire GAA
The Warwickshire County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the county boards outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in Warwickshire. The county board is also responsible for the Warwickshire inter-county teams-Hurling:In 2005 Warwickshire fielded a hurling team in...
includes Staffordshire and Birmingham, and so on. There are also 'county boards' for Canada, the rest of North America, Europe and Asia, while other overseas GAA regions such as Australasia and Cayman Islands operate with their own structures not including county boards.