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Gaelic football is an Irish sport that consists of two teams of 15 players that compete in a “rough and tumble” form of football, where players use their hands and feet to move the ball up the field to score the opponents’ goals for three points, or between the two uprights for a single point. 

 

With over 2,200 clubs across Ireland’s 32 counties, Gaelic football is the most popular sport in the country and a cornerstone of Irish culture. The first records of Gaelic football date back to 1670 in Co. Meath, but the first signs of organized leagues with rules didn’t appear until the 19th century. 

 

In 1884, the development of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) began and was officially established in 1887 to further grow sports of Irish origin, which resulted in the mass promotion of Gaelic football and hurling across the country to combat the growing popularity of soccer. Since then, the GAA has maintained the top spot in Ireland and has grown Gaelic Football across the globe.