Youth Together - East Belfast GAA

East Belfast GAA was set up in May 2020 by friends and former GAA players David McGreevy and Richard Maguire. Lamenting the lack of a club in their area, they initially hoped to set up a children’s team, but were inundated with more than 500 emails from people of all ages interested in taking part. In under three weeks, the club was officially recognised by the GAA.

There has not been a GAA Club in the area for more than half a century. Historically, the GAA has been associated with members of the nationalist community, while East Belfast has long been seen as a unionist area. Two years on and the club has close to 1000 members from all backgrounds, communities, faiths and political persuasions.

In line with the GAA ethos ‘Where we all belong’ the club are committed to removing boundaries and breaking down stereotypes, they recently announced their ‘GAA for All’ programme inviting children with physical or mental disabilities to come play. They have worked with Peace IV, The Red Cross and Home Plus to welcome children to the club.

They continue this inclusive work through their Youth Together programme, working with 3–12-year-olds from refugee, migrant and low-income families. Currently they have 42 refugee children among their members, from Sudan, Somalia, Syria and Iraq.

The project aims to help children and families integrate through sport, to improve physical and mental health, whilst building a diverse community. The project was supported by National Lottery funding from Sport NI in addition to a successful crowdfunding campaign by club members and supporters