East Belfast GAA

East Belfast GAA (Irish: CLG Oirthear Bhéal Feirste) is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in East Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. The team currently plays in the Down Senior County League.[1][2] The team is noted for compared to other GAA teams in Northern Ireland which the followers are usually from the Nationalist community, East Belfast GAA from the outset is a cross-community team of both Unionists and Nationalists, and actively promoting friendship and cooperation between both sides of the political divide.[3] It is the first GAA club in East Belfast since St Colmcille’s, which was formed in the 1950s and folded in the beginnings of the Troubles. [4] The first club president is Irish-language promoter Linda Ervine.

East Belfast
Oirthear Bhéal Feirste
Founded:2020
County:Down
Colours:Black and Yellow
Playing kits
Standard colours

History
The provisional logo of the East Belfast GAC before the current crest

The club was formed in May 2020 between cross-community worker and former Carryduff GAA player Richard Maguire, and former London GAA player David McGreevy who had moved back to Northern Ireland in late 2018, after decades absence of a GAA club in the historically Loyalist East Belfast. Initially, David hoped to set up a boys U12 team, and put out a message on Twitter asking for help setting up a GAA. It simply said;

East Belfast GAA Twitter
@EastBelfastGAA

A new GAA club for East Belfast, if you're interested in playing, coaching or admin (More than likely all 3!) All ages, genders and backgrounds welcome. Please email [email protected] to register

31 May 2020[5]

Within a day of that tweet put out, they were able to set-up a senior hurling, camogie, mens and ladies football teams and well a boy's football team.

The club crest was revealed on 16 July 2020. It features primarily an outline of the Harland and Wolff cranes which is ironic symbol of the area, a shamrock, a thistle & a red hand, and the club's motto "Together" written in the three languages of Northern Ireland; English, Irish ("Le Chélie") and Ulster-Scots ("Thegither"). [6] The crest was designed by creative director Rory Millar, [7] who had earlier also designed the Canada GAA crest. The team's first match happened the next day with mens football with St Michael Magheralin, ladies football on the 18 July with Saval, camogie on 22 July with Kilchief and hurling on 6 August with Cumann Pheadair Naofa.

On the 6 August, there was a hoax bomb alert at the team's training ground of Henry Jones Playing Fields believed to be aimed at East Belfast GAA. [8] The incident was condemned by all local politicians on both sides of the divide including the unionist DUP's Gavin Robinson MP & nationalist SDLP's Lisnasharragh Councillor Séamas de Faoite. [9]

On 12 September due to the pandemic, all club activity was stopped for a week as advised by the GAA and the NHS as one of the team members tested positive for COVID-19. [10] On the 19 September, the senior camogie team had its first win, beating St Enda's GAC reserve camogie team 7-11 to 2-2. This is the club's first win since forming the GAC. [11]

References
  1. "East Belfast camogs look to the future after historic debut". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  2. Lynch, Connor (2020-07-16). "East Belfast GAA unveil new club crest ahead of first matches". BelfastLive. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  3. "New East Belfast GAA club unveils tri-lingual crest to symbolise communities coming together". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  4. Magee, Kevin (2015-03-09). "The team that disappeared". BBC News. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  5. East Belfast GAA [@EastBelfastGAA] (31 May 2020). "A new GAA club for East Belfast, if you're interested in playing, coaching or admin (More than likely all 3!) All ages, genders and backgrounds welcome. Please email [email protected] to register" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. Mahoney, Donny. "East Belfast GAA Launch New Tri-Lingual Crest Ahead Of Historic Day". Balls.ie. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  7. "East Belfast GAA". Roaaaary. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  8. "East Belfast GAA security alert sectarian hate crime, say police". The Irish News. 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  9. "East Belfast security alert met with widespread condemnation". ITV News. 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  10. "CLUB STATEMENT: All club activity is suspended until further notice. #gaa #lgfa #camogie". Twitter. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  11. "SUPERSTARS IN THE SUNSHINE Smiling face with sunglasses The East Belfast Camogie team have won their first ever game against St Endas GAC 7-11 to 2-2! Well done ladies, great to see the hard work is starting to pay off Clapping hands sign Clapping hands sign#camogie OfficialCamogie". Twitter - @EastBelfastGAA. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
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