Gaelic football has broader beginnings than you’d think. The north-western corner of Spain is a unique region and its people have more in common with Ireland than you might think, thanks to a shared Celtic history.
Celtic tribes once inhabited much of Northern Europe but were gradually conquered by the Roman empire, leaving Ireland and Scotland alone as strongholds of Celtic culture. The province of Galicia on Spain’s north-western coast was one such region. In fact, clues to its Celtic heritage can still be found there today.
Echoes of a distant Celtic influence can be found in Galician folk music. It is very different to the traditional Spanish flamenco, with bagpipes and drums forming the backbone of the local style. In addition, Galicia hosts the most popular Celtic music festivals in Europe, the Festival del mundo celta de Ortigueira. Plus, one of the region’s most famous trad musicians, Carlos Núñez, has collaborated many times with The Chieftains.
Gaelic Football
But it’s not just similarities in folk music that link the Irish and Galicians. Over the past decade, they have discovered a love of Gaelic football. Since the first official GAA club was born in the city of Coruña in 2010, nine more Galician GAA clubs have sprung up. The region even has its own governing body, Gaélico Galego, (the Galician Association of Gaelic Football) which is recognised by the GAA.
The growth of Gaelic football in Galicia is unique because it has not been driven by Irish expats. The vast majority of players are Spanish. So what’s the appeal? According to Gaélico Galego, several factors make Gaelic football special: its amateur status, the respect between players and teams, the use of both hands and feet in playing the game, and the fantastic opportunities to compete.
GAA
Galician GAA teams take part in a local league with qualifying teams competing against the winners from Spain’s other regions. The overall winner then goes on to participate in the European finals organised by the official European governing body for the GAA, Gaelic Games Europe.
In fact, Gaelic football is so popular in Galicia that in 2017 when its Mens and Ladies National teams played against France, Galician TV negotiated television rights and aired the matches as International GAA Finals. The action was also streamed online.
While Galician interest in Gaelic football is relatively recent, the connection between Ireland and Galicia has existed for centuries. Indeed, our ancestors referred to it in their stories about where the Irish came from. According to Irish mythology, Ireland was settled by various groups of invaders over the course of several thousand years; one of these groups came from Spain’s northern coast.
Gaelic Football and Settlers From Spain
Irish myth informs us that a group of settlers called the Milesians arrived on our shores around 1700 BCE. They were named after their leader Míl Espáine (Spanish soldier). He sailed to Ireland with his people after spotting it from the top of a high tower. Interestingly, the Roman tower of Hercules, built in the first century to keep a watchful eye on Britain, still stands in Coruña today.
The story of the Milesians invading Ireland and taking it for their own may be nothing more than a fairytale. But who knows? Perhaps there is something in it. Galicia is separated from the rest of the Iberian peninsula by mountains and hills to the south and west. Historically, it was perhaps easier to take to the sea seeking new lands or trade links than it was to travel across the country.
Gaelic Football and the Celtic connection
Interestingly, genetic studies support this Celtic connection. In 2009, Prof Dan Bradley of Trinity College’s Institute of Genetics found a strong link between the Irish and the people of northern Spain’s Galician and Basque regions.
Genetically, people from the west of Ireland show stronger links with northern Spain. These people may have been the closest relatives of Spanish migrants who came to Ireland. Even our wildlife supports the idea of a strong connection. Genetic studies of badgers, for instance, indicate that Irish badgers came from Spain while British badgers didn’t. How could this be explained if not through the existence of trade and travel connections going back to Celtic times?
There’s no disputing the fact that our two regions share a Celtic past. And now, it seems, our shared love of Gaelic football can connect us into the future.