Welcome note from Den Haag GAA Club Chairman Colm Hagan

 A Cháirde Uaisle,

            Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh gach duine díobh inniú go dtí An Hág, agus go dtí Féile na Peile An Hág. Is mór an lá é sa bhliain ag club Den Haag atá ann. Tá súil ag Coiste Den Haag go mbeidh lá lán le sáiseamh agaibh go léir agus go mbainean sibh taithneamh as an imirt agus as an spórt san oíche. Tá an dá taobh an-tábhachtach sa chlub seo agus, ceapaim, sa saol go ginearálta.

            Is mór an taithneamh pearsantachta a bhainim as na múrtha fáilte ar ais a chur roimh Club CLG Baile Buadáin, an chlub áitiúla as mo cheantar féin. Ba mhaith liom a thuilleadh fáilte ar ais a chur freisin roimh Baile an tSaoir, Naomh Eoin (áit in a raibh mé i mo chónaí ar feadh tamaill), agus iad an chlub tseilbheoireachta Corn Den Haag.

            Bhí an bhliain seo chaite an bhliain bunaithe ag an Féile seo. Inniú cuirimid fáilte don chéad uair ag clubanna Clane, Ratoath, South Leinster Rangers, Amsterdam (club sean-iomaíochta Den Haag!) agus na ‘Den Haag Legends’ – athimreoirí Den Haag – ba mhaith linn chúpla díobh fanacht linn tar éis an Féile seo. Tá fáilte spesialta ag dul amach do Donnchadh  (ar chuairt le Clane/Den Haag Legends) agus go Pádraig (ar chuairt le South Leisnter Rangers). Tá an beirt iar-imreoirí Den Haag agus buatóirí an Corn Eorpach i 2006.

            Tá an-bhuíochas agam ag an coiste eagraithe, go h-áirithe Stiofán Ó hEochaigh, Seán Simpson, Marie Sheehan agus the Irrepressable Mary Gavin.

Dear friends,

            It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to Den Haag and to the 2008 Den Haag Gaelic Football Invitational tournament. The Committee of the Den Haag Gaelic Football and Hurling Club sincerely hope that you all have a great day and a great night – both are important!

            On a personal level, I am delighted to see my own local club, Ballyboden from Rathfarnham and its environs, back here again ( - Lads, ye’ll have to drag Daithí Scollard out here next year!).

            I am also delighted to welcome back last year’s worthy winners, Ballinteer St. John’s….And we’re particularly happy to see the trophy back lads! (Only joking!)  It’s great to see you back and I hope you put up a strong defence of your title.

            Today, we welcome, in addition to the above clubs, Clane, Ratoath, South Leinster Rangers, Amsterdam (old rivals of Den Haag!) and the ‘Den Haag Legends’ – former Den Haag players, so watch out! There are certainly a few of the Den Haag Leg-Ends that we wouldn’t mind having back with us for the upcoming European campaign (any takers, lads?).

            All going well today, we’ll see some of you (hopefully all of you) back next year and maybe a few more teams besides. Perhaps, this tournament could become a great fixture in the future, and hopefully Gaelic Games will get the sort of exposure in Europe that it deserves.

            The organising committee have done a brilliant job on behalf of Den Haag GFHC, and it is just fantanstic for us, as a continental-based club, to have 8 teams competing here today, with 6 of them from Ireland. So to those of you who have travelled, thank you - you’ll never know how good that makes us feel.

            Gaelic games are notoriously hard to promote on the continent and we hope that today we collectively show, whatever spectators we may have, the competitive, fair and positive nature of one of our greatest national games

            Finally, I would like to express the great thanks of our club to the organising committee and especially to Mr. Stephen Hough, Seán Simpson, Marie Sheehan and the one Den Haag Legend not playing today, Mary Gavin.

Go mbeidh an-sásta agaibhse go léir agus go n-éirí libhse go léir.

Is mise le meas,

Colm Ó hAodhagáin,

Cathaoirleach, Club CLG Den Haag

Den Haag

            Founded in the 1970s and affiliated with Croke Park since 2000, Den Haag GAA Club is one of the longest established and most successful GAA clubs on mainland Europe. Comprising mainly Irish, as well as French, English, Turkish, Indian, Dutch, Swiss, Canadian, Australian and German expatriates; Den Haag GAA are the current European Hurling Championship winners, a title they have also won in 2003 and 2002. Mens’ Gaelic Football winners in 2002 & 2006 and the Ladies’ Gaelic Footballers were victorious in 2005.

            Last season was a turbulent one for the club as it experienced everything from victory to defeat, new players joining to old players leaving, and hosting the Leinster Junior Hurling Final to having points deducted in the European Hurling league. The mens football team run Luxumbourg until the last tournament of the season in chase of the European football championship but unfortunately the club came up short in Barcelona and Luxumbourg took the championship. The season ahead looks bright with plenty of new talent coming through and many of the main players still in the ranks. With last seasons defeat in the back of the players minds it will no doubt push the players to bring the championship back to Den Haag.

            The mens hurling team, as we know, went all the way last year and delivered the European hurling championship back to Den Haag. The team were impressive all year round led by John Forde and managed by Derek Butler. This consequently led to Den Haag being given the opportunity to host the first away Leinster Junior Hurling Final, with Killurin from Offaly playing a European select team mainly comprised of the Den Haag team. Unfortuanetly on the day the victory went to Killurin, with poor conditions and the Europe boys out of season it wasnt meant to be.

            The female wing of the Den Haag club, known as Holland Ladies also had an impressive season as they to challenged for the European championship until the last tournament of the year in Barcelona. Unfortunately, alike the mens team, they came up short against an impressive Paris team who traded wins and loses with the Holland Ladies all year.

Den Haag Legends

            This team is a group of players who now hold the status of legends through their performances and status within the Den Haag club. Comprised of players who have played in years gone by there are also a few players, who, despite the fact they are still playing with the regular Den Haag club, now regard themselves as “legends”.

Big Bernard Geraghty - The monster full back from the wild west of Mayo, who was rumored to be on the verge of greatness before leaving home to become a nurse.  European cup winner in 2002, he was an adequate support player to the great, now deceased, Darren Brophy, God rest his soul.

Greame Merryman - Merry by name and by nature, ask the ladies. Graeme was captain and star full back on the ‘06 team.  Don’t let the glasses fool you he’d go through you for a short cut…Or maybe that because he can’t see!

Orson Mac Mahon - The Blanchardstown Bruiser, in his day a respectable full back come ref basher.  Orson is one of that very select band of Hague stalwarts (ha ha) with two European winners medals in 2002 and 2006.

Derek (the housewives choice) Butler - His benign smile masks the demon half back lurking beneath. He has a medal too, in 2006.

Denis Reidy - Ladies and gentlemen, need I say anymore. He’ll tell you

himself! (check www.denhaaggaa.com for his profile. was to large for the program)

Des Breen - A versatile man who can play just about anywhere, ask his wife!! Des Breen is another of the Reidy Babes winning his medal in 2006 while also doing an admirable job as chairman. 

Andy Napper - Another of our backs, and yet another of the’06 European Champions. The man from down under who just won’t go back.  Only messin Andy.

Eddie Moulds - The ladies call him spanky, he is thought to be one of the greatest half forwards to come out of Ferns!  It’s a small village on the main Dublin Wexford road, you probably passed through it.  Eddie is like most of the present Hague team in that he never won a European winners medal either!

Shane (leave me alone or I’ll burst you) Hogan - In his day was like lightening with a football, in that lightening never strikes the same place twice. From the coldest town in Ireland, Birr ar an contae ui fasach Shane was an integral part of the ‘02 team.

Colm Doyle - Probably the longest serving Hague Hero.  Rumor has he was there to see King Billy off on his travels.  Sad to hear though he still hangs around the dressing rooms hoping the lads will ask him to tog out, sadly they never do. Come on lads give an old man a break. He will be always known for his last minute penalty miss against Paris in the final of the ‘99 Hague tournament.  We were two points down at the bitter end. Colm is another of the privileged, in that he also has two European medals.

Thaidgh “the leg”O Rourke - The Dunboyne Dynamo, a legendary full forward in the vein of Jimmy Kevenny, in that both of them looked like they just walked out of a pub, in Thaidgh’s case he most likely did! Thaidgh was another member of the ‘02 team.

Willie Hempenstall - Hung around the club like Colm hoping for a game, until he could no longer get work and had to go home. 

John Payne and Cyril the barman - Guernsey men on loan for one day only in order to experience the thrill of playin for Den Haag…assuming people are willing to tolerate them!

Amsterdam

   Amsterdam GAC was formed in 2003 by Gaelic enthusiasts with the intention of raising the profile of Gaelic football in Holland. Since then Amsterdam’s Mens and Ladies teams have competed in serveral full European leagues and will be hotly contesting this years tournament as well.

In 2005, the Netherlands Ladies team (now Holland Ladies) won the European championship. Our club’s biggest honour to date.

Last season saw Amsterdam come runners-up in the European Shield competition, coming second only to the very talented Rennes team who won 3 from 3 last year.

            In the coming season Amsterdam are looking forward to the development of Gaelic football in the Netherlands, with the clubs development of a new Dutch 7’s league which will be starting soon in the current year consisting of Amsterdam, Den Haag and Maastricht.  

  South Leinster Rangers

            South Leinster Rangers is a newly formed GAA club, created especially for this Den Haag Invitational Football Tournament. The club was formed in November 2007 by ex-Den Haag Wexfordian Padraig Doyle after a request by current Den Haag superstar, also Wexfordian, Des Breen to put together a team in time for this prestigious tournament.

            The club is compiled of players from football stronghold counties such as Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny, and of course Waterford. Carlow man Derek Kelly is no stranger to the European scene either as he has lined out many a day with hurling giants Brussels, although generally he was on the
losing team.

            Mark Doyle and Simon Molloy have also donned the Red and Grey of Brussels in European hurling Tournaments in Munich, Brussels and here in Den Haag. Damian Browne has had the honor of lining out both in the Black and Gold of Den Haag, and the Red and Grey of Brussels, with Padraig Doyle having the distinction of playing for both clubs in different calendar years.

            You might wonder how a team like this has surfaced however when you see the unmerciful talent at their ranks only then will you understand! With this, the clubs 1st tournament, (and probably last) it will be stimulating to see how such a diverse group of players from so many counties gel together through-out the day…..or perhaps not……

Ratoath

            Ratoath GAA Club was founded in 1903 and was predominately a Hurling Club.  Adopting the proud colours of Tipperary, the club has now added vibrant Ladies Football and Camogie sections as well as an ever increasing juvenile section.

            Our headquarters are based at Brownstown, Ratoath, where our facilities are proudly named in memory of our deceased member, Sean Eiffe (RIP) who sadly lost his life in the line of duty with An Garda Siochana. 

Ratoath GAA club participates in championship and league competitions in Meath with over 50 teams participating over all codes, and this number is ever increasing.

Ballinteer

            Ballinteer St Johns was founded in 1982 and has developed into one of the larger clubs in South Dublin. The club competes in hurling, men’s football, ladies football and camogie. At present the club has in excess of 50 teams between all codes. The club now boasts a magnificent new clubhouse built beside the beautiful Marlay Park and is the centre of activity in the Ballinteer area for club members and the community at large. The club has had numerous players involved with various Dublin teams over the years - the most notable being Coman Goggins who has recently retired from inter-county football having served Dublin magnificently for 8 years and Angie Mc Nally who retired from inter-county last year after many years of excellent service to the county.

            The team entering this years Den Haag competition are the defending champions from last year. They currently play in Division 10 and topped their side of the league last year with an unbeaten run only to be beaten in the knockout stages.

            The squad for the tournament will consist of Derek Pounch, Andy Sullivan, Dermot Stevenson, Barry Judge, John O’Hanlon, John O’Broin, George Walker, Colm Wren, Ciaran Lee, Tony Gillick, Michéal Wren, Conor Mc Cabe, Shane O’Donnell, Conor Mc Dermott, Sean Givernaud, Colm O’Donnell, Colm Wren, Frank Clabby, Stephen Connolly, Paddy Desmond.

 They range in age from 21 to 55 and Gerry O’Donnell manages the team.

Ballyboden

       Ballyboden was founded in 1969 from the merger of Ballyboden

Wanderers, 1910 and Rathfarnham St. Endas, 1966. The club is located on the Firhouse Road in Dublin and serves the communities of Ballyboden, Rathfarnham, Knocklyon, Ballycullen, Ballyroan and Firhouse. At the moment they currently field 73 teams in football, hurling, camogie and ladies football, including 1 senior hurling, 2 senior camogie, 2 senior ladies football and 1senior football. Their honours currently consist of 1 senior football championship, 2 senior football division 1 league championships, 3 senior hurling division 1 league championships, 3 senior camogie championships; 7 senior ladies football championships, 4 Leinster senior ladies football club titles, 2 All-Ireland club senior ladies football titles as well as a large number of underage championships and All-Ireland Féile titles in all four sports.

            Over the years many players from the club have been succesful at county level and also in other sports including Enda McNulty, Martina Farrell, Paul McGinley, Pádraig Harrington, Girvan Dempsey and Eric Millar.

            The clubs biggest achievement of late was runner-up in last years Den Haag tournament. They also got to the quarter finals of the Junior C Championship in 2007 and unfortunately got relalegated to Division 9 from Division 8. 2004 was our most sucessful year in recent memory where we won a double of Cup Championship (Junior C) and League (Division 9).

Clane

            An Athletic/Sports Day held in Clane on 12th June 1884 unearthed a future Irish and World Champion runner, Tommy Conneff.  Equally notable it led to the formation of Clane Gaelic Football Club (G.F.C) in Spring 1887.  The club was originally known as William O’ Brien’s.  The Club’s first chairperson was Dr. O’ Connor M.D with James Kelly the first Secretary.  The club won its first senior football championship in 1887, with the actual final played in 1888.  Further football championships followed in 1890, ’92, ’95, ’97, 1901, ’02, ’03 and 1916.  There was a 67 year gap to our next championship win in 1967 with further championships in ’75, ’80, ’84 (Centenary Year), ’91, ’92, ’95, and ’97. 

            Clane also has a proud hurling tradition having won the Kildare Senior Hurling Championship nine times in a row between 1903 and 1911.  The Championship was abandoned by the County Board in 1912.  Clane won again in 1913 but lost on an objection, but won again in 1914, ’15, ’16, ’17, ’19 and ’22.  Junior hurling titles were won in 1915 and 1983.

2008 Leinster Junior Hurling Final

Killurin 3-13 European Select 1-10

            On this cold december morning history was made with the first ever inclusion of a European hurley team in the Leinster championship. The game was played at the home of Den Haag GAA and proved to be an excieting  game on all accounts. With the European team being without match practice for over 2 months, and the Killurin side of the back of a county and provincional championship, things were always going to be up against the expats side.

            The game was closely contested all the way through with each team trading points until two goals by Killurin late in the second half began to sway the game in the travelling teams favour. The weekend was on all accounts a great success with Europe cleary showing the potential it posses to compete, and with Killurin enjoying a perfect weekend in the Netherlands.