Willie Cashin elected County Europe Chair on historic day for Belgium GAA

Many congratulations to Belgium GAA stalwart Willie Cashin, who last weekend in Madrid was elected Chairman of the European County Board (ECB).

Willie, a dedicated hurler as well as this year's all-conquering ladies football coach, is a GAA man through and through, and the club is enormously proud to have one of our own in such an important position as we approach 2010.

Willie was elected thanks in no small part to the hard work and tireless lobbying of the Belgium GAA delegation at the ECB AGM which took place in Madrid, Spain on 5-6 December. Club chair Olof Gill, vice-chair Kevin Keary, secretary Becky Mattes and Spanish Ambassador Anay Rios went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the "Tipp Lip" landed the big job.

Congratulations also to our other club members who won positions on the 2010 County Board:

Dave Barrett: Games Development/ Coaching Officer
Kevin Keary: Club Development Officer
Becky Mattes: Camogie Officer

With such a wealth of talent and experience between them, Barrett, Cashin, Keary and Mattes will do their best to ensure that Belgium GAA's player interests are represented at the top level, and will work hard to improve GAA on the continent as a whole.

Comhgháirdeas a chairde, agus Nollaig Shona Dhíobh go léir. Happy Xmas everyone, and see you in 2010.

The Belgium GAA Committee

Belgium GAA End of Year Dinner & Awards

On Saturday 21 November, the club hosted our annual End of Year Dinner and Awards Ceremony in the fantastic surroundings of Devalera's Irish Bar.

"Dev's" is the club sponsor, and as usual the brilliant and hard-working staff went out of their way to make it a great night for everyone concerned. Many thanks to you all.

In the time-honoured GAA tradition, speeches were held after dinner, commemorating what has been a monumental year for Belgium GAA.

The hurling and ladies football teams were celebrated for their success in winning their pan-European championships, while Conan Mac Oscair was hailed for his remarkable achievement in winning the McNamee Award for Best GAA Website.

Finally, the following awards were presented to club members who made outstanding contributions on and off the field:

• Camogie Player of the Year: Sylvia McCarthy
• Hurling Player of the Year (And European Poc Fada champion) : Conor Aylward
• Mens Footballer of the Year: Stephen Kearney
• Womens Footballer of the Year: Laura Whiskerd
• Special Club Award for Oustanding Achievement: Martin Crowley
• Club Person of the Year: Phil Cushen

The club now turns its attentions to 2010, where we hope to have still more success on and off the field of battle.

Well done everyone on a magnificent 2009.

(for another report on the big night, see Dave Barrett's blog)

'Dilly-Dally' Davey's soccer shocker

Corcaigh, 10th November 2009

The authorities in Cork, more commonly referred to as 'shades' or the '5-0' are growing increasingly concerned over the reputation of one of their most respected local GAA players, a Mr. Dave Barrett from Kinsale.

"Dilly-Dally Davey," as he is fondly known by local GAA aficionados, caused bloody riots and mass suicide in rebel country earlier this year when images of him playing soccer - "foreign games" - were circulated in local media.

Barrett emerged after weeks in hiding to claim that he had been framed. The pugnacious Corkman, in an exclusive interview from his pimped-up Toyota Yaris, claimed an unknown copycat sportsman had imitated him in an attempt to besmirch his standing in GAA circles. A visibly shaken Barrett, unshaven, shaggy-haired and surrounded by empty pizza boxes, broke down live on air, but later vowed to fight back.

Latest evidence suggests that the man that the police originally thought to be a 'one-off' impostor has struck again, this time overseas in the Benelux country of Belgium, most likely in its capital, Brussels.

Concerns initially arose last year when a young man, whose resemblance to Mr. Barrett was striking, was spotted playing what can only be described as 'foreign sports' in an unknown location. Sadly these concerns have now been heightened as recent photographs sent in through interpol have revealed that the impostor has struck again, his desire to seriously dent the Corkman's impeccable GAA credentials clearly even more passionate, as he has even matched Mr. Barrett's most recent hairstyle down to a 'tee'.

At this point in time the police are keeping Mr. Barrett in a secured location and have requested him to cut his hair in the hope that this will throw the culprit off his scent.

When asked for his thoughts on the matter, David replied:

'Well, like I don't know like, he's a right gowl. I was too busy meetin yer wan anyway and would never play foreign sports like. Corcaigh abu'.

Above is the latest photo of the impostor that the authorities have:

ENDS

Match Reports, Rennes GF Tournament

Better late than never, here are the match reports from the Rennes Gaelic Football tournament held on Saturday, 3 October.

For the usual sharp analysis of the Belgium Men's A team performance, please see D. Barrett's blog.

Below are the tournament reports from (1) the Men's B team, courtesy of our own burshting Breton Matti Bertrand, and (2) from the Ladies team, courtesy of the irrepresible Sylvia McCarthy.

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1. Belgium B in Brittany, the report

Once in the train bringing me back to Brussels, all muscles and bones being sour from the shoulders to the feet , it is time to reflect upon the full day of tournament we Belgium B had yesterday in lovely Rennes.

Arriving around the pitch, it was a pleasure for some of those who came to this tournament last year to discover that we would be playing Vannes as a starter, having played for them last year. Good also to see the A’s playing a good first match against the welcoming team. And we were relieved to have the same welcoming team giving us some players, Sébastien, Guillaume and Leo to complete our lines.

So, Vannes. The first minutes were difficult, we were not really organized and some of the players were discovering a new position on the pitch. But we hold the fort with a good spirit of solidarity and aggressiveness in defense. We needed a wakeup call to really engage into the game. Aylward rang the bell, winning the ball in our half and slaloming through the defense which suddenly appeared not as strong as the walls of the old city of Vannes. We simply realized that we were better, that we could not lose this match.

Winning most of the balls with a strong defense, we moved the balls from the full backs to the full forwards with quick-hand passing through every line on the wings, like in the best dreams of Davey Barrett. Beautiful game-play, pleasure for the players and good scoring ratio brought us with a comfortable lead at half time, under the applauses of the whole Brussels delegation along the pitch (always welcome, we wish we had more of this on the next games….).

The second half was the replica of the first: difficult start but good pressure on the Vannes forwards, which tried to save what was possible to be saved; our keeper Willie prevented them from being too hopeful. Then the quick-hands game play of the first half proved again successful and many of us scored a good amount of points and goals. I do not remember now the name of the scorers, I do not think it is important. The key thing is that all our moves were really collective, many players touching the ball before kicking it over the bar or in the net. What I remember now is the smiles upon our faces at the end of the game, this incredible sensation of victory and pleasure we felt all together. Wings were growing on our backs; we were confident we could do much more but only playing the usual two group-matches; we strongly believed we could win the next game and qualify for the semi-final.

One hour and half later, we had to face the reality… The 2nd opponent of the day, Jersey had crushed us and overruled us. Our defense was disorganized by the fact that their best forwards were their speedy and skilled full backs, our midfield was dominated by their fit and strong midfielders and our forwards barely touched the ball because we forgot our quick-hand passing game-play… kicking long passes to relieved the defense proved unsuccessful since the ball was directly coming back at full speed thanks to their fast backs or their powerful midfielders… lack of fitness and lack of fighting spirit… A disaster…

We were morally and physically affected, a bit disunited and disillusioned… 2 good news made us felt better: the A team qualifying for the final thanks to an intense match against Luxembourg and us being eventually qualified for the semi-final of the shield as “best second team”. The latter good news had a drawback: we were playing Jersey again in the semi-final…

Before the semi-final, most of us participated in a “match-for-nothing” against Paris. We were happy to play in order to have the A’s rest, but I have to admit this tough game was hard for the bodies… lack of fitness and lack of players are not the best combination for tournaments.

So, Jersey again.

We started the game with the wrong spirit; the earlier disaster was too present in our minds. However, little-by-little, our collective and individual pride told us “you cannot give up so easily; you cannot do worse than the first game!” We were tired, but we did not want to be shameful of ourselves. The fighting spirit came back, the defense was more aggressive, more balls were won in the midfield and we managed from time to time to move the ball with quick-hands lines by lines. We did not manage to score much than in the first match against Jersey because we made mistakes in the last or before last pass and were unlucky with the shooting; but we were not spectators any more, we were fighting for every ball and had our heads up again. When the referee whistled the end of the game, we felt better than at the start of the semi-final; Jersey was certainly better than us (and won the Shield in the end), but we tried to challenge them. Above all, we managed to challenge ourselves and to call on our pride.

Legs, knees and bodies were painful when Liffré asked if we wanted to play the game for the 3rd place. Despite our fatigue, we decided to accept, since it was a good occasion to play and win another game. And we rarely have the occasion to play 5 games in a tournament! When you travel 700 kilometers for a tournament, you do not refuse 20 minutes of extra game!

The spirit was there, but the reality was different. The neighboring Liffré and its good number of players were much more fit than the remaining 10 of us that had played the whole tournament without substitutes. And honestly, Liffré was really strong. We barely saw the ball, they scored a huge number of points and goal, and the few good moves we played could not do much harm to them.

How should I conclude? On a negative note, taking into account that we played 4 games and won only one, with some unacceptable mistakes and moments of discouragement? Or shall I be positive and put the emphasis on the good game-play we demonstrated against Vannes, the smiles upon our faces after our victory, the progress made by this Belgium B-team since its beginning in March?

I leave the choice to you, but I think there is more positive than negative to be kept from this tournament for us. I will do my best to have the possibility to feel again in Maastricht this incredible sensation of victory and pleasure we discovered against Vannes. See you at training!

Please excuse my English. I hope you enjoyed your stay in Rennes… especially because I was not involved in accommodation booking…

Breton-ly yours,

Matti

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2. Knees, backs and other body parts - an anatomy of Rennes

Seasons may change.

But the fact of the matter.

Belgium ladies rock

S.D. 2009

Belgium Ladies descended on Rennes in the first weekend of October like a plague of coughing, limping, sore locusts. They came by car and train from the east, directly out of Belgium, some soaring high to Amiens, Le Havre and the French wilderness; others swooping low into the banlieues and traffic jams of Paris on a Friday evening. They came from the north-west, those dedicated to the future of the European Union and the Lisbon Treaty, flying ominously into various French airports to continue the attack on the other teams vying for points and positions on the European Championship scoresheet.

Health-wise, things were looking dismal from the beginning. In your correspondent’s car alone, Clare “Hips of Steel” Brennan, our tenacious goalkeeper, was the sole driver, accompanied by Jane “Put my foot in it” Brennan, Ana “On my single leg” Rios and me, Sylvia “Wheezy” McCarthy. We fought early challenges placed along the route: traffic and an unforeseen lack of petrol, even though our blood ran cold at the realisation that no public toilets were available between Fougères and Rennes. This is only one side of the story – there are numerous other epic tales that will go down in the legends of Belgium GAA tournament journeys.

After a night’s sleep that just wasn’t long enough (who wouldn’t find 5 hours in bed before a tournament hard to stomach?), we assembled at the tournament grounds.

Our first match has long been a problematic one (harking back to Den Haag, when we lost Mide “Lump in her throat” Ni Shúilleabháin to an attack of the parsley), and it is always difficult to tread that fine line between hot-headedness and a cold sweat as we listen to the opposing team begin their patriotic cheer. With sub-coaches Foot Brennan and Leg Rios on the sideline, Coach W called for us to go for the jugular of the Paris team, but to no avail: we narrowly lost the first match, despite some fierce running from Laura “Pain in the Arse” Whiskerd and the “Blood is thicker than water” Ni Shúilleabháins. Our ladies made valiant attempts to share the wealth of injuries, with Steel Hips Brennan clanging into Paris’ No. 9 and forcing her to leave the pitch for the rest of the half due to undiagnosed concussion. Karen “Knees Up” McHugh made a similar heroic tackle on a charging Eileen Jennings, but found herself lying in a mangled heap on the ground.

The next match, against host team Rennes, was another fast-paced affair, in which we were glad of the extra subs ready on the sideline. Joining Barbara “Bulls Eye” Wynne in the forward line was Mary “the B stands for Breakages” Walsh, Amy “Lion-Hearted” Dent and Rosine “Blood-Curdler” Bacon (I’m a back, so I’m a little hazy on what it is that forwards do, but it looked good). Falling into the zone of blood, sweat and tears (also known as the back line), to relieve Steph “Ankle-biter” Dunn and Wheezy McCarthy, were Emily “I’ll be Back” O Reilly and Clare “A is for Apples, B is for Back Off” Appleby. Coach W was down to just one back-up coach at this point, missing Foot Brennan, gone in an ambulance to the hospital with Emmet Devine, who was brought down in the Belgium lads’ match against Rennes. We came into this game with a degree of complacency, but were brought swiftly down to earth again by Rennes, who proved that time and space can contribute a lot to the formation and development of a team. It is one of the things we must remember when we go to Maastricht on 31 October – we are the only team who have attended every single tournament this year. While this means that we are undoubtedly European Champions, it may also contribute to a jaded, lackadaisical attitude when we get to the final tournament of the year – to be faced by our challengers from Holland, Munich and Paris. It would be an immense pity not to bring our A game to Maastricht, to redeem ourselves from last year’s beating in the final. Imagine the silverware!!!

Anyway, back to the tournament at hand. We won our group game against Rennes, who were also beaten by Paris. We had a few hours to burn before the final, so were able to enjoy our lunches and cookies and to scream on top of our lungs for back-to-back games played by the lads A and B teams in the surprisingly warm October sunshine. Bearing in mind the similar time gap last year, we were wary of getting too relaxed, but the thought of Paris and Coach W (temporarily installed as goalkeeper for Belgium B) breathing down our necks stopped us from getting too comfortable. There was no time to get butterflies in our stomachs, no time to twiddle our thumbs and definitely no time to bit our lips – we had to get straight into the game. The battle was down to the wire between Belgium and Paris, with formidable goals coming from the Belgium forwards. Our hearts were in our mouths when Captain Mide was taken down, but she arose to fight on. There was much weeping and gnashing of teeth when Wheezy McCarthy got caught knee deep in a hole and had to go off crying (much to her chagrin), only to be definitely and impressively replaced by Back Off Appleby. The highlight of this game was the penalty deftly taken and placed in the back of the Paris net by none other than “Pain in the Arse” Whiskerd. Our lads defended our honour to all and sundry, and to them we raised our glasses of cider (they are all we have after all) when we finally trooped off the pitch, the tired and triumphant winners of the Rennes 2009 tournament.

I could end it here, but that would be doing an injustice to the rest of our achievements. We set a great example by remaining in the gathering dusk to watch the A boys’ final (in which they lost to Paris) and the B boys’ 3/4th place playoff. We scrubbed up nicely and roamed around the streets of Rennes en masse for the evening. A final word is for Christine “Not without the Cup” O Gorman, who proved, in her first tournament, her capacity to be a terrier on the pitch and a fine Keeper of the Cup off the pitch.

And so ends the tale of Rennes for another year. Some say they were healed there. Others barely survived the journey home. Now we look to Maastricht.

London Calling - The Exiles Cup

On Saturday 10 October, Belgium GAA was honoured to host two of the GAA's leading lights, London clubs Tir Chonaill Gaels and Tara GFC.



The visiting teams arrived by Eurostar on Saturday morning, primed for battle despite the inclement conditions.

The premise of the day's games was to pitch the current mens European Gaelic Football champions, Belgium GAA, against the current UK holders, Tir Chonaill Gaels, in a game named the "Exiles Cup" in honour of the many thousands of Irish sportsmen and women who keep the flame of our unique sports burning across the globe.

In what became an exciting double-bill, the ladies of Tara Gaels also travelled from London to take on the mighty Belgium ladies, who recently retained their European crown.

The games took place at our own theatre of dreams, the Stade Militaire in Brussels' Parc Cinquantenaire. Despite the soggy conditions, the crowds who braved the elements were treated to a feast of football.

In the end, the honours were shared as Belgium beat Tir Chonaill by a solitary point while Tara overcame the BGAA ladies, having weathered a fierce comeback in the closing minutes.

Presentations and speeches took place at the Old Oak, and all were in agreement that the ties established between our clubs will lead to many future games and meetings. Sincere and heartfelt thanks from our side to everyone in Tir Chonaill Gaels and Tara GFC who worked so hard to make the event a success, and we hope to see you back again in the near future.

Saturday October 10: Triple-Bill of Games at Parc Cinquantenaire!

(Ed's note; due to unexpected developments Setanta will not be flying to Brussels for the tournament)

Saturday October 10: Double-Bill of Games at Parc Cinquantenaire!
* 12.15 - Football: Belgium Men Vs Tir Chonaill Gaels (London)
* 13.15 - Football: Belgium Women Vs Tara GFC (London)


Games will be 11-a-side, 25 minutes a half. Please come out in droves, and tell your friends, colleagues and acquaintances to come along for what will be a great day out. And get there early! - the Irish Ambassador Brian Nason will be throwing in the ball at 13.00.

We hope you will all swing by the Old Oak (22 Rue Franklin, Metro: Schuman) for the speeches and presentations which will take place after dinner, around 19.30 or so. -

Near Miss for All-Ireland Glory!

(Ed's note: the Belgian Ladies Footballers formed the majority contingent of the European team competing in the Ladies All-Ireland Sevens Chamionship.)

The sun shone valiantly down on the pitches of Naomh Mearnog GAA club in Portmarnock, on the last Saturday of September. It is hard to tell if it was the faint heat emanating from this sun that warmed the faces of the 50+ teams scattered throughout the GAA complex, or the blood, sweat and tears that are part and parcel of any sporting tournament, not least the All-Ireland Ladies Football Sevens.

For most players, the day alone was pressure enough, but for one little band of warriors, dressed in their blue starred kit, the journey to Portmarnock was an Odyssey of sorts. The Belgian ladies (Barbara, Caoimhe, Grainne, Mide and Sylvia) struggled through delayed Ryanair flights from Charleroi and strikes by the handlers of bags in Zaventum; Ange and Vanessa took the scenic route to the Sevens, stopping off in Copenhagen for a few months en route; their Danish team-mate, Annika, is half-Corkonian, so she has already battled and won against adversity in life; Silvia, from Barcelona via Munich, travels 200km every week just to train; and Monica, who travels everywhere in Europe it seems, for the love of the sport. In Dublin, Team Europe was joined by Belgium GAA friends, Orla and Deirdre (with a significantly shorter distance to travel, but no less appreciated), and Maria Brosnan, defender of democracy and aggressor of full-back lines everywhere, striking fear in the hearts of goal-keepers and No campaigners alike. On the sideline, Tony Bass, in a non-refereeing role, and his son Conor, prepared for a managerial day, while keeping an eye on those suspected of potential jersey-pilferage. They know who they are.

And so, under the flag of Europe, united in their diversity, the ladies took to the pitches. Europe A faced a challenge in the pitch itself, unique in its dramatic gradient, which called to mind a snowless ski-slope more than anything else. But they did not let this affect them, with such attackers as Mide, Cuba and Grainne sprinting up and down the hill in a mountain goat-like manner. Others, your correspondent included, preferred the tried-and-tested tactic of hoofing the ball into the forward line, where Barbara and Maria were well-placed to pop it over or under the bar. Lacking in substitutes (essential in a Sevens tournament) for the first couple of matches, due to Europe B playing on a far-distant pitch, the goalkeeping position, shared between Orla, Deirdre and Mide, served as a substitute bench. Facing teams from Wicklow, Tipperary and Offaly, Europe A started off on a high note – winning, then drawing, then losing a match, before collapsing on the grass for a well-earned break.

Europe B were under as much pressure, if not more, due to the fact that for two matches they were playing with only six constant players, borrowing a goalkeeper from another team. Europe A joined in as much as possible, but clashing matches meant that the A ladies were either absent or exhausted on the pitch. Nonetheless, with the dynamic Aussie duo, the Barcelona beauties and the Danish demoiselle, and with Orla and Deirdre legging it between pitches, they acquitted themselves with aplomb against teams from Kildare, Cavan, Wexford and Cork. They finished their last match in time to join Europe A in their final match of the day.

All concerned knew that this was as far as it could go – there was no getting out of the group. The most they could do was to mess it all up for the last team from Tyrone. There should be no hard and fast route to the top, and if Strabane Sigersons were going to go on into the semi-final and possibly the final, Europe was not going to make it easy for them. From the first to the last blow of the whistle, Europe were on top of every ball, kicking points from impossible angles, blocking balls destined to be buried in the back of the net, stealing passes and generally running Sigersons into the ground. It was no longer Europe A/B, it was Europe, as everyone pitched in to bring the team to victory by a single point, a similar win to that of Cork over Dublin the following day in the All-Ireland Ladies Football final. Victory is at its best in steps, every achievement bringing a team or an individual closer to greatness. Maybe next year we can take another leap forward.

Belgium GAA hurlers issue reply to Kilkenny's 4 in a row

The Grand Slam plus one - Five in a Row - European Hurling Champions! Belgium hurlers travelled to Den Haag for the final tournament of the European Hurling year on Saturday to line out against a depleted Den Haag side. For numerous reasons Lux, Zurich and Paris all failed to travel. With the championship already won there was only pride and enjoyment to play for and the two sides set about doing just that. The format for the day was three 20-minute periods and while Belgium comfortably rotated players throughout the game the beleaguered Den Haag squad all played the full 60 minutes.
The contest was never in question as Belgium won five out of five tournaments on the year and sixth in a row extending back to the 2008 season. There were a number of remarkable plays on the day including Davy trying for a point from his own end line, Aidan going on his only run of the year and realising why it's better to take his points, a great dispay of catching and ruthlessness from the recently returned prodigal son, Fergal Mythen along with Eoin Sheanon and Daire Cott. Michael Hough made an impression playing as a back which may be a sign that the apocalypse is upon us. Dan Kellehar made his debut for Belgium GAA and promises great things for next season. Phil R. and Kevin K. used their speed, stamina and skill to thwart DH's skilled players time after time; Jarrett continued to make a case for combining ice hockey and hurling into a single sport, Conor Aylward was in heavy rotation by strategic master Martin Crowley for his breadth of skills. Declan didn't make it as he's still waiting for his baby to arrive despite plying the lovely Olga with curries, steaks and all manner of inducements; and Crusher provided continual support and insight from the sidelines. Like every tournament it was a team victory and the Saturday night celebrations made that clear.

From Chairman Mao to Deity Gill

Belgium GAA's own Olof was back with his own kind over the weekend as Clare Island entered the ferocious All-Island football tournament. The Clare Islanders, who had previously faced stiff competition in Belgium, were one of eight islands from Donegal to Cork who were prepared to battle for glory against some of their most hated rivals. Details of the weekend tournament are difficult to come by and few attempts have been made to communicate as it is assumed that legendary levels of intoxication will have rendered almost everyone involved completely incoherent. What is know is that both the men's and ladies' squads of Clare Island returned home victorious and Belgium GAA salutes them both!

Belgium Ladies retain European Crown

(Editor's note: before we give the floor to the epic tournament report, Belgium GAA is pleased to report that our Ladies football team retained their European Championship in style in Copenhagen on 29 August. Following hot on the heels of our hurlers, this is the club's second silverware of the year. Well done, ladies!)

A report on the Copenhagen Tournament. All fact, no fiction.

Conflict in Copenhagen: Alarms, Alcohol and a bit of football

Perspicacious observers saw the danger lurking in the wings. The Beatles, they said, the boot thrown at Beckham. Maradona, the Supremes, Simon and Garfunkel... Yes indeed, all too often success can sow the seeds of its own destruction, the warm bonds of friendship fissure into the chasms of bitter rivalry, intoxicants and stimulants stain the purity of sporting promise.

And so it looked to be for Belgium GAA, travelling to Copenhagen in the hope of fixing their names in the annals of sporting record.

From the very outset the cracks began to show. While a spokesperson for the team maintains that the travelling arrangements on the Friday - with the squad splitting into two very distinct 'morning' and 'evening' contingents - were necessitated by "practical concerns", eye-witnesses tell a different story, as the activities of the two groups took on very distinct aspects, suggesting an ideological as well as a practical divide.

Strolling the city, soaking up the sites, catching a bit of the ballet: the young ladies who arrived early in the Danish capital were fitting ambassadors not only for the Belgium club but for ladies football as a whole and epitomised the balance between refinement and ambition that has come to characterise Belgium Ladies in their voyages across the continent. What to make then of what can only be called the carry-on of those arriving late that evening?

Laura 'sad eyes' Whiskerd, who is making quite a habit of mid-air imbibition, showed her version of culture and refinement by choosing a Danish beverage over a domestic brew. An unidentified squad member - suspected to be the same individual who was last seen storming the stage in a Munich beerhall - appeared to have difficulty in articulating when ordering legal intoxicants from a bemused cabin-crew member. The same was observed of a third squad member, who in a typically classy fashion emerged from the plane clutching a can of Belgian Trappist beer, but as this player is incomprehensible at the best of times (she speaks ever so fast) no clear conclusions can be drawn from this particular observation.

And then, of course, there was the further split in the heretofore united front as several squad members chose to spend time with offspring and dear ones rather than with team-mates. One in particular, who shall remain nameless (though her surname, when pronounced by an Irish person, sounds like something one might enjoy with eggs or as part of a fried breakfast), was heard to cry: "Au revoir, losers" as she slunk away into Friday's Copenhagen twilight.

In hindsight, however, it is clear that these aforementioned individuals made the wise choice. The Belgium Ladies were awoken at a very unsociable hour by possibly the most unalarming fire alarm known to humankind. Certain players had already been terrorised throughout the night by strange and unmentionable activity outside their door and were thus imprisoned in their room. Luckily, a scientific investigation by the squad's newest recruit (who is sadly afflicted by dog-calling limitations) - which consisted of her putting her hand on the wall for a second and concluding that it wasn't hot, and after all no-one could see any smoke - reassured her colleagues and everyone went straight back to sleep.

Furthermore, the unity of Belgium Ladies faced its severest challenge yet when late Friday evening a bitter and vindictive dispute erupted between two squad members, who happen to be closely related. The hours of darkness brought no resolution and on the way to the sporting grounds on the morning of the tournament the hostilities re-ignited, necessitating the intervention of an aspiring politician from Kerry - herself always an example of reserve and moderation - to smooth things over. Nonetheless, insider reports suggest that under the now seemingly calm waters resentment still bubbles and consequently the publication of the much anticipated "Beauty, Bandanas and Baking" book (publisher: Éditions McCarthy) has been postponed indefinitely.

And so it was that when stalwart of the team, Barbara Wynne, found herself incapacitated at an early stage in the footballing proceedings on Saturday she considered herself well out of it. "I'm well out of it", Winner Wynne declared to a reporter from the Irish Daily Mail. "They're some shower anyway." (In spite of this hostility, the 'shower' wish Ms. Wynne a speedy recovery.)

The weather forecast had been for inclement weather but as the sun shone boldly in a blue and white sky the only dark clouds to be seen were those hanging over the head of Belgium's esteemed trainer, Coach W. Already struck down by a mysterious flu-like virus, Coach W's mood was not improved with the fact that the squad members seemed more interested in playing with babies than with a football. Quotes from Coach W cannot be reproduced here, as the language used is unprintable, but doubtless his demeanour was not improved by the fact that two of the players, 'Sad Eye' Whiskerd and 'Sexy Dance' Rios refused to leave the field of play at any stage, in spite of debilitating muscle and nerve conditions. "I eh love the Gaelic", Ms Rios explained. "Ana, I may need a bum massage", Ms Whiskerd responded.

Luckily for Coach W, one of the more selfless players stepped up to compensate for Whiskerd and Rios's insistence on remaining on the pitch for the whole day. Stephanie 'Sin Bin' Dunn, noticing that - as usual - the Belgian players were crowding themselves out decided to create some much need space by getting herself sent off for ten minutes. It appears that Sin Bin Dunn sacrificed herself for the sake of her captain. "She wouldn't have won an award otherwise", Sin Bin explained at the reception that evening, "By getting sent off I created the need for her to cover back and thus get herself noticed by the officials. It was all carefully calculated." The team and management are duly grateful to Ms. Dunn for her selfless act.

The drama that abounded threatened to cast a shadow on the footballing ambitions of the team, but Rosine 'Copenhagen - it's nice but one can get enough of it' Bacon led by example for a Belgium Development team that played with determination and flair throughout the day. Unlucky not to get the better of eventual finalists Holland, the move of MP 'thou shall not pass' Napoleone to the backs and the addition of the experience of Alex Martin added a new intensity to the Belgium play. As key players such as Jess 'no, I haven't been on a sunbed' Flynn and Clare 'Flexi Ticket' Appleby began to find their rhythm, others such as Dominique 'call me Dymphna' Sanders began to grow in confidence. Belgium Ladies Development team finished fourth in the tournament, and is currently fifth in the overall standings on 54 points, not far behind Paris and Holland, both on 77 points.

The championship team, hearts warmed by the innocent smiles of baby Darragh, decided to put their differences behind them and played like European champions. Anchored, as always, by the reliable shot stopping and excellent vision and kick-outs of Midleton native Clare Brennan, the players shook off the cobwebs of the holidays and - not without overcoming some tough challenges from the very strong opposition - once again ended the day victorious. The tireless defending by Butterfly McCarthy and 'I prefer cats anyway' Ní Fhlatharta, the attacking runs of Sin Bin Dunn, the uneasy truce between Cuba and Chimay Ní Shúilleabháin, the scoring ability of Caragh 'Daragh's mother' O'Connor and Maria 'Yes to Lisbon' Brosnan as well as the aforementioned constant presence of the seemingly indefatigable Sexy Dance and Sad Eyes secured the Copenhagen Cup for Belgium Ladies for the first time.

A veil shall - as always - be drawn over the evening's proceedings, with the aim of safeguarding the reputation of some of the revellers. The dinner and award ceremony passed without incident, thanks in the most part to the intervention of a disgruntled Munich club official - carefully harbouring his resentment for a month - who rugby tackled Butterfly McCarthy to the ground as she edged towards the stage in an effort to grab the microphone from the grasp of the Belgium captain with the intention of giving a prepared discourse entitled: 'Belgium GAA: We're great. Did I mention that Belgium GAA Ladies are great?'.

Belgium Ladies GAA: still together. For now.

Belgium GAA at All-Ireland Football Final!

Thanks to the creative efforts of Conan and our success on the pitch there's a buzz growing about Belgium GAA. Don't believe me? Check out the programme of the upcoming All-Ireland Final between Cork and Kerry and you'll find Belgium GAA prominently featured. And really, with a club as good looking as we are it's a wonder they didn't ask us to do the centrefold!

First Award of the Year...

...didn't go to one of our teams, instead, it went to Conan Mac Oscair for his design of this very website. This is the first time that an overseas club has won a McNamee Award and it proves that on the field and off Belgium GAA can compete with the best.

Don't believe me? This is what Croke Park said about our site:

Best Website - Belgium GAA, Brussels, www.belgiumgaa.com
The site has excellent design features with notable integration of current web trends such as a blog feature, forum and Flickr integration. In addition, as an overall service to GAA fans in the region – the site has excellent news features, modern up to date content whilst employing outstanding usability and coding standards. Overall, a first rate site.

Click on the link to read about the other winners.

Congrats once again to Conan for all his hard work being recognised!

Munich Tournament Report: The Ladies

(Editor's Note: the following is the Munich tournament report detailing yet another triumph for Belgium GAA's footballing women, written by the irrepressible Whisk)

Belgium A + Belgium B + injured supporters Ana & Lorraine + Coach W + Avril Brennan = Ladies Winners of Munich tournament 2009!!

Well, where to start – yet another incredibly successful tournament for Belgium GAA Ladies footballers!

We all set off for Munich on Friday at various points throughout the day – most of us by plane. Some of the less fortunate among us, namely young Avril Brennan, who has been taken under the wing of Belgium GAA ladies, had to travel in a car for 11 hours with some of the Belgium boys (names cannot be revealed for legal reasons). Needless to say upon her arrival at 3am she was so disorientated that she woke up myself and Jane saying that she could not go to sleep in her room with Rosine as somebody else was in her bed. Note: there was no one there. Sigh.

We awoke bright eyed (well some of us) on Saturday morning with a long day ahead. After breakfast at the hotel we set off to the pitches. As we do every year, we made friends with some randomers at the U-Bahn station who it appeared were just returning from a night out, and a little ‘off their faces’ on some form of illegal substance. We were nearly successful in convincing them to be our supporters for the day, however, we lost them on-route – probably due to our rendition of ‘Heal the World’ on the underground. That would be enough to scare anyone off.

Right, I should get down to the actual football part. As usual I take it very seriously and got very stressed out (along with Coach W, who actually threw his cap on the ground at one point as a mark of respect for the referee – who, in the words of Brüno was ‘fantastisch’), so I cannot remember the specific scores. In any case, both teams (the A and the B team) had a great tournament.

The A team were up first against Holland – a team who were also able to travel with two teams to the tournament, a great indication of how much ladies football is really developing throughout Europe. It was a great match, and even received comments as being one of the best games of ladies football that has been seen in Europe for a while. The A’s comfortably beat Holland, and moved on to face our own B team in the next group match. The Belgium B team has come such a long way since it first started up this season. It is always easier to become distracted when playing your own team mates, however, the B’s certainly put the A’s to the test and it was a very challenging match. Even though the A team won, I have every confidence that before this year is out we will witness a Belgium A vs Belgium B ladies football final!

Belgium A were up next against Munich in the semi-final. Munich is a team that keeps going from strength to strength and certainly shocked us in the first few minutes. Not only that but due to the schizophrenic weather (blistering heat one minute/monsoon the next – note the weather in München is nicht always fantastisch), the pitch was nice and wet and muddy and the ball was more difficult to move around. Needless to say with some great defending in the back line and co-ordinated movement amongst the midfields and the forwards we were able to recover quickly and win the match. Only a few minor incidences occurred – namely a small temper tantrum displayed by a player of English origin (more commonly known as the Whisk) who in fact threw the ball almost hitting the referee (and surprisingly thereafter was taken off by Coach W).

Belgium B’s next two matches were against Holland A and Holland B. Belgium’s B team were a little less fortunate than the A’s weather wise and did get caught in one of the monsoons, however, this did not stop them from putting up a great fight against Holland A and from beating Holland B to secure a brilliant 5th place out of the 7 teams that competed at the tournament! This proves the determination of all the players and how much improvement has occurred since the beginning of the season.

The final was as usual a bit of a blur. Luckily for Belgium neither Paris or Munich made it into the final, which is very good for us in terms of overall points in the League. Belgium A were up against Holland A, who as I said have come a long way since the first tournament. There is not really that much to say – after encouraging words from Coach W and Mide, Belgium ladies went out and did what we do best: WIN! Special mention should also be given to Clare B for her amazing kick outs and saves in the goal (or goals as Irish people say – I’ve never really understood why it becomes plural??). Everyone played very well so I will not pick out individual players – as that is not what Belgium is about – both teams together play as a team, and throughout the day B team players helped the A team out and that is what makes us such a successful squad! (I think I even saw Willie shed a little tear…). Thank you also to the lads for supporting us from the sideline. Even Davey Barrett commented – ‘Like, the girls are actually pretty good, like.’ Note: When I heard this I nearly fell over.

Thus another successful tournament for both teams and another great win under the belt of the A team who are in a good position to go on to become European Champions 2009! As we headed back to the hotel to get prepared for the night’s festivities (along with Coach W who has set a new trend in the world of fashion – GAA shorts and business man’s shoes), all I could see was happy faces.

Again the night’s antics will not be delved into too deeply for legal reasons, but hats off to Munich for putting on a great evening. The food was delicious and the location was perfect to cope with what seemed like millions of drunken Irish people (no offence, I realise other nationalities were also involved). The night should have ended in the restaurant/bar – yet the more determined (or should I say demented) among us decided that the night needn’t end at 4am – there was more fun to be had. All I remember is trying to get into a dog kennel with Jane and being adamant that the ‘alleged’ night club that was being spoken of would be easy to find. Needless to say upon arrival at the said destination we discovered that there were about 46 nightclubs all in a row. I therefore spent the evening with a group of Belgium GAA individuals (including Colin Byrne who has perfected the art of sleep dancing and Dave Barrett who should never be allowed to go near a camera, EVER) in the WRONG nightclub, only to discover that the next morning the ‘craic’ had gone down in a bar around the corner. You will have to ask those more successful than myself as to what went on in the correct vicinity. Nonetheless as Belgium GAA always do, we managed to create our own fun and returned home in broad daylight. That is all.

As Sunday unfolded and people went about getting their various flights etc, a group of us gathered in the centre of Munich (Phil Roche made us go on an expedition in search of Bratwurst or something – most of us were not so impressed due to the combination of 38°C heat, severe drunkenness/hangovers/sore muscles and a very unfriendly hotel receptionist) to spend the afternoon there before catching the flight back to Brussels. It was nice to have a beer (again) and recap on the previous day before heading off to the airport.

We all returned safely to Brussels… and now have our sights set on Copenhagen! Bring it on!

Special mention should be given to Clare Appleby who actually managed to forget her suitcase in the hotel lobby and only realised upon arrival at Munich airport that she had done so. She also discovered she was still in possession of the hotel room key. Clare A, I love you, please never change. Ever.

ENDS.

Annex:

RIP: Cuba’s camera. L

Players:

Mide, Caoimhe, Clare B, Grainne, Steph, Clare A, Laura, Jane, Sylvia, Bros, Barbara, Caragh, Jess, Rosine, Dominique, Rafi, Maz, Emily

Injured players:

Ana, Lorraine

Adoptee:

Avril Brennan

Player of the tournament:

Hats off to Clarissa from Munich. Some of us felt that Grainne should have won the prize even though she is unable to call a dog ;-)

Player of the night:

Sylvia McCarthy for her speech which did not thank the hosts; referees or congratulate the other teams. ‘Wahoo Belgium!’ would suffice as a summary. Also ‘clink clink’, that is all.

I am very sorry if I have left anyone out – this is not at all intentional!! I have problems.

Belgium's King Poc

As well as playing a central part in helping Belgium's hurlers sweep to an unstoppable 2009 European Championship victory, Meathman Conor Aylward secured even more silverware for the club in July when he won the European Poc Fada competition.

Aylward, pictured here demonstrating his unique Poc Fada stretching technique to Maria "Bomber" Brosnan, beat all comers to take the title, ritually humiliating the club's many Corkmen who have since threatened to go on strike.

Well done Conor.

Munich Tournament Report

The following is a tournament report from the first Pan-European Football Championship of 2009, held on 25 July in Munich, Germany. As usual, the organisation of the tournament was a triumph from start to finish - many thanks and well done, Munich GAA!

Editor's note: this post concerns only the matches played by the Belgium GAA men's 'A' team. Reports from the Killer 'B's and the Ladies to follow soon. This post by Belgium A Captain and goalkeeper Stephen 'Cluxton' Kearney.

26 Belgium lads headed by various means to Munich last Friday (24 July) to play in the first round of the Pan-European Football Championship and Shield. In total, some 50 Belgium GAA footballers and supporters travelled - by far the biggest contingent of any European club.

The A's were drawn in a small group of 4 teams who would contest the Championship.

First up were Den Haag who had performed well in the regionals. As usual we started off slow conceding a goal in the first few minutes which put us on the back foot for the rest of the game. This was the first and only goal we were to concede that day. Despite the set back we never gave up and with good work out of the backs from John Quinn especially and typically tenacious tackling from Phil Roche we were well in the game until the end. We had a golden chance to get back into the game when we won a penalty, however it was well saved by the Den Haag keeper and unfortunately we lost out by a solitary point.


Final score 1-05 to 0-7.

Next up was Paris who we have had a number of great close games with over the past year. They had also lost their first game which meant it was a must win game for both sides. Unlike our first game it was Belgium GAA that started the fastest out of the blocks and quick goals from Davy Barrett and a typical screamer from Emmet Devine sent us on our way to a convincing 3.06 to 0.4 victory. However we did have a lot of wides in the game and there were other times when we could have taken a simple point but unnecessarily went for goal.


Final score 3-06 to 0-4.

Newly crowned Benelux champions Luxembourg were next in what was effectively a semi-final after they had also lost to Den Haag. As usual this was a tight affair, however we were the better team throughout and won a competitive match 0.7 to 0.5. Special mention goes to Enda Rice for putting his body on the line to ensure victory.


Final score 0-7 to 0-5.

Belgium GAA were back and into their first final since Maastricht in Oct. 2008 after a poor regional tournament. Due to Paris beating Den Haag in the final round we ended up topping the group and were to play Den Haag in the final. After our earlier game with them we knew there was nothing between the teams and went into the game confident of a win. However after a promising start we let Den Haag back in as their free taker and eventual player of the tournament punished every free conceded inside our half. At half time we were 3 points down and still in the game and had a chance to go one point ahead when we won another penalty. However it was saved again. We got back to within a point but after conceding some late frees Den Haag ended up deserving winners by 3 points 0.9 to 0.6.


Final score 0-9 to 0-6.

Special mention of thanks has to go to Phil Cushen who was great on the sideline, calling everything from the start.

According to Belgium A Captain and goalkeeper Stephen 'Cluxton' Kearney, "there were a lot of positives to be taken from the tournament". Kearney went on to list these using the "banker's best friend," bullet points:

* Topped the group
* Scored the most in the group
* Conceded the least in the group
* Best points difference
* Only conceded one goal all day
* First final
* Only lost final by one score
* Defence worked the ball out well
* Best movement in the forwards we've seen to date

However the negatives were a poor return from our free taking, and giving away too many frees in kickable areas when playing against teams that will punish you. We still seem to hold onto the ball too long when a quicker ball into the forwards would be more effective.

These areas can be worked on in training between now and the next tournament.

All in all it was a huge improvement since the Regionals and when are backs were to the wall against Paris and Luxembourg we came out fighting.

Roll on Copenhagen.

Belgium crowned European Hurling Champions

Better late than never (!), here is the official tournament report from the 11 July Hurling tournament in Zurich, where the men of Belgium sealed the European Championship title with a hard-fought victory.

Many congratulations to the hurlers, who under the steady guiding hand of manager Martin Crowley have been unstoppable this season.

Belgium hopes for new heights as the European Football Championships begin

The long-awaited European Gaelic Football Championships begin in Munich this weekend, and over 50 Belgium GAA players will fly to the Bavarian capital tomorrow to go to battle in the first of the four pan-European tournaments.

26 lads and around the same amount of lassies will travel. These impressive travelling numbers are a great indication of the rapid growth of our club, and a credit to all concerned for their dedication and team spirit. Belgium will be the only mens team to enter a team in both the Shield and the Championship sections whilst only Holland can match our Ladies in entering two teams in the Ladies competition.

The very best of luck to our warriors for the first pan-Euro showdown of 2009. An Chraobh Rua abú! Match reports to follow next week...

(for more analysis of the Munich tournament, see the latest inimitable blog from Mens team coach Dave Barrett)

Come out and support the Dubs in Leinster final

Boys & Girls,

This Sunday is the Leinster SHC final, Anto Daly's young Dubs v The Kats.

Cody's all-conquering Kats are on the trail of immortality as they attempt this year to capture the Liam McCarthy for the fourth year in succession. If they achieve their goal they will emulate the heroics of a Christy Ring-inspired Cork, who won titles in 1941, '42, '43 and '44 – the rationale behind Barrett being a Dub for the day.

The Revolution will be televised from 16h30 in The Old Oak, Schuman – throw-in at 17h00.

Sporting blue & navy guarantees you Premium Seating, Table Service, etc...

Black & amber guarantees you zilch. No I lie, a surefire guarantee of the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f86styquT4w&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Ffodh.ie%2F&feature=player_embedded

Suas na Dubs!

An Chraobh Rua Dublin Supporters Club.


* A special thanks to at Kevin Flynn at www.flynnsolutions.ie for allowing us to use the Che Daly graphic

www.fodh.ie

Belgium Pan-European Camogie & Hurling Tournament

On June 13, Belgium GAA hosted Round 3 of the Pan-European Camogie and Hurling Championship.

Adhering to the club's stated goal of being the GAA club representing the country of Belgium, not merely the city of Brussels, the tournament was held in Leuven, a city with a long and proud historical link with Ireland.

The Irish Institute of Leuven, headed by Malachy Vallely, a former inter-county hurler with Antrim, was most helpful in assisting the club.

Thanks to Malachy & Co's efforts, we were able to secure two magnificent pitches at the beautiful Provinciedomen Park, in Kessel-Lo just outside Leuven.

For a detailed report of how the hurling tournament unfolded, see this excellent blog written by Belgium GAA's own Davey Barrett.

Congratulations to the Belgium Camogie team under the management of Margaret Francois who came third in a tough tournament, and Comhghairdeas likewise to the all-conquering Belgium hurlers who effectively sealed a Pan-European title with their third tournament victory out of three this season. Under the watchful eye of manager extraordinaire Martin "Ayatollah of Rock'n'Rollah" Crowley (pictured), Belgium won every match convincingly.

Many thanks to everyone who helped out on the day, and particularly heartfelt gratitude to Malachy Vallely at the Irish Institute and Oswald de Belder at the Provinciedomein for their assistance in making the tournament an outstanding success.

Belgium GAA looks forward to hosting many future football and hurling tournaments.

Belgium Ladies go from strength to strength

The following are tournament reports from the last 2 pan-European competitions contested, and won, by the unstoppable Ladies football team of Belgium GAA. Enjoy!

Belgium Ladies GAA 2009 - The Journey - Part 1 Den Haag

An army of red and black, marching to domination... or a bedraggled mob of coffee cup clutching, bleary eyed scruffs? Yes, Belgium Ladies Football team had arrived.

Due to the unholy earliness of the hour of departure, your correspondent doesn't actually remember anything from the morning, save for a vague recollection of Coach W's flash car at Schuman roundabout, so we'll have to skip over that bit.

In fact, much of the day passed in a bit of a blur for your correspondent - possibly related to complications from a food ingestion incident at an early stage - but what I can't remember I'll make up.

As the ball was thrown in for Belgium's first match - the championship team taking on European stalwarts Holland - Coach W cut a nervous figure, restlessly pacing the sideline. Having suffered a string of devastating defeats in the pre-season under the rookie captaincy of Míde 'Parsley' Ní Shúilleabháin, Coach W - a hurler from Tipperary with self-proclaimed zero experience in ladies football - was drafted in to save the reputation of the team that had taken Europe by storm in 2008. Now his own reputation was on the line.

Pre-tournament omens weren't good. Two of the stars of the 2008 season, Stephanie 'My husband says that looking at the cakes doesn't make you fat' (henceforth to be known as 'Cakes') Dunn and Ana 'Rrreferreeeee!' Rios could barely walk, let alone run; the lynchpin of the team had was missing in breast-feeding action; and the Bomber Brosnan, Jane 'Butter wouldn't Melt' Brennan, Clare 'Forrest Gump' Appleby and Winner Wynne were unavailable.

With the midfield partnership of Cuba and Parsley carrying on a long-established family tradition of sending every single ball that came their way wide, the girls didn't make it easily for the anxious Craobh Rua onlookers. But this team had something to prove.

Up stepped Cork natives Sylvia 'Butterfly' McCarthy and Clare 'Kip' Brennan. "I love Cork," cried Kip Brennan as she launched yet another attack at the wavering Holland defence. "I love to party", thought the Butterfly grimly, as she foiled yet another opposition attack. Playmaker Emily 'The better half' O'Reilly ran the defence ragged, and cast an occasional smug glance towards the lads' team on the neighbouring pitch. "You watching now?" she telepathically communicated to the Cluxton formerly known as Kearney as she spearheaded the Belgium Ladies domination of the game.

Caragh 'Feck her, now none of us can have babies because she's put us to shame with her netballing-footballing-and-probably-dancing-days-after-Daragh-was-born antics' O'Connor was a revelation in goals and proved a more than adequate replacement for Alex 'Loca' Martin. In fact, sources suggest that 'Baby' O'Connor enjoyed the experience so much that she wishes to play in that position for ever

If we're talking of revelations, the Development team was a revelation in itself. Ably led by Mary 'the B stands for don't mess with me' Walsh, Belgium's Ladies Development squad exposed the weaknesses in its far more experienced opponents. Holding former European champions Paris scoreless for large periods of the game, this first foray into competitive football for most of the players was a testament to their determination and tenacity. Rosine 'it's the quiet ones' Bacon, Karen 'the Dub'' McHugh and Maria Paola 'MP' Napoleone fought for every ball and more often than not beat their markers to possession. Rafi 'Cherman' Sebestyen and Jess 'Happy' O'Flynn brought speed and agility to a Belgian side that grew in confidence with every game. Valérie 'the only real Belgian on the Belgium team' Malice showed that she is ready to challenge for Baby O'Connor's place in goal, and impressed the opposing teams so much that she was later co-opted into action for one of them. Bozena 'he's just my flatmate' Jarmontowicz marked her presence with some intelligent positioning and positive aggression, Dominique 'worst week ever' Sanders used her height with good results and Lorraine 'soon to be a cripple no more' (NdlR: bear in mind that this report was written well after the events described) Baldwin created space and movement for the Belgium attack.

And then....drama. The championship captain collapsed in a heap on the sideline in a suspected case of parsley poisoning as a bemused Coach W looked on and wondered why he'd got himself involved with this shower who only ever shut up talking when they were choking on parsley or drinking.

This initial drama paled into insignificance, however, compared to that which occurred when the two Belgium teams met.

Previously unsuspected and undetected tensions bubbled to the surface when Austrian native Worst Week Ever Sanders found herself marked by the Cherman. Reports of the events that unfolded differ wildly, but what we do know is that when the dust had settled the Austrian was prone on the ground, blood gushing from her eye, and had to be escorted to hospital.

Strange days indeed. Karen 'the Dub' doing a turn in goal, "Rreferrrreee!' Rios finally getting herself a place in the forwards and La Whisk trying out every position on the pitch to see which she liked the best. All returned to normality, however, with Belgium winning the final, in no small part due to Baby O' Connor's kick-outs and Belgium's superior fitness. L'Union fait la Force, as the Belgian motto goes.

Belgium Ladies were, as is their trademark, somewhat late for the dinner that evening, and all were, as is also their trademark, stunningly attractive, if a little sun-kissed. Cuba Ní Shúilleabháin showed why she is named after an island that likes to party as she led one of the more demure squad members, Cakes Dunn, very far astray.

After the day's events I tried to catch up with the successful manager, but Coach W - suffering from sunstroke - was unavailable. Instead, one of the more needy players offered herself for interview.

Me: So, what are your thoughts on today's football?

Laura Whiskerd: The Whisk had a great game. She was terrif. Brill. She was ever so fast and her eyes sparkled like a radiant sun. I love Gaelic. Sigh. I love babies. Double sigh.

Belgium Ladies GAA 2009 - The Journey - Part 2 Luxembourg

Departure: Schuman 07h45

We all gathered ourselves at Schuman in our usual tired manner. Of course there was a very excited Maria Brosnan to wake us all up with her renditions of Beyonce etc, the usual carry on! ;-). We split off into our different cars to head down to Lux. Big thanks to Clare B for driving the mammoth mini-bus to and from Lux - a few slight issues as to where to find the petrol cap, however, after having done so all went smoothly!

For this particular tournament we had an extra special guest travelling with us. Stephanie Dunn (don't ask me how or why) had somehow managed to acquire a Paris Hilton style lap dog in a shoulder bag whom she felt would benefit from being brought to a GAA tournament. Don't ask me why. If she had turned up with that at Croke Park I can only imagine the looks she would have got ;-)

So anyway, we all set off with the mini bus, Beyonce and Penny (the lap dog) down to Lux...

Matches:

For the second tournament in a row, Belgium Ladies football have been lucky enough to have enough players to send down two playing teams. This is a fantastic achievement in itself seeing as last year we only just started up as a club. It is also hugely beneficial because at these tournaments people (as we witnessed) tend to drop like flies due to injuries and the heat and having as many good players as we do this year is brilliant!

Belgium's A's matches:

First up was Rennes - opposition which had started out with a fairly weak team last year. Needless to say this year they had definitely improved, with some very fit French players who were able to give us a run around. It took us a while to wake up and settle down but we beat Rennes handy enough, and as our captain pointed out 'even when we play badly we can still win...' ;-) We knew that we would have to up the pace against other teams; however, Rennes was certainly a good match to have at the start of the day to get us into the swing of things.
Next up was Munich. Munich is one of the other strongest team in the competition this year. They have clearly been training very hard and I think they have made it their one goal this season to beat Belgium! They have very fit players and certainly know how to work the ball out of the back line. After a great inspirational speech from Coach Willie as to how to suss out Munich's tactics we were able to beat them - but not by very much. They certainly gave us a shock, and had it not been for some brilliant saves from super goal keeper Caragh we might not have won the match. I think we won by 5 points to 2. Needless to say it was a close match.
Next up Luxembourg. Some of us have fond memories of playing against Lux in the infamous final in Munich last year, which went to extra time and seemed to last an eternity (Mide was practically in tears when the final whistle blew and we had beaten them by 2 points). With Luxembourg you never know what to expect - at certain tournaments they have a very strong panel, but at other times the opposite is the case. This year they have two very good players who are stagiaires from the University of Limerick, but even still they did not pose a threat to our team. At half time Willie made some changes to positions which threw us slightly, however, we dealt with it and were still able to win the match. This meant we had come top of our group and were up against Holland in the semi-final.

We knew the semi-final against Holland was not going to be an easy match, but having gone from strength to strength throughout the day (due to those lovely watery jam isostar drinks – personally I have never tasting anything so rank in my life) and inspiration from star supporters Lorraine, Penny and Darragh (no Jane, I didn’t try to steal him)… we felt confident. Having lost Clare Brennan due to a sprained finger and generally being a little sore and broken we were determined to not get any more injuries. This was easier said than done as Ana had to come off after half time due to a bad fall and a very painful knee injury. We all still have our fingers crossed that you will back soon Anay!!
Despite these set backs we beat Holland well and secured a well deserved place in the final. Paris and Munich were in the next semi-final after us and so we knew we would be facing one of them!

The final was against Munich. This was Munich’s first time (that I can remember anyway) in the final and we knew they would be hungry for it. I don’t want to get all cheesy but the final for me was really a great display of how great a team Belgium GAA ladies football really is. It was not just due to the effort of those players on the pitch that we won, but because of the panel of all 20-something of us that travelled down that day. Girls were ready to come on from the side-line throughout the match, which is what team sport is all about. Steph was next to go with a hamstring injury and Caragh also suffered a nasty hit in the face from one of the Munich girls. However, in our true form and with some great goals from the Bros, Cuba, Mide and everyone else we won the final, and the tournament! Victory number two for Belgium GAA ladies! Hats off to Munich for providing a good game in the final – they will definitely be ones to watch, especially at their home tournament in July.

Belgium B’s matches:

As I said I unfortunately did not get to watch all of the B’s matches – however, all I can say is that the amount of improvement since the first tournament, in the words of the Bros, is ‘unreal’. Seeing as almost everyone played on both teams throughout the day there is no real divide between the ‘As and the Bs’, and to have so many players is something we should all be proud of. The B team put out a great performance against our favourite rivals, Paris ;-), with some fantastic saves with upcoming super goalie Valerie and some great defending from Jess (keep an eye out for copies of ‘Jess and the Giant Parisian’ coming to a bookshop near you ;-)). There was nothing in the match against Rennes and I am sure – as was pointed out by numerous others, that come the end of the year we will be witnessing a Belgium A vs. Belgium B final!!

Special congratulations should be given to Stephanie Dunn (and her lap dog) for winning player of the tournament. Steph – you were awesome and I hope the hamstring is better soon!

I did not stay up to witness the evening’s festivities as I, along with some other mentalists – Clare A, Rafi and Cuba came back to Brussels to run the 20km on Sunday, however, I believe that Sylvia and Rosine were spotted in the early hours of the morning staggering around Lux somewhere after getting in trouble with the police for trying to flog pirate videos of a certain ‘Phil Roche’ performing a ‘dance off’.

Back in Brussels on Sunday evening everyone gathered again for a bbq in the Michael Collins. It was great to see so many of us there and great to have a bit of ‘craic’ as you Irish would say with the lads (even though they smell, we love them really – especially in those super sexy 70’s blue jerseys). One word can be used to describe Sunday evening – BALOOBAS. That is all.

I would list all the players here but there are so many I don’t think I can!
A big congrats to each and every one of us on another fantastic day out and great display of football from Belgium GAA. Bring on the Paris tournament at the end of June!

Euro Hurling and Camogie tournament Saturday June 13

Belgium GAA is proud to host the next round of the European Hurling and Camogie tournament in Leuven, this Saturday 13 June 2009.

Europe's finest gaelic sportsmen and women will be taking to the field from 10.30 and will be playing all day.

All welcome for a great day out!

The location of the tournament will be in Leuven, at the Kessel-Lo city park complex. The address is: Beemdenpad Kessel-Lo, Leuven 3010 Belgium. Leuven is about 15k outside of Brussels in Flanders (so the Flemish speaking region). If coming by car, you need to park in Car Park 3 (P3) in the Provinciedomein, you will see signposts for this once you enter the Provinciedomein complex.

First Winner of Belgium GAA Lotto

Just a few short months after the introduction of the Belgium GAA lotto, we are proud to announce that the jackpot has been won for the very first time. Amounting to €1,300 in the month of May, it was won by fiery Canadian club member Adrian Hiel (pictured wearing his trademark 'game face'). Said Hiel at hurling training on Tuesday night, "This is a very exciting moment for me. I hope I can be an inspiration to everyone else who plays the GAA lotto." An unidentified player was heard to mutter somewhat bitterly, "That Adrian is living the dream right now. The least he could do would be to offer a round of drinks to the fundraising committee".

The lotto draw took place amidst a delicious barbecue in the Michael Collins on Sunday evening (31/05/09), and the club would like to thank everyone who came along for their support and participation, from the man with the lucky hands, Mikie Keane, who drew the winning numbers from the hat, to the swan-like captain of the Belgium Ladies football team, Mide Ni Shuilleabhain, who presented her team with their medals, won at the Luxembourg tournament on Saturday. A special mention must be made of Stephanie Dunn, who was presented with her well-deserved Player of the Tournament trophy. The hard-working staff of the Michael Collins must also be acknowledged for keeping everyone fed and watered, in spite of their enthusiasm for herding the masses in from the terrace before our beloved Chairman, Olof Gill, had the opportunity to serenade his people. His rendition of Roy Orbison's hit song, I Drove All Night, is a current favourite, and when his dulcet Clare Island voice units with the husky Midleton tones of Ms. Clare Brennan, the united heart of Belgium GAA skips a beat.

Needless to say, while a lotto winner every month is not guaranteed, the success of Sunday's barbecue can and will be repeated at the end of June. More details on this are forthcoming, as the fundraising committee liaises with the social secretary of the club, Clare Appleby. But there is plenty to be done in the meantime. We urge you to sign up to the lotto online, if you haven't already done so. The beauty of having a link on the Belgium GAA website is that family and friends in Ireland, Belgium and further afield can become directly involved in the club. So please click HERE, pass it on, and keep your fingers crossed.

For further information on the Belgium GAA club, visit our website or Facebook page .

Another disappointing day for Belgium - Benelux, Rd 2

The men of Belgium fielded 2 teams for the second Benelux tournament of the European season, and hopes were high that a resurgent Belgium A would improve on the disappointing performance in Amsterdam, where an under-strength side finished bottom of the pile.

Six teams were divided into two groups:

Group 1: Amsterdam, Belgium B, The Hague A.
Group 2: Belgium A, Luxembourg, The Hague B.

Belgium A 0-7, Luxembourg 0-7

The Belgium first team was, arguably, lucky to draw this battle after a poor game in which the defending European champions performed terribly. Belgium A's game was characterised by over-carrying, poor passing and inadequate finishing. While some key players underpeformed, others did just about enough to salvage a point and ensure the team remained in the running for a semi-final spot. Special mention to debutant Eoghan Kelly who kicked some great scores, especially the pressure kick right at the end to guarantee the draw.

Belgium A 10-11, The Hague B 1-1

This one-sided match was over as a contest within the first 3 minutes. The rampant Belgium forwards had a field day, picking off points and goals at will. A margin of victory of at least 13 points was needed to top the group above Luxembourg, and Belgium finished the job in ruthless fashion. While the margin of defeat is a fair reflection of the difference between the two sides, it is to The Hague's credit that they could muster enough numbers to field a second team.

Having topped the group, Belgium A now faced Amsterdam in the semi-finals.

Belgium A 0-6 , Amsterdam 1-4

One that got away. Amsterdam, who, having been 6 point behind and regrouped to beat Belgium A in the 3/4 place play-off in their home tournament in April, are arguably the rising force in the Benelux region.

This was a tightly-fought, intensely physical game that went right down to the wire. However, as in the April encounter between the 2 sides, Belgium allowed a soft goal to prove their undoing. Despite a valiant fight-back, including a gallop towards goal that was ended with a stray knee which may have broken Eoin Sheanon's nose (again), Belgium were beaten when a last-gasp effort that would have pushed the tie into extra-time sailed just wide of the uprights.

Amsterdam went on to the final where they were beaten by home team The Hague A. Their second consecutive victory over An Chraobh Rua this season left the men of Belgium with their tails between their legs and plenty of food for thought.

3/4 place play-off:

Belgium A 2-8 , Luxembourg 1-4

In this game, Belgium finally began to play like something resembling their former selves. An angry, aggressive back-line led from the front by Phil "The Crusher" Cushen gave the forwards a solid platform to go in search of scores. Eoghan Kelly, playing in his first tournament, again hit some lovely scores while Micheál O'Floinn excelled. Lux fought valiantly but were undone when Belgium's talisman Emmet Devine rifled an unstoppable shot into the top corner to end the contest early in the second half.

Analysis:

Having dismissed their Amsterdam disaster to early season jitters and a lack of manpower, the men of Belgium had a rude awakening in The Hague. With virtually their entire starting team in position, the A's failed to achieve anything close to their barnstorming form of late 2008. The Chraobh Rua boys will need to ask themselves hard questions if they are to rediscover the aggression, physicality, fluidity and good old-fashioned hunger that saw them crowned Euro Champions in 2008.

Report reveals Killer Bees let loose in Europe

Saturday saw the kickoff proper of the Belgium GAA B-team’s foray into the Benelux tournament.

The panel, which was a mix of youth and age, was:

Aonghus
Martin - Johnny
Conor - Alan
Dave - Dominic
Ruairi - Ollie
Bobby - Mikey

Bainisteoir: Conan

Conan and Dave had us well prepared for the day. We had an early setback when we were robbed for the 1st game of our wily corner back Martin Crowley due to transportation issues on the Red Cow roundabout just outside Den Haag.

This meant a re-jig to the lineup and a recall into the corner back slot for the Baniestoir/Maor uisce and all round GAA man Conan Mac Oscair.

Our first match was versus Amsterdam, a solid team and with a few good additions from 2008. It was part of the learning curve as we found over the course of the match that changes in positions were needed, meaning a switch from backs to forwards for Alan and Bobby going in the opposite direction and also some fine tuning in our approach.

In the 2nd half Martin, having negotiated the traffic issues slotted in and solidified the full back line with Johnny, resulting in less scores conceded. In the end Amsterdam ran out winners with our sole score coming from the reliable boot of Mikey Keane.

Our 2nd match was against the pre-tournament favourites, Den Haag A. Having learned from the match against the Dam, we settled on a better lineout and despite coming out on the losing end we had Den Haag rattled at points in the match and they were made fight for every score. The back line put up intense pressure and this caused Den Haag to send a lot of efforts wide of the target.

Dominic and Conor also put in a lot of heavy hits in the midfield, Aonghus and the defence were solid and by the end of the match we’d taken enough of positives to allow us to go into the 3rd match with increasing confidence.

The break between the initial 2 matches and 5th/6th playoff enabled us to regroup and review what went well and where we needed to improve. In the first 2 matches we were undoubtedly up against better/more experienced footballing sides and this showed in the distribution of our ball from time to time. They did the simple short passing, whereas under pressure we resorted to a long clearance more in hope than intent. In the half forward line we also needed to improve on winning the kickouts and give Aonghus more options.

Den Haag pulled a stroke in playing one of their A-team in the playoff and despite a diplomatic delegation trying to overturn this, the powers that be decided to allow it. This resulted in a non-diplomatic / this-is-how-we-deal-with-this-in-Finglas team talk from Martin and words from others, all of which had the effect of bringing the team together more.

We tore out of the blocks in this match with the plan to work together as a team and support each other in moving the ball forward. We clocked up some early scores giving us further confidence and with Conor, like a typical Meath man putting in tackles which Graham Geraghty would be proud of we started to win a lot of midfield ball. Dominic was also bursting forward and taking time out along the way to let the Den Haag lads know he was in town for the day. Johnny was like a conductor in defence and with Martin, Ollie and Bobby taking man, ball and all else with them we nullified all the Den Haag threats thrown at us.

With the increased confidence we started to execute our short passing game well and this resulted in a nicely worked move out of defence resulting in a layoff from Conan ‘the Gooch’ MacOscair (who had come on for Dave who’d taken an injury) laying off a pass to Ruairi to finish to the net via a Den Haag deflection. We mixed this with direct balls into the FF line and Alan and Mikey were winning all balls going into them. One of these long balls resulted in Dominic punching :-) our second goal. Between this we tacked on a few nice points and ran out 2-8 to 0-1 winners……and 5th place

All in all it was a good learning experience and while we had 2 defeats, we can take enough from the improvements throughout the day to go forward to Luxembourg and beyond with increased confidence.