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!