Gaelic Games Europe | Governing body for the continent of Europe

In Europe, we embrace the growth and transformation of our clubs with as much pride and zeal as we do the establishment of a brand-new club. Today, we engage with Bella Willett, Niamh Ryan, and Catherine Hallinan to unfold the 12-year journey and the exciting rebranding of a pivotal club in Italy’s capital, Rome

Read about the 12 year evolution of the club, and their busy year ahead!

Tell us a bit about Rome Hibernia

Founded in 2012, Rome Hibernia GAA stands out as the pioneering Gaelic Football Club in Italy. Notably, this year has marked a period of exceptional growth for our club, with our membership tripling in size. What distinguishes us is our predominantly non-Irish membership, fostering a vibrant community of over 60 active members, with females comprising over 52%. Dedicated to nurturing Gaelic sports and culture, our influence extends well beyond Rome, resonating throughout Europe. Recent achievements include our ladies’ team securing victory in a friendly tournament in Nice, France, in January 2024, and our men’s team reaching the semi-finals of the World Games held in Derry last year.

Special mentions for elite club people

Sarah Wall, hailing from Meath and representing Dunboyne Ladies GFC, and Meath stands out as our star player, dominating the field as the top ladies’ player on our team. Sitting on our ladies management committee Sarah has helped develop our team’s tactics and standards learning from her inter-county experience at home.
Emalia Mist, previously a professional water polo player for Stanford and Roma, she has made significant strides already in her Gaelic Football career and has become a pivotal figure within our team, despite being new to GAA.
Brian Ui Cuiv, of both Italian and Irish roots, has established himself as one of the top men’s players since joining the team in 2014. Notably, he is a descendant of Eamon de Valera, adding to his distinguished lineage.
Our team owes much of its success to our longstanding Italian contingent. Our club is unique with 33% of our members being Italian. Their dedication and skill have been instrumental over the years, during which they’ve played a crucial role in maintaining the club, even during periods when Italian players outnumbered their Irish counterparts.

Italy at the World Games

Last year, 21 players from our club traveled to Derry for the GAA World Games 2023. Our men’s team did phenomenally well reaching the semi-finals! Additionally, the ladies from Rome GAA joined forces with players from other regions to form the “Central East Europe” team. Despite their best efforts, the open team narrowly missed winning the Ladies Open Shield, securing second place instead.

This was a fantastic opportunity for our club and showcased the strength of Gaelic Football in Italy on the world stage.

Italian Mens World Games team - GAA

Are there any big milestones on the horizon for 2024?

2024 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Rome Hibernia GAA with several significant milestones on the horizon.

Renaming and New Jersey

Firstly, we’re undergoing a rebranding process to better reflect the evolving dynamics and remarkable growth of our club. As part of this transformation, we’re changing our name to Rome Hibernia GAA and adopting new colors, proudly sporting red and white. Our new colours represent the deep history of the club and the city. Red is the colour of Mars and the symbol of strength of body with the Roman army, and white is the colour of Jupiter and the symbol of strength of mind with the Roman senate. We are delighted to share this new chapter with the GAA network and look forward to competing under the banner of Rome Hibernia.

Hosting Round Two of the Regional European Tournament

Additionally, we’re thrilled to announce that Rome GAA will be hosting the Regional Football Championship on May 25th, marking the first time since 2017 that the city has hosted such a prestigious event. This championship serves as a pivotal moment for our club, offering a platform to showcase our progress and the growing enthusiasm for Gaelic games in Italy to the wider GAA community. We’re eagerly anticipating this event and are committed to making it a memorable and successful occasion for all involved.

We anticipate a substantial turnout for the championship, with both locals and expats eager to participate and volunteer. This event not only promotes the Irish community in Rome but also serves as a platform to introduce GAA to Italians and intentional people who may not be familiar with the sport. By welcoming a diverse audience, we aim to foster cultural exchange and showcase the best that Gaelic Games in Rome has to offer.

The Cormac Mac Lochlainn Memorial Cup

The Cormac MacLochlainn Cup was a huge success. The day was much like a typical, “Day for the Ducks,” in Ireland with loads of rain and smiles across the field. Milan GAA joined us and played our men’s team while the ladies played a mixed/internal match. We are proud to say our men put everything they had on the field and came out with the win. The Irish Ambassador to Italy, Patricia O’Brien, joined us in presenting the trophies and helping us celebrate Cormac’s legacy with our club. Everyone enjoyed the refreshments provided afterward courtesy of the Irish Embassy to Italy.

Hailing from Castelderg, Cormac Mac Lochlainn was a pivotal member of our club when it was first founded. Every new player immediately felt welcomed within the team thanks to Cormac. He was always smiling and had good humour laughing and joking with teammates. He always had a word of comfort in defeats and took a step back in victories, letting the younger players revel in the celebrations. He is fondly remembered by our teammate Toni “It was simply beautiful to share training sessions, beers in the pub, away game trips and watching football matches together with him. He was a dear friend, even before being a great captain to every player on the team.”

In Easter 2021 he was diagnosed with an aggressive, life-threatening brain tumor, after bravely battling cancer he sadly passed away in 2022. We remember him every year when we host the Cormac Cup in his honor, inviting teams to Rome to celebrate his legacy. His family reiterated the importance of the Cormac Cup through their message “We feel so proud that you continue to remember our wonderful Cormac with The Cormac Cup each year. It is a very special legacy for a very special person. Not a day goes by where we don’t think of and miss Cormac and we know that he would be so proud that you have created this cup in his name.”

On our jerseys, we have “You’ll always play with us Mr. Mac” written on the sleeve, a testament to his lifelong impact on our club and how we will always remember him.

Tell us about Cormac’s contributions and Influence

On our jerseys, we have “You’ll always play with us Mr. Mac” written on the sleeve, a testament to his lifelong impact on our club and how we will always remember him.