Information on forthcoming Introduction to Gaelic Games courses is at the end of the article. Contact our coaching officer Anna Marie O’Rourke – coachingofficer.europe@gaa.ie to register.
The classic GAA journey usually begins at nursery level, through the cherished chaos of mini-leagues, onward to minor and U-20s. Then comes the rite of passage: adult football or Hurling/Camogie – played for as long as the calf, the knee, or the lower back permits. Eventually, the body rebels and you face the inevitable: a whistle or a whiteboard. Enter the coaching or refereeing phase, sometimes both, sometimes one after the other. And finally, the closing chapter: sideline parent, armed with flasks, bananas, feedback, and the eternal shouting encouragement, gently nudging the next generation down the same path
But here in Europe, that tidy timeline has gone gloriously rogue.
At a recent GAA coaching course in Lorient, France, led by Pearse Bell and Stephen Hegarty, 25 participants gathered for a weekend of drills, discussion and introduction to Gaelic Games Coaching. Yet it was the makeup of the group that raised eyebrows. Pearse was joined by his own eldest son, Thomas, taking part in the course not as a player, but as a Coach. And alongside them? Another father-son pairing, Mathias and Felix La Bayon of Lorient GAA, learning the ropes side by side and bringing a burst of Breton energy to the weekend.
It was a heartening image, and maybe even a first around the world, a shared step forward in GAA leadership. The life cycle of the GAA member as once known is being disrupted. The kids are stepping into leadership roles at the very same time as their parents! An exciting phenomenon that will no doubt produce electric results.
Across Europe, Gaelic Games are growing with unprecedented speed. And as they do, they’re reimagining the traditional pathways – not just growing clubs, but cultivating communities where learning and leading transcend generations.
And the generational shift didn’t stop there.
In a powerful testament to long-term development, 8 of the 25 participants at this Introduction to Gaelic Games Development course were once children attending the first-ever Cúl Camp held in France just five years ago. Now, they’ve returned, not with lunchboxes, but with whistles of their own. Their journey marks not just successful retention, but extraordinary continuity. This is grassroots development done right – building bridges from youth participation straight to senior leadership. No time wasted. It’s a pipeline forged through passion and purpose.
“It just shows that when you give young people consistent opportunities to get involved – whether that’s as players or through programmes like the Cúl Camps and now coaching – they stay with it. That’s how we build real continuity in our clubs,” said Pearse Bell, reflecting on the return of former Cúl Camp participants to the coaching fold.
The successful course in Lorient was the first of seven introduction to Gaelic Games courses that will take place across Europe in 2025.
If you, or anyone in your club, would like to get trained up to coach – sign up today!
