Report submitted by Rome Hibernia GAA Pro
Rome Hibernia GAA represents Irish diaspora in powerful weekend of sport, community and faith.
Rome, Italy – Gaelic games were celebrated on one of the world’s most iconic stages this weekend as Rome Hibernia GAA, in partnership with the Embassy of Ireland to the Holy See, took part in the Vatican’s Jubilee of Sport, a special event marking the intersection of faith, community, and athletics.
The weekend programme saw players from Rome Hibernia showcase Ireland’s unique sporting heritage – including Gaelic football, hurling and camogie, alongside international athletes in the heart of the Eternal City. The club was joined by Chris Collins, Head of Operations at Gaelic Games Europe, who led a spirited open training session on Friday evening, with over 30 members togging out at Stadio delle Tre Fontane in the south of Rome. Ambassador Frances Collins attended and hosted a communal BBQ following the session.
On Saturday, club representatives Niamh Ryan, Catherine Hallinan and Katie Molloy attended a Papal audience, presenting Pope Leo with a specially designed Rome Hibernia jersey featuring the Jubilee of Sport logo in Irish.
Link to article in Vatican News
Later that day, the club took part in the Sports Village at Piazza del Popolo, drawing significant public interest despite soaring temperatures and a weather warning in effect.
Sunday’s events began with a special Mass for the Jubilee of Sport in St Peter’s Basilica, where GAA President Jarlath Burns and Chris Collins were seated at the front in recognition of the Association’s global role in community building. Following Mass, the delegation visited Bishop Paul Tighe, Secretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education. Rome Hibernia GAA presented Bishop Tighe and President Burns with custom-made jerseys and a commemorative hurl. In turn, Bishop Tighe gifted President Burns a pontifical medal crafted with gold leaf and Murano glass from the Venice Biennale, a gesture that stressed the cultural significance of the occasion.
A reception at the Irish Embassy concluded the weekend, with representatives of the GAA, clergy, and Irish and affinity diaspora in attendance. Ambassador Collins and the Jubilee Committee presented President Burns with the limited-edition official medal for Jubilee 2025. In a powerful address, President Burns reflected on the moment:
“Galloping horses wouldn’t have stopped me from coming to Rome for this event”
“At the mass, the first reading was from St. Paul, and one of the lines said ‘Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope’. In this very dark and complex world, particularly in these weeks and weeks to come, that is what we all need. We all need hope and purpose. And that is what the GAA gives. It gives people purpose.”
“For all of you young people from around the world who are here representing Rome Hibernia, all your parents and loved ones are at home hoping that you are safe, hoping that you are doing well, and thankful to the GAA that it’s giving you all those things that they would like. It is giving you that purpose, it is giving you support around you, it is giving you opportunities to do good choices.” “I want to thank the ambassador, and the ambassadors of every country we go to. The embassy makes great strides to involve the GAA. We know the diaspora relies on the GAA. There’s no other organization that gathers their diaspora in the way the GAA does. To all of you young people who are running the Rome Hibernia GAA, I just want to thank you as well, because that gives me hope, and the rest of the GAA hope, that our wonderful games are being spread not only in this incredible city, but around the world. I know you organized an incredible festival last May, and it reached our shores for how well it was run. I know, having met the leadership of Rome Hibernia and all the people I see here, it is all in safe hands. And I can go back to Ireland along with Chris with this message, because this is the GAA where we all belong”.
Speaking at the reception, Chris Collins reflected
“It’s a real privilege for Gaelic Games Europe to be welcomed into magnificent venues like this, not just to showcase our games, but to share the deeper values the GAA is built upon: culture, community and connection. On Friday night, we saw people from every corner of the world take to the pitch, playing with passion and pride. There were at least four languages spoken along with my very poor English yet every player, young and old, found a way to come together as a team, built on mutual respect and support. That moment captured what the GAA is truly about: a shared sense of belonging that reaches far beyond sport, both on and off the field of play.”
This marks a milestone moment for Gaelic Games Europe and Rome Hibernia GAA, underlining the Association’s ever-expanding global reach: not just as a sporting body, but as a community rooted in culture, solidarity, and belonging.
#whereweallbelong
