Geography of the GAA

The following article provides a list of Gaelic games governing bodies, county boards and associations around the world. The principal governing body is the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).

The two dominant sports of the Gaelic games are traditionally played in separate regions of Ireland. Hurling is traditionally played mainly in the provinces of Munster and Leinster, whereas football is played in every county and is dominant in Ulster and Connacht and certain parts of the other provinces.

By continent

By country

Rank	Country / territory	No. of Clubs
1	Republic of Ireland	2,200
2	United States	144
3	England	78
4	Australia	70
5	Canada	28
6	France	25
7	Spain	24
8	Germany	11
	New Zealand	11
10	United Arab Emirates	9
11	China	7
12	Netherlands	6
	Scotland	6
14	Argentina	5
	Sweden	5
16	Italy	4
	Switzerland	4
18	Belgium	3
	Russia	3
	South Korea	3
21	Austria	2
	Czech Republic	2
	Denmark	2
	Finland	2
	Malaysia	2
	South Africa	2
27	Bahrain	1
	Cambodia	1
	Croatia	1
	Estonia	1
	Gibraltar	1
	Guernsey	1
	Hungary	1
	Indonesia	1
	Japan	1
	Jersey	1
	Kuwait	1
	Luxembourg	1
	Myanmar	1
	Norway	1
	Oman	1
	Poland	1
	Portugal	1
	Qatar	1
	Saudi Arabia	1
	Singapore	1
	Slovakia	1
	Taiwan	1
	Thailand	1
	Uganda	1
	Vietnam	1

By province

By county

Rank	County	Clubs	Notes
1	Cork	259	Highest ranked Munster county
2	Dublin	134	Highest ranked Leinster county
3	United States	123	Highest ranked county outside Ireland
4	Antrim	108	Highest ranked Ulster county
	Europe	108
6	Limerick	101
7	Wexford	93
8	Clare	84
9	Galway	80	Highest ranked Connacht county
10	Kerry	73
11	Tipperary	72
12	Down	70
13	Tyrone	68
14	Donegal	63
15	Offaly	61
16	Derry	60
17	Meath	59
18	Cavan	59
19	Kildare	57
20	Armagh	56
	Waterford	56	Lowest ranked Munster county
22	Australasia	52
23	Mayo	50
	Fermanagh	23	Lowest ranked Ulster counties
	Monaghan	50
26	Westmeath	47
27	Laois	46
28	Wicklow	45
29	Louth	42
30	Kilkenny	41
	New York	41
32	Carlow	33
33	London	32	Highest ranked British county
	Roscommon	32
35	Canada	28
36	Longford	27	Lowest ranked Leinster county
37	Sligo	26
38	Leitrim	24	Lowest ranked Connacht county
39	Asia	23
40	Middle East	16
41	Warwickshire	15
42	Hertfordshire	9
43	Lancashire	8
44	Yorkshire	7
	Gloucestershire	7
46	Scotland	6

By division

Europe

The continent of Europe has 5 provinces and 40 county boards:

Ireland

The island of Ireland has 4 provinces and 32 county boards (the historic four provinces of Ireland set in 1610):

Munster GAA

The province of Munster has 6 county boards:

The traditional hurling-football divide in Munster runs along a line from Tubber in north County Clare through Corofin to Labasheeda. Across the Shannon in County Limerick the line divides the footballing territory in the hilly west Limerick from the hurling territory in the lush lowlands of east and central Limerick. In County Cork the line also divides east from west, starting at Mallow and extending south towards the city of Cork and on to the coast. Further west beyond the footballing west Cork is the almost entirely footballing territory in County Kerry, with only a very small hurling region north of Tralee in Ardfert, Ballyheigue and Causeway. The entire counties of Tipperary and Waterford are considered to be traditionally hurling regions.^[1]

Leinster GAA

The province of Leinster has 12 county boards:

In Leinster the traditional hurling region is located in the south west of the province. The entire County Kilkenny is considered hurling territory, with very little football activity. Most of County Wexford is in the hurling region along with Counties Carlow, Laois and Offaly. The other Leinster counties are considered footballing counties.^{[citation needed]}

Connacht GAA

The province of Connacht has 5 county boards:

Connacht is almost entirely Gaelic football territory, with only Galway competing in the Liam MacCarthy Cup. In County Galway the hurling-football divide follows a line from Galway City to Ballinasloe. The divide in Galway probably stands out more than in other counties. The hurling territory in Galway stands out strongly from the rest of the province; as a result, the Galway team plays in the Leinster Championship. Another very small hurling region is in eastern County Mayo around Ballyhaunis.^{[citation needed]}

Ulster GAA

The province of Ulster has 6 county boards:

Ulster is also almost entirely a footballing region; the hurling region is located in the Glens of Antrim.^[2] and on the Ards Peninsula in eastern County Down.

Britain

The island of Britain has 1 province and 7 county boards:

British GAA

London enters a team in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship via the Connacht Senior Football Championship.

Warwickshire has had some success in hurling at a junior level.

Lancashire fielded a team in the National Hurling League for the first time in 2018.

Gaelic Games Europe

This is the governing body in continental Europe.

German clubs formed a union in Berlin in 2015 known as the Deutscher Bund Gälischer Sportarten.

North America

The continent of North America has 1 province and 3 county boards:

Canada

The Canadian GAA oversees Gaelic games across Canada.

United States

The New York GAA administrates in the New York metropolitan area. A county team participates in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship via the Connacht Senior Football Championship, where it occasionally provides a challenge for opponents. Despite suffering the loss of two players to sendings off early in the second half, New York gave Galway a scare in 2010, though eventually capitulating by 2-13 to 0-12.^[3] A late burst in 2016 took New York to within one point of opponents Roscommon, which had contested the National Football League Division 1 semi-finals only one month earlier.^[4]

The USGAA oversees the rest of the country.

Oceania

The continent of Oceania has 1 county board:

Australasia

The Australasia GAA oversees Gaelic games in Australia and New Zealand. It also oversees inter-state matches in Australia.

Asia

The continent of Asia has 2 county boards:

Asian GAA

The Asian GAA oversees Gaelic games across Asia, but also Oceania (with the exception of Australia and New Zealand, which is overseen by the Australasian GAA).

Middle East GAA

The Middle Eastern Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Middle East GAA is one of the international county boards, and is responsible for organising Gaelic games in the Middle East.

Links

• County (Gaelic games)
• Dual county

See also

• Geography of association football
• Geography of Australian rules football

References

This page was last edited on 23 November 2023, at 22:42