The Taiwan Celts’ St Patrick’s Day Festival and Gaelic Football Tournament on Saturday is promising a great day for its first year running, making the plunge with Taiwan’s first-ever youth game.
The Gaelic football club was founded in 1995 by a group of young Irish college graduates and is headed by president and coach Brian Fitzpatrick, an Irishman who, along with fellow PE teachers Natalie Turner and Paul Rose, is promoting a fun family day at the Banciao Stadium (板橋體育場) in New Taipei City.
“We wanted to celebrate St Patrick’s Weekend with some Irish festivities, so we decided to organize a Gaelic Football Tournament,” Fitzpatrick said.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Chen
The main tournament is the Derek Brady Memorial Cup, with men’s and women’s competitions.
However, the organizers are eager to see the sport take root among Taiwanese.
“After competing in several tournaments overseas, it was so neat to see teams like Japan have a full squad of all local Japanese players and compete victoriously,” said Turner, a Canadian. “This is what the Taiwan Celts are shooting for now. After consistently sending two teams — one men’s and one women’s team — abroad to compete in the Asian Gaelic Games, we are now striving to send an all-Taiwanese team.”
Photo courtesy of Kevin Chen
The event offers kids’ games as a means of promoting Irish culture.
“We want to continue to develop the sport and share our love of the game with the Taiwanese community, all while honoring Irish culture and the cherished legacy of former Taiwan Celts player Derek Brady,” Turner said.
Brady, a founding member, tragically died in a Taipei traffic accident in 1996, aged 22.
New Zealander Rose said the sport provides a healthy environment and that the group are welcoming and always happy to introduce new people to the sport from all nationalities and experience levels.
“While we take take our sport pretty seriously, it is also a very social group and a great place to meet new people and make new friends,” he said.
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