ONE year on from its formation and East Belfast GAA are going from strength to strength, having won their first piece of silverware.
Launched in a part of Belfast not known for its GAA pedigree, the club has won much praise for its strong commitment to inclusivity and diversity, and despite weathering a few problems initially, things are looking up for the club.
East Belfast, whose President is Irish language activist Linda Ervine, was formed in 2020, and is the first GAA club to be established in the east of the city since St Colmcille’s which came on the scene in the 1950s, but dissolved in the 1970s due to the conflict.
Last summer its playing fields were targeted after pipe bombs were left on the cars of the club’s members. However, 12 months on and East Belfast are enjoying success both on and off the field.
The club's motto ‘Together-Lé Chéile-Thegither’, which is featured in English, Irish and Ulster Scots, says it all.
Terry Keyes, Public Relations Officer for East Belfast GAC, said: “We’re just a normal club now, we did have a tumultuous year and there was a bit of drama, but this year there hasn’t been any of that and we’ve been enjoying a nice period of just being a proper club.”
After one year the club can boast over 600 members 
East Belfast GAA has been fielding teams in hurling, camogie, and women’s and men’s football in South Antrim and Down, with the 4th Division camogs becoming Shield winners and remaining undefeated. With a membership of almost six hundred, the club is continuing to grow, with supporters from all over Ireland, and even as far as London and America. It sustains itself through the club Lotto.
Terry said: “We’ve had a full year of playing games and now we’ve got the same trials and tribulations as every other club in the country.
"Our most pressing worries right now are regular club issues such as hoping to get a bit more money, resources and pitches, but there really is a gloriousness to the normality of that.”
Linda Ervine is first President of East Belfast GAA club - https://t.co/cr0faCZy9V pic.twitter.com/kKpbB6g9kP
— Gaelic Life (@Gaelic_Life) June 2, 2020
This year the club also ran a very popular summer camp, which has evolved into regular Saturday morning blitzes, with up to 150 children attending at the beginning of September.
The club have also been working with the Red Cross in helping local refugee families from countries such as Syria and Sudan to get involved in the games, take part in the summer camp and many have stayed to enjoy the blitzes on Saturday morning.
Terry is keen to highlight that all GAA clubs are inclusive and open to all, but there is something special with East Belfast GAA.
“It doesn’t matter who you are, or where you’re from, once you join East Belfast GAA, you’re East Belfast GAA. It’s great to have diversity and to make sure we’re a comfortable place for all. It’s written into the DNA of the club.”
For more information about East Belfast GAA, follow them on Twitter, Facebook, or their website.
