Irish Football in Pennsylvania is alive and well!
Tagged under: Game Photos-Videos, News, Non-PIAA, pfn
Greg Ricupero | July 6, 2024
They play football in Ireland too, but it is a little different and they are playing it in Pennsylvania!
The GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) promotes traditional Irish sports like hurling, camogie, rounders and Gaelic football to name a few. Like a lot of international sports it is also played in America. The Pittsburgh GAA competes in the USGAA Midwest Division.
What is Gaelic Football?
I would describe it as a mixture of Australian Rules Football, Rugby and Soccer. Each team consists of either 13 or 15 players on a football field that is wider than a normal field. On both ends of the field under the goal posts, there are soccer nets. The object of the game is to score the most points. If you kick or punch the ball into the goal it counts as three points. If you get it over the goal post and between the uprights it is one point. The scoreboard will show goals-points. For example 2-10, equals two goals and 10 single points for a total of 16.
The ball is similar to a soccer ball but weighs more. It is advanced by carrying, bouncing, kicking, hand-passing and soloing(kicking ball to yourself). Tackling or defense is played by slapping at the ball or shoulder to shoulder contact. There are fouls and cards like in soccer. They play two thirty minute halves with the clock running like in rugby.
The Pittsburgh men’s team is called the Celtics. Like a lot of amateur sports there is a wide age range from 18 to late 40s. In past years the Celtics have had several players from Ireland compete with them. This year they are all local men.
The Celtics hosted Cincinnati and the game turned out to be anti-climactic.
Pittsburgh scored a goal thirty seconds into the game and dominated even after they took most of their starters out of the game five minutes into the second half. It took Cincinnati almost nine minutes to score and by that time they were down 2-5 to zero. The 29 point margin could have been worst.
Pittsburgh 6-18 36
Cincinnati 0-7 7
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