Taking the Field of Glory: GAA Monthly
Midwest Gaelic Athletic Association
By Vincent Beach
Sláinte chugainn ar fad! Health to us all. In mid-May, the call went out to all USGAA clubs to respond yeah or nay to participating in the national finals. Only 25 of the 100 plus clubs across the country could 
commit to travel and play at the August tournament in Canton, Mass. With that, the USGAA Finals have been canceled.
Clubs around the country are still holding out hope for some type of meaningful play locally. Like most divisions, the Midwest is navigating a variety of state restrictions. Previous articles in the OhioIANews have provided the game match-ups, but starting dates are still to be determined.
With the state of Ohio permitting skills-based training, the Cleveland GAA has scheduled weekly camps for adult football and hurling. Football Coaches Simon O’Doherty, Daniel Murray, and Jim Coyne will lead coed fitness, individual skills, and team skills with social distancing until contact play can resume.
For the hurlers and camogies, Damon Margida will lead the same. Contact the club via the webpage or in**@cl**********.com if you are interested. Youth sessions will lag the adult and more information will be provided in the coming months.
In Ireland, GAA pitches reopen for small groups in non-contact trainings under social distancing guidelines on June 29. On July 31, full training sessions with contact can resume and club competitions begin. Indoor GAA facilities open on August 10. Inter-County trainings are planned to start on September 14, but will be subject to medical advice, and will be followed by Inter-County competitions starting no earlier than October 17.
Sláinte chugainn ar fad! Health to us all.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh (thanks y’all) to our readers and supporters. We need your help and involvement but would most like to share the fun of Irish sport and Cleveland community with you. Consider getting involved at any level. Fáilte (welcome) to all.
The Gaelic Athletic Association is Ireland’s largest sporting organization and a bit of home for the Irish abroad here in the US of A. Beyond sports, the Association also promotes Irish music, song and dance, and the Irish language as an integral part of its objectives. Cleveland GAA is open to all who want to play competitive sports, meet new people, and join an athletic, fitness-minded club for all ages.
Follow @ClevelandGaelic on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the 2020 activities for Men, Women, and Youth. Or, visit ClevelandGAA.com.
*Vincent Thomas Francis Xavier Beach is a proud Greater Clevelander and emigrant of Michigan. He joined the St. Pat’s Gaelic Football Club in 1999 and, with much help, is the current caretaker of the Cleveland GAA. His Irish is a cross of dialects from the University of Cincinnati and An Cheathrú Rua. With his wife, Michelle, he enjoys watching time absolutely fly by as their children, Ambrose (11), Bernadette (9), and Cedric (6), grow. His other hustles are teaching Irish at PJs, coaching CYO basketball at St. Mary of Berea, coaching soccer in Olmsted TWP, and slangin’ some engineering skills on local concrete and pipe projects.
