GAA launches landmark project to map its influence across Ireland and the world
The GAA has teamed up with University College Cork to produce a landmark publication charting the Association's impact across Ireland and around the world.The project, titled Atlas of the GAA: Cumann Lúthchleas Gael / The Gaelic Athletic Association, will form part of the acclaimed Atlas Series published by Cork University Press and is due to be released in 2029 to mark the GAA's 145th anniversary.At the heart of the initiative will be a major mapping exercise designed to capture the scale, reach and cultural significance of the organisation, both nationally and internationally.And GAA clubs across Ireland and overseas are being invited to play a central role in the project.Clubs will be asked to contribute key information and data that will help create what is being described as a definitive record of the Association and its influence on communities around the world.The publication forms part of a broader programme of commemorative events and initiatives leading towards the GAA's 150th anniversary celebrations in 2034.The atlas will explore the development and growth of the organisation since its foundation in 1884, documenting not only the spread of Gaelic games but also the wider social, cultural and community impact of the GAA over generations.The book will be co-edited by two leading historians and long-time contributors to the Atlas Series, Dr John Crowley of UCC's School of the Human Environment and Dr Donal Ó Drisceoil of UCC's School of History.The pair previously collaborated on Atlas of the Irish Revolution, which has been widely acclaimed since its publication in 2017 and was recently voted one of the top 20 Irish books of the last two decades.GAA clubs at home and abroad are expected to be contacted as part of the data-gathering process, with organisers hoping the project will provide an unprecedented picture of the Association's footprint across the globe.The finished publication is set to become one of the centrepieces of the GAA's anniversary commemorations and a lasting record of the organisation's place in Irish life.Click here to sign up to our sport newsletter, bringing you the top stories and biggest headlines from Ireland and beyond
