Gaelic Games Begin In Chester County
By Molly Daly
MALVERN, Pa. (CBS) - Teams from all over America will compete in the Gaelic Athletic Association's Continental Youth Championships in Chester County this week. It's the biggest gathering of youth competitors in Irish sports outside of Ireland.
The games will be held from Thursday through Sunday at the Chester Valley Soccer Association's fields on Line Road in Malvern. The Glenside Gaelic Club's Beth Keeley says three sports will be played.
"There's Gaelic football, camogie, and hurling."
Gaelic football, arguably the most popular sport in Ireland, is played without helmets or pads. Helmets are required for hurling, which goes back more than 3,000 years, and for camogie, which is basically hurling for women and girls. Keeley says they're great sports for off-season athletes.
"The seasons are in the summer," she said. "You can play to condition for your sports in the fall or the spring, because it's all the basic ball-handling skills, the same kind of athletic skills you would need for any other sport."
And, Keeley says, you don't have to be Irish to enjoy the Gaelic games tournament.
"It's about learning new things, meeting new people, learning new cultures. Everybody's welcome to come to this event. Learn, make friends, check it out, and find a way to get involved. "
Find out more at www.cycgaa.org
