GAA in Canada

almc4

Anyone moving to Toronto and looking to get involved in GAA give me a shout.

St. Mike's GAA are currently recruiting new Gaelic Football players for next season (both male and female). It's a great way for new arrivals to meet a few friends and to help find some work.

All the best
Alan

senorsweeney

Hi Alan,

I am going to be moving over to Toronto in November and would like to get involved with a GAA team over there.

I am currently playing for a club in Dublin and hope to continue playing the game while I'm over in Toronto.

Can you provide any further detail about the set-up over there – when does your season commence? How long (roughly) does the season run for? Do you play all your games in Toronto or is there much travelling involved?

Thanks,
John

almc4

Hi John

The GAA set up in Toronto is quite good for football. There are 6 senior teams and 4 junior teams. The Championship is played from May - September. A lot of Irish have landed in Toronto over the past number of years which has greatly increased the standard of football being played here.

In terms of travelling there is one game played in Ottawa each year but other than that all games are in Toronto. At the start of the season there is usually a 7-a-side tournament played in Montreal that all the Toronto teams like to attend. It's usually a great weekend. Also, at the end of the season it is not uncommon for some of the teams to enter the North American Championships. St. Mikes entered the Senior Championship in San Fransisco last year. Needless to say that was a brilliant weekend.

You're more than welcome to come down training with us when we start back next March. We'll also have a few events over the next few months if you'd like to come down and meet some of the lads. We're going to Buffalo in late November to watch an NFL game. Private message me if you're interested in coming and we can sort something out.

Talk soon
Alan

senorsweeney

PM sent, many thanks Alan, i look forward to meeting you when i arrived over in Toronto.

John

almc4

Keep those PMs coming guys. We're starting pre season training soon.

Jimmmy McNulty

Hey,

Very interested in this.. Could you PM me the details? What's the standard like?

I played county U-21 level at home for Monaghan.

Thanks!

stmikesgfc

For anyone looking to get involved in GAA in Toronto, St. Mikes ladies are currently recruiting for the 2019 season.

Getting involved in the GAA over here really is the best way for anyone new to the city to meet people and get connections that can help with jobs and accommodation. Even if you haven't kicked a ball in years it's never too late to get back into it!

Anyone interested just give us a message. Some general info about ladies football in Toronto is below.

Cheers,
Caoimhe

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About St. Mikes Ladies
The club itself is well established in the city. We are competitive in the Toronto GAA league and championship having made the finals of both for the past number of years and winning championship titles in ’15, ’16 and ’17. We train usually on Wednesday evenings at a location that is accessible by subway or bus from downtown. We’re a small, close knit panel with a great group of girls and a great mix of Irish and Canadian players who love the sport. We set a high standard for ourselves and balance our hard work on the field with plenty of social nights out throughout the year and club trips away. We always welcome any new players looking to get involved and will do our best to help you settle into the city.

If you would like to join us for the 2019 season or just want more information about the team or please contact us:

Facebook: St. Michael's Hurling and Football Club
Website: stmikesgfc .com/gaa/contact-us


About Ladies Football in Toronto
The season runs from May - September.
The ladies league consists of 5 teams with Ottawa entering along with the 4 Toronto based ladies clubs. The championship in normally contested with just the 4 Toronto teams and is quite competitive. While the finalists of the league and championship have been the same for the past few years the standard is quickly becoming even across all clubs and the 2019 season is very much open.
There are around 10 games per season between league and championship with the majority of games played on Saturdays. Only the championship semi-final and final are on Sundays. All teams play in the one location in Centennial Park in Etobicoke which is accessible by subway and bus.

The GAA over here has a really great balance of competitive action and a great social scene. It really is the best way to get to know people and dive into life in Toronto.

What you will need to play
If you are currently registered with a club in Ireland or anywhere abroad you will need either a sanction or a transfer to play.

The deadline to apply for these is July 1st and all information can be found at on the LGFA website in the lgfa-hub under the international section.

- If you’re not sure which one to apply for you send us an email and we can advise you.
The most important thing to remember if you are applying for a sanction is that you need a specific type of 2 year travel insurance which must be purchased before you leave Ireland.