East Belfast GAC sets forth on the pitch 'together'

East Belfast GAC launched at the end of May and has already attracted over 1,000 members

Think of sport in east Belfast and the likes of Glentoran FC and Ulster Rugby come to mind.

But on Friday, the area's newest team will make its on-field debut and mark the return of GAA to east Belfast for the first time in decades.

East Belfast GAC is the brainchild of friends David McGreevy and Richard Maguire.

And since launching at the end of May, Mr McGreevy said, the club has proved more popular than they ever imagined.

"It exploded, it just went crazy," he said.

The initial idea was to create an under-12 team, he told BBC's Talkback programme, but that quickly changed.

Now, the club is fielding senior teams in hurling, camogie and men and women's Gaelic football.

'Friendships blossoming everywhere'

"We've about 300 playing members for adult teams and then altogether I predict we're up over 1,000 members," he said.

The club describes its ethos as progressive and is keen to attract members from all communities.

The crest seeks to represent all - it features the red hand, shamrock, thistle and the area's iconic Harland and Wolff cranes, along with the word "together" in English, Irish and Ulster Scots.

Its colours are neutral yellow and black.

As well as Gaelic players Mr McGreevy said it had pulled in players from others sports, including those affected by the coronavirus lockdown.

"We had hockey players and cricket players getting in touch and saying they wanted to play football and I said 'no, hurling would be your sport'," he said.

"The guys from hurling were telling me the cricket guys' ball-handling skills were unbelievable and the hockey guys as well, their stick handling, they'd never really seen something like it before.

"There's friendships blossoming everywhere, it's all pretty cool."

Irish language activist Linda Ervine has taken up the role of honorary president at the club.

Linda Ervine works for the east Belfast Irish-language organisation Turas

Mrs Ervine, who comes from a Protestant background and is a unionist, said there has been a lot of interest in the club from people across east Belfast.

"This club does not belong to one religious tradition, this club does not belong to one political tradition, this club belongs to everyone," she told Talkback.

"The more opportunities there are to bring people together in a positive way should be celebrated and I'm really happy to lend my name to that."

Kit sharing

She said she had "a lot of faith" in the organisers.

"They are very passionate about sport and that includes rugby and GAA, and they are very passionate about increasing cross-community engagement, free from politics," she said.

"I thought it was quite exciting, quite interesting and I thought it was quite progressive, so I gave it my support."

While its membership quickly exploded, its fair to say facilities have a bit of catching up to do.

The club has yet to find a home pitch and has only one set of shirts.

Mr McGreevy said that after Friday night's men's match, the shirts will have to be washed for the ladies' team to use on Saturday and then again for a reserves' match on Sunday.

"I've it all ahead of me," he joked.