GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 16 - December 19, 2014 | Page 2

FOREWORD FROM THE EDITOR GAELIC SPORTS WORLD PUBLISHER: Beginnings are beautiful! Everything they say has to have them. Events of any kind usually start with an idea and from there grow and blossom. Sporting events are no different in the greater social scheme of things and can play an influential role in people’s daily lives. The Olympic Games, the World Cup, the Athletics World Championships, the Rugby World Cup, and a host of other sports ‘world championships’ are ever present on the global sporting horizon. Most sports organizations seek to have their particular brand of entertainment featured in world terms, it is a natural wish. So, last Friday December 12, 2014, the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), an organization founded in 1884 and running Gaelic sports in Ireland, entered the arena of the global when launching a first ever ‘GAA World Games’ in Ladies and Men’s Gaelic Football for Abu Dhabi next March. Teams from the GAA’s international units will make history when competing for the first world GAA cup and though, at present there are no national teams, apart from Italy and France in Ladies & Men’s Gaelic Football, representative club, regional or even new national teams will still battle for historic firsts. In Issue 16, Gaelic Sports World reports from Croke Park on the event details and how the ‘GAA World Games – Abu Dhabi 2015’ may shape the GAA in the future. Denis O’Brien EDITOR: Denis O’Brien ART DIRECTION: Tall Irishman tmi CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Catherine Fleming, Rory O’Donnell, Tommy Moran, Cyril Iordanidis, Ronan Deane, Eamon Gormley, Jamie Fitzsimons, Joe Trolan, Brian Clerkin, John Simcoe. CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Rory O’Donnell, Marie Walsh, Jerry Hess, Peter Marney Legal info. Gaelic Sports World does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the quality, accuracy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information, product or service represented within our magazine or associated websites and other delivery platforms. The information provided is for educational or entertainment purposes only. Disclaimer Notice: The opinion expressed in each article is the opinion of its author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Gaelic Sports World Magazine. Therefore, Gaelic Sport World carries no responsibility for the opinion expressed thereon. Gaelic Sport World accepts no responsibility for the consequences of error or for any loss or damage suffered by users of any of the information and material contained in this Digital Magazine, associated website or any other delivery platform you may access through this site. Gaelic Sports World Magazine is not responsible for the content or availability of any external or 3rd party sites and does not warrant or guarantee the products, services, or information found on these sites. Copyright Notice: No part of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher. The information in this Digital Magazine is for information purposes only. Materials contained in this magazine are subject to copyright and other proprietary rights. Copyright ©2014 Gaelic Sports World. All rights reserved. COVER: Editor, Denis O’Brien 2 CONTACT: Tall Irishman tmi [email protected]