GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 34 – September 19, 2015 | Page 16

Europe. Heading into the competition this year’s Benelux regional
champions and European 15 aside
winners, Amsterdam were the favourites with Belgium also ones to
watch. Local fancies Estrela Vermelha, the double Galicia league
and cup winners along with runners-up in the Iberian Championship, Irmandinhos the host club,
represented the best hopes for a
home win.
Amsterdam, Belgium, Paris, and
Irmandinhos made it through
from the group stages and into Ladies football action at Estrada, Galicia. Photo: Marie-Therese Dockery.
the semi-finals. In the first semi,
the mostly all Irish Amsterdam side faced local team Irthe Leinster junior club championship as they had earmandinhos. The Benelux and 15 aside champs had it all
lier won the European 15 aside championship. Munich
do to in an entertaining game with the crowd cheering
had done well this summer as they won their South East
on their local heroes. And, heroes they were as Irmandregional championships so could not be counted out,
inhos lost out by just a single point on a scoreline of 1-6
while Galicia double league and cup victors Irmandinto 1-5. An incredible performance from the local side
hos a Estrada would have the local support. The teams
given they have only been playing Gaelic Football since
were broken up into 3 groups playing 7-aside format
the past 4-5 years. In the other semi-final Paris showed
and it was Belgium, A Coruña Fillas de Breogán, Irtheir form when beating the fancied Belgium team by
mandinhas A Estrada and Munich Colmcilles who
3-4 to 0-5. The final was a hard fought close match and
made it into the semi-finals.
it was Amsterdam who proved best coming out 1-6 to
1-3 victors.
The first of these saw European champions Belgium defeat Munich by 4-8 to 2-00, with the second semi, an all
LADIES FOOTBALL
Galician affair, saw the A Corunna side surprise Irmandinhas 4-8 to 1-4. The final was a gripping game as the
There were impressive numbers also taking part in
Galician side gave as good as they got throughout. The
Ladies Football with 10 teams in action and a whopBelguim side with the majority of them Irish were given a
ping 8 of those local teams from Galicia. The heavy
major scare as they held out to defeat A Corunna by 3-10
favourites here were the reigning 7 in a row
to 3-07. That an all Galician side came within three points
of the 7 in a row Euro champs highlights the their passion
European champions Belgium. This team had also
for the game and improving standards of play from teams
won the right again this year to represent Europe in
in the region.

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