20 years on, Hong Kong are still going strong.
Last year marked the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong Gaelic Football Club and when you talk about the powerhouses of the GAA in Asia, they can’t be far from the top of the list.
Seven-times winners of the Men’s Gaelic Football competition at the Asian Games (including four-in-a-row between 2006 and 2009) and five-times winners of the Ladies’ Football competition at the prestigious tournament, the club have also had an array of famous GAA players don their jerseys in their 20-year history.
Hong Kong GAA hosted the 2005 All-Stars and have even competed in the Kilmacud Sevens in the past; if you’re in Hong Kong and want to get involved in GAA, then this should be your first port of call.
Club PRO Elaine Morrissey was more than happy to tell us a bit about the club and its members when we were in touch recently, including a great tale about a fizzy drink-induced pre-match injury that turned out to have a happy ending.
Focus on Hong Kong Gaelic Football Club
Club: Hong Kong Gaelic Football Club (The Gaelic Dragons)
Year established: 1995, last year marked the club’s 20th anniversary.
Number of members: Over 100.
Biggest rivals: Singapore
Biggest representation from a club/county in Ireland: The Clare Mafia have taken the mantle from Mayo in recent years. The South China terrain must remind them all of lands west of the Shannon.
Most famous ever member: Deirdre Codd of Wexford in 2013. Also, Diarmuid Kinsella of Wexford fame and MJ Tierney of Laois, both of whom played in 2008.
Needless to say we won the Asian Games that year.
Most memorable moment in the club’s history: The men’s team winning four-in-a-row in Bangkok in 2009.
Most eye-catching scoreline in the club’s history: Our hurlers defeating Seoul 7-2 to 0-4 in the semi-final at this year’s Asian Gaelic Games (I should add that it was a 14-minute match).
Player who makes the longest commute to training: ‘The Zhuhai Two’ – Mari and Catriona. But the ferry gives them a chance to practice ‘the lawnmower’.
Most dedicated club person: Ruth Wynne and Fergal Power, for all their years of dedicated service.
Player who could have made it big if love/career/drink didn’t get in the way: Meath icon Alan Brown was headed for Asian GAA stardom until he ‘settled down’.
Also, Roi Harmon… was one kid not enough?
Biggest character: Schteeeve Togher or Mari Herron.
Loudest in the dressing room: If we had a dressing room, Benny McKenna would undoubtedly be in there telling us to “back away from the trough” over the weekend.
And Elaine Morgan, it’s the teacher in her.
Number of romances that started in the GAA club (feel free to name names): Back in the day there were a few but with the advancement of Gaelic Games across Asia, Gaelic Dragons now fornicate only with members of other clubs.
Duck to water award – Best new player who had never played GAA before: A tie-up between South African Brigitte Kohne in camogie, and Kiwi Katrina Williams in football.
Katrina went from never playing a team sport to representing an Asia select in the 2015 World Games, via running the club as Chairperson in 2005.
Most annoying person in the club WhatsApp group: Kev ‘The Difference’ Chan, distributor of regular information about every Happy Hour in the city.
Best story involving a club member that’s fit for print: Beijing, China. The year is 2013. Galwegian Declan Comer decides that Fanta is an effective isotonic sports drink and proceeds to drink seven cans between games.
Declan pulls out of the warm-up before the final in what must be the first fizzy-drink related pre-match injury in the history of the GAA; an upset tummy. Declan proceeded to kick three points in said final after expelling his carbonated demons.
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