The County Derry man behind GAA’s growth in Asia

A County Derry man is leading the growth of GAA in Asia where there are now 26 active clubs and hundreds of players.

Joe Trolan from Draperstown is the Games Development Officer for the Asian County Board (ACB).

He played senior football and hurling with Ballinascreen and played alongside All-Ireland winners Tony Scullion and Eamonn Burns before he left Ireland in 1993 for the US.

In 2009 he moved to South Korea for work and joined the Seoul Gaels GAA club and has been involved with them as a player and administrator ever since.

In 2011 Joe got involved in the Asian County Board (ACB) as a development officer and then became chairperson in 2013 for 6 years.

Since he got involved, he says he has seen the GAA grow in the region

“It has definitely grown in my time here at all levels. We have around 26 clubs that are active at adult level and 10 or so at youth level,” he said.

“It's really exciting to see the growth at the youth level as that is how we become sustainable and continue to grow the game locally.”

Joe got his first taste of GAA abroad in US when he played with Clan naGael in Atlanta GA and attended quite a few North American Championships.

According to Joe, the games provide something of ‘a home away from home’ for Irish expats.

“Those who have played Gaelic games before will see GAA in Asia as a safety net for them after arriving in a new city or country.

“It can be very stressful and lonely and therefore the GAA offers that home away from home feeling. The other aspect is that it is less stressful/competitively focused overseas, outside of senior grade.

“I have met so many Irish expats who never played it in Ireland or gave up at a young age because the demands were too much. Asia offers the chance to rekindle that love of Gaelic sport.”

There are currently 28 GAA Clubs across Asia with nine of them forming since 2014, 26 of which are currently active or developing currently. The remaining clubs have become dormant or are waiting to be reactivated.

The dormant areas are maintained with the hope that new interest in GAA in that region will come.

The number of players has grown slightly but the growth in the number of clubs shows a spread in the sport across the region.

Since the Global Financial Crisis, the reduced number of expats in major financial centres has seen some clubs that were previously very big dwindle and focus more on local talent.

Joe moved to South Korea back in 2009.

One particularly successful example of this is Japan, namely its women’s team. They have had continued success over the years with a mostly Japanese-national roster of players. Similar success can be seen in Korea.

“It’s really amazing to see the local community play Gaelic Games. Honestly, at the adult level, I would say it's easier to get involved in Ladies' football.

“In men’s football, there are probably fewer locals but clubs like Cambodia, Japan, Shanghai, Thailand, and Orang Eire (OE) in Malaysia are making inroads in offering the games to the local communities.

“Orang Éire has a refugee program where they coach GAA to refugees in the community and it's a roaring success of community development.

“We have seen a big increase in local kids playing GAA, especially in Vietnam, Thailand, and Shanghai. Vietnam and Thailand have charity-based programs where they teach GAA to local community groups.”

Joe said Gaelic has a different appeal to other sports.

“A couple of reasons I would say with one being: it's a unique sport that offers a mix of skills rather than just one focus. You can use your hands and feet which is weird to many who play a sport where only one is allowed.

“The second reason, I think, is that GAA training and the community [of GAA] is a place where you can be yourself without maintaining local cultural traditions - women can play sports without any judgments and everyone is equal: no hierarchy.

“The GAA community is open to everyone no matter skill level or cultural background.”

One of the main selling points is the lack of expectation to be good straight away since the sport is so new to the region.

A skill gap still exists between expats and locals at senior level but that’s not the case at junior level.

“At junior level, the locals hold their own against the expats, especially in ladies' football. The men’s is competitive at senior and intermediate level but there are a few locals who are not out of place at that level and again at the junior level they can hold their own.”

However, even the most talented expats need time to acclimatise.

“Depending where the games are played it can sometimes be between 32-36 degrees and it can certainly be tough on newly arrived people to Asia.

“Thankfully our games are short and we have rolling subs so while the heat does play a role, once you get used to it then you know how to handle it.”

So far, only Gaelic football has really taken off in Asia.

“Hurling and Camogie is much tougher to grow and get locals involved due to the need for equipment (expensive for clubs) but also the skill levels that you need to enjoy the sport.

“The sport can also be intimidating to someone who hasn't seen it or is playing against someone who has a bit more skill level. The games are growing here but it’s mainly Irish expats playing it or expats from other countries.”