FROM the mills of the 19th century to the playing fields of today’s Gaelic games, Dundee’s Irish story is one of resilience, cultural exchange, and enduring community spirit. Far from being a relic of the past, Irish influence in the city is not only remembered—it is being actively revived.

A GREAT day’s play of handball was had recently at Broughton High School in Edinburgh, with some brilliant skills on display too. The fifth code of the GAA is fast-paced, fun and strategic and the event buzzed with excitement. There was immense enjoyment on the day for those playing for the first time as youngsters or as more experienced novices with the skill challenges. In the Men’s Open, Willie Quaile of Coolboy Handball Club defeated Thomas McCurtains’ Fionn Ó Súilleabhái

HIBERNIAN Football Club’s sesquicentennial year drew to a close with a pre-season tour of Ireland and the unveiling of two plaques in co-founder Canon Edward Joseph Hannan’s birthplace village of Ballingarry, County Limerick (see features section).

A NEW football club with Irish roots is beginning its journey in Glasgow, bringing together community, culture and sport under one identity.

THE day after an uninspiring loss to Shamrock Rovers, my brother and I made our way by car to the cradle of the Hibernian Football Club—Ballingarry in County Limerick—to attend a service to commemorate the founder Canon Edward Joseph Hannan.

IT'S BEEN 12 years since Glasgow hosted the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 23rd iteration of the event—the 2026 Glasgow games—has now kicked off again in the city, far sooner than anyone would have predicted back in 2014.

THERE are league victories, and then there are championship-winning performances. Tír Conaill Harps produced the latter recemtly as they successfully defended their league crown, overcoming Dunedin Connollys with a superb display of attacking football to secure back-to-back league titles.

DUNEDIN Connollys retained their Men’s Senior League title following a dramatic one-point victory over Glasgow Gaels in a tightly contested final at Peterson Park in Yoker.

AFTER two years away, Glasgow Irish AFC are back! The amateur football club had eight great years of ups and downs, with silverware and cup finals won and lost, but at the start of the 2024/25 season the club took the devastating decision to fold with player recruitment being a big issue. With an aging team and no fresh players coming in it proved to be too difficult to continue.

IN 2007, I skipped the afterparty celebrations of a wedding in Gweedore, Donegal and hitched a lift to Derry to watch the Senior County Football Final at Celtic Park, where the success starved club of my birth, Glenullin, was facing Bellaghy, the record title holders.

IN A season like no other, the club whose corporate logo is ‘A club like no other,’ again broke new football ground by holding the first ever football history conference specifically dedicated to discussing one club—Celtic FC.

A GLASGOW native now living in Donegal helped coach the Republic of Ireland Veterans Football team to glory at the recent FIFA Super Vets World Championships in Copenhagen.

wonderful man Martin O’Neill and the fight-to-the-end Celtic squad who won the double this season against all the odds, with just about everyone—bar Hibs fans—rooting against us!

A RESTRUCTURING of games has meant that Ceann Creige’s camógs and hurlers have had limited competitive matches to date.

DUNEDIN Connollys and Tír Conaill Harps will be looking to make it two-in-a-row in their respective Senior and Intermediate League Finals, with both teams having been the stand-out performers in their competitions.

NEARLY three decades after a young Kilkenny student decided to start a Gaelic Football Club in Glasgow, generations of players, alumni, family and friends gathered to celebrate the remarkable legacy that decision created.

WITH World Cup fever fully underway around the world, fans of Irish football might be feeling a little left out. A summer of GAA action is providing some diversion, but with another competition coming round with no Irish involvement now might be the time to take a little wander down Memory Lane.

CLASSIC season continued apace since the last column, with some of the most prestigious races in the calendar taking place in Ireland, England and France over the last four weeks.

THIS columnist’s weekend centred around a trip to Manchester for the Northern Games youth tournament with hundreds of young footballers to play in competitions across two days hosted by Lancashire GAA.

AT THE recent civic St Patrick’s Day Festival Parade in Glasgow, there was a familiar face among all the flags being held aloft.