Glasgow Uni GAA founder celebrated at 30th anniversary

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.

Late last month, Glasgow University Gaelic Football Club hosted the Michael O’Leary Commemoration and Alumni Dinner Dance at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow, marking 25 years since the passing of the club’s founder and bringing together almost 30 years of the club’s history under one roof.

The event welcomed alumni from across Scotland, Ireland, England, and further afield, alongside current students, representatives from Scotland GAA, British Universities GAA, and Glasgow University Sports Association.

Most significantly, the evening welcomed members of the O’Leary family, who travelled from Ireland and England to attend.

For many in attendance, it was the first time in years that former teammates had been reunited. The founding men’s team of 1997 and the founding women’s team of 2001 were both represented, with alumni spanning almost three decades of the club’s history returning to Glasgow for the occasion.

The event centred on remembering Michael O’Leary, a native of Callan, County Kilkenny, who arrived at the University of Glasgow in 1995 to study Physics. Missing Gaelic games while living in Scotland, O’Leary and others began gathering Irish students together and in Easter 1997 founded what would become Glasgow University Gaelic Football Club.

What began as a small student initiative has since grown into one of the most successful university GAA clubs in Britain, producing generations of players and administrators while providing a home away from home for thousands of Irish students.

Speaking during the evening, current club President Anna Grew reflected on the significance of the occasion.

“Student clubs are transient by nature. People arrive, spend a few short years giving everything to something, and then move on,” she said. “Committees change. Teams change. Faces change. Yet somehow, some things endure.

“Looking around the room and seeing nearly three decades of one club together was incredibly moving. It was a reminder that while the people change, the essence of what makes a community special does not.”

The evening also marked the launch of Callan to Caledonia: The Story of Glasgow University Gaelic Football Club, a 306-page book chronicling the club’s history from its foundation in 1997 through to the present day.

Originally envisioned as a small commemorative booklet, the project grew significantly as former members contributed memories, photographs, interviews, and stories from every era of the club’s existence.

The book explores not only the history of the club itself but also the story of Michael O’Leary, the history of Gaelic games in Glasgow, and the significance of O’Leary’s hometown of Callan, County Kilkenny—the location of the first recorded Gaelic football match played under GAA rules in 1885.

Throughout the evening, speakers reflected on the role student GAA clubs play within the Irish diaspora. For generations of Irish students arriving in Scotland, Glasgow University GAA has provided far more than sport. It has offered friendship, community, leadership opportunities, and a sense of belonging in a new city.

That theme was evident throughout the night as former players shared stories spanning nearly 30 years. Despite differences in eras, teams, and competitions, many reflected on remarkably similar experiences—lifelong friendships, unforgettable trips, difficult days and a club that became a second home.

The timing of the event also carried additional significance following one of the most successful seasons in the club’s history. Earlier this year the men’s team captured the Scottish Championship, while the women’s team won the British Universities Division Two Shield, continuing a legacy that stretches back to the first training session held at Westerlands in April 1997.

For many attendees, however, the greatest achievement was not measured in trophies. Instead, it was seeing the enduring impact of a decision made by a 20-year-old student from Kilkenny nearly three decades ago.

As the evening drew to a close, alumni, current students, and members of the O’Leary family raised a glass to Michael O’Leary—a young man whose legacy continues to shape lives long after his passing.

Nearly 30 years on from the club’s foundation, his story remains woven through every chapter of Glasgow University Gaelic Football Club.

And judging by the scenes in Glasgow on Saturday evening, that story is far from finished.