ILBF series tells the remarkable story of East Belfast GAA
Date Posted: May 31, 2022
Le Chéile, meaning together, is a new Irish Language Broadcast Fund series about the remarkable story of East Belfast GAA during their first full year of play in 2021. Following months of inactivity due to Covid restrictions, the East Belfast GAA community get back out onto the grass and set out on their second year together as a club. Produced by Macha Media, the series begins on Monday 6th June at 10pm on BBC Two Northern Ireland and RTÉ One on Monday 13th June at 8pm.
It started with a single tweet in May 2020. Two years on, East Belfast GAA currently has more than a thousand members from all backgrounds and walks of life.
Historically the GAA has been associated with Irish nationalism whereas east Belfast has long been seen as a unionist area. But in 2020, the founders of a brand new club, East Belfast GAA, hoped to change things by removing boundaries, breaking down stereotypes and welcoming players from all communities, faiths and political persuasions.
That single tweet was sent by David McGreevy in May 2020. David and his friend, Richard Maguire, only wanted to start a GAA club for kids in East Belfast and sent out their social media message at 9.15am on a Sunday morning. They invited people from all backgrounds, beliefs and abilities to join their ranks.
The programme meets some of the players who come from a range of diverse backgrounds. Caoimhe O’Connell, originally from West Belfast but living now in the east of the city, describes how the typical GAA club in Ireland can be the focus of a parish, with successive generations of extended families being born into it and children given hurls before they can walk. For her, East Belfast GAA is different. She said: “We’re not like that, we chose each other. I didn’t know anyone here last year, but now we’re a family. These girls aren’t my friends, they’re my sisters.”
Andrew McCammon, a former Second Lieutenant in the British Army, was inspired to learn more about Gaelic games and the Irish language while serving as a dental officer. After leaving the army, he signed up for Irish classes where he heard about the club.
Kimberly Robertson, originally from Boston, Massachusetts, has embraced Gaelic games. Never having played before, Kimberly joined East Belfast GAA in an attempt to learn more about Irish culture and make new friends. She says she cannot imagine life now without the GAA and has recently been appointed chairperson of the club.
Linda Ervine is the club’s first President. A unionist and Irish language activist, Linda is director of the ‘Turas’ Irish language project and welcomes the inclusion and promotion of all cultures within the club. She said: “Of course, there are some naysayers, but overall, there has been a lot of positivity and I got loads of lovely messages from people saying, ‘isn’t this great, isn’t this fantastic.’ I think it is a symbol of a shared space. It shows that, if you’re one thing, it doesn’t mean that you can’t engage with something else. Coming from the background that I did, I never heard of GAA, I didn’t know anything about GAA, but that has changed.”
The programme attends training sessions and competitive matches in league and championship, witnessing victories, injuries and defeats in crucial games. Without even a pitch to call their own, Le Chéile shows the determination of the East Belfast GAA community and their passion for Gaelic games as they strive to achieve success.
Is sraith nua de chuid an Chiste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge é Le Chéile faoi scéal suntasach CLG Oirthear Bhéal Feirste agus aistear an chlub sa chéad bhliain imeartha iomlán acu in 2021. I ndiaidh dóibh míonna fada a chailleadh mar gheall ar shrianta Covid, tá pobal CLG Oirthear Bhéal Feirste réidh le filleadh ar an pháirc chun tús a chur leis an dara bliain ar an saol acu, le chéile. Léirithe ag Macha Media, tosnóidh an tsraith Dé Luain 6ú Meitheamh ag 10i.n. ar BBC Two Northern Ireland agus 13ú Meitheamh ag 8i.n. ar RTÉ One.
Thosaigh sé le tvuít amháin i mí na Bealtaine 2020. Dhá bhliain ar aghaidh, tá breis is míle ball ag CLG Oirthear Bhéal Feirste ó gach cúlra agus réimse saoil.
Is fada baint ag an CLG le náisiúnachas Éireannach, agus tá iomrá ar oirthear Bhéal Feirste le fada an lá mar cheantar aontachtach. Sa bhliain 2020, áfach, bhí súil ag bunaitheoirí an chlub úrnua, CLG Oirthear Bhéal Feirste, cúrsaí a athrú trí theorainneacha a bhaint anuas, steiréitíopaí a bhriseadh síos agus fáilte a chur roimh bhaill úra ó gach pobal, creideamh agus claonadh polaitiúil.
Ba é David McGreevy a sheol an tvuít áirithe sin amach i mí na Bealtaine 2020. Ní raibh David agus a chara, Richard Maguire, ach ag iarraidh club CLG do pháistí a bhunú in oirthear Bhéal Feirste. Seoladh an teachtaireacht amach ar na meáin shóisialta ag 9.15r.n. maidin Dé Domhnaigh, ag tabhairt cuiridh do dhaoine ó gach cúlra, creideamh agus cumas le páirt a ghlacadh.
Faightear léargas sa chlár ar roinnt de na himreoirí, a bhfuil cúlraí éagsúla acu. Tá Caoimhe O’Connell ag cur fúithi in oirthear Bhéal Feirste faoi láthair ach is as iarthar na cathrach ó dhúchas í. Labhraíonn sí faoi chlubanna eile CLG timpeall na tíre ar chodanna lárnacha iad de pharóistí agus de theaghlaigh leis na glúnta. Dar le Caoimhe, tá CLG Oirthear Bhéal Feirste difriúil. “Níl muidine mar sin,” a dúirt sí, “roghnaigh muid a chéile. Ní raibh aithne agam ar dhuine ar bith anseo anuraidh, ach anois is teaghlach muid. Ní cairde liom iad na cailíní seo, ach is iad mo chuid deirfiúracha iad.”
Bhí Andrew McCammon mar iar-dhara leifteanant in Arm na Breataine, agus le linn a thréimhse mar oifigeach fiaclóireachta, spreagadh é le tuilleadh a fhoghlaim faoi na cluichí Gaelacha agus faoin Ghaeilge. Nuair a d’éirigh sé as an arm, chláraigh Andrew do ranganna Gaeilge, inar chuala sé faoin chlub.
Is as Bostún, Massachusetts í Kimberly Robertson agus tá sí i ndiaidh titim i ngrá le cluichí Gaelacha. Gan réamhthaithí ar bith leis an spórt, chláraigh Kimberly le CLG Oirthear Bhéal Feirste chun cultúr na hÉireann a bhlaiseadh agus chun cairde nua a dhéanamh. Deir sí nach féidir léi a saol a shamhlú anois gan an CLG, agus ceapadh mar chathaoirleach an chlub í le déanaí.
Is í Linda Ervine céad uachtarán an chlub. Aontachtaí láidir agus gníomhaí teanga í Linda. Tá sí ina stiúrthóir ar an tionscadal Gaeilge ‘Turas’ agus cuireann sí fáilte roimh chur chun cinn gach aon chultúr sa chlub. Dúirt sí: “Ar ndóigh tá roinnt daoine diúltacha ann, ach tríd is tríd, tá daoine iontach sásta. Fuair mise cuid mhór teachtaireachtaí deasa ó dhaoine ag rá, “Nach bhfuil seo ar fheabhas, nach bhfuil seo iontach.” Sílim gur siombal é, d’áit roinnte. Is é rud a léiríonn sé, má tá baint agat le rud amháin, ní chiallaíonn sé sin nach dtig leat baint a bheith agat le rud eile. Mar gheall ar an chúlra a bhí agam féin, níor chuala mé faoin CLG ariamh, ní raibh eolas ar bith agam air, ach tá sé sin athraithe anois.”
Sa chlár faisnéise seo, tugtar léargas saibhir ar an chlub, ó sheisiúin traenála go cluichí sraithe agus craoibhe, ó cheiliúradh go gortuithe agus briseadh chroí i gcluichí cinniúnacha. Gan pháirc imeartha dá gcuid féin acu fiú, léiríonn Le Chéile diongbháilteacht phobal CLG Oirthear Bhéal Feirste agus an paisean atá acu do na cluichí Gaelacha, agus iad ar a ndícheall club rathúil a bheith acu.
