Bringing the GAA to Bristol

Omagh student, Orlagh Duncan, is spreading the Gaelic gospel to the far corners of Britain.

The ‘Bristol University Gaelic Society’ was established in 2018, and it has grown with every year of Northern Irish and Republic of Ireland students going over to the south west of England city to study.

Indeed, on its committee alone, three of the four members are from the North: Aoibh McCann from Newry, Beth McDowell from Downpatrick – and Orlagh Duncan from Omagh.

Alongside teaching the sport of Gaelic football, the group also help to cultivate a sense of community and home, especially for students leaving their Irish nest for a culture separate to ours.

The group meets up for various events, one being their own jersey night – an extravaganza which sees many of the members wearing O’Neill jerseys designed by the society itself.

Orlagh, who is a former pupil of Drumragh Integrated College, commenced her BA in Theatre and Film at Bristol University in 2020.

But, having played for Drumragh Sarsfields since she was six, there was no way that Orlagh was going to leave her strong connection to the GAA behind during her time at university.

“Gaelic and our local club has been a very important part of my life for the majority of it – whether it was playing at under 12s or following Tyrone’s campaigns from Healy Park all the way to Croker,” Orlagh told the Tyrone Herald.

“So, when I moved to Bristol, I sought out this society. I was keen to get involved.”

Bristol University Gaelic Society use the Instagram handle, ‘@bristol_gaa’ to promote their training and social events, and currently, it enjoys a following of more than 150 people.

“I got involved with the club when I saw that they were advertising at our students ‘Freshers’ Fair’,” Orlagh recalled.

“For the first year, I was in Bristol, but because of the Covid-19 pandemic, there were rarely any training sessions.

‘Strong sense of community’

“However, our strong sense of community prevailed, and it was a nice feeling just knowing that there were people from home to connect with – especially in such a disconnected year.

“Then, in my second year, the committee was able to organise more ‘socials’ and training sessions, which were a great form of exercise, and it gave us the opportunity to meet all of the people that we had only seen on Zoom.

“And this year,” Orlagh continued, “I have become involved with the committee as a treasurer.

“So, between the four of us, we share responsibility for all aspects of the club.”

Not only does the club create a community for students from Ireland, but it also brings a taste of new culture to their English peers.

The Gaelic helps connect the students together, and lets them share skills from other sports such as football and rugby.

“I’m very proud to be a part of the growing Irish community in Bristol University,” Orlagh concluded.

‘Sharing the same culture’

One club member, 21-year-old, Juliette Patterson, who is from South-East London, said, “As someone who played Gaelic at school, and who has Irish grandparents, it was nice to refresh my skills.

“It was very laid back, and an easy gateway into becoming more involved with the sport again.

“I enjoyed being able to talk about my background with a group of people who share the same culture as my relatives.”

Another member, 20-year-old James Clements from Gloucester, said that it was ‘really exciting’ to play a new sport.

“As a rugby player, I enjoyed combining my existing skills with new ones. Everyone in the Society has been really welcoming.

“I thought that the competitive nature of the sport was very enjoyable,” he added. “I’d like to play more in the future.

“It helped me to gain a better understanding of the sport and the culture from speaking to the coaches and organisers involved.”

In the future, the society plans to expand and collaborate with other clubs, such as the ‘Western Gaels’, who are Gloucestershire’s most successful Gaelic Football Club, to play full matches of Gaelic.

For now, however, the Bristol University Gaelic Society will focus on providing training and practice their skills for Irish and non-Irish students alike.