The GAA has announced a new partnership with University College Cork (UCC) to publish an Atlas of the GAA, a major new publication that will explore, map and celebrate the cultural significance of the organization, both nationally and internationally.
‘Atlas of the GAA: Cumann Lúthchleas Gael / The Gaelic Athletic Association’, will feature in the critically acclaimed Atlas Series published by Cork University Press, the publishing arm of UCC. The volume will coincide with the 145th anniversary of the GAA in 2029 and forms part of a wider programme of commemorative initiatives leading towards the Association’s 150th anniversary in 2034.
CLUBS’ INPUT
Central to the project is a call to action to GAA clubs, at home and abroad, to actively participate in shaping this definitive record of the organisation. Clubs will be invited to contribute key data that will inform a major mapping exercise, capturing the scale, reach and cultural significance of the Association.
The volume, which will draw on the data for a selection of maps, will be co-edited by Atlas Series stalwarts Dr John Crowley (UCC School of the Human Environment) and Dr Donal Ó Drisceoil (UCC School of History), who previously collaborated on Atlas of the Irish Revolution (2017), recently voted one of the top twenty Irish books of the last two decades. They will be joined by Dr Liam O’Callaghan (School of Health and Sport Sciences, Liverpool Hope University), Dr Richard McElligott (School of Business and Humanities, Dundalk Institute of Technology), and cartographic editor Charlie Roche (Mobile GIS).
GAA DONATION
The Atlas will also cover the role of women in the history of the GAA and include the growth of the Camogie Association since 1924 and the Ladies Gaelic Football Association since 1974.
“When the GAA approached my colleagues and I about a potential new book for the Atlas Series, I knew it would be a great fit,” co-editor to the volume, Dr. John Crowley said. “The GAA has been a significant part of the Irish cultural experience since its inception in 1884. This exciting new project will mark an important milestone in the Association’s history and will provide unique ways of comprehending its widespread impact both at home and abroad.”
The project is made possible by a GAA donation to Cork University Foundation, underlining the Association’s commitment to supporting scholarly research that deepens understanding of its cultural and social impact.
Uachtarán CLG Jarlath Burns said he had no doubt it would be ‘a most sought-after publication’.
“This landmark project will be the first major academic work on the GAA since our oral history project as part of our 125 celebrations, and following on from that success, I believe the Atlas of the GAA will be something that will position the Association as we look to mark our 150th anniversary in 2034”.
He continued, “In addition to the resource that will be the printed Atlas, we are hugely excited about the digital mapping project, which will allow us to preserve for posterity the stories of all 1,600 GAA clubs dotted throughout Ireland and the more than 500 operating around the globe. I look forward to every one of our units engaging and telling their story when the time comes.”
‘Atlas of the GAA’ will depend on the active involvement of clubs to help document places, people and memories. Further details on how clubs can contribute data and participate in the mapping process will be announced by the GAA in due course.
