Advertisement
Barrington Coombs/EMPICS Sport

Monday Night Football: Spanish GAA club set for La Liga half-time show

The Éire Óg Sevilla club are to play an exhibition game during the interval of next Monday’s clash between Sevilla FC and Granada.

GAELIC FOOTBALL WILL be the unlikely source of entertainment for spectators at next Monday’s La Liga game between home side Sevilla FC and Granada.

Members of the Éire Óg Sevilla club will partake in an exhibition match at half-time of the soccer tie at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.

The event is part of a marketing plan undertaken by Sevilla FC to attract foreigners as new members of the club.

Throughout this season the club have dedicated each home game to a different country and next Monday is Irish day.

The Éire Óg players will partake in a seven-a-side game during a six-minute slot in the interval.

The teams is made up of expats and native Spaniards based in the city but one of their players, Clonmel native Tommy Barry, will be in action in the game on the Andalucian coast despite being currently based in Madrid.

“I’m working here in Madrid since the start of last May, having been in Seville for about three and a half years before that,” Barry told TheScore.ie.

“I got involved with the GAA club in their very first season in 2010. I’d still be in contact with the Seville lads but wasn’t able to travel down as much recently because I was involved playing rugby up here.

“But when I heard about the game next Monday night, I said I couldn’t miss it. It’s a once in a lifetime chance to play at half-time of a La Liga game.

“So I’m getting the fast train down to Seville after work on Monday and the the night bus back, which is a six and a half hour journey. Then I’ll be back in time for work in Madrid on Tuesday morning.”

Club secretary Kevin Lenane, a native of Ardmore in Waterford, is the founder of the club.

“It’s a stroke of luck really that we got roped in. The Sevilla FC marketing team visited the Irish bars, The Merchant and O’Neill’s, last week to spread the word about it.

“The bars mentioned to them about the Gaelic team being in the city and they then got in contact with me. There’s a huge buzz amongst the players about it.

“I moved over here in 1999 and set up the GAA club in 2010. Initially it was all expats but over the last few years that’s changed and now 50% of our panel would be Spanish which is great to see.

“As regards players from Ireland,we have a goalkeeper from Mayo, a good few lads from Tipperary, and then others from Laois, Dublin and Meath. We also have a Scottish player involved as well.”

The game is the centrepiece of Irish celebrations  on the night with any Irish fan who turns up for the game able to gain access for €5. The Irish flag will be hung from the stadium flagpole, the Irish Ambassador will be in attendance from Madrid and traditional Irish music will be played before the game.

The game is being broadcast live on Marca TV while the Éire Óg team will be playing in new jersey’s sponsored by the O’Neill’s Irish pub and OPEN school of languages Seville.

Close
22 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Dobermann
    Favourite John Dobermann
    Report
    Jan 23rd 2013, 8:47 PM

    Pity they’re not playing Real Madrid. Xavi Alonso could show what skills he learned while a spanish student over here and played GAA.

    68
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jamie Mccormack
    Favourite Jamie Mccormack
    Report
    Jan 23rd 2013, 10:35 PM

    That’s right, he learned how to puck a sliotar in Meath of all counties!

    31
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fukface
    Favourite Fukface
    Report
    Jan 23rd 2013, 8:47 PM

    Will this violate rule 42?

    57
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gerry Campbell
    Favourite Gerry Campbell
    Report
    Jan 23rd 2013, 8:42 PM

    Could you imagine Ronaldo getting a SOG from a bandaged up corner back giving it ‘ one more year ‘ he ‘d do some rolling then..

    56
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute ThomasFrancisMeagher
    Favourite ThomasFrancisMeagher
    Report
    Jan 23rd 2013, 10:02 PM

    Brilliant, hope it helps the club recruit more local players. It’s great to see people from other countries playing our games.

    51
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jamie Mccormack
    Favourite Jamie Mccormack
    Report
    Jan 24th 2013, 2:36 AM

    gave both yis a green lad but i have no idea what a SOG is? please enlighten..

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Hayes
    Favourite John Hayes
    Report
    Jan 23rd 2013, 9:20 PM

    Half time: Juan goal to no score.

    47
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Conor Gallagher
    Favourite Conor Gallagher
    Report
    Jan 23rd 2013, 9:38 PM

    Hurling would have been a far better display (if Eire Og play it)

    35
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dermot Meehan
    Favourite Dermot Meehan
    Report
    Jan 23rd 2013, 10:35 PM

    No, although hurling is better than “Gaaaa” it’s still dismal!!!

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Martin
    Favourite Paul Martin
    Report
    Jan 23rd 2013, 8:55 PM

    Olly O’Le at full forward?

    31
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dermot Meehan
    Favourite Dermot Meehan
    Report
    Jan 23rd 2013, 9:19 PM

    Well that will bore the arse of the Spanish punters!!! Go on, get those red thumbs going. Don’t care, GAA is dismal… So is football actually. Rugby is the only decent honourable game of the popular sports. I’ll red thumb myself to get the oval ball rolling.

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Martin
    Favourite Paul Martin
    Report
    Jan 23rd 2013, 9:42 PM

    Honorable? “Bloodgate”

    45
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jamie Mccormack
    Favourite Jamie Mccormack
    Report
    Jan 23rd 2013, 10:39 PM

    Someone’s lookin’ to be spear-tackled

    27
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dermot Meehan
    Favourite Dermot Meehan
    Report
    Jan 24th 2013, 12:01 AM

    At least the referees don’t get beaten up by the players and “fans” in rugby.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Martin
    Favourite Paul Martin
    Report
    Jan 24th 2013, 12:26 AM
    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jack Noone
    Favourite Jack Noone
    Report
    Jan 23rd 2013, 11:37 PM

    Moving to Spain in September for Erasmus hope there’s a club near where I might end up :) This will only help the start of more clubs

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute ThomasFrancisMeagher
    Favourite ThomasFrancisMeagher
    Report
    Jan 24th 2013, 8:30 AM

    Where are you going Jack? There are clubs in A Coruna, Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, Seville & Marbella.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jack Noone
    Favourite Jack Noone
    Report
    Jan 24th 2013, 12:28 PM

    Madrid, Valencia and Sevilla a long with Bilbao and Malaga are on my short list. I won’t know until March exactly where.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Walsh
    Favourite John Walsh
    Report
    Jan 23rd 2013, 11:15 PM

    Brilliant. Would love to hear the reaction to a 50/50 challenge and commentary from our very own Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh….a rabbit chasing a fox…..father from Fermanagh mother from Fiji, neither a great hurling stronghold. Classic

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jamie Mccormack
    Favourite Jamie Mccormack
    Report
    Jan 23rd 2013, 11:34 PM

    “his family are undertakers…they’d be the last people to let you down”..

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mosheen Boland
    Favourite Mosheen Boland
    Report
    Jan 23rd 2013, 9:04 PM

    Would you get a black card for diving?

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute zebedee
    Favourite zebedee
    Report
    Jan 23rd 2013, 8:45 PM

    What’s the deal? Nothing on the Chelsea v Swansea game??

    7
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.