Saint Gallen situated between Lake Constance and the Appenzell Alps in northeast Switzerland, is a beautiful city with a strong Irish connection as it takes its name from an Irish monk, Gallus who founded a hermitage here in the 7th century.
That teaching and Irish connection still exists, and, the city’s tale took another twist recently when a group of Irish teachers came together to introduce Gaelic sports to the area when forming a GAA club, the Saint Gallen Bears.
The young club has been working very hard since their start the day after the All Ireland Hurling final last year and is already reaching out not only, to the only other Swiss club to the south in Zurich, but is also actively promoting Gaelic football and hurling to the local community in Saint Gallen.
The club recently played the first ever inter Swiss club football match on May 22 against their southern neighbours Zurich Inneoin in Zurich, and despite an obvious lack of experience they put in a great performance.
GaelicSportsCast spoke to the club’s secretary Monaghan native, Brian Clerkin, during the week of that historic match, about the Saint Gallen Bears club and its hopes for developing a solid footing for Gaelic sports in the Swiss Alps.
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