Stockholm Gaels mens and ladies teams with legendary GAA commentator, Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh. Mícheál who attended Europe Pan 1 commentated on both the mens and ladies finals. (Photo courtesy of Stockholm Gaels).
About this time in Europe each year, Gaelic sports enthusiasts are thick on the ground as it marks the beginning of the first round of the mens and ladies European football championship series.
All summer long in the six regions that comprise Europe GAA: North West Bretagne, North West, Iberia, Scandinavia, Benelux, and, East and Central, teams had been competing in mens football for places in the three Pan European Championship Final Rounds.
In the mens championship, regional winners and runner’s up get automatic qualification for the Pan Europe series and once the series begins the team leading the table at the end of Round 3 – which for the first time ever is being held at Limerick in Ireland this November – will be crowned European champion.
The ladies European football championship format is a little different in that teams compete in 7 rounds across Europe – including the final three Pan Europe rounds – with table toppers all season, the victors.
Mens champion’s Den Haag are going for three in a row this year while Belgium ladies look unstoppable as they seek a fourth title in succession.
Last Saturday, the Pan Europe series began in earnest with Round 1 taking place at Leuven, Belgium.
Six mens teams lined up for Round 1 honours while a further 8 teams lined out in the ladies competition. In the mens Shield competition, which is pretty much open to all-comers, a fantastic 11 teams took to the field.
The usual suspects Den Haag and Belgium took the mens and ladies Round 1 titles respectively, while Amsterdam won out in the Mens Shield.
In this podcast we focus on the mens and ladies championship as we were unable to obtain a report on the Shield though results are given at the end of the podcast.
A very busy man last Saturday was player, coach of Stockholm mens and ladies teams, and Europe GAA PRO, Philip O’Connor, and, he spoke to GaelicSportsCast about the mens and ladies competitions at Leuven.
Listen here:
21:372011 Pan Europe 1 – Belgium Results
