Plans for an official Europe GAA structure were announced by GAA
President
Joe MacDonagh in Paris, in April 1997.
Officers from Europe's various Gaelic
Games centres were invited to Croke Park in September 1997, for a meeting on how
best to develop the organisation in Europe. As a result Europe were invited to
enter a team in the International Festival held by St.Vincents in September
1998.
When The Europe Team took to the field against Raheny in a Challenge Senior Football match on 20th Sept. 1998, it officially marked the beginning of the Europe GAA as an organisation.
Historical meeting sets up European GAA Board
22/11/99: Irish Times: The establishment of a European Board of the GAA came one step closer yesterday as representatives of the continental Gaelic clubs met in Amsterdam to appoint board members to the embryonic committee.
An application by the European board to affiliate to the GAA still has to be accepted by the management in Croke Park before going before the Congress in Galway next year for ratification.
The president of the GAA, Joe McDonagh, attended the Amsterdam meeting while Barney Winston, of the GAA's International Dimensions Workgroup, chaired the historic meeting.
The position for chairperson of the European Board went to Mark Scanlon of Paris Gaels and Ann Donnelly, also from Paris, was appointed secretary. On Saturday in Amsterdam, Paris Gaels clinched the Brendan Maloney Memorial Football Trophy beating The Hague Club. Teams from Guernsey and Luxembourg also took part.
Historical Records 
GUERNSEY GAELS GAA:
Only formed in June 1997, the club has already
strongly contested The Brendan Memorial Cup, The Black Stuff 7's and The Muratti
Cup against Jersey, and it now hosts an annual St.Patrick's Weekend 7-a-side
tournament.
GAELIC SPORTS CLUB LUXEMBOURG:
Founded in 1978, the club hosts Europe's
longest running Tournament, The Black Stuff 7's where last year Luxembourg
fielded no less than 6 teams. The club also organises an annual European hurling
Tournament.
THE HAGUE GAA ( & THE NETHERLANDS):
The late 1970's saw the beginning
of Gaelic Football being played in Zulder Park. In 1984 a registered Irish Club
was formed in Sassenheim near Leiden. By the late 1980's there were 6 or 7
Gaelic Football teams & 4 Hurling teams playing locally on Sunday
Afternoons. Due to lack of sports grounds for GAA Tournaments, the numbers have
dwindled to approx. 15-20 players.
BRUSSELS:
The Irish Club in Brussels is in existence for many years, and
the Brussels club has sent teams to the Black Stuff, Maloney Memorial, and the
Annual Hurling Tournaments. Brussels GAA has the greatest development of
underage GAA in Europe.
PARIS GAELS GAA:
In 1994, Gaelic Sports were being played by a the Irish
Community on a regular Basis. Paris Gaels became the first affiliated ( to Croke
Park) GAA club in mainland Europe in April 1995, when the club was officially
formed. Paris has won the Black Stuff Sevens for the 3rd year in a row.
The club is one of the instigators behind the Europe GAA development.
OZOIR LA FERIERE:
Twinned with Swords Co.Dublin,
forty-fifty french boys and girls have been been playing and training in hurling and
Gaelic Football, for the past few years. Ozoir has also been teaching Irish music dancing and songs.
LYON:
Lyon GAA have been playing home and away Gaelic Football Matches
against Paris Gaels for the past few years. It is one of the only Senior Club in Europe
which fields 10 or more European-born players for each match .
WITTENBERG GAEL
GALLS HURLING TEAM:
Hurling has long
been considered a game with a difference. A sport intensly played in Ireland and
in amongst the Irish communities abroad. Although known to be the fastest field
sport in the world.
GAEL
GALL was started in June of 1999. As the team name indicates (foriegn
gaels) the team consists of one irish man and twelve german players to date. All
of whom train every sunday.
Recent years have seen the setup of GAA clubs and teams :