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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.

CLUB FACTS AND BACKGROUND

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In the late 70's / early 80's the employees of ICDS in The Hague used to kick around in Zulder Park ( which is the home of the renowned soccer club FC Den Haag) in the several open spaces in this park, suitable for Gaelic Football and Hurling. It was not until a hockey club in Amsterdam were celebrating their centenary that opportunities for playing other clubs arose. The hockey club contacted the GAA in Dublin to send out two hurling teams to give a display for their celebrations. Clare and Wexford were the two teams travelling on this occasion and one of the ICDS employees PJ Devereaux, a Clare man, got an invite to attend the event in Amsterdam ( from Noel Kilkenny - a Clare man also - who was the First Secretary at the Irish Embassy in the Hague at the time.

Also attending this centenary celebration was a member of the Irish Club in Brussels, Belgium to whom PJ Deveraux got speaking and a result of the encounter was an invite to organise a team to travel to Cambrai, France for matches against Brussels and Luxembourg. Afterwards such outings were held in Huy, Belgium near Dinant on the River Moussa and by this stage a new boss had arrived on the scene called Mr. Tony Lynch who had contacts at the American Baseball Football Club in Waascuaar just outside of The Hague. Aer Lingus were invited over and others thruoghout the Netherlands began to hear of these events and came forward to join in.

Come 1984 discussions began on forming a proper registered irish Club to cater for all the family. In Sassenheim near Leiden this club was formed on a Sunday afternnon in late 1984. It is registerd with the Chamber of Commerce in Haarlem and has grown in strength and events over the years. It has various officers onthe board one of the key positions being Sport. Accommodation and playing areas is a big problem in trying to organiseand GAA tournament. In the early 80's we would have at least six or sven Gaelic Football Teams on a Sunday afternoon's tournament and at least four hurling teams.

NEW

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Provisional  List of Events for the Year 2002:

• January
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  19th, AGM in Lux
  

• February
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  16th, in Barcelona 
  Glynn/Barntown and European Team 
  in Football and Hurling Matches
  

• March 23rd
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  Round 1 European League 
  Rennes
  Den Haag winners
  St.Patrick's weekend March 17th
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  St. Patricks Day Festivities in Den Haag
  

• April
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  Round 2 European League
  Paris 
  Den Haag winners
  Ladies Gaelic football - Paris
  
  

• May
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  Round 3 European League, May 4th
  Guernsey 
  
  Hurling Match - Guernsey, May 5th
  Round 5 European League, May 25th
  BlackStuff Luxembourg
  
  Ladies Football Match - Lux
  
  Hurling - Apeldoorn Netherlands Celtic Sports Day