Den Haag GAA hit the road last weekend for the Luxembourg Football Tournament, and while the border crossing may have been smooth, the tackles on the pitch were anything but.
We travelled 11 strong and teamed up with familiar faces from Maastricht (men) and from Nijmegen and Brussels(women) to round out our squads. With both seasoned campaigners and new faces in the mix, we were ready to hit the ground running.
The lads battled it out at the Boy Konen Sports Fields, where the sun blazed down and the 3G pitch blazed it right back—into our eyes and, more cruelly, into our knees. Some sharp shooting from Ruairí McHugh, Shane Cooke, and Liam Hosford kept the scoreboard ticking over, but despite a solid fight, the wins just slipped through our fingers.
Meanwhile, the women lined out at Weimerskirch Pitch, the home turf of Luxembourg GAA, and brought serious energy, determination, and grit. Sinead Mulcahy, Hannah Meaney, and Emma Purcell acquitted themselves brilliantly, linking up with players from Nijmegen and Brussels to form a formidable side that took every match head-on. The teamwork was fluid, the tackles uncompromising, and the spirit unwavering.
The games were fierce, the craic was ninety, and the weather was suspiciously Mediterranean for this part of Europe. Luxembourg GAA pulled out all the stops with a top-notch barbecue and a nostalgic Irish tuck shop, proving once again that a Rice Krispie square is the true taste of victory, or at the very least, of well-earned consolation.
We left with new bruises, new teammates, and a new appreciation for SPF 50. A massive shout-out to the hosts for their hospitality and to our combined teams for the heart, grit, and good humour they brought to every match. Here’s to the next outing—hopefully with all limbs intact—where we’ll be back, boots on and ready for more.
– Cian O’Donovan
Den Haag GAA 