10 signs you MIGHT love the GAA too much

We all know someone who loves the GAA a little too much.

Ireland is a passionate sporting nation, with the GAA being the centre focus of communities across the island.

However, a love for the Gaelic Athletic Association can often get in the way of many Irish people’s lives as they give it all as players, fans and volunteers. Here are ten signs that you might love the GAA too much.

10. You forget birthdays, anniversaries etc – your championship wins are etched into your heart, though

GAA fans will always forget the dates that certain birthdays and anniversaries fall on, which isn’t ideal.

Why is it, though, that you can still remember the exact date your gaelic club last won the county championship?

9. Curse of the leaving cert – wasting time elsewhere

You curse things like the Leaving Cert, Irish College and county minors for distracting the young fellas at the club.

These external factors often leave your team short on numbers at training and on match days. It means you have to play the full game.

8. You still own one of these – you couldn’t go anywhere without it

School, the gym, hurling/camogie training and even in your holidays, your trusty club holdall from the early 00s is still holding strong and can fit in anything. A cooper helmet, a laptop and your weekly shop? Whack it all in the holdall!

7. You wear your GAA jerseys everywhere you go – you couldn’t cope with anything else

Wearing your club or county jersey everywhere you go is usually a clear sign you love the GAA too much.

Visit any university in Ireland, and you will see droves of like-minded gaelic, hurling and camogie-mad students all decked out in their county and club colours. 

You usually complete your look with a tight pair of navy tracksuit bottoms and a quarter zip. An O’Neills size five ball or hurl and slip tar are optional extras.

Girls, this may be a sign that you’re dating an Irish man!

6. Your happiest memories are all GAA-related – your wedding day doesn’t make the cut

When you’re asked what your happiest memories are and your answer is something like “28 September 2003, when Tyrone won their first All-Ireland title” and not the day of your wedding or the birth of your first child, then you’re fecked. Absolutely fecked.

5. You have commitment issues – GAA over love

You’re more than happy to admit your undying love for Henry Shefflin, Joe Canning or Colm “The Gooch” Cooper to a bunch of strangers but still drag your heels when it comes to telling your partner that you love them.

4. Romantic trips away are difficult – the despair of your partner

When your partner suggests things like “I’ve heard that Paris is lovely in June,” you have to cancel as this is the middle of your Junior B championship.

This will run right up until Christmas before training for the season ahead begins in January, also making winter a difficult time for travel.

Likewise, being a GAA player in a relationship can be tough as you have to schedule your love life around training three times a week, gym sessions five times a week and match day two days a week.

This is one of the things that anyone who has dated a GAA player will understand.

3. You have no time for yourself – consumed by the GAA

Despite lining out for the Junior Bs, you have also volunteered to coach the U8 girls’ camogie, The U12 boy’s B team and the ‘Mammies Over 40s Sunday Morning Club’.

Not to mention, the chairman has his eyes on you for the club treasury role at this years AGM.

2. You are injured all the time – you can’t escape an injury

When the season gets underway, you can’t push yourself too hard in training because you’ll aggravate one of your many injuries. But then when you play, you’re not fit and no good. “Just one more year”,  you tell yourself.

1. You had a guard of honour with hurls at your wedding – one of the biggest signs you love the GAA too much

Have you had a guard of honour at your wedding or, worse yet, left your own wedding to play a club championship match?

The internet is awash with stories of dedicated GAA players leaving their new husbands and wives to play an important club championship game before returning that evening.

Many best men or bridesmaids’ requests have also been denied due to GAA scheduling conflicts.

While there’s nothing wrong with being a passionate fan, it’s essential to keep things in perspective and maintain a balance in life.

So, if you recognise any of these signs in yourself, it might be time to take a step back and re-evaluate your priorities. Ultimately, loving GAA should enhance your life, not consume it.