Ukraine GAA club compete in first European competition

The founder of a GAA club in Kyiv in Ukraine has described how the worsening situation with Russian attacks on the capital city is impacting on life there and on the recently formed club.

Kyiv Gaels was formed in 2024 by Dublin man and humanitarian worker Alex Brock.

Members of the club travelled to Italy this weekend and competed in their very first European competition in Verona.

The team competed in the Central East GAA Regional Finals which were held during this year's Tocatí festival in Verona of which Ireland was guest of honour.

Alex Brock said that the club was set up for two reasons.

The first, for it to be a focal point for the Irish Community in Kiev but also to create a space for the thousands of Ukrainians who are currently involved with clubs throughout Ireland.

"There are thousands of Ukrainians involved in GAA with schools and clubs throughout Ireland. We wanted to create a space for them when the war is over and they return home, we will welcome them back and they will have a place to continue to play our games".

Regarding the current situation with the escalation of Russian attacks on Kyiv, Mr Brock said it is having an impact on life and on the club.

"The current situation is the worst we have seen in the Capital Kyiv since the war started. There is a lack of air defences which means a lot more of the attacks are landing in Kiev and there is a lot more destruction.

"We play at our grounds every Monday night, and we check the alarms before playing to see if there are any incoming missiles and to make sure we have a shelter nearby".

On how the situation has changed recently, he said that night-time incoming missile alarms were the norm previously, "but this has changed now to alarms nearly 24/7", Mr Brock said.

"It’s very worrying for our friends and colleagues working there. A lot of our members have received notice that they are being relocated to the Western part of Ukraine for safety reasons. There is a heightened level of risk not only to humanitarian workers but it's also being felt more acutely by Ukrainians themselves in Kyiv", he said.

Despite the threats and uncertainty he said that he is confident that the Kyiv Gaels club will continue and be a focal point for Irish workers in the future as well as for returning Ukrainian refugees who want to continue to play Gaelic games at home when the war ends.