Originating in Ireland, Gaelic football combines elements of soccer, rugby, and basketball, creating a fast-paced and physically demanding game.  

At Riordan, two teachers tackle this sport head on. 

Seamus Lucey, RSP teacher, has played Gaelic football since he was in middle school. He talked about his experiences, saying, “It was electric, very intense, aggressive and you will hear it from the fan when you mess up.” 

The game is played on a rectangular field with H-shaped goals at each end. The objective of the sport is to score by kicking or punching the ball into the other team’s goal, which is 3 points, or between two upright posts above the goal and over a crossbar 2.5 meters above the ground for 1 point.  

Karen McDermott, Biology teacher, is from Ireland and grew up immersed in Gaelic football her whole life. She recently moved from Ireland to California and brought her talents to the United States. 

She passed on some of her insights on the game, her experiences in Gaelic football and how it is a very different sport, stating, “Because of the closeness of the community, it’s a very family based sport that I am able to play with my sisters.” 

Lucey has taken away a lot from his experiences from Gaelic football and added, “It doesn’t happen all in one day and it takes time and that you should be open to advice and new changes.”

McDermott said, “Winning is the best thing because we work hard all year around. It has very similar skills like kicking, catching, throwing and the competitiveness is also similar, but it is different because it is a much faster sport and has unique skills that other sports don’t, like soloing the ball.” 

It also embraces “the Irish culture,” McDermott said.

Although from different corners of the globe, Lucey and McDermott have had similar, unique experiences in the world of Gaelic football. Their lives have changed because of the sport and look forward to sharing it with others.