Trinity GAA club will celebrate the long-awaited opening of their new Santry headquarters with a mouth-watering tie between the College’s senior footballers and the reigning All-Ireland champions, Dublin, on Sunday. The new state-of-the-art facilities, which will also accommodate the College’s hockey, rowing and rugby clubs, saw the GAA club taking up residence there earlier in the year, following their move from Clanna Gael GAA club.
GAA has traditionally been a peripheral sport in Trinity and the admission that one is a member once elicited puzzled looks from fellow students. As such it is unsurprising that Trinity’s links with the numerous successful Dublin teams through the decades have gone somewhat unreported. However, scratch the surface and you will quickly come across some of the most recognisable names in Dublin GAA history. Notable alumni include the godfather of Dublin football, Kevin Heffernan, triple All-Ireland winner Tony Hanahoe, and 2011 All-Ireland winning manager Pat Gilroy, who was an integral part of one of Trinity’s most successful GAA teams, reaching two Sigerson cup finals in the 1990s.
Along with the legions of alumni, who will doubtlessly be welcomed back with open arms, the club will also host of range household names, including President of the GAA, Aodhán Ó Fearghail, who will officially open the facilities and cut the ribbon. What promises to be a busy but rewarding day will kick off at midday with Trinity’s camogie side facing off against the ladies alumni footballers. This will be followed by a mammoth under 10s blitz, which will feature around 500 players from 30 different Dublin hurling, football and camogie clubs.
Sunday’s main match will throw in at 2.30pm, with the Dublin senior team facing off against the college’s footballers, who will feature a few well known alumni in their line-up for what promises to be a fantastic match. With Dublin heavily favoured to win the upcoming championship, places will be up for grabs in the famously hyper-competitive panel, adding an incentive to the game for them. Dublin come into the game on an enviable 33-game unbeaten streak, offering Trinity a chance to claim a slice of GAA history by bringing that run to a grinding halt. The game will also provide a platform for Trinity to showcase their skill and to highlight just how much the club has developed in recent years.
The event promises to be a sell out and tickets will not be available on the gate, with the organisers emphasising the need to buy tickets online or to get in contact with Trinity Sport beforehand.
