Gaelic football is the national Irish sport with an ancient history and enormous popularity. It is a kind of mixture of football and rugby.
Despite its exclusively amateur nature, everyone plays it, regardless of age and gender. Although neither coaches nor players receive any payment for playing.
A little history
Gaelic football gained recognition by 1887, later than football and rugby. But it developed simultaneously with them. While the British were actively spreading their sports across the colonial islands, the Irish decided to create their own, the likeness of which existed in their homeland back in 1308. This is not surprising – the people of Ireland did not like the arrogant English too much and did not intend to follow their feet.
At first, discipline spread among ordinary citizens. But in the 17th century. The noble part of the island’s population became interested in her: dukes and nobles. They created their own teams, recruiting commoners, and held competitions. Already then there was a betting system: bets were placed on teams, and their owners could earn good money from this. Such events became so popular that they were organized everywhere, sometimes even bypassing the law. In particular, despite the ban on any fun on Sundays.
In the 17th-18th centuries. The competition moved to the level of the inter-county championship and became regular. And at this time rugby influenced Gaelic football. What can you do, a person loves toughness and severity, including in sports. Therefore, the national game of the Irish has lost many rules and restrictions, and many blame the nobles for this.