After being set up over 20 years, Seoul Gaels GAA Club is still a safe haven for the Irish community living in the South Korean capital.
Captain Roy Keane missed the tournament after being sent home following a blistering row with manager Mick McCarthy.
Over two decades on, the club is still going strong and has become a safe haven for some of the Irish people living in the city.Kevin Conlan, a leader in the club and chairman of the Irish Association of Korea, told the Irish Mirror that the club has attracted people from all over the world.“We have Korean, American, Belgian Canadian, South Africans. Kiwis, Japanese. They cross over.“I think that's one of the great things about the GAA in Asia.
Kevin moved to Korea five years ago after receiving a phone call from his cousin asking him to come over and play Gaelic football. He previously played for Leitrim but was “intrigued” by the prospect of playing in Asia. “Then you would play the North Asian Games, which is a tournament between China, Hong Kong, ourselves and Japan.“You build up to the Asian Gaelic Games, which is once a year. This is all the countries in Asia and that's a big one. That's our equivalent to the championship.
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