GAA stars line up for charity game at the Irish Open

A host of former GAA stars will assemble for the much anticipated GAA Opencharity game in Newcastle later this month as part of a week of events around the Irish Open Golf at the Royal County Down course. 

Down’s Benny Coulter and Dublin’s Barry Cahill were joined team managers Sean Boylan, James McCartan and Sean O’Neill in the Co Down town this afternoon to promote the game that will pitch an Ulster Select against a Rest of Ireland team. 

The event will take place at St Patrick’s Park in Newcastle on Monday, 25 May at 7pm.

The GAA Open will be hosted by Down GAA (in association with the Association at Ulster and Central Level) and will raise funds for the Cancer Fund for Children at Daisy’s Lodge in Newcastle.  

A host of football stars from across Ireland will form the two teams.  The GAA Open will also feature the skills of hurling as part of a fun-filled evening to launch Ireland’s premier golf tournament. 

The Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children, which has the support of the Rory Foundation, will be the designated charity for the game.  The World No 1 will feature at the Irish Open along with fellow Irish golfers Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington, Shane Lowry and Ryder Cup captains Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley.

Today’s event also included Antonia Beggs, Championship Director for the Irish Open and Cllr Naomi Baillie, Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

Cllr Baillie welcomed the hosting of “a game that will begin a very busy and significant week for Newcastle and the region”.  She added that “The GAA Open will provide sports fans with an unique opportunity to see some of Ireland’s leading Gaelic footballers ahead of the golf later in the week and it will all be for a very worthwhile cause”. 

Event Chairman John Devaney described The GAA Open as “an occasion that will bring the GAA stars to Newcastle and will allow us to showcase our games as part of the Irish Open week of events”.  He stated that “this was no ordinary game, with some of the most prominent players of the past decade on the same field and a touch of hurling and golf mixed in to the event”.

The GAA Open is a partnership event between the GAA at club, county, provincial and national level, the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and the Irish Open.

Tickets for the GAA Open are priced at £10/€13 for adults and £5/€6 for children, with all monies raised going to the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children.