The three-week pilot, welcomed nine participants over the three weeks. They all learned the fundamentals of the game, from passing and moving with the ball to developing key Gaelic Football skills.
Revisiting a sport from your youth can be a joyful experience, it stirs memories and a sense of vitality, even if the body sometimes forgets it can’t quite run like it used to.
As Tim, our eldest participant at 82, said, “The hardest part of this is the walking!”
The beauty of Walking Gaelic Football lies in its inclusivity, if you’ve learnt it before or it’s new to you, everyone moves at a walking pace, ensuring it’s both fun and safe for all.
Coach, Keith Jackman from Hertfordshire GAA, expertly led the three sessions. He introduced hand passing in week one, kick passing and soloing in week two, and finished with small-sided games in week three.
Each 45-minute session flew by, participants were pleasantly surprised by how much their heart rates rose, how much they sweated, and how engaged their minds were in learning new techniques.
One participant, Helen, shared that the sessions gave her something meaningful to look forward to:
“Otherwise, I’d have just been at home, doing nothing.”
That one hour each week spent laughing, moving, and enjoying the fresh air, proved to be a wonderful way to stay active, social, and connected.
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with everyone expressing a desire to continue the sessions and a sadness that their Mondays wouldn’t have this anymore.
The success of the pilot has sparked discussions about bringing Walking Gaelic Football back as a regular feature in the Spring within Hertfordshire.
There has also been strong interest from Lancashire GAA to launch their own sessions, and we have found strong enthusiasm from members to introduce the activity in North London, something we also hope to see come to life in the spring.
Keep an eye out and to register your interest email hreynolds@irishinbritain.org