In the Action with St Andrews Gaelic Football

The Saint took to the field with the university's GAA society

“If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you want to be?” Anna McDonagh, student and captain of the St Andrews Gaelic Football Society (USTAGAA), called out across the 3G pitch, glittering in the much-anticipated afternoon sunshine.

“West Sands,” someone replied enthusiastically.

“Here, right now!” McDonagh laughed, correcting us as she set us off on a sequence of stretches.

A typical training session with USTAGAA consists of warm-ups, a variety of drills, and a match. However, this being my first time, McDonagh kindly took me to one side as she set out cones, taking me through the basics of passing, bouncing, and toe-tapping.

Passing in Gaelic football involves striking the ball with your palm or fist, and bouncing is required to travel with the ball for more than four steps; however, it cannot be done multiple times in a row. I managed to grasp these skills at a rudimentary level, so long as I remained still, unmarked, and focused.

Toe-tapping, or soloing, proved more elusive. Like bouncing the ball, this skill allows you to travel more than four steps, but can be done repeatedly. Toe-tapping requires you to drop the ball onto your foot and kick it back into your hand. For those fond of keepy-uppy, this will be familiar, but for me, it was a whole new ballgame.

After a range of drills to improve passing, interceptions, and shooting, McDonagh began to throw out bibs for the match at the end of the session.

Excited and now in neon orange, I stuck by McDonagh as she helped me get a sense of the game. Juggling playing and coaching as we ran about, her expertise was clear. In fact, her teammates could not speak highly enough of her after the match.

“[She’s] very welcoming,” Orla Rozanska, the society’s social media officer, told The Saint. “And, I suppose, forgiving — people make mistakes all the time, you know, and one of her rules is ‘stop saying sorry’.”

Having captained her school, helping them reach the All-Ireland semi-finals in 2024, and having won the Intermediate Senior County Championship in 2023 with her club Rostrevor, McDonagh — despite her modesty — has a long and decorated history with the sport.

USTAGAA, however, welcomes players of all abilities. The session was well attended, with over twenty eager players at a range of skill levels, including several interested members of the rugby club.

“The rugby people have been absolutely great at the sport,” the society’s president, Alex McQuibban, told The Saint.

“There are quite a few Australian study-abroad people involved in the club,” Alex Flintham, the club’s co-vice president, said. “When we say it’s very similar to AFL, they’re very interested.”

Despite being quite a new society, interest in Gaelic football in St Andrews has been strong, with about fifty people attending their first give-it-a-go.

“This university has so many people from the Irish community,” McQuibban said, “and just so many people who are down to have a bit of fun.”

McQuibban also emphasised the sport’s history of suppression under English colonialism and its consequent significance to Irish identity.

“It was banned throughout the island for a long time,” McQuibban said. “It’s become a symbol of active resistance.”

While they have got the ball rolling, many of USTAGAA’s current committee are set to graduate this year, so the society is keener than ever to welcome new members.

As I finished the session breathless, sporting a scuffed knee, my neon-orange bib, and a 100% win rate (so far), I cannot recommend it enough.

Photo by Gabriella Thomas