This Saturday, Barcelona Gaels, will go toe-to-toe with Kilkenny’s Conahy Shamrocks in the AIB Leinster GAA Junior Football Championship at UPMC Nowlan Park.

Founded in 2001, Barcelona Gaels have come a long way, growing from a small local team into a real force in Europe GAA. And, after an incredible post-COVID surge, the club now boasts two men’s and two ladies’ teams, competing in nearly every grade available across the Iberian region.

With fresh faces and renewed energy in their lineup, the Gaels are riding high, having swept the Iberia Championships last season across both the men’s and ladies’ competitions. “The growth we’ve seen since Covid has been incredible,” says Eoin McCall, the club’s chairperson. “We now have the numbers to boast a complete squad, which has led to serious competition for places, this pushes everyone to perform day in day out and has made a real difference.”

The Gaels’ journey to this Championship game hasn’t been easy and is a journey they started two years ago when losing the European final. This year they first had to overcome Madrid in a tough qualifier to book their spot in the Championships in Maastricht. After losing out to Amsterdam in two previous finals, the Barcelona outfit finally overcame them in this year’s semi-final, which was a massive confidence boost for the squad. Plus, a few new players have come in this season, adding depth and sparking even more competition among teammates.

Facing Conahy Shamrocks on their home turf will be a big test, but Barcelona Gaels are no strangers to the unknown. Competing across Europe means they often play teams they know very little about, so going in blind isn’t a big worry. “We’re used to going in without a lot of knowledge on who we’re up against,” explains McCall. “For us, it’s more about sticking to our game and finding our own rhythm, focusing on where we can dictate the terms of the game.”

Of course, being based abroad brings its own challenges. The Gaels often train on rugby, soccer pitches or even just areas of grass, which can make it tough to run traditional Gaelic sessions. “We train twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays, so we get good contact time as a group,” says McCall, “But working on small pitches or rugby fields throws off some of the tactics. Simple things, like making a run off the sideline, can be totally different depending on the layout. But it’s made us adaptable and resilient and something we have come to live with.”

This resilience is what the Spanish are banking on as they look to make history by becoming the first European team to claim a win on Irish soil. “Coming over to play a home side is always going to be tough, we are aware of that” says McCall. “However, we aren’t coming just to make up the numbers either, we’re here to play football & want to show we can play football!”

On Saturday all eyes will be on UPMC Nowlan Park as the Iberian side hope to make a statement. They’re hoping this will be a game to remember, not just for their supporters back home, but for all the European teams looking to make their mark in Gaelic football.

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