2013 Munster GAA Primary Go Games Launch

Championship day in Munster, hurling or football, would not be complete without The Primary Go Games exhibition games provided by boys and girls from the competing counties.

Click to view photos from the 2013 launch

Two games with eleven players per team, one for boys and one for girls will take place on the day of each Munster Senior Championship clash. Games will be played at half-time during the senior match. This year’s Primary Go Games will see over 400 boys and girls from all the counties of Munster line out in their county colours at Semple Stadium, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Limerick’s Gaelic Grounds and other venues throughout the province.

Played at half-time during Munster Championship games, The Primary Go Games give sports-mad boys and girls the opportunity to wear their county jersey on Big Match Day, sharing the spotlight with their heroes on their “Field of Dreams” in front of huge crowds of supporters.

Many children who made their inter-county bow in the Primary Game have gone on to greater things: Tipperary star Noel Mc Grath first wore the blue and gold of the Premier County in the Primary Game. Declan O Sullivan who led the Kingdom to claim the Sam Maguire in 2006 and 2007 made his inter-county bow in the Primary Game while a recent Kerry minor football team could boast as many as a dozen players with Primary Game experience. Footballers Ger Collins and Johnny McCarthy, hurler James Ryan and camogie stars Niamh Mulcahy and Rebecca Delee are among many Limerick players to have a Primary Game jersey stashed away carefully at home. Paudie O Sullivan of Cork, who recently sustained a serious injury in a club game, played in the Primary Game as a Sixth Class student of Cloyne NS.

“The emphasis in Go Games is on participation, enjoyment and developing skill,” says Robert Frost, Chairman of the Munster Council, who sponsor the Primary Go Games series. This financial commitment is evidence of the importance the Council places in promoting Gaelic Games among young players,

Joe Lyons, Chairman of Munster Cumann na mBunscol emphasised the importance of the games: “This year’s Primary Go Games promises to be very exciting for all the children. Innovative ideas such as this are the lifeblood of our games.”

The launch of the 2013 Primary Go Games took place on Tuesday May 7th. at Aras Mumhan. Newcastle, Castletroy, Limerick.