IT’S OVER 2,100km from the most famous stadium in the GAA but the Raati Stadium in Oulu, Finland will witness a historic Gaelic football clash next Saturday.
The world’s most northerly Gaelic football game will take place in the Finnish city, just south of the Arctic Circle, between the Oulu Irish Elks and the Helsinki Harps in the second leg of the All Finland Gaelic football finals.
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Finland’s only two GAA clubs are based over 600km apart and will meet in a stadium which is over 2,100km from GAA headquarters in Croke Park.
The Raati Stadium hosted Liverpool in a European Cup game back in 1981.
Over 50% of the players involved are non-Irish but pride of place must go to Juha Jokela, a native Finn. He is set to embark on a 970km journey to play in the game as he lives on the Finnish-Russian border.
Jokela’s love of Gaelic football stemmed after he saw a DVD in 2010 and he was subsequently hooked on the sport. He had Gaelic footballs sent over from Ireland and built his own goalposts using drain pipes.
The game takes place as part of the Irish Festival of Oulu, one of the biggest Irish music and cultural festivals in Europe. Donal Denhem, the Irish Ambassador to Finland, will be in attendance at the game.
World's most northerly Gaelic football game fixed for near Arctic Circle
Pic: Google Maps
IT’S OVER 2,100km from the most famous stadium in the GAA but the Raati Stadium in Oulu, Finland will witness a historic Gaelic football clash next Saturday.
The world’s most northerly Gaelic football game will take place in the Finnish city, just south of the Arctic Circle, between the Oulu Irish Elks and the Helsinki Harps in the second leg of the All Finland Gaelic football finals.
Finland’s only two GAA clubs are based over 600km apart and will meet in a stadium which is over 2,100km from GAA headquarters in Croke Park.
The Raati Stadium hosted Liverpool in a European Cup game back in 1981.
Pic: @europegaa
Over 50% of the players involved are non-Irish but pride of place must go to Juha Jokela, a native Finn. He is set to embark on a 970km journey to play in the game as he lives on the Finnish-Russian border.
Jokela’s love of Gaelic football stemmed after he saw a DVD in 2010 and he was subsequently hooked on the sport. He had Gaelic footballs sent over from Ireland and built his own goalposts using drain pipes.
The game takes place as part of the Irish Festival of Oulu, one of the biggest Irish music and cultural festivals in Europe. Donal Denhem, the Irish Ambassador to Finland, will be in attendance at the game.
The game will take place at 5pm Irish time next Saturday and will be streamed live at http://sporttv.fi/events/129/gaelic-football.
The Oulu Irish Elks and Helsinki Harps teams
Pic: @europegaa
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Arctic Circle Foreign Shores GAA Gaelic Football Helsinki Oulu