The Rome Hibernia Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), one of many groups gathered at the Vatican for the Jubilee of Sport this weekend, is a place where three expats have found a sense of community far from home.
The GAA was founded twelve years ago by a man from Northern Ireland as a space for people to come together and play Gaelic sports. In recent years, three women—Niamh Ryan and Catherine Hallinan from the Republic of Ireland, and Katie Molloy from New York—joined the association and have been playing ever since.
For these women, the Jubilee weekend dedicated to sport was especially meaningful. As Catherine shared, the GAA embodies the core theme of the event: how sport brings people together from all walks of life. “Having a Jubilee that represents us, our community, and the broader world of Gaelic games is really important,” she said. “It encourages reflection on how sport connects us all.”
The men’s and women’s teams from the GAA travel across Europe to compete, creating a strong network of connections. The Jubilee, for the three women, represented not just their own community, but the global network of people who share their love for Gaelic sports.
The Jubilee of Sport event began on June 14 with an audience at St. Peter’s Basilica, where the three women managed to find seats near the Pope. During his address, Pope Leo mentioned Ireland, and Niamh described their surprise at hearing their country singled out. “To have him call out our country in particular was just incredible,” she said.
Katie, holding their Irish flag, shared another special moment: “We were able to give our special Jubilee of Sport edition Rome Hibernia jersey to the Pope. We had the Jubilee logo printed on the sleeve, written in Gaelic.” Catherine jokingly added, “Now that Pope Leo has the jersey, we consider him an honorary member of the GAA.”
For these athletes living in Rome, faith and sport are deeply intertwined, especially for the Irish members of the GAA. Catherine noted, “In Ireland, there are as many GAA pitches as there are churches. So, we grew up playing sports alongside our faith.”
Faith and sport have been central to Ireland’s history, with Gaelic football—one of the country’s national sports—acting as a symbol of hope and resilience. Catherine explained, “Our religion and sport kept the Irish identity alive during difficult times in history.”
To honor this connection, the team’s jerseys feature an image of St. Michael the Archangel on top of Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome. According to tradition, St. Michael appeared in a dream to Saint Patrick while he was banishing snakes from Ireland. Catherine said, “This image is very much ingrained in the history of our club.”
As Niamh pointed out, the GAA also exemplifies the Jubilee of Sport theme through its strong emphasis on teamwork. “We have six different languages on our team, so the sport unites us, no matter where we come from. It makes backgrounds irrelevant,” she said.
Through their shared love of Gaelic games and the values of faith and community, the Rome Hibernia GAA continues to embody the spirit of the Jubilee of Sport.
