Over 400 G.A.A. Stars Unite to Fight Ireland’s Homeless Crisis

A group of over 400 current and former G.A.A. players held a solidarity sleep-out in December to draw attention to Ireland’s homelessness crisis, raising more than $150,000 in the process. The sleep-out took place in 13 towns and cities throughout Ireland and abroad, including Dublin, Boston, New York, Quebec City, Wexford, Galway, and Cork. According to Focus Ireland, Ireland has seen a 24 percent increase in homelessness in the past year and has the highest child homelessness rate in Europe.
“As G.A.A. intercounty players, many of us have been fortunate in our lives,” Dublin Gaelic football player Eamonn Fennell, who participated in the sleep-out at the Dublin General Post Office, said. “The G.A.A. is based upon communities and support. With the support of the communities across Ireland, we can make a real change.” ♦