Dublin Airport’s new GAA exhibition offers unique welcome for passengers

The GAA and daa have teamed up to provide passengers arriving at Dublin Airport with a special Irish sporting welcome, following the installation in Terminal 1 of a new exhibition showcasing Gaelic games.

The new permanent installation, located at Pier 3 arrivals, features the 34 jerseys of the counties who compete in the senior football and hurling championships, in addition to an assortment of Gaelic games imagery featuring football, hurling and camogie.

The latest collaboration between the two organisations follows the installation of signed county jerseys at the airport in 2015, after daa acquired them through a charity auction in support of Pieta House.

daa is a strong supporter of GAA and other sporting clubs in communities around the airport through its 25 million Community Fund.

DAA Picture Conor McCabe Photography.

GAA President Jarlath Burns said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase Gaelic games to a huge audience – made up of people who are familiar with our games but also to many who are not, which is really important to us. Dublin Airport facilitates huge numbers of our members and players who travel for our games and activities and this collaboration is another strand of the partnership between the two organisations. I would like to acknowledge and thank everyone involved in this project and I hope airport passengers will enjoy seeing our games front and centre as they pass through the airport after arriving in Dublin.”

According to Dublin Airport Managing Director Gary McLean: “Dublin Airport is the front door to Ireland for millions of visitors every year and we are keen to showcase a strong sense of Irish place and culture, from the moment they step off the plane. The GAA is synonymous with Ireland and its history, so it’s fitting that this Gaelic games feature will provide a special backdrop to welcome people as they walk from their aircraft into the terminal. We’re sure that passengers are going to really enjoy this new installation.”

The addition of the GAA exhibition follows the installation earlier this year of an interactive music wall in Terminal 1’s pier 2, which features images, information and the sounds of some of Ireland’s most successful music acts, including U2, Westlife, Enya and Christy Moore.