Breton & Irish Schools Exchange Project

posted on September 4th, 2011

Hello Willie (ECB President),

I am contacting you about the exchange project between Breton & Irish schools in Breton initiated by USEP Brittany, The course took place on the Island of Batz last week – Olivier Kowarski (Liffré) and Tangi L’Hostis (Brest) were our trainers.

This was a wonderful event – about sixty people discovered Gaelic football with our two trainers. Amongst them, were a dozen officials and salaried workers from the USEP who enjoyed the occasion and will help to introduce the sport more widely in the future as part of their work. There were fifty other teachers attending from four departments of the academy, who were there on a voluntary basis and were really attracted to Gaelic football.

For many, it was an opportunity to overcome the misconceptions about this little-known sport, sometimes imagined as a brutal sport and discovering its extraordinary playfulness, they showed a great motivation to practice with their pupils and a very large desire to engage in academic exchanges with Ireland, based on its practice.

Gifts (balls and DVD) provided by the ECB were unanimously appreciated and gave strong credibility to our sport and the two trainers who initiated the trainees. However, if all people trained have expressed motivated to go to practice with their pupils, many expressed the wish to be accompanied in the start of this new activity. The presentation of other sports in honor of the course (rugby and cricket), was led by employees of their federation, which ensured the trainees of their availability to assist those who would need them. As we don’t have similar means of support, we question the possibility of using a special coach for a short time (6 / 8 weeks) to ensure an early engagement of the activity by trained teachers.

It was envisaged at the launch of the Development Plan that such support would be provided (the idea of a student in sport at the University of Dublin had been mentioned), but we didn’t then identify specific needs. As this need is now clearly identified and as we are convinced that the concrete outcome of this project will have a significant impact on the development of Gaelic football in Brittany, we ask you to see if such action would be possible today.

Finally, after an action of this scope, the most important issue today is that the project is carried out and that exchanges between Breton and Irish schools are conducted in the two coming years. If the wish of the USEP remains unchanged, if a strong commitment on the Irish side is not obtained quickly, they would be forced to fall back on another destination, probably a region of Great Britain. It would be a great disappointment for us, because if gaelic football has appeared for all trainees as the sport whose place in this exchange project was the most obvious and giving it its full meaning, it would not be so if the destination was suddenly changed.

I permitted myself to discuss with you the trail of Sean Kelly, to facilitate awareness of the Irish authorities and the GAA and perhaps even a more favourable consideration of the demand of European subsidy who has to be filed. Let me now come back on the subject, with an other suggestion : as Olivier Kowarski and Gaëtan Danet will be at Brussels tournament on 9th of September, if ever Sean Kelly was present, as he was last year, maybe a small meeting to raise his awareness and present the many issues could be considered? Tell me what you think. I can also suggest to the pilot project in the USEP to accompany them, even if given the time to organize, I doubt that it will be easy for him to come to Brussels.

In any case, on behalf of Tangi and Olivier first who have been very pleased by the experience of this course, from me and Gaetan and of course all those involved in Gaelic football in Britanny, which we have not yet taken the time to explain this historical action, we would like to thank you and thank the ECB and the GAA for all the support and resources provided to ensure its success.

See you soon,
Ronan Kerleo
Vice Chairman LBFG

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