Beyond the field : an anthropological perspective on gender, identity and sport in ladies Gaelic football in contemporary Irish society

Abstract

This study delves into the interplay between Gaelic football and Irish nationalism, focusing on a Senior Ladies’s Gaelic football team in the Republic of Ireland. Gaelic football is an indigenous Irish sport However, this dissertation primarily explores the less overt connections to national identity experienced by members of this team. Through immersive participant observation, this research illuminates the ubiquity and nuanced nationalist ideologies pervading Gaelic football. Highlighting Gaelic football's defining characteristics, such as its amateur status and strict rules of membership tied up in local parish boundaries, a unique identity that solidifies individual membership within the nation is revealed. Life stories of players and community members reveal Gaelic football as a multifaceted symbol of various aspects of Irish life, impacting social identity construction. This study, with an awareness of gender-based experiences, suggests that Gaelic football serves as a measure for assessing social progress in Ireland.