Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston Welcomes Queens University GAA Teams from Belfast on June 15-16, 2024

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Queen's University Athletes

The strong Boston-Belfast ties in sports, culture, business and heritage continues this coming weekend, June 15-16, as the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton, MA hosts a group of men and women athletes representing Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) teams at Queen's University from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The tour marks the 40th anniversary of  Queen's GAA last visit to the United States in 1984, and also the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Women's Gaelic football team.   Read more about the American tour. 


Queen's University Group Traveling to Boston

The teams are playing at Gaelic Park in New York before traveling to Boston, where they will participate in matches against top players from the USA GAA.  See Boston schedule below.  

The GAA at Queen’s University has a long and distinguished history, dating back to 1931, according to the university's literature. Today, more than 500 student belong to Queen’s GAA , fielding 15 teams across the gamut of Gaelic sports.

The tour will serve as a key initiative in growing global partnerships and developing opportunities for academic collaboration, alumni and civic engagement for Queen’s Sport and beyond, notes the university.

Saturday, June 15:

12:45 p.m. - Boston Police Gaelic Column promenade around the pitch with the Ladies and then National Anthems

1 p.m. - Queen’s Women vs. USGAA Select Women (At ICC A Field)

2:45 p.m. - Boston Police Gaelic Column promenade around the pitch with Men's teams then National Anthems

3 p.m. - Queen’s Men vs. USGAA Select Men (At the ICC A field)

6 p.m. - Reception/Dinner in the ICC Tent, followed by musical performance by Strawberry Hill Band


Sunday, June 16:

Noon -1:30 p.m. – Queen’s hosts a Kids’ Camp at ICC

Followed by a watch party of the GAA games

Evening - Party in the tent that evening celebrating the weekend.

Boston Harbor in the 18th Century

The Boston-Belfast connections go far back into the region's history, dating to August 1718, when congregations and parishes from Ulster arrived in Boston Harbor and began settling in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  These settlers named a number of cities and towns in New England after their Ulster origins, such as Belfast, ME, Charlemont, MA, and Derry and Londonderry, NH.

In May 2014, officials from Boston and Belfast officially signed a Sister City agreement, acknowledging a shared "historic connection, genuine ties, and deeply linked heritage."  Since 2015, collegiate hockey teams from Boston and other parts of the US have participated in the Friendship Four hockey tournament, held at the SSE Arena in Belfast.  The 2024 Friendship Four Games are slated for November 29-30.

Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston

Opened in 1989, the Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston is located in Canton, Massachusetts, less than 10 miles from Boston, on a 46 acre campus complete with cultural stages and classrooms, a library, pub and restaurant, an authentic thatched cottage, playing fields and walking paths.

The ICC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving Irish culture and heritage. It offers a wide range of cultural, educational, and social programs for all ages, including language classes, music and dance performances and cultural events. 

Learn more about the ICC's sports programs. 









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