GAA: More Than a Game

As Sponsorship Lead, Denise O’Donnell is all about bringing Staycity’s partnership with Dublin GAA to life. It’s a role that has given her a close-up view of the dedication behind Gaelic games, from the commitment of the players to the passion of the people supporting them. Here, Denise shares why the partnership matters so much to Staycity, what makes the GAA unique and why experiencing a Dublin match can be such a memorable part of a visit to the city.

Some partnerships just feel like the right fit. For me, that’s exactly how I feel about Staycity’s partnership with Dublin GAA. Becoming the main sponsor of Dublin GAA was never simply about putting the Staycity name on the front of a jersey. It was an opportunity to support the city where our story began, celebrate the communities that have shaped our journey and back an organisation that shares so many of our values: teamwork, ambition, inclusivity and belonging.

Working closely with Dublin GAA has also given me a real appreciation for just how much dedication sits behind Gaelic games. You see the players on the pitch, of course, but behind every team is an enormous community of coaches, volunteers, families and supporters. As Staycity has grown from a single aparthotel in Dublin to one of Europe’s leading aparthotel brands, we’ve stayed proud of where we came from. That’s a big part of why this partnership means so much to me and to the wider Staycity team.

What is GAA?

So, what exactly is the GAA? If you’re visiting Ireland for the first time, I think there’s one sporting experience that deserves a place on your list: seeing a GAA match. The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) is one of Ireland’s oldest and most loved organisations. Founded more than 140 years ago, it is at the heart of Gaelic games, including Gaelic football and hurling, alongside ladies’ Gaelic football and camogie. One of the things I find most remarkable about Gaelic games is that the players are amateur. The athletes representing Dublin in front of huge crowds aren’t full-time professional sportspeople. They’re teachers, nurses, students, engineers, parents and people with careers and commitments outside sport, who dedicate an extraordinary amount of their time to representing their clubs and county. That community spirit extends far beyond the players. Clubs depend on volunteers, and in towns, villages and neighbourhoods across Ireland, the local GAA club is often at the heart of community life. For visitors, that makes attending a Dublin game about much more than sport. You’re getting a glimpse of something deeply woven into Irish culture – the rivalries, the colours, the families in the stands and the pride that comes with representing where you’re from.

Supporting the Four Codes

Supporting all four codes Something I’m especially proud of is that Staycity’s partnership supports all four Dublin county teams: men’s and ladies’ football, hurling and camogie. Championing women in business and sport isn’t something we see as a separate initiative at Staycity; it’s part of our culture. That’s why it matters that we support Dublin’s ladies’ footballers and camogie players alongside the men’s football and hurling teams. Every one of those athletes represents the same dedication, resilience and pride in pulling on a Dublin jersey. For me, supporting all four teams reflects something simple but important: opportunity, visibility and investment should be shared across the sporting landscape.

Why Dublin?

This part of the partnership is very personal to Staycity. Staycity began in Dublin. Although we’ve since expanded across the UK and Europe, Dublin will always be home. It’s where our first guests stayed, where our headquarters are based and where our journey began more than twenty years ago. Supporting Dublin GAA is one way we can give something back to the city that helped shape us. There’s also a natural connection between what we try to create for our guests and what I see in the GAA. At Staycity, we want people to feel at home when they travel and connected to the place they’re visiting. GAA clubs create that same powerful sense of belonging. And if you happen to be visiting Dublin when there’s a match on, I’d encourage you to experience it for yourself. Even if you arrive knowing nothing about Gaelic games, the atmosphere, colour and energy can make for a brilliant introduction to a very Irish side of the city.

An Irish Game with a Global Following

One of the things I’ve loved discovering through this partnership is just how far Gaelic games have travelled. What began with Irish emigrants establishing clubs abroad has developed into a genuinely global community. Today, GAA clubs can be found in more than 50 countries across Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and Australia. And increasingly, you don’t need an Irish connection to become part of it. People from France, Germany, Italy, the USA and countries across Africa have embraced Gaelic games as players, coaches and volunteers. What started as a way for Irish communities overseas to remain connected to home has evolved into something much bigger – a sporting community bringing people from completely different backgrounds together and I got to see that firsthand this summer.

A World of GAA in Waterford

Earlier this summer, I travelled with members of the Staycity team to Waterford for the World GAA Games, and it was one of those occasions that really brought home what makes the GAA special. More than 2,000 participants from around the world came together for a week-long celebration of Gaelic games, Irish culture and friendship. Walking around the tournament, you could hear French, German, Italian and American accents, then turn around and see fiercely competitive Gaelic games being played with incredible passion and pride. There was something wonderful about seeing a sport so closely associated with Ireland being embraced by people from so many different cultures. For me, the World Games captured the GAA at its best: competitive on the pitch, but built around friendship and community off it.

The Stories You Remember

Every World GAA Games seems to produce a story that captures people’s imagination, and in 2026, one of those stories belonged to the Sables Shamrocks from Kabwe, Zambia. Remarkably, many of the players had only discovered Gaelic games six months before travelling to Ireland. The sport had been introduced to students as an extracurricular activity by retired Irish teacher Pádraig Fanning, who volunteers at the Sables Nua School in Kabwe. What began as an introduction to a new sport developed into a team capable of representing Zambia on the world stage. The squad travelled more than 10,000 kilometres to compete in Waterford. For many of the players, it was their first time leaving Zambia and even their first experience of air travel. Their singing and dancing on arrival quickly won people over, but what stayed with me was the determination, skill and sheer enthusiasm they brought to the pitch. At the 2023 Games, a Cambodian team similarly captured the imagination of supporters. Many of its players had discovered Gaelic games through their local club in Phnom Penh – another reminder of the unexpected places in which these very Irish sports are finding a home. Stories like these are what make the World GAA Games so memorable. Gaelic games may have been born in Ireland, but the values behind them – friendship, community, identity and belonging – translate anywhere.

More Than a Place to Stay

At Staycity, we’re passionate about helping people connect with the places they visit. For me, that’s one of the most exciting things about our partnership with Dublin GAA. Travel is at its best when you get beneath the surface of a destination. That might be through its food, music, neighbourhoods or traditions. In Ireland, sport – and particularly Gaelic games – can be another way in. Our partnership celebrates the city where Staycity began, supports athletes and volunteers who inspire their communities every day, and gives us an opportunity to introduce visitors from around the world to something that is such an important part of Irish life. Standing in Waterford and watching players from across the globe compete, swap jerseys, celebrate together and share their love of Gaelic games, I was reminded that the GAA can be simultaneously intensely local and wonderfully international. It can be about your parish, your club and your county – and at the same time connect you with someone thousands of kilometres away. As Staycity continues to grow across Europe, I’m proud that we’re staying connected to the place where our own story started and supporting a sporting tradition that continues to bring people together, wherever they call home.