Analysis Of Paul Rouse's The Triumph Of Play

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Sports are an interwoven part of many nations identities. From the United States American pastime of baseball to the Irish sport of hurling, these sports help define a community's cultural memory. The Gaelic Athletic Association was founded on those principles of connecting a nation through a similar interest. When the Gaelic Athletic Association was formed in 1884, it was built on a way to bring the nation together and a unformed sport of their heritage. In this way it was separate from their British rulers. This individualization of playing their own sports against each other was essential for Ireland. The foundation of the organization, its structure, and the connection to Irish language has built the strong foundation of what that Gaelic …show more content…

The structure of how the GAA was set was based on county clubs competing then to the national level competitions “provided the structure that allowed for the GAA’s long-term development.” (Rouse 17)This structure is essential to the formation of national identity displayed through the games. Rouse takes an opposing stance than Moran that a devotion to nationalism is just one aspect of the story of the Gaelic Athletic association. (Rouse 16) This opposing view is interesting because Moran views the GAA as “having played a central role in Irish history for a century.” (Moran 1) This essential role can be viewed as what Ireland was based upon once gaining their independence from England. Ireland found a source of pride in their heritage with the GAA, which continues to bring the nation together in remembrance of their culture and …show more content…

Moran views the GAA as “of course something much wider than a sports organisation.” (Moran 1) The Gaelic Athletic Association brings the nation together in a celebration of culture and heritage not games to prove to the English they were independent. Moran evaluates the current condition of the GAA but does not discuss its condition in the past. The aforementioned author does explain the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association's purpose is “utilising sport to inject manhood and nationalism into Irish manhood at a period when the spirit of the Irish people was very low and very weak after the famine and centuries of persecution.”(Moran 1) This helps to support the belief of the Gaelic Athletic Association is more than just a

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