PSNI GAA (Police Service of Northern Ireland GAA) is a Gaelic Games club based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was founded in 2002 for members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, following the abolition of the Gaelic Athletic Association's Rule 21, which had previously prohibited members of the British security forces and police from playing Gaelic games.
The club is affiliated with Antrim GAA and plays in the Antrim Inter-Firms League. Its colours are red and green, and its home ground is the Newforge Sports Complex on Newforge Lane in Belfast.
History
Prior to 2001, Rule 21 of the GAA's statutes barred members of the British security services or police forces from GAA membership. This prevented officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) from participating in Gaelic games. In 2001, the ban was lifted, despite five of the six county boards in Northern Ireland voting against the change (Down GAA voted in favour). The RUC was subsequently reconstituted as the PSNI, and in 2002 the PSNI established its own GAA team.
On 30 October 2002, PSNI played their first Gaelic football match against Garda GAA (the Republic of Ireland's police force team) in Dublin. The match was played in secret, with players' names withheld, though the Chief Constable of Northern Ireland attended. This fixture became a regular event, with the two police forces competing for the McCarthy Cup, named after Thomas St George McCarthy, a Royal Irish Constabulary policeman and founder of the GAA.
In 2006, PSNI GAA added a hurling team. In 2007, the club joined the Antrim Inter-Firms League. For security reasons, players' names are not disclosed when they play. In 2011, PSNI played Garda at Croke Park, the headquarters of the GAA. The club has also participated in the Police Gaelic Football Tournament against teams from the New York Police Department and the Metropolitan Police.
On 18 October 2019, PSNI GAA won the Tom Langan Trophy for the first time in their history, capping off their most successful year.
