How Gaelic football is thriving in Cambodia
It began with a few footballs, a patch of grass in Phnom Penh, and some Irish friends seeking to bring a piece of home to Cambodia. In 2017, Cork-born Ronan Sheehan, Peter Downey, Conor Wall, and Paddy Campbell from Tyrone, laid the foundations for what would become Cairde Khmer GAA club.
The four men wasted no time. Within a month, they’d established both men’s and women’s Gaelic football teams and had travelled to a tournament in Bangkok. The teams performed much better than expected, with the men’s team reaching the semi-finals. Their early success lit a fire in the team members, they came back from the tournament determined to drive the new club forward, and it has been building momentum ever since.
A local club with a global vision
From the beginning, a core aspect of the Cairde Khmer has been its strong local identity. While the club was founded by Irish nationals, it’s the Cambodian players that have become the main driving force behind the Club.
With only a small Irish population in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, word spread quickly through local sports circles. The new Club attracted curious local players who showed up to training sessions, eager to learn more about this unfamiliar, fast-paced game. Friends of friends and word of mouth were crucial to enticing new players to try GAA for the first time and help the team expand.
A family affair
Dinet, now a central figure in the women’s squad, remembers being introduced to Gaelic football by Peter, one of the club founders. At first, she admits that she thought it looked ‘terrifying.’ But like many of her teammates, she soon grew to love the energy and teamwork that comes with the game.
Sisters, Khoun Sreyleap (the current Captain) and Koun Sreylak, have similar stories to tell. They joined simply to try something new, but found themselves falling in love with not only Gaelic football, but the club itself. Today, a third sister and two cousins from the same family don the Cairde Khmer jersey, a family affair that wouldn’t feel out of place in any Irish parish.
Representing Cambodia
Since the Cairde Khmer is a predominately-Cambodian team, the team brings something unique to every tournament. When they compete across the region, they’re not only representing their club, they’re also proudly representing Cambodia.
In 2023, both the men’s and women’s teams travelled to Derry to compete in the World GAA Games. All 26 of the players were Cambodian and, for many of them, it was the first time in their lives having a passport, traveling on a plane, or leaving the country. In the lead up, neighbours, friends and family from their villages gathered to proudly see them off on their long journey to Ireland.
Player Dinet still gets emotional about the experience, noting the warm welcome they received in Ireland, the thrill of playing in front of the cheering crowds in Derry, and the feeling of camaraderie as the team represented Cambodia on the world stage.
For founders Ronan and Peter, the lead-up was a slightly different experience. From organising media campaigns to fundraising, visa paperwork, and logistics, it was a whirlwind. Peter jokes that he used to have a lot more hair before planning began, and Ronan swears he wasn’t nearly as grey.
Strength to strength
Since competing in Derry, the Cairde Khmer has continued to go from strength to strength. The team trains every Monday and travels as a team to regional tournaments across Asia. They have even hosted tournaments themselves in Phnom Penh, inviting the wider GAA community to their neck of the woods.
