League History

All-China Games

The All-China Games began in 2002. After being cancelled in 2003 due to the outbreak of SARS, they returned in 2004 and have been going strong since and are a highlight of the mid-season for the clubs in mainland China & Hong Kong. They are generally held in the middle of the season and is a one-day tournament of Men's & Ladies Gaelic Football. The tournament is an AGB-sanctioned event and clubs must bid to host the tournament.

North Asia Games

The North Asian Games began life as the annual Korean Gaelic Games, an invitational tournament held by the Seoul Gaels each year. It has now evolved to become an AGB-sanctioned Regional Tournament. In 2012, the North Asia region was reconfigured to include China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. For 2012, the North Asia Games were put on hold while all clubs in the newly configured North Asia Games were invited to participate in the All China Games. The AGB plans to hold both the All China Games and the North Asia Games in 2013.

South Asia Games

The South East Asian Gaelic Games were first held in 2008 in Hanoi in Vietnam. In 2012, the South East Asian region was renamed and reconfigured into the South Asia region - and the tournament was renamed the South Asia Games. The one day tournament brings together the teams from the South Asia region for a tournament of Men's, Ladies, and Juvenile Football. The region comprises of India, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The tournament is an ACB-sanctioned event and clubs must bid to host the tournament.

History of AGG

The Asian Gaelic Games are an annual tournament held throughout Asia under the aegis of the Asian County Board. The event brings together clubs from all over the Asian region in a 2-day tournament in which Men's, Ladies & Juvenile teams compete for the top honours in Football & Hurling. Over the course of the 2 days up to 180 matches are played on 4-5 pitches and the number of teams & standard is increasing every year.
The Asian Gaelic Games is a 9-a-side tournament, with Matches lasting 14 mins each. The games have been running since 1996 and move from city to city each year - they have been hosted in Manila, Singapore, Phuket, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Penang & Bangkok. There are 8 trophies up for grabs over the weekend along with individual All-Stars, MVP & Club awards to be won. The top teams in the competition compete for the Derek Brady Cup, the Ladies Cup & Hurling Cup.
Over the 15 years the AGG has been running it has grown to be the premier Irish event in the Region and is the highlight of the calendar for the Irish in Asia & the Gulf. Since 2007 the event has been coupled with the new Asia-Pacific Ireland Business Forum (www.apibf.com).
The support of the GAA in Ireland has been invaluable in keeping the Games growing year on year - as well as the dedication and enormous effort of the clubs in the Region. After 15 years we have gone from a tournament of about 5 teams in 1996 to a tournament of 54 teams in 2010 - - Gaelic Games are alive and well in Asia and long may the growth continue.

Alan Power 1972 - 2008

Since the games in Penang in 2008, the Most Valuable Player in the Men's Competition at the Asian Gaelic Games is awarded the "Alan Power MVP Trophy". Alan Power was the recipient of the Men's MVP award at the AGG in 2007 in Singapore and was a long time veteran of the Asian Gaelic Games, playing in six tournaments for the Singapore Gaelic Lions. Alan tragically passed away on 20th July 2008, during a Blitz competition held by the Gaelic Lions. He is dearly missed by all of his club-mates, friends & family in Singapore, Cork & the wider Asian Gaelic community. After his passing the Men's MVP Award was fittingly named in his honour and is now presented each year. An avid Sportsman, Alan ran weekly with the Hash House Harriers, was a member of three Soccer teams as well as the Wombats AFL team and of course, he played at the heart of the Singapore Gaelic Lions club. Over the years he contributed hugely to the club both on and off the field. Up front for the Lions he could always be counted on for his pace, skill and his "gentle" advise to all around him. Off the field, he could again be counted on for more of that advice and plenty of craic usually from his favourite seat in Muddy Murphy's. Alan's family meant a great deal to him, and his parents Billy & Mary have also been long-time veterans of the AGG travelling from Cork to five of the AGG's over the years and have been stalwarts on the sidelines for the Gaelic Lions through the years. His whole family travelled to the AGG in Penang in October 2008 and his parents and his beloved Tessa presented the first Alan Power Trophy. The Gaelic Lions continue to celebrate his life and his memory each season with the Alan Power Games held in July, which brings together all of Alan's former clubs in Singapore for a day of Soccer and Gaelic Footall and a night of celebrations afterwards. As himself would say... "If ye want to win, give me the ball" Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dilís

The victors of the Gaelic Games will have the honor of holding the Derek Brady Cup for a single year. This beautiful piece of Cavan Crystal was specially commissioned by the Brady family as a way of supporting a competition set up by their dearly departed youngest son. An exact replica of the Sam Maguire, it will spur players on to victory in Asia just as the original does in Ireland.
Derek was one of the founding members of the event and a leading light as a player for the Taiwan senior side. A native of Navan, Co. Meath, his family is actively involved in the Gaelic scene back in Ireland and many's the game he played himself for their local club.
On the field he was hard working, committed savvy player. These talents he also displayed in his personal life and he graduated from Dublin City University with an honors degree in International Marketing. Even before this he was hand picked by the computer company Acer Incorporated for a two-year stint as a marketing specialist in Taiwan, eventually to go back to a management position in Europe.
He wasted no time getting to grips with his new life in Asia. Within days he had found a soccer team to play for. Within months he had set up and was training a Gaelic football team. Liked by all, Derek was one of those who could inspire others to achieve their best. His soccer team, "The Red Lions" went on to win the Taiwan league in 1997 for the first time in their history in an effort to honor him.
Let us salute then now, as fellow players for this great achievement. Henceforth, the name Derek Brady will be forever associated in Asia with football of an Irish flavor so as to symbolize the qualities that the ideal player should possess, namely courage, dedication, loyalty to his team mates, a fierce hunger for winning, humility in victory, nobility in defeat.This ideal is not easy to come close to. Derek Brady came close enough, and shall be remembered for it.