Bulldog were proud to report on the birth of a new Zaragoza team today as the city Gaelic Football Team completed the journey from pub dream to first game.
Under a rather Irish sky at the C.D Actur we were treated to a series of exhibition games between Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza teams.
Our sports show "From the Halfway line" provides a flavour of the event and the passion for GAA here in northern Spain.
Simon Leonard of the Zaragoza GAA provided this delightful review of the event:
On Saturday 26-11-2016 Zaragoza GAA hosted their first Invitational tournament.
First up were the Madrid Harpettes and the Gran Solettes from Barcelona. The first half was refereed by Conor Portley, who was atrocious. In the second half Simon Leonard took over and and he was just as shite. Madrid Harpettes won the game convincingly, with their no. 4 giving a standout performance. Sarah defended with tenacity while Selina dictated proceedings from midfield. The Gran Solettes showed good footwork throughout the game.
In the first men's game, Madrid Harps gave Zaragoza a thorough battering, holding the Aragonés outfit to a score of 0. The Harps' organisation and ball movement was top notch. Eye catching performances were delivered by the Madrid midfielder from Dublin and his Wicklow team mate. The Zaragoza players were useless.
Madrid Harps did not relent in the second game, as they hammered the Gran Sol do Barcelona team out the gate. The wet conditions were reminiscent of a winter's day in the west of Ireland. This did not stop Darragh (Madrid) from scoring a fine goal. The Gran Sol goalkeeper did make a number of good saves.
The final game of the afternoon was by far the most competitive. with Dani Castán scoring a vital goal in the dying minutes. Captain Ben Mulholland showed his leadership qualities. The Gran Sol midfielders worked tirelessly, and their commitment was second to none.
An enjoyable tournament, and the "third half" was enjoyed in Bull McCabes, where the beer flowed freely. The next tournament shall be held in 2017, with Madrid or Barcelona being the likely venue.
