G.A.A. Saves Christmas

Some of the banter in the pub, on facebook and by text this week was as good as I’ve seen. Everybody’s adventure to get home was played out in front of a cyber audience. The laughing and joking overwhelmed the worry because we all believed that everybody would get home in time.

The week progressed and the weather persisted which meant ‘Plan B’ became more and more watery. Flights got cancelled and the few remaining seats got booked up. Collins and Kitch made an epic journey from Charlerio to Cherbourg to Wexford and on, by truck, train, tractor, ferry. Others went to Italy to go to Dublin but ended up in London.

Flights that were cancelled were uncancelled. Trains were delayed or rerouted. The snow continued; sometimes in Brussels, sometimes in Dublin and sometimes they just ran out of de-icing fluid. I had one of the smoothest routes via Amsterdam with Sylvia and Sinead as travel companions. In the end, many made it home but many found no way out.

So why did the GAA save Christmas? Well, during the week there were loads of people helping each other out, offering solutions, support and whatever else they could. In most cases, the people interacting know each other only because of the GAA.
Kitch and Collins for example, only know each other because of it. Sylvia, Sinead and myself know each other because of it. Colin, Alec, Shane and their travel crew are linked by it. Plenty more examples. Point is that the journey was made easier and the stress lessened by it.

It will be best understood by those who didn’t make it though. Burkee sent a mail to the GAA list inviting anyone who didn’t get home to join himself and his girlfriend for Christmas dinner. They too were stranded. Johnny O, Denis and I’m guessing Paddy, Eoin and a couple of more joined them.

If the G.A.A. didn’t exist in Belgium, none of these people would know each other and if they did, wouldn’t have a connection strong enough to find each other in that moment of crisis. Knowing that if I was stuck, I would be stuck with a good few others from the club meant that I felt no stress about getting home. By all accounts they had a great day, I’m nearly disappointed I missed it!