Before the Celtic Tiger (and after it), emigration was a fact of life for hundreds of thousands of Irish people, who ended up dotted in all corners of the globe. In the early ‘90s, thousands of Irish people ended up on the island of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands off the northern tip of France. At one stage, according to Michael Gordon, PRO for the Jersey Irish GAA club, as many as 10,000 Irish people lived and worked in Jersey, resulting in a vibrant Irish community on the island. In 1993, the Jersey Irish Society committee decided to develop a sports wing and a hurling and football team were put together. After playing their first games against the Irish Navy, a team was sent to play in London and after that, there was no looking back. A general meeting was held to formally establish a club, with the election of officers, and in November 1993, the Jersey Irish GAA Club was born.