Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) county jerseys are increasingly worn as everyday fashion items by students at Queen’s University Belfast, reflecting shifting demographics and cultural expressions in Northern Ireland. This trend unfolds during freshers’ week near the lower Ormeau Road, where club and county tops serve as icebreakers in local bars such as The Hatfield.
Jersey Culture Replaces Historical Flashpoints at Queen’s University
The bustling student atmosphere around University Road and Rugby Avenue contrasts sharply with the late 1990s, when the lower Ormeau area was a sectarian flashpoint during the Orange Order marching season. In 1998, violent clashes and the Garvaghy Road standoff forced businesses to close early, while police armoured vehicles sealed off the Ormeau Bridge. Today, students stroll past in the autumn sunshine wearing the county jerseys of Down, Tyrone, Donegal, Armagh, and Kerry.
I’m not wearing this to make a point. I’m wearing this because it’s what I know,
said a 20-year-old student wearing a Kerry jersey while heading toward the glass-fronted students’ union building.
Éanna Nig Riabhaigh, a student signing up members for the university’s Irish language society, An Cumann Gaelach, wore a retro Antrim jersey purchased from Canada via eBay for £30. I think it’s from 2000. I like the looser fit,
she said, noting that the popularity of the tops is linked to pop culture and a desire among young people to present an Irish identity.
Campus Culture Wars and Political Tensions Over GAA Tops
The rising visibility of GAA sportswear on campus has drawn targeted political responses. Earlier this year, loyalist activist Jamie Bryson urged unionist students to wear Orange Order sashes and T-shirts in a culture war against nationalism
at Queen’s University, claiming that GAA tops are more common on campus than at Croke Park.
Law student Caolan Turley rejected the premise that the sportswear causes friction. What’s the big deal? If someone’s wearing a Rangers top, I wouldn’t be offended,
Turley said. If you’re offended by someone wearing a GAA top, it shows you’re insecure.
Political divisions also surfaced over language rights. In March, a referendum to reintroduce Irish-language dual signage in the students’ union—following its removal almost 30 years ago—passed with overwhelming support from voters, backed by hip-hop group Kneecap. Members of the Young Unionists society opposed the measure, arguing it would create a chill factor. Eoghan Ó Conghaile, the face of the ‘Yes’ vote, stated that the increased presence of GAA jerseys indicates changing demographics across Northern Ireland and proves the GAA has normalized rather than remaining a counterculture.
Local Business and Community Adaptation on the Ormeau Road
Stephen Cassidy, co-owner of The Hatfield bar, noted that the venue accommodates crowds from all backgrounds. His late father purchased the pub in 1976 at the height of the Troubles. Cassidy highlighted the bar’s connections with East Belfast GAA, a club established during Covid in a historically unionist stronghold. A few of our staff played for them, they have people from all different backgrounds and different nationalities,
Cassidy said. We stay away from politics.
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