SCHOOL pupils from across Clydebank this month have been getting a taste of Ireland’s national sport - Gaelic football.

Primary seven pupils from across 14 primary schools in the area were given the opportunity to take part in the tournament, hosted by Active Schools and local club Gaelic Gaels.

The tournament, held at the Clydebank Community Sports Hub, has been available to pupils for four years and aims to increase the opportunities for kids to participate in and try new sports.

Niall Considine, regional Gaelic football development officer who leads the sessions, said: “The feedback from the school tournaments is excellent and children get more excited by the sport when they get to play properly.

“The level of support from Active Schools and the West Dunbartonshire area is great and has significantly increased the number of children getting involved in Gaelic football.”

Gaelic football has been played in Ireland for nearly 150 years and is a contact sport which sees players kick, catch and pass a round ball to score goals over an eight-foot post.

The Gaelic Gaels, who host the sessions, have several hundred members in Glasgow, with teams for men, women and children.

Founded in 1999, the club aims to enhance the lives and wellbeing of the Clydebank community, hosting weekly training sessions for kids at the sports hub on Dean Street.

The club have gotten more than 3,000 local pupils involved in the tournament over the last three years.