The World Comes to Waterford for the 2026 O’Neills.com World Games
One of the catch-lines for the marketing campaign around the oneills.com World Games sums it up fairly well: “The world is coming to Waterford.”
From July 13-17th next, 114 teams from locations as far-flung as Zambia and Paraguay will descend on SETU Waterford for the biggest - and, the organisers hope, best – World Games to date. Galway footballer Shane Walsh, who is one of the ambassadors for the World Games, distilled it simply when speaking at the official launch in Waterford on June 3rd.
“Obviously, Gaelic games are a huge part of our culture here in Ireland. There are teams coming from Europe, America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and they're going to learn so much about Irish culture as well as playing the games.
“Then you want them to bring back that sense of Ireland with them and, I suppose, spread the word of what we do here and you want them to enjoy the experience here and the more they enjoy it and the more they get to see it over here the more chance there is of expanding it elsewhere.” Walsh described the event as “a festival of our games”. Regarded as one of the more instinctive and creative players in the game today, the 33-year-old believes that when you strip it back – which, by definition, is often the case with Gaelic games internationally – the sport is about enjoyment. Everything else follows from there. “It’s all about the craic and enjoying it because when we were younger and started playing, we were enjoying it first and foremost. “Before you probably start learning to win and be very competitive, you have to enjoy it - you make friends, you have family that play and it just becomes one big huge community and the broader we can build that across the world, the bigger our family grows.”
The oneills.com World Games will see 2,000 players and support staff descend on SETU Waterford for a five-day festival of Gaelic culture and sport. The event will open with a parade to John Roberts Square and opening ceremony on Monday, July 13th. The finals are down for decision at Azzurri Walsh Park, with the closing ceremony on Friday, July 17th in the iconic Apple Market. There will also be a GAA Connects business forum on Thursday, July 16th at the Waterford City Council building which will bring together figures from business and the ministerial and ambassadorial spheres. Teams will compete in Gaelic football, ladies football, hurling and camogie while there will be a handball competition and rounders exhibitions at the World Games.
This year’s event will see an increase of approximately 20pc in entry numbers on the most recent World Games, which was hosted in Derry in 2023. All fixtures are open to the public and supporters are welcome to attend the matches throughout the week as well as the opening and closing ceremonies.
