Lucie Griesbach joined up with the Cologne Celtics Gaelic Sports Club having moved to the city of Cologne in 2021. Orignally from near the Danish border, her time in Cork, Ireland introduced her to Gaelic sports. When she first joined up with the Celts, it was clear from the beginning that she had some experience of camogie. She definitely did not play like someone new to the sport!
Her abilities were evident in our German Camogie Cup victory, as she played a vital role in our forward line. A constant nuisance for defenders, Lucie came away with an impressive score tally after a hard day’s work! With more matches and tournaments to come in 2022, she will have plenty of opportunities to show her skill.
We caught up with Lucie to ask her about our sports, her time in Ireland and why others should come try out Gaelic sports.
Hey Lucie, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Lucie, and I am from the Northern part of Germany, near the Danish border. I did an exchange year in Cobh, County Cork, from 2017 to 2018 (that is where I got my lovely Irish accent from 😀 )
How long have you been living in Cologne?
I moved to Cologne in September 2021 for college. I am studying sports here and enjoying every second of it (especially our training sessions with the team!😊)
How did you come across the Cologne Celtics GAA Club?
I texted Lea on Instagram and just asked if I could come along for a training session. After that, there was no turning back (for the Celtics, of course), and I joined the team.
Which is your preferred sport – Camogie or Gaelic football?
I absolutely prefer Camogie because it is a challenging sport. You need to have different skills, and I just love to improve them every time! Gaelic football is nice as well, but I feel like I am not a really good football player. That explains that I am sometimes a bit lost with the football in front of my feet, ha ha. But of course, that has improved already.
Do you have other hobbies or preferred sports?
Because I am studying sports, I do a lot of different ones. I play handball and table tennis and love going out for a run. I enjoy going to the swimming or gymnastic halls in my free time. I am always open to new sports, so if you are as well, you are always welcome to join us for training.
How was your experience living in Ireland?
My exchange year in 2017/2018 in Cobh was just amazing. I stayed with a loving Irish family who treated me like a granddaughter, daughter and sister. I met amazing people from all over the world and have still lots of friends I enjoy regularly visiting. My Irish family and I have still very close contact, so I travel over to Cork at least every 2 to 3 months.
Did you play any GAA while living in Ireland?
Yes, I played Camogie while I stayed in Cobh. A friend in school just asked me one time to join their team for training, and then I trained twice a week until the end of my exchange year.
How would you convince others – especially Germans or internationals without GAA experience – to get involved and join the Cologne Celtics?
The point to start is possibly the hardest. I was very uncertain about my level of skills (because, to be honest, Hurling / Camogie looks very easy, but if you hold the Hurley and the Sliotar in your own hands… well).
If you are looking for a challenge, I can assure you that you will find it in our GAA Club. You will improve quite fast, and with our team, the training sessions are just a friendly and fun highlight of the week!
Thank you Lucie!
If you would like to try out camogie/hurling and join the craic at the Cologne Celtics, make sure to contact us and we can provide you with the necessary information.
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