Ireland’s Minister for Sport and Tourism Patrick O’Donovan TD has announced the donation of 11 acres of land to a GAA club in Atlanta.

First founded in 1996 Clan na nGael (which translates into English as ‘Family of the Irish’) will use the land given to them by Oldcastle Materials to further develop the playing of Gaelic games in the southern United States and to provide a focal point for the Irish community in Georgia.

Thanks to everyone in @Clan_na_nGael @atlanta_gaa for the warm welcome today in @GeorgiaTech @IrelandAtlanta @officialgaa @TourismIreland pic.twitter.com/qdjzoWsx2v

— Patrick O'Donovan (@podonovan) March 1, 2017

Pictured @GeorgiaTech March 1, Minister @podonovan w Ray Tracey, chairman of @AtlantaGAA & INATL pres @briancboland pic.twitter.com/IrU1wLBSYO

— Irish Network ATL (@IrishNetworkATL) March 3, 2017

In a statement after the event the club’s board said it hopes “to partner in this project with other groups such as Irish Network Atlanta and also local schools, with the aspiration of building a cultural center for people with a connection to, or interest in, Irish life.”

The club membership has grown substantially in recent years and it hopes the green light for the ‘legacy community project’ will entrench those recent gains.