A fund set up by members of the GAA 19 months ago has repatriated the bodies of 60 young Irish people who died abroad, according to GAA President Liam Ó Néill.
Mr Ó Néill and Director General of the GAA Páraic Duffy were before the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee to talk about the role and interaction of the GAA with the Irish diaspora.
Mr Ó Néill told the committee that in New York 20 months ago Kevin Bell, a young man from Co Down, lost his life.
He said: "There were funds raised to repatriate his body and there were residual funds left over so the Kevin Bell Repatriation Fund was set up to bring bodies of people home from abroad.
"The Fund was set up by members of GAA abroad and so far it has repatriated 60 bodies of Irish young people in 19 months."
He also said that that is what members of the GAA do, helping out and also that "people are building communities abroad".
Mr Ó Néill also told the committee that Gaelic Games is now on the formal school curriculum in Britanny, France, the only place in the world where this is the case.
Mr Duffy offered the committee details of the extent of the reach of the GAA across the globe.
He said that there are 29 clubs in New York and 97 in North America; 83 in the UK; 20 in Canada and 63 in Australia.
He said that the newest GAA County Board was opened last year in the Middle East.
He said that the recent development of the organisation was the establishment of the South Africa Gaels and the Hurling Club of Buenos Aires.
Mr Duffy said that clubs abroad are trying to replicate clubs at home by developing their own clubhouses and he cited the developments including Rockland GAA club in New York; Ruislip in London; Shannon Gaels in New York and Willawong Park in Australia.
He added that the GAA has helped with the funding for these grounds.
