It started with Roger Casement and Derry Girls. For Cristina Santoyo, that mix of Irish history, humour and darkness opened a door that eventually led from Mexico City to Dublin, where she now studies, works and plays GAA in Dublin.
Santoyo, 34, first became curious about Ireland while at university, where she read Casement’s writing on colonialism and human rights. That curiosity deepened as she learned more about the country’s past. She said she could sense links between Mexico and Ireland, and wanted to see the place for herself rather than admire it from afar.
A new life built through sport and study
That path took a practical turn in 2023 when she spotted an ad for a women’s Gaelic games club in Mexico City. She turned up, tried something entirely new, and kept coming back. The sport gave her friends, confidence and, eventually, a stronger connection to Ireland.
When she arrived in Dublin in 2024 for an English course, the plan was simple: stay six months. Instead, she stayed on, started a master’s in international business at the National College of Ireland, and built a life that now stretches across work, study and sport.
- She joined Na Gaeil Nua, a club created for the international community
- The club includes members from dozens of nationalities
- She now serves as club secretary
For Santoyo, GAA in Dublin became more than a pastime. It became a way into the city. She met friends through the club, later brought along her partner, and found a community that felt open and welcoming.
Outside the pitch, she works as a chef in a crèche and says daily life in Dublin has its own appeal. The housing strain is real, she notes, but so is the city’s gentler rhythm. What still stands out most is the courtesy: people thanking bus drivers, strangers helping without fuss, small gestures that stay with you.
That balance now shapes her future. She hopes to keep one foot in Ireland and one in Mexico. And through GAA in Dublin, she has already found a place that makes that future feel possible. As she put it, the club feels “like the UN” — a warm, lively meeting point far from home.
Image Courtesy: The Irish Times
