One of Northern Ireland’s biggest sporting events is set to welcome more than 12,000 people to Belfast over the next five weeks.

Queen’s GAA Festival kicked off on 13 February with camogie’s Ashbourne Cup, and continues with a series of intervarsity tournaments concluding with the O’Connor Cup for women’s football on 21-22 March.

Also featuring in the festival are the Irish Daily Mail Sigerson Cup in football from 20-22 February and hurling’s Irish Daily Mail Fitzgibbon Cup from 27 February 27 to 1 March.

The festival will see some 2,250 players compete at Queen’s University Belfast’s world-class sports ground at Upper Malone, and marks the first time any single university or college has hosted all four major intervarsity Gaelic games tournaments in the same year.

In addition, the festival programme includes a number of health-related and cross-community events with music, comedy nights and talks with famous sports personalities.

“This festival proves once again that Belfast is one of the leading cities in hosting major sporting competitions,” said Belfast Lord Mayor Máirtín Ó Muilleoir at the launch at City Hall recently.

Speaking on preparations for the festival, organising committee chair John Devaney said: “The challenge of hosting all four GAA intervarsities is an ambitious one, but with the enthusiasm of students, staff and past players, we have risen to the challenge.”

For more on Queen’s GAA Festival please visit www.gaafestival.com or follow Queen’s GAA Festival on Twitter @QUBGAAFestival