EVERY YEAR, IN the Centre Court crowd at Wimbledon, one Offaly fan takes his place in his customary county jersey and inevitably gets spotted by Irish people watching on TV.

He’s something of a cult hero at this stage:

Richie McCormåck / Twitter Richie McCormåck / Twitter / Twitter

But he’s not alone.

Wearing GAA jerseys to major international sporting events is a rite of passage for Irish fans abroad. The possibility of getting spotted on TV and representing your county abroad are some obvious advantages.

So – as much as the internet will allow – here are some notable examples of this noble practice from down the years.

First, we have to talk about Kerry’s obsession with the Masters

Mick kelly / Twitter Mick kelly / Twitter / Twitter

Every year in amongst the azaleas at Augusta, the “Kerry Group” logo can be seen

Ivan Lehane / Twitter Ivan Lehane / Twitter / Twitter

Sported by proud Kerry GAA fans, optimistic about the summer ahead

@AaronMcAllorum @AaronMcAllorum

Basically, it boils down to: if you’re from Kerry and attending the Masters, it’s your *duty* to wear the jersey

Darragh Costelloe / Twitter Darragh Costelloe / Twitter / Twitter

No other golf tournament/GAA jersey combination comes close

GAA Scores Podcast / Twitter GAA Scores Podcast / Twitter / Twitter

A proud tradition

Fearghal Ó'hAirt / Twitter Fearghal Ó'hAirt / Twitter / Twitter

Moving on.

The true beauty of this phenomenon is the contrast of the humble GAA top and the ridiculously glam sporting event.

And that contrast doesn’t come much bigger than a Cavan jersey at the Superbowl

Sean O Neill / Twitter Sean O Neill / Twitter / Twitter

Worlds collided that fateful night. But American sport is a perfect setting for such contrast:

Like when this pair were interviewed live on Fox at a baseball game in Texas in 2015

deadspin deadspin

They didn’t understand what they were on about.

Or this guy in a Galway jersey popping up on Canadian telly to discuss ice hockey

Expert analysis.

You can’t even turn on WWE without someone in the front row wearing a Mayo jersey

WWE Facebook WWE Facebook

Wimbledon isn’t the sole preserve of Offaly GAA fans though, Kilkenny have staked a claim in recent years

Daragh Ó Conchúir / Twitter Daragh Ó Conchúir / Twitter / Twitter

Feels like 1998 all over again.

An event like the Tour de France has seen its fair share of GAA-themed fandom. Like this Clare jersey in 2013

Enda Lynch / Twitter Enda Lynch / Twitter / Twitter

And some Mayo “artwork” spotted later that same summer

Nigel / Twitter Nigel / Twitter / Twitter

Better than Dave Grohl holding a sign.

Last but not least, a mention for the World Snooker Championships and a pattern that’s emerged

David Kelly / Twitter David Kelly / Twitter / Twitter

In the quiet, austere library-like theatre, Irish fans stand out with their garish GAA colours

Johnny O'Keeffe / Twitter Johnny O'Keeffe / Twitter / Twitter

Because they know they’re bound to get on telly

Mark Kent / Twitter Mark Kent / Twitter / Twitter

And that faint hope of county representation drives them on

Gerard Magee / Twitter Gerard Magee / Twitter / Twitter

Keep up the good work, everyone

Eoin Cunningham / Twitter Eoin Cunningham / Twitter / Twitter

Written by David Elkin and originally posted on DailyEdge.ie

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