THE GAA has commissioned the largest public history project undertaken to date on the national sporting body.
A team of researchers will carry out more than 3,000 interviews with fans, officials and players of all ages for the project. It is expected to take more than four years to complete.
"This is a major investment by the GAA into the history, identity and culture of the organisation," said GAA president Nicky Brennan.
The project, The GAA, a people's history, is to start next month and will be run by a team from Boston College on Dublin's St Stephen's Green.
The project has been commissioned to mark next year's 125th anniversary of the GAA.
"We're delighted to be able to embark on such a large social history of the GAA," said Mr Brennan.
"In the past we've always left it to outside bodies and individuals to document the history of the organisation.
"As we head into our 125th year, this project will provide future generations with an insight into the challenges faced by clubs and counties both past and present," Mr Brennan added.
UCD lecturer Paul Rouse, who heads the research team with colleague Mark Duncan and Prof Mike Cronin of Boston College, said they wanted to hear from anyone with a story about the social aspect of Gaelic games.
"This project is not about team and club statistics, but about the social life surrounding the GAA both on and off the pitch," Mr Rouse said.
"We hope to put together more than 700 visual interviews to TV standard and more than 2,000 audio interviews for radio broadcast.
"We also aim to gather more than 25,000 relevant documents, including letters, photos and reminiscences of people's involvement with the GAA down the years," Mr Rouse added.
The research team hopes to produce a number of television and radio programmes, some books, websites and county-by-county documentaries out of its researches.
Mr Rouse will take part in a symposium entitled The GAA and the Creation of Modern Ireland tonight at 6pm in Hotel Kilkenny, as part of the Kilkenny Arts Festival.
The symposium will feature rare pre-RTÉ footage from the 1940s and 1960 and a selection of short films.