Hurling and Camogie are now protected cultural activities under UNESCO's Intangible Heritage list.
A delegation from the GAA travelled to Paris in October in an effort to secure the status.
I am delighted to announce the international recognition of #hurling by @UNESCO today @officialgaa @OfficialCamogie @IRLOECDUNESCO pic.twitter.com/g4NlYoFo6N
— ⚖️Josepha Madigan (@josephamadigan) 29 November 2018
The government will now commit to protecting the game and raising awareness about its importance overseas.
The President has welcomed UNESCO's decision to protect hurling and camogie under their Intangible Heritage list.
In a statement, Michael D Higgins says the recognition is a "global acknowledgement" of our heritage as well as the role gaelic games play in Irish society.
UNESCO describes hurling as "a field game played by two teams which dates back 2,000 years and features strongly in Irish mythology, most notably in the epic saga of Cú Chulainn.
The ancient games join Uileann Piping on the list of protected cultural activities from Ireland.
The sport joins other recent inductees, such as traditional Korean wrestling and the reggae music of Jamaica.
