O'neills talking points

Soon there will be a generation of hurlers and camogs going through their careers that won’t remember the bare headed player. Hard to believe but it's true.

In both games of course up until relatively recent times, helmets were unknown. Players regularly got split open playing the game which added to its allure for men and women alike.

It wasn’t until 1967 when the helmet made its debut. A lad by the name of Micheal Murphy came on as a second half sub for UCC in a Cork County Final wearing a motorcycle helmet prompting a few raised eyebrows amongst the 12,500 souls watching the game. Murphy had sustained a fractured skull and, wanting to play in the match, had the ingenious idea to wear a helmet for protection. Nothing wrong with that we can say through the mists of time.

At the second time of asking in 1968 UCC’s motion to the Cork County Convention led to the matter being considered at the National Congress. From then onwards, players’ headgear

O’Neills Partners Cricket Ireland

Ireland’s superb performances in the ICC Cricket World Cup provided the backdrop to the opening of O’Neills first Australian office in Adelaide.

Headed up by Kildare native Antoinette Brophy, the Official Launch of O’Neills Adelaide in conjunction with Cricket Ireland was held at the offices of Andersons solicitors just before Ireland’s crunch World Cup match against Pakistan. O’Neills is official kit supplier to Cricket Ireland supplying the current World Cup Ireland Cricket Jersey.

Guests of honour at the launch were the Irish Cricket officials and the playing squad who came

Playing at Croke Park is a club player’s dream, but what can they expect when they get there?

It’s every player’s dream to play in Croke Park, and to play there with your club is probably the biggest buzz of all. You’ll rarely hear criticisms of games being taken to headquarters, although bizarrely one Camogie manager a few years back expressed his relief that a replay wouldn’t be played at the Jones’ Road venue. Something about the surface. Each to their own I suppose.

A Day out for Small Clubs

The AIB All Ireland Senior Club Finals throw in there tomorrow, St Patrick’s Day. Already this year junior and intermediate footballers and hurlers and Senior and Intermediate Camogie teams have battled out in Croke Park for All Ireland honours. The GAA and the Camogie Association have to be commended for giving smaller clubs their day in the sun and since the Holy Grail of an appearance at Croke Park is there

(Pictured: Jim Nelson is carried off Croke Park by then County Chairman Oliver Kelly (RIP) and team doctor Alistair McDonnell (MP) following the Saffrons Semi-Final victory over Offaly.)

Antrim GAA, Ulster hurling and the entire hurling community in Ireland today mourns the passing of Jim Nelson.

A legend of the game, Jim is perhaps best known for taking a brilliant Antrim team to the All Ireland hurling final in 1989. The St Paul’s clubman was rightly regarded as one of the greatest hurling coaches around having influenced a generation of players and fellow coaches. As a player Jim won 3 Antrim Senior Hurling Championship medals with St John’s as well as a number of Senior Football championship medals. He was admired and respected throughout Ulster and Antrim in particular for his success in coaching Camogie and hurling, and for his influence on the game.

In the last few years Jim was a key man in the coaching set up with the Loughgiel Shamrocks

In 2014 O’Neills International Sports opened their first office in Australia. Antoinette Brophy is heading up the O’Neills operation Down Under, having emigrated from Kildare with her family in 2014.

There is a growing market for GAA gear with a record number of clubs and of course vibrant rugby union, league and Aussie Rules. The success of the Irish Cricket at the World Cup has been a boost. As O’Neills spreads its wings we caught up with Antoinette to discuss her life in Oz.

Irish Cricket Reception

Antoinette is busy at the minute moving into her new offices in the Hazelwood Park area of Adelaide and the week after the Irish cricket team is playing their last World Cup Group Stages match in the Adelaide Oval. O’Neills are hosting a reception for the team in advance of the game as a welcome to Adelaide. Antoinette explains:

“Members of the local Irish community plus members of the wider Australian sporting