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In the GAA | December 14, 2016Westmeath are at the centre of the Ireland and at the heart of the GAA. Not every county has a trophy cabinet bursting at the seams, but Westmeath are a distinguished county, with many different strands of GAA flourishing. We tested the theory of Six Degrees of separation with the Lake County to see just how much everything is connected to everything else in the GAA.
St Loman’s Mental Hospital
John Heslin is one of the main men for Westmeath, who plays for the St Loman’s Club in Mullingar. As Michael Caine might say, not many people know this but Heslin’s club were formerly known as ‘Mental Hospital’, winning a Westmeath SHC title as 'Mental Hospital' in 1924 before landing a maiden Westmeath SFC title in 1948, beating Athlone by 0-4 to 0-1 in the final. The unusual name is derived from the fact that St Loman's has a long association with St Loman's Hospital, a large psychiatric hospital in the town with a history dating back to the Victorian era. The clubhouse and its superb, modern facilities
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In the GAA | December 12, 2016Laois is one of the few counties to have featured in All Ireland Finals in hurling and football, underlining its status as a true dual county. Their footballers lost All Irelands in 1889 and 1936, but won the first National League in 1926. 101 years ago their hurlers won the 1915 All Ireland Final.
The Nineties Minors
The 2000s golden generation from Laois was based on a series of top class minor sides that contested three All Irelands from 1996-1998, winning two. They were managed by Gabriel Lawlor and threatened to dominate on into the senior grade. Classy Laois footballers from the noughties era include the brilliant Beano McDonald, Padraig Clancy, Fergal Byron, Joe Higgins and Tom Kelly to name a handful. They won a further minor championship in 2003, adding more talent to the senior panel. The players of the era may have a few regrets in looking at what u18 rivals Kerry and Tyrone achieved but their Leinster championship was a significant breakthrough in a highly competitive province
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In the GAA | November 10, 2016As the Club Championships progress through the winter, a cast of inspirational, rock solid and at times hoary old club characters emerge from the shadows to don their bib and do their club duty. As the saying goes, everyone has a part to play, no matter how big or how small.
Bainisteoir
He’s the man, wearing that Bainisteoir bib carries a weight all of its own. Got the world upon the shoulders or the unbearable lightness of being successful. Bestriding the touchline like a colossus as the saying goes. There’s different species of bainisteoir, the Davy Fitzgerald living every moment with the lads out on the pitch, heart on sleeve, pucking and kicking every ball. Or the more inscrutable like a Cody or Mickey Harte, hands thrust deep in pockets or gripping his chin in brow furrowed contemplation. In the club championship you never know who you’d see on TG4 on a Sunday doing the rounds. Some of them even have the Gilet, with the famous inscription on the back. Bainisteoir.
Maor Foirne
The
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In the GAA | October 21, 2016More than ever the GAA is going global. With the growth of the World Games and new clubs popping up wherever two or three Gaels are gathered, the Association has never been stronger outside Ireland, offering a home from home for Irish abroad and new sporting opportunities for the communities where they find themselves. And, wherever the GAA is, O’Neills are, proud to be associated with new and established clubs worldwide. Here we present a focus on five of our partners worldwide.
Connemara Gaels
Connemara Gaels has long been one of the first posts of call for the Irish emigrant landing in Boston. Given the name of the club and its history it has a particular resonance for folk of Galway and Mayo stock. Founded in 1961 the club is one of the oldest in the US.
The Gaels won the North American Football Championships in 1973 and they have a fair few Boston championship titles under the belt. The Club was founded in Doggins pub in Southie and have built a strong reputation. This year they
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In the GAA | October 07, 2016It all starts with the Club. And ends with the Club. So we are told. This week the Dublin GAA players didn’t have long to digest their two in a row success before its back to basics. Likewise the gallant Mayo GAA men don’t have time to wallow in defeat, they return to the warm embrace of their club and the championship.
Training Under Lights
You know you’re doing something right if your club training is still going strong into the fading Autumn evening and the floodlights are switched on. There’s something about that pool of yellow light, looks like success.
The Food Rota
In some clubs the grub’s laid on year round for the players. In some clubs, but in most outfits when success arrives it comes in the form of a tray laden with sandwiches, smoking tea and a few healthy snacks after training. Usually the mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters will take up a rota of preparing the grub. Brown bread, chicken, tuna or cheese and ham. One lad we know makes a fantastic sandwich, the flavours explode
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In the GAA | August 12, 2016Salim Al Rahbi plays for Oman GAA. He's as proud a Gael as any clubman. The German hurling team have 21 out of 26 players that are native Germans. Juan Patricio Wade plays for Argentina. It could be the Olympics we’re talking about but it’s the GAA equivalent, the World Games, that drew to a close this weekend in Croke Park. It was a massive success with native and Irish teams living the GAA dream.
The GAA scene is flourishing worldwide. In the States this week NFL draft prospect, kicker Patrick Murray who plays The Gridiron game with Fordham talked of the influence and inspiration Gaelic football has had on him. "I try to watch as much Gaelic football as I can, it is my first love." As expats and first generation Irish continue to spread the games as well as their songs and music, the GAA is flourishing like never before.
World Games
The GAA World Games ended with the finals on Friday in Croke Park. Over 1,100 people from 56 teams and 20 countries played in the tournament. Team from
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In the GAA | In the Jersey HQ | July 22, 2016This week on social media Tyrone GAA player Cathal McShane posted a picture of himself in 2003 with Mickey Harte, juxtaposed alongside a shot taken with his manager in the aftermath of last week’s Ulster Final. In 2003 as a youngster McShane would no doubt have had among his heroes the likes of Peter Canavan, Owen Mulligan and Sean Cavanagh.
They say you should never meet your heroes. But here is the young Cathal McShane playing alongside a man he likely idolised and for a manager he dreamt of player under. His short Instagram message said “20013-2016 – 13 years. Always work hard towards your goal in life. Unbelievable.” It’s good when a plan comes together.
The one thing about the GAA, among all the slings and arrows that point in its direction, is its ability to take a lad from the club at the end of a narrow winding lane and transport him all the way to Croke Park by virtue of hard work and dedication.
In 2014 Lester Ryan of the Clara club in Kilkenny captained his county to their
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In the GAA | June 03, 2016Clare GAA and Waterford on Sunday. It'll likely be a cagey enough affair until a game of hurling breaks out. Central to the whole affair will be the current bête noire of hurling traditionalists. The Sweeper.
The third high profile game between the two teams in six weeks, it has enough intrigue to keep the pundits going.
We all remember the first league final provoked a bout of introspection tactical analysis usually reserved for football. Cagey stuff, the first half was damned as heralding the death of hurling because both teams used the dreaded S man. The Sweeper.
The Sweeper
The sweeper is the seventh defender who plays between the lines and covers space. Traditionally in hurling the no6 fulfilled the role of covering in defence and combined it with a marking job on the opposing 11.
The job of the 11 would be to break the ball on puc outs and try to shift 6 from the central channel. Often 6 was the Man Who Can’t Be Moved as he sat and anchored defence. If the opposing 11 dropped off
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In the GAA | June 02, 2016What is your most prized piece of sporting memorabilia? A jersey signed? A ball? An autographed photo
This week Brazilian soccer legend Pele is in the news as he auctions his most famous memorabilia. Among the most sought after items in the auction room is a one off replica of the World Cup Jules Rimet trophy presented to him in 1970. This was in recognitions of Pele featuring in three world cup winning teams.
Also up for sale are his World Cup medals from 1958, 1962 and 1970. Other items include New York Cosmos jerseys, the ball with which he scored his 1000th goal and the boots he wore in the film Escape to Victory.
This got us thinking, in your fantasy auction, what would be among the most sought after items in the GAA? If they still exist and we could get our hands on them!
Original Cork Jersey
Cork GAA teams wore this jersey in blue fabric with an embroidered 'C’ until 1919. During a raid on the Cork County Board office, the British army confiscated the jerseys, never to have been