Disappointing Late Late GAA Special... was anyone else?

Drugness

Hello all


I was really looking forward to last nights show because of the GAA element and i thought we were in for a treat with the Artane Boys Band entrance and the selection of GAA's big names in the crowd...
We all know that Pat perhaps lacks in-depth knowldge of the awl GAA, maybe that's why they got Des Cahill in but Des was doin my head in with the number of times he interrupted the games greats in the crowd by switching to stories about himself and his own personal GAA history.
And what about Brush Shields... dunno what the hell he was doin there! His jokes and his 'Fields of Athenry' were headwrecking. Perhaps RTE couldn't afford Sean Og O'Hailpin's fee but they could afford Brush.
Ok sorry i'm starting to go on and on here but i'll finish with this.... The show concentrated more on football than hurling, seemed like Sheflin and Babs were the only 2 who got a word in for hurling. And Tommy Fleming... could they not have got Rita Connolly&Ronan Tynan in for a proper version similar to that we hear in Croker every Summer Sunday evening shortly after the final whistle. I can't recall but i think it was 'Up For The Match' when Fleming sang it live before, it was just as bad then IMO.

I did enjoy the interviews with the stars in the crowd but I was extremely disappointed with the show overall.

Sorry for the rant everyone.

I just feel that this centenary deserved a lot more!

Diabhal Beag

Gerocks was pissed

blackbelt

I was a bit disappointed with it too actually.Yes the hurling hardly got a look in and it was predominantly football.The start of the show suggested it would be very entertaining and when they brought Bertie and Dunphy out (adversaries on the political front) it suggested that we were in for a real treat.

Dunphy put the GAA over and in a sense confessed that soccer in Ireland isn't anything close to what the GAA is.Now we know why he keeps mentioning Brian Cody when talking about great managers.:D Thought Berties stories were interesting.

Best part of the show was Eileen Dunne (who actually knew what she was talking about) and your man doing the impersonations.He got Biffo,Bertie and Enda Kenny down to a tee.:D

The rest of the show apart from the interviews lacked something.There was not enough video clips of past and present games,memorable moments etc like Offaly v Limerick in 94,The 12 apostles (Dublin v Galway) in 1983,The 1977 semi between Dublin and Kerry,Seamus Darbys goal to deny Kerry the 5 in a row,The great battles between Dublin and Meath,Wicklows first championship win in Croke Park etc.

Browney7

Watching the late late:eek: Have you no social life? Oh wait I was watching it too. Should have gone out come to think of it!
Was actually going to start a thread about this myself. You beat me to it boy:D

Yeah I thought it was a very poor show altogether. You'd think hurling didnt exist at all from last nights show. I heard Henry Shefflin flew back early from the team holiday in Hawaii specially for it. Bet he's sorry now.

What were they thinking with the Fields of Athenry? Terrible stuff altogether.

Pride Fighter

There was nothing on hurling, I was disappointed with that. It was probably due to the lack of national popularity in the small ball game.

Fulton Crown

Yeah ...it did not live up to expectations...but it is hard to balance an entertainment show with a sports programme...too many sporting clips would turn it into a "Sunday Game" type of show.

Thought The Bert an Dunphy were ok...particularly Dunphy who could get across his thoughts very well and lucidly.

The Brush was ... well the Brush...his "Athenry" was dreadful - pure sh1te not convinced he is a "GAA man".

Spillane was as inchoherent as usual..usual gulping and poor breath control..trying too hard to be witty...play within your limitations Pat..you will never be a Wossie or even a Dunphy.

The "Turn" Oliver Callan was OK but didn't connect with the audience I felt..amateur rural village hall material in the main.

Cahill put himself in the role as Kenny's helper giving pat a "Dig out" on some of the more obscure GAA stats...making sure not to offend anybody.

O'Muirceartaig looked amazing for a man of his age....but if the GAA ever wishes to become "cool" get rid of him and the likes of Morrissey and "Sean OG O'Ceallachain.

Also FORGET the fcukin civil war... has no place in a modern sporting organisation...no one cares lads... honest.

Thought "The Plank" did a good competent professional job..but doubt he has ever been to Croker for a GAA match.

Thems my sentiments anyways.....

Flukey

I thought it could have been better too, but in fairness it is hard to give justice to 125 years of a great organisation in just a couple of hours. There was an audience full of great people that you could make a full series out of. On that point I see that TG4 are going to do a series on the GAA. The crazy thing is though, that it is going to be on Sunday afternoons, the very time when many GAA people will be out enjoying their passion, not sitting facing a television.

The_Banker

Flukey wrote: »

I thought it could have been better too, but in fairness it is hard to give justice to 125 years of a great organisation in just a couple of hours. There was an audience full of great people that you could make a full series out of. On that point I see that TG4 are going to do a series on the GAA. The crazy thing is though, that it is going to be on Sunday afternoons, the very time when many GAA people will be out enjoying their passion, not sitting facing a television.

Not to worry. It will be repeated.

lorweld

blackbelt wrote: »

There was not enough video clips of past and present games,memorable moments etc like Offaly v Limerick in 94,The 12 apostles (Dublin v Galway) in 1983,The 1977 semi between Dublin and Kerry,Seamus Darbys goal to deny Kerry the 5 in a row,The great battles between Dublin and Meath,Wicklows first championship win in Croke Park etc.

Totally agree I was dying to see the video footage they had playing behind Tommy Flemming singing.

Very little mention of hurling, when the game is in decline maybe a chance to promote it?

I was very disappointed with it overall, I was really looking forward to it but felt the show was just about watchable.:(

Rizzla King

I seen bits and I thought it was alright. I seen you're man doing the impressions. I thought he was quite funny.

CyberDave

To me it was more the Kerry and Dublin show than a celebration of the GAA as a whole. I agree that a lot moe emphasis was placed on football than hurling. It was more a celbration of the last 30/40 years than 125 years.

lukin

Browney7 wrote: »

. I heard Henry Shefflin flew back early from the team holiday in Hawaii specially for it. Bet he's sorry now.

I'm not;we wouldn't have got to see his sexy wife then:)
The show it self was a disappointment;ruined by Des Cahill's constant interruptions and Pat Spillane's egotism (but what else is new?).
It was also full of stuff about Dublin v Kerry in the 70's, RTE always do that whenever they cover GAA, they are a Dublin station more than a national one anyway.
Did they really have to go over Mikey Sheehy's chip over Paddy Cullen again?
FFS it's been done to death!

doteen

Hi all

I was disgusted at the Late Late on Friday night. I was really looking forward to it as I love the GAA especially hurling. But so disappointed that hurling hardly got a look in. They should have named the programme 'A special Late Late on Kerry V Dublin', because thats what it really was. Pat Kenny is a disaster and its worse he gets. They didn't even interview any of the ladies, do they not realise, Ladies football and camogie do exist.

It was supposed to be on the history the GAA, not about all these greats that they always have on shows like this. Look at the entertainment the hurlers of Galway, Tipp, Cork and Waterford have brought us. I'm a Limerick woman living in Kerry and I was so fed up that hurling didn't get a look in. They interviewed very little players, not sure why that was. Its the players that give us the memories.

I don't know really if RTE are to blame, but I think its who the GAA wanted and that was it. Very disappointed they didn't even speak to Michael Lyster after he given 25 years to the GAA. Enjoyed Oliver Callanan and Tommy Fleming, but the rest to me was very disappointing. Pat Spillane likes to take over as usual, and we are so so sick of the same goals they show between Dublin and Kerry. Think I will complain to GAA about this, can't let it go.

Browney7

O ho I was waiting for a disgruntled lady to come on but yeah doteen your right in your added criticism of the show.

As for complaining I wouldn't bother girl. I think they have bigger fish to fry than a Late Late show special with all that's going on with new rules and cork etc.

doteen

I just complained to RTE - I sent it to the Late Late, decided not to bother with the GAA.. I know I get nowhere with the email, but let them see anyway, more people who were not happy should complain I think. Thats the problem with the Irish we never complain.!!

Drugness

Well, it's good to know i wasn't alone in my disappointment.
On the plus side, i saw the first part of that history of the GAA on TG4 today and i thought it was a great instalement. Looking forward to part II next Sunday...
I might still send a complaint to RTÉ about Friday night though

Bluetonic

A fine weekend of GAA capped off by paying 10 euro to see 'Dublin' put in that performance today.

Oh dear.

K-9

Fulton Crown wrote: »

O'Muirceartaig looked amazing for a man of his age....but if the GAA ever wishes to become "cool" get rid of him and the likes of Morrissey and "Sean OG O'Ceallachain.

Ah, YOU Miss the point. It isn't cool!

T.G Catter

I was pretty disappointed also. Maybe it should have been a special show presented by Michael Lyster and not a Late late show special, minus a lot of the RTE personalities. I mean the Sunday Game is possibly the best produced show on RTE, they should of maybe let that crew handle it.

Very little mention of hurling or Wexford. And there are other great GAA counties apart from Dublin, Kerry and Kilkenny. Jesus.

Bertie Ahearn get off my telly. Please don't let brush be singing at the Dublin v Tyrone match in croker on the 31st.

Also Pat Kenny, would he even know what to do with a hurl?

smashey

T.G Catter wrote: »

Also Pat Kenny, would he even know what to do with a hurl?

I could give him a suggestion. :cool:

ford fiesta

Has anyone a copy of this show, I would like a copy of it, PM me...Thanks!

Pride Fighter

ford fiesta wrote: »

Has anyone a copy of this show, I would like a copy of it, PM me...Thanks!

Its on rte.ie, you can watch it if you are on the island of Ireland.

Jugs82

I was looking forward to this show but was left shaking my head once it was all over

Like a few posters said before - it was the Dublin & Kerry show - Pat Spillane, Jack O'Shea, Paudi, Mick O'Dwyer, Kevin Heffernan, Kevin Moran, Jimmy Keavney and probably missed one of two.... + Harte & Dooher from Tyrone

From the other counties we had Henry Shefflin, Babs and a few others... i seen Damien Fitzhenry in the crowd, i think!! Where were the Offaly, Wexford, Galway, Clare, Meath, Cork etc...

A terrible misrepresentation of the GAA and more a show on the GAA or more precisely Gaelic Football from the mid 70's to early 80's - why oh why do that Kerry team get so much RTE coverage and dont get me started on the Dubs from the same period

One other thing i noticed (most likely because im an offaly man) but they discussed Seamus Darby's goal but didnt show it - in my opinion because Spillane said he had only seen it once and couldnt look at it again..

Maybe its time for TV3 to produce a GAA special..

Ceist Beag

It was pure and utter ****e. Look at all the guests he had on - pretty much all rte staff, not gaa legends (Dunphy, Spillane, Dunne, Cahill). Why could they not have had some proper legends up there and as others have said, plenty of clips from the archives. And as for that crap impersonator and Brush Shields ... honestly! Typical RTE to be honest.

kevmy

The only man West of the Shannon I spotted was Dermot Earley.

Shame really Mayo, Galway and Roscommon especially have given a lot to football and Clare and Galway have done there bit for hurling.

Erin Go Brath

Just saw the re-run of the show last night. I'm glad i'm not the only person sick to the teeth of this Dublin v Kerry shoite. That episode has been done to death, and i for one am sick listening to the same old anecdotes from the same old players wheeled out for these kind of occasions. Truly a nauesating experience.

Lets not forget there is 30 other counties in the country who have contributed loads to GAA throughout the years, and the smaller, less succesful counties should have had more of an input and representation on the show. I also object to the conman Bertie 'I won it on the horses' Ahern, doing his usual fake 'man of dee peeple' routine being on the show, and touted for the Irish Presidency no less by Pat. *shudders*

It could have been a great show, but it was predictably another let down by rte.

K-9

Though the last 20 minutes with Des Cahill where good. Peter Quinn especially. It was as if they brought Cahill on to show him how to present!

The rest was pretty crap alright!

Erin Go Brath

Seanies32 wrote: »

Though the last 20 minutes with Des Cahill where good. Peter Quinn especially. It was as if they brought Cahill on to show him how to present!

The rest was pretty crap alright!

Thats what i was thinking aswell. Des started talking to some of the crowd, and Pat took a back seat which was no bad thing. Des is far more natural especially dealing with sportspeople than Pat Kenny.

bookiebasher

Show was a joke and that Oliver Callan is a scumbag..what the **** was he doing on a gaa show doing bad impressions of politicians(especially brian cowen) that had nothing to do with 125 years of the organization

RealityCheck

it was truely awful i have to admit:mad:

T.G Catter

I just remembered they never spoke to any camogie players or female footballers. Jesus it was worse than I originally thought.

Tristram

http://www.irishtimes.com/letters/

Madam, – I sincerely hope that the Late Late Show’s tribute last Friday to 125 years of the GAA is not a reflection of the forthcoming RTÉ series commemorating the anniversary. Firstly, on what basis were Bertie Ahern and Eamon Dunphy the principal guests? Surely it would have been more appropriate to have the current GAA president or the current or former ard striuratheoir open the show.

Secondly, no recognition at all was given to the enormous contribution of women to the association apart from a brief conversation with Deirdre Shefflin, who just happened to be sitting beside her husband Henry and also happened to have played camogie. Thirdly, the mimic “comedian” clearly was not vetted beforehand. He was not funny and he was downright offensive to the current Taoiseach, a true GAA supporter who did not deserve to be treated in such an insulting manner.

Finally one can only assume Des Cahill was sent on at the end to rescue Pat Kenny and a show that was dying on its feet. He duly did his best by pointing out some prominent GAA people in the audience whom Pat Kenny clearly did not recognise. This was a shambles of a “celebration”, an embarrassment to RTÉ and Pat Kenny and an insult to the GAA at large. – Yours, etc,

GERRY McENTEE,

Eccles Street,

Dublin 7.

smashey

Tristram wrote: »

GERRY McENTEE

Is it him?

Berti Vogts

A couple of quick points:

1) In a show highlighting the importance and success of the GAA, what were Eamon Dunphy and Bertie Ahern doing as the two main interviewees at the start of the programme? A soccer player and a politician who both have tenuous links with the organisation. Surely there were more appropriate guests?

2) I cannot understand how Oliver Callan continually gets high profile comedy roles such as this on RTE. His sketches are embarrassingly unfunny. With all the talk of public sector wage cuts, his is one wage I wouldn't mind seeing cut in its entirety.

bookiebasher

oliver callan better not meet me anytime soon as i would knock his block off regarding the crap sketch on brian cowen last friday nite...He should never be let on tv again the little scumbag

smashey

bookiebasher wrote: »

oliver callan better not meet me anytime soon as i would knock his block off regarding the crap sketch on brian cowen last friday nite...He should never be let on tv again the little scumbag

That's twice now you've used the term "scumbag" to describe him. Please tone it down a little.

bookiebasher

well the scumbag should have toned down his act a little last friday

smashey

bookiebasher wrote: »

well the scumbag should have toned down his act a little last friday

Have a week's holiday while you calm down.

Browney7

bookiebasher wrote: »

well the scumbag should have toned down his act a little last friday

Careful now.;)
ah here he wasnt that bad. He made the show a bit more bearable if you ask me.

CyberDave

He's not as good or as witty as Mario Rosenstock on Today FM if you ask me. Some of his stuff was very close to the bone.

aidan24326

The main problem is that Pat Kenny himself is not and has not ever been a GAA man. They should have had one of the sports staff (Michael Lyster or Des Scahill for example) presenting just as a one-off.

As for Bertie, his down to earth man of the people routine is getting more nauseating by the day, and as much as he likes to portray himself as a great GAA person I honestly dont think his knowledge of the game is up to much outside of the Dubs and the Dublin v Kerry saga that we have now heard discussed about 5 million times.

It was not in any way representative of the organisation within the country as a whole.

blackbelt

aidan24326 wrote: »

The main problem is that Pat Kenny himself is not and has not ever been a GAA man. They should have had one of the sports staff (Michael Lyster or Des Scahill for example) presenting just as a one-off.

As for Bertie, his down to earth man of the people routine is getting more nauseating by the day, and as much as he likes to portray himself as a great GAA person I honestly dont think his knowledge of the game is up to much outside of the Dubs and the Dublin v Kerry saga that we have now heard discussed about 5 million times.

It was not in any way representative of the organisation within the country as a whole.

Tend to disagree with you here a bit Aidan.Bertie loves his GAA and it just so happens that he had a lot to do with the development of Parnell Park.Sure his man of the people stint is very tired now but at least he doesn't sit with the fat cats up in the corporate level eating prawn sandwiches.Last summer he actually stood in the Hill for the games which is something unusual.

Browney7

aidan24326 wrote: »

(Michael Lyster or Des Scahill for example)

Didn't think Des had deserted horse racing commentary.;)
But yeah I think Lyster should have been presenting it alright instead of the robot.

Ceist Beag

Got this reply from RTE. Pretty lame.

Thank you for contacting us. I’m disappointed to hear that you were not happy with the Late Late show GAA Special however I’m sure you can appreciate it was simply impossible for us to include all aspects of the GAA over the past 125 years within the confines of a Late Late show. The aim of this show was to show case the GAA to the populous and make people aware that this fantastic organisation had reached a major milestone of 125 years while at the same time ensuring that the show was entertaining for the Late Late show viewers who would not necessarily have much of an interest in sport. It was our decision to include Bertie Ahern, Eamon Dunphy and Oliver Callan and we stand over this.



Best wishes,



The Late Late Show

sam34

Ceist Beag wrote: »

Got this reply from RTE. Pretty lame.

Thank you for contacting us. I’m disappointed to hear that you were not happy with the Late Late show GAA Special however I’m sure you can appreciate it was simply impossible for us to include all aspects of the GAA over the past 125 years within the confines of a Late Late show. The aim of this show was to show case the GAA to the populous and make people aware that this fantastic organisation had reached a major milestone of 125 years while at the same time ensuring that the show was entertaining for the Late Late show viewers who would not necessarily have much of an interest in sport. It was our decision to include Bertie Ahern, Eamon Dunphy and Oliver Callan and we stand over this.



Best wishes,



The Late Late Show

thats gas, i got the exact same reply to my email!

CyberDave

sam34 wrote: »

thats gas, i got the exact same reply to my email!

I heard Ray Darcy on about it on his show earlier on today as well saying how bad it was.

blackbelt

MMM....I wonder if Pat Kenny typed that himself??:D Don't worry,that would be another 20K to the robot for acting up allowance.:p

Fulton Crown

Look ! I think the problem here is that it is just not possible to adequately cover125 years of GAA history in a 2.5 hours general interest programme.

RTE were clearly trying to strike a balance between "pure" GAA and overall general interest.

Thats why the Bert and Dunphy were on - people with an interest in GAA but also known to the viewers who have little or no knowledge of GAA matters and who would give a broader perspective.

Take the point that very little hurling content and no camogie or womens football interviews - but again not possible to include everybody in a prog like this.

No mention of referees either come to think of it - the real unsung heros.

Agree the show was very poor - mainly because RTE tried to do the impossible.

Plenty of opportunity in year ahead though to do SPECIFIC programmes on Hurling / Womens Football / Handball / Referees etc hopefully they can make amends in this way.

One other thing they can do to make amends is to bring back Lyster to the Sunday game and get rid of Spillane - brings nothing to the table in my opinion.

If they must have an ex player then McStay or Colm O'Rourke would be mutch better.

PS Predict a very big crowd for the DUB / TYRONE game on 31st under lights - marketing and pre publicity is spot on - a lesson to be learned ??

Very important for the GAA to think "image" and marketing for the future as the RUGBY and SOCCER revenues will dry up shortly.

At leat that throwback Lynch has now gone so there may be some progress here - that stadium manager guy McKenna does a great job in marketing the Stadium facilities should use him more for promoting the actual games.

IIMII

Condensing 125 years of history down to a couple of hours isn't easy. But I doubt they would wheel out Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh and Bertie to spear-head 125 Rugby anniversary night on the late late.

It was too much about the Dublin, Kerry Senior Mens rivalry. Not that that isn't interesting, but there is no danger that that rivalry will ever be under-discussed.

There is huge depth and history to the organisation, and to be honest I had expected more. An utterly and completely wasted opportunity to provide something different

Grudaire

Did anyone see 'an GAA' on TG4?

A brilliant first episode in the series I thought

gerocks

Little Shyte wrote: »

Gerocks was pissed

HA HA!
For anyone who doesn't know what the little shyte is talking about...
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055458293
Apparently it's the work of a comic genius.
I'm not so sure.
Milligan,Cleese,Gervais,Gerocks???

Below is a piece that I was e-mailed during the week.
Supposedly written by Joe Brolly.
Don't know where it originally came from.


By Joe Brolly

Remember Roy Walker? 'Say what you see, if you see it, say it'? Remember
the cringeworthy rehearsed chats with the members of the public on his
Gameshow? 'John, you've got a funny story. Tell us what happened on your
honeymoon night when you locked your keys in the car...'

- 'Well, Roy, what happened was, on my honeymoon night... I locked my
keys in the car.... and the police had to come and open it the next
morning.' Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha, Roy would chortle.

Pat Kenny managed to create the same sort of atmosphere on the Late Late
last Friday night. Pat is obviously a lot more at home with his
neighbours in the High Court in Dublin, than hosting a GAA chat show. He
didn't seem to be that sure who most of the people in the audience were,
and even less sure of what they might have achieved. Peter Canavan had
to work hard to conceal a smile when Pat seemed to think he had won his
third All-Ireland in September past.

At one stage, when Des Cahill went off script and pointed out that
Jerome and Conor O'Shea were sitting behind Jacko, his face went
completely blank. This, along with the format (picking people out in the
audience and inviting them to entertain the viewers with a sixty second
anecdote) was the main problem with the show.

Eamonn Dunphy, who never stood under a dropping ball on the edge of the
square, but can bull**** entertainingly about anything under the sun,
was the evening's star turn, which says something about the standard.
Bertie - that legendary GAA Oirishman - was trundled out to tell us how
friendly he was with Paidi O'Se and Jacko. I was half expecting his
daughter Cecilia, the 22 year old reincarnation of Maeve Binchey (not
the one married to the Westlife chap), to be wheeled out as well to
announce that her next potboiler, following on from 'PS I Love You' and
'Where Rainbows End' was going to be about a GAA man from Valencia
Island falling in love with the wife of a Dublin footballer, and the two
of them making love for the first time under the stand at the first
round of the Leinster championship in Dalymount Park. 'PS I'm two timing
you'?

Next up could have been Barry McGuigan singing Danny Boy in a green
tuxedo, the camera panning across the sing-along audience.

Pat's interview with Babs Keating was pure Roy. 'So Babs', said Pat,
'tell us how you got your name?'

- 'Well Pat, there were three of us with the same name in school, so me
being the youngest, they called me Babs.' Brilliant! Pat wasn't
finished. 'You've got a funny story Babs, about the time a nail came
through your boot in Croke Park and you had to finish the game in bare
feet.'

- 'Well, Pat, I took the boot off because a nail came through it, and I
played in the bare feet.' Hilarious! A bare-footed GAA man from the
wilds of Tipperary fits the D4 view of the GAA as an organisation full
of Kilburn Paddies perfectly.

The main theme of the program was how in the seventies, Dublin and Kerry
saved the GAA. This was a new one on me, and my mind wandered to the
story about the Dubs when their first All-Ireland of the decade in 1974.
One adult Dublin fan was interviewed on the pitch afterwards by RTE, and
said he couldn't wait to see who they got in the first round in Europe.
Saved the GAA my arse!

Des Cahill had the decency to look embarrassed, and in fairness he did
his best to give the thing some substance, but the odds were stacked
against him, and he finally lost the battle when Pat Kenny proudly
announced that we were to be treated to a song from a GAA icon, that was
sung on the terraces in GAA grounds throughout the country. What, I
wondered, might this gombeen anthem be, and who might be the performer?
Phil Coulter playing 'The Town I Loved So Well' on a crystal grand
piano? Foster and Allen in green waistcoats singing 'The Rare Oul
Times'?

Alas, it soon became clear it was going to be nothing as highbrow as
that. A ravaged looking Brush Shiels - with his electric guitar - roared
his way through a distinctly out of tune version of 'The Fields of
Athenry', a famine song sung only on the terraces of Anfield and
Parkhead. This was my cue, for the fifth time, to change channels for a
few minutes, to get a breather from the unabated paddywhackery.

The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly Pat Spillane's face when
they broadcast the Apres Match skit. Pat, who was warming to his role as
an amateur GAA historian, was suddenly stopped in his tracks. A second
camera closed in on the Kerryman's face, frozen in a deathly grin, like
the loser in the Oscars smiling through gritted teeth, as though he were
delighted that the stranger in the next row has beaten him to the award.
Priceless!

I suppose, at least, it was better than watching Fermanagh the following
day in the McKenna Cup...