GAA Forum Write Off

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Vote for your favourite article. The one with the most votes wins, in the event of a draw I will cast the winning vote. The poll closes one month from today.

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Its the Memories that count

A pub, a church, a shop, a school. Your parish might have one or all of these but there’s nothing to my mind that creates greater unity in a parish than a GAA club. For the last 125 years the GAA club has been the focal point of virtually every parish. If a parish hasn’t got one you can be sure there’s a few souls either lamenting the good old days when there was a club in the parish or determined to some day make the parish “a real parish” by setting up a GAA club.

No sport creates the unity that GAA does. Whether it’s the fact that GAA is a traditional Irish sport or if there’s another reason I’m not quite sure but it attracts all age groups young and old the way soccer for instance never could. Take the first round of the club championship and you can be sure that you’ll have lads crawling out from all sorts of nooks and crannies to either watch or play, and you can be just as sure that some of those lads watching should be togged out while some of those togged out should be watching.

The junior grade while more often than not looked down upon by others not involved is the embodiment of the GAA. It gives small parishes a chance to compete at a realistic grade and it gives lads, and lassies, involved with clubs who compete at higher grades a chance to take part in the sport when otherwise they might not either due to other commitments or lack of fitness.

The satisfaction that the casual GAA player gets from playing in the first round of the junior championship let it be A, B, C or D is to me what makes the sport special. In conversations with players who were never lucky enough to win anything at senior level I have often found that they have got more enjoyment from playing junior when they were no where near their peak than they ever got when they were playing senior. You’ll often find more funny stories and happy memories are created at this grade than senior will ever produce and while we all aim to be involved at senior for as long and competitively as we can we should never forget that it’s only a game and its the happy memories that you create that matter most.

Long after the dust settles on the latest scrap in the keenly contested local derby, long after the referee is ran back to where he came from and long after the dust settles on any trophies or medals you may have been lucky enough to win you’ll reflect on what you really got from the GAA. It’ll be the friendships you’ve made and the happy memories that will stay with you. So when your out running through forests in January, up hills in February or through muck in March remember its all worth it for the happy memories the GAA will leave you with J

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Northside star still burning bright

He looks older now, the experience of years gone by etched in his face and visible in the eyes, but nonetheless there’s still an undeniable resemblance to the fresh-faced teenager who took the GAA world by storm over fourteen years ago. The summer of 1995 - It doesn’t feel that long ago, but the intervening years have seen enormous change in the country and it’s largest cultural and sporting organisation.

The world at his feet, the boyish charm, and exotic good looks, and blessed with a talent that enabled him to be a national-level player in three sports - he appeared to have it all. The effects of the Celtic Tiger on immigration hadn’t been seen yet, and there was still a sense of glamour and novelty about a star with a different look to the Caucasian Irish. Phil Lynott, Paul McGrath, even Gerry McInerney’s perma-tan and white boots from the 80’s evoke colourful memories, and then along came Jason Sherlock.

While the performances that summer and the instantly recognisable face brought fame and opened doors in the aftermath of Dublin’s 1995 success, they also brought darker moments and the usual begrudgery. In many ways the GAA weren’t ready for a superstar like Sherlock, and perhaps Sherlock wasn’t ready to be a superstar. Marketing and PR were seen as dirty words by some and the redevelopment of Croke Park was in it’s infancy. The organisation still had a long way to go from a commercial and professional standpoint, and as quickly as it flared up, Jayomania passed largely untapped by the GAA.

He had an All-Ireland medal in his pocket in his debut season, and the subsequent annual GOAL Challenge match at Croke Park had to be abandoned as hundreds of kids swept across the field mid-match looking for a piece of their new idol. Deals with Pennys, the News of the World, and presenting a teen show on RTÉ with Kathryn Thomas followed soon after, although at the time there was still a lingering suspicion in the GAA hierarchy about the pitfalls of commercial interaction. Jersey sponsors and corporate boxes were a recent progression, but no doubt the die-hards had serious reservations about players cashing in on their fame and the traditions of the amateur status disappearing overnight. The only sign of player endorsements were work-related exercises such as farmer Joe Cooney advising on how to successfully treat mastitis in your cattle or John Fenton wiping out liver fluke with the puc of a sliotar.

As the lustre began to wear off, the backlash and controversy wasn’t long in coming. Sherlock was accused of being a moneygrabber by certain quarters that were of the same school of thought as the FAI blazer brigade in how they viewed players. He was on the verge of quitting the game after a Dublin County Board official infamously spat at him after an under-21 match against Offaly. He could’ve walked away and focused on soccer, where he was playing for Shamrock Rovers and talk of a Liverpool trial. After a Dublin SFC final defeat to Kilmacud Crokes in late 1998, Sherlock was immediately flown by helicopter to Donegal where he lined out for Rovers in a match against Finn Harps. It was the demands of a professional athlete with the constraints of an amateur one.

It was his persistence that earned him the respect of the supporters. That commitment and desire to reach the summit again were evident year after year. It was said that Sherlock couldn’t kick points, and the lonely hours of repetitive kicking before and after team sessions reaped dividends when a marked improvement in his shooting was seen. The natural brain and reading of the game were always evident, but his size was called into question as players’ physiques became bigger and his youthful pace lessened as the years rolled by. He blossomed again when Paul Caffrey took over the county reins after some great years with Sherlock and co. at Na Fianna, and in later years worked hard in the gym to bulk up his body as the demands of the modern game required.

We’re now in the fifteenth season since the 19 year old from the northside sparked a seasoned Dublin team to their last All-Ireland victory. He’s 33 now, and made his 2009 debut appearing as a second-half sub against Meath last weekend. Only time will tell what sort or a role he will play on the field in this year’s campaign, but there’s no doubt that his work ethic, experience and quiet leadership will be of use to a Dublin panel in transition.

In a time where scores of players are household names, and advertising for isotonic drinks, sportswear, cars and even banking feature GAA players, it’s worth remembering where it all began. He may not be universally liked in GAA circles, but Jason Sherlock should certainly be respected for his longevity and continuing presence at the highest level of the game.

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Ireland And The GAA: A Time Of Transition And Reflection

We have often heard the phrase “The more things change, the more they remain the same”. However, in this period Ireland is changing and nothing seems to be the same unless you are a GAA fan. Once an optimistic nation with high hopes, Ireland has now turned into a nation full of “doom and gloom”, hung-over after the “Celtic Tiger” and the good times. In the space of two years, Ireland has changed dramatically that the future is uncertain. This week, Fianna Fail faces the backlash of the Irish nation’s vote on the local and European elections and Fine Gael who now have the majority of votes.

While a lot of us are feeling the backlash of the recession, it is time to look at the cornerstone of Irish culture and that is the GAA. The GAA were rubbing their hands in delight at Sunday’s attendance for the Dublin v Meath encounter which bagged the association over €1 million with 75,250 in attendance. Meanwhile the Munster Semi-Final between Kerry and Cork was well attended by 32,000 plus. While businesses are struggling more these days, the GAA are still doing well. During these tough times it is all about survival and who knows about survival more than the GAA? From its birth in 1884, the GAA has grown and survived the troubles of British Rule when the GAA was banned in 1918 by the British Government, the Irish Civil War and the recession of the 1980’s. Now we find ourselves amidst another recession both global and national and it is time to survive once again. What is the formula for this survival? One can think of a few but the formula is really based on three key elements. They are the love of sport and culture, love of the community and the willingness to volunteer to ensure that these are sustained.

While our political parties are battling it out over leadership, trying to bail out the banking crisis and trying to get the public finances in order, The GAA are sitting back and continuing to implement the time tested formula that has brought them success over the last 125 years. Not only have they continued to do what they do but they have also strategically made gains at the financial expense of its main sporting rivals soccer (FAI) and rugby (IRFU). The GAA can take pride in the fact that while they have gained financially, they have also kept these two sports on a high national stage so not to damage it’s image while marketing their prime asset Croke Park.

This was not a simple flick of the light-switch though as Rule 42 had to be debated and voted on. Opposition to the opening of Croke Park was on the basis of allowing the associations rivals to showcase their games on GAA turf. While the decision to open Croke Park to rugby and soccer was not popular to a large enough number of GAA fans and officials, the GAA stared controversy in the face and won. It is this type of management and leadership qualities that every electorate in this country wants and the government wouldn’t be doing anything wrong if they took the GAA as a case study.

It is often scowled that politics and sport are mentioned in the same sentence but the two couldn’t be more related to each other. The simple fact is, sport is part of politics and politics are part of sport whether that be the GAA,IRFU or FAI bringing money into the Irish economy through supporter expenditure or whether it is politics in an inter-county or club team.

Meanwhile, on the field of play, the current economic and political situation does not represent too much of a change. Tyrone and Kerry are still the two big favourites to lift Sam Maguire in September while Dublin, Galway, Cork and Mayo are part of the chasing pack as usual and Kilkenny look like they will breeze through the hurling championship again. In years to come, GAA fans will reflect on this period and remember the highs and lows of both politics and GAA during the recession. They will remember Tyrone upsetting Kerry’s three in a row bid, Dublin and Meath in transition serving up a dreadful encounter and the strike of the Cork panels.

During these hard times, survival is the goal for many businesses, the government and people trying to find work in a bare jobs market. While the future is uncertain for much of the nation and the current government, one thing is for sure, the GAA will survive and live forever no matter what happens.

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Hurling – a Universal Irish Language

Over Christmas, during the annual Christmas day game of 25 in my grandfather’s house, the conversation turned to hurling and more specifically, what the future held for Offaly hurling. The 2008 championship had created a sense of optimism that hadn’t surfaced since the early part of the decade as a result of the success in the qualifiers against Limerick and a good showing in the defeat to Waterford. There was no talk of imminent All-Irelands or defeating Kilkenny but of holding our own and competing with the best – this team was young and certainly the potential was there.

My father and Uncles reminisced about ’81 and Johnny Flaherty’s now legendary goal against Galway to claim Offaly’s very first Liam McCarthy – seemingly, nobody worked for days and Birr and the outlying towns and villages of Kinnitty, Banagher, Kilcormac, Lusmagh and others were awash with Green, White & Gold jerseys… My Grandfather brought up earlier Offaly teams and how he thought that Paddy Molloy was one of the finest hurlers ever to grace a field – a view held by many of that generation, indeed, he was regularly Offaly’s only participant on Leinster teams competing in the Railway Cup. All the while, my cousin and I discussed the craic we had in 1994 on the Hill after Johnny Dooley fired that free to the back of the net, 1998 in Thurles during the Trilogy with Clare and the now infamous pitch invasion in Croke Park.

Then, one weekend a couple of weeks ago, my parents visited Galway for the weekend and on Saturday afternoon while my mother left us for the shops of Galway, my father and I went into Taafes. We ended up having a great conversation with two auld fellas - Hurling of course been the main topic of discussion. They hailed from Castlegar, a club with a great tradition and of course, the famous Connelly’s – then what started out as a chat between the four of us turned into a debate with people from all over contributing, the best match, greatest scores, memorable moments and much more were discussed and debated at length. My mother arrived into the pub just as the conversation turned to the future and what it might hold – her expression was pretty much ‘I can’t bring ye anywhere’

This year, I decided to make a return having retired at the grand old age of 20. I signed up with a local junior club in Galway and set about training 2 to 3 times a week – during the first few weeks training in the dark, running drills, I wondered if this had been such a good plan but I can honestly say that learning to play all over again has been great fun and something I would recommend to anybody. We have played a few league matches now and nothing can compare to the nerves before a match, the competitiveness during it and the post-mortem in the pub afterwards.

The conversation in my grandfather’s house that night moved onto club hurling and our local club who had recently narrowly lost a county final. We were treated to tales of feriousous county finals of years past, ones that were lost or lost by a puck of a ball. It was that evening that I decided to make an effort to go back playing, and while skill and natural ability is not something I have been graced with in abundance, to steal the old cliché, it’s the taking part that counts!!

Hurling is an Irish obsession and alongside the weather is surely one of the main topics of conversation or ice-breakers amongst ‘strangers’. It is uniquely Irish in the way that our native sport evokes such passion and pride across generations and how two brothers in their eighties having their Saturday afternoon pint after the weekly shop can keep an audience interested for so long with tales of Christy Ring, Railway Cup finals, thumbing to Croke Park from Galway and much more. Hurling is truly a universal Irish language and one that I hope continues to thrive.

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Goodness greatness

As the clock ticks on and the midday sun raises the temperature by another painful degree, the nippy corner-forward only barely out of minor bursts ahead of his somewhat-less-nippy marker for the umpteenth time.

Gathering the ball into his chest, he sets the older man up with a slow solo before bursting into life, dropping his shoulder and taking the inside line towards goal. But this is one fruitless chase too many for the veteran of seven unsuccessful Junior B campaigns. With his lungs and his pride suffering equally, he summons up the spirit of Oscar Wilde and gives in to temptation; the jersey is duly pulled, the ticking administered and the free awarded.

The kick is on the 21-yard line, to the left of the posts as the forwards face in and about halfway between the goals and the left sideline. The long-haired freetaker weighs the ball for a moment before sending a relaxed right-footed kick over the bar. 2-11 to 0-5 with just seconds to go; it’s not even the 'insurance point'.

Yet this is one of the greatest scores I have ever seen kicked on a football pitch.
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Well, not exactly. In fact, that point (to the best of my knowledge) was never even scored.

I have, however, seen a right-footed free curled over from exactly the position described in the dying seconds of a match. But the kicker was Peter Canavan, in the 2005 All-Ireland semi-final against Armagh, a match bearing as little resemblance to that described above as Canavan himself does to my mythical long-haired freetaker.

And that one, bringing Tyrone and their talisman to a second (ultimately successful) final in three years at the expense of their great provincial rivals, truly was one of the greatest points I've ever seen kicked on a football pitch.
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What, though, makes a point (or a goal, block, player, team, match or manager, for that matter) great?

It's obvious that while the two kicks described above are identical from a technical point of view, only one would ever have a chance of being regularly described as 'great'. At least by anyone other than the long-haired freetaker, anyway.

But it's harder to pin down exactly why. Certainly, pressure, environment and a whole host of other factors can be chewed over till the cows, sheep and pigs have all come home. Generally, however, barstoolers in GAA clubs up and down the country will be comparing scores of different technical difficulty, so these factors alone are not sufficient.

Canavan's kick is superior because of the situation, and his score would undoubtedly have been greater again if it had been from the equivalent position on the right-hand side of the pitch or tight to either sideline. But when we compare two scores, managers or matches, is there a fair way to balance skill and circumstance?

Would our fictional Junior B score have been chosen by Kevin McStay as his "point of the season", as Canavan's was? Would Davy Fitz's penalty in the 1995 Munster Final be remembered quite so vividly if he'd only had to jog across to the corner-forward position afterwards rather than immediately hare back up the length of the pitch to keep goal at the other end? Would Mick O'Dwyer be considered such a great manager if he'd never moved beyond coaching the Waterville U-11Bs (even if they too had won 8 titles in 12 years)?

Of course not. But deciding where the lines should be drawn between the great and the good is a hazardous business. What if Limerick had seen Clare's inspirational full-back Brian Lohan ripple their net and sprint slightly less of the pitch in '95? Still great, or just very good? How about centre-back Seanie McMahon?

Perhaps, however, we're thinking of all this in the wrong way. For while it's been fashionable in recent years for sporting pundits and journalists to claim that the word 'great' should be employed with a little more restraint, there's no real reason to support this view.

To resort to the simplest of school debating tricks for a moment, let's consider the dictionary definition. This particular adjective has 10+ listings, including "chief or preeminent over others", "remarkably skilled" and "a generalised term of approval" – but nowhere does Noah Webster decree that sporting folk should spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about how often it is used.

So let's stop fretting about Henry Shefflin's fitness (or otherwise) to lace Christy Ring's hobnails. Or insisting that Joe Canning can't be described as great until he's at least allowed to buy a bottle of Chablis legally in Tennessee. Instead, why not just settle down to enjoy another season of championship action and hope that our national games continue to serve up scores, tackles, players, managers and matches that are great/fantastic/superb/splendid enough to cause such arguments in the first place?

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My new Championship idea

So for the Football championships we have had several debates over the years about how the Championship would go. Many pundits believe the Champions league style pool system will give the weaker counties more games to improve at championships and give them home games against big guns, improving the various County board coffers (imagine how packed Aughrim would be if the Dubs were to play Wicklow). Many want to see this implemented and the provincial championships abolished, here is the new idea I came up with.

Keep the provincial championships, but have a Champions league style pool system inside the provincial championship. I propose groups of 3 as it is the most logical, each team plays home and away giving every team at the minimum 4 championships games. Here is my mock draw


Ulster Championship Pool A
Armagh
Antrim
Donegal

Pool B
Fermanagh
Tyrone
Cavan

Pool C
Derry
Monaghan
Down

Winner of each group goes through, in the draw one winner gets a bye to the final while the other 2 play in the semi. The final winner goes through to the All Ireland Semi final, yes, this system would abolish the back door, but as I said, weaker counties will get 2 more games in the Championship

Connacht Pool A
Mayo
Leitrim
Roscommon

Connacht Pool B
Galway
Sligo
New York

As above, winner of each group meets in the Connacht final, Connacht Champion goes to the AI semi final.

Munster Pool A
Tipperary
Limerick
Waterford

Munster Pool B
Cork
Kerry
Clare

As all provinces would be open draws a situation like pool B could happen anywhere. A big gun will go out at the first hurdle, placing more emphasis on the clashes between the 2. Also with a weak pool A a non traditional team will make the final.

Leinster Pool A
Longford
Louth
Carlow

Pool B
Dublin
Meath
Wicklow

Pool C
Wexford
Laois
Offaly

Pool D
Kildare
Westmeath
London

For arithmetic purposes I have moved London from Connacht to Leinster, sure Leinster is the closest province to London, also London could be seen as taking Kilkennys place who have no Football team. As I said earlier could you imagine Aughrim packed to the rafters, could you imagine Croker full for Dublin/Meath and Pairc Tailteann full for the reverse fixture. Winners of each pool in Leinster progress to the semi final with the eventual champion taking Leinsters place in the AI semi final.

Jugs82

Just read the articles in the Write Off (It's stickied at the top of the page) and im very impressed with the articles

Just thought i would start a thread to allow people comment on what they thought about the articles

Personally liked the first article 'Its the Memories that Count' mostly because i can associate with it

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Yes it is a high standard, but I am not suprised Looking at the voting at the moment, one of the articles is out in front just, but with voting open until 12th of July I expect a tight finish

Jugs82

BUMP

Anybody any opinions on the articles in the Write Off?

p.s Dont forget to Vote :-)

Jugs82

BUMP

Deadline for voting is nearly up, the articles are stickied at the top of the forum

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Poll is closed, thanks to all of the voters for their feedback and all of the writers for their high quality contributions. Also congratulations to Jugs82 for his/her contribution which received the most votes. I am going to unlock this thread to allow any feedback or whatever to be posted. For the record the contributors were

My new Championship idea - Pride Fighter

Goodness greatness - yahoo_moe

Hurling – a Universal Irish Language - Jugs82

Ireland And The GAA: A Time Of Transition And Reflection - Blackbelt

Northside star still burning bright - Juvenal

Its the Memories that count - Conditioned

juvenal

Well done Jugs82.

Daysha

Well done all on some great articles.

Blackbelt you should be proud, one of your two votes came from me

Pride Fighter

Some good articles there, I knew the Hurling one would win, was well written and hurling is an extremely popular sport. I would have voted for it had I not voted for myself;).

Fair play to all:)

Jugs82

Wohoo :-) Seriously though, thanks for the votes, surprised to win to be honest - I voted for 'It's The Memories That Count' thought it was a great read!

homerjay2005

i never even knew this was happening. i could have wrote something on Mayo football and the legend Mcdonald