Bishop ( or Archbishop) throwing in the ball

sffc

This one has been driving me mad for years - I think we've all seen the footage of a Bishop or Archbishop throwing in the ball in the All Ireland final.
Three questions really -
1- was it it the Archbishop of Dublin as a rule?
2- when did the practice start?
3- and this is really the big one - when was the last All Ireland final where this practice occurred?
Thanks guys - please stay on topic

cgpg5

sffc wrote: »

This one has been driving me mad for years - I think we've all seen the footage of a Bishop or Archbishop throwing in the ball in the All Ireland final.
Three questions really -
1- was it it the Archbishop of Dublin as a rule?
2- when did the practice start?
3- and this is really the big one - when was the last All Ireland final where this practice occurred?
Thanks guys - please stay on topic

Didn't every player bar keeper go in for the throw? The sight of the bishop et al running for their lives to get off the pitch was a sight to behold indeed

mickmackey1

3. It ended in 1979

padd b1975

sffc wrote: »

This one has been driving me mad for years - I think we've all seen the footage of a Bishop or Archbishop throwing in the ball in the All Ireland final.
Three questions really -
1- was it it the Archbishop of Dublin as a rule?
2- when did the practice start?
3- and this is really the big one - when was the last All Ireland final where this practice occurred?
Thanks guys - please stay on topic

Think it was the Archbishop of Cashel...patron of the GAA.

I am also almost certain it finished long before 1979.

mickmackey1

From 'The Throw In - The GAA and the men who made it' by Brendan Fullam (2004) p156:

munchkin_utd

mickmackey1 wrote: »

From 'The Throw In - The GAA and the men who made it' by Brendan Fullam (2004) p156:

the book though seems to be wrong, at least on the throw in.

heres the 1976 football final with the ref throwing in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5l7PdKxoLg

even the 1968 throw in was done by the referee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaYMfuCdze8&feature=related

Davin Stand

It was 8 players from each team, the forwards and midfielders that lined up for the throw in at the start of matches.

sffc

As you can see lads there's some mystery as to the last one. Its been confirmed for me from what you guys say that we are looking pre '68. I'm fairly sure it was still being done in 63 when the Dubs won. I seem to remember footage of a young "Heffo" smacking the poor Bishop with the ball and immediately turning round to apologise without any regard for the game. Would'nt happen now! !

mickmackey1

Tim Carey's 'Croke Park - A History' also states that it was only discontinued in the late 70s. I think it's possible that the last few years involved only a ceremonial duty & that the ref started the 'real' game after the dignitary had left the pitch, but I could be imagining that...

Fr Tod Umptious

mickmackey1 wrote: »

Tim Carey's 'Croke Park - A History' also states that it was only discontinued in the late 70s. I think it's possible that the last few years involved only a ceremonial duty & that the ref started the 'real' game after the dignitary had left the pitch, but I could be imagining that...

You could be right about that

Have a look at 1962

This video mentions the ref throwing in the ball
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT-loexnsAA

This one clearly shows that it was someone else
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8weZ0lYUIs

munchkin_utd

theres an interesting article superficially dealing with the intertwined nature of church and GAA from the examiner last summer:
http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2012/0625/sport/gaa-and-catholic-church-no-longer-hand-in-glove-198607.html

unfortunately no mention of when the openly visible demonstrations of allegiance to the church ended.

WumBuster

They should bring it back but with this time the president Michael D throwing in the ball and then running for his life through kilkenny players! Now that would be some sight!

Clareman

Never mind that, imagine Mary McAleese throwing the ball in for the Munster Final replay of '98

Gambas

Clareman wrote: »

Never mind that, imagine Mary McAleese throwing the ball in for the Munster Final replay of '98

She'd have had Martin building bridges between Ger Loughnane and the rest of humanity