Your Favourite GAA Anecdotes Thread

Straight Talker

If you have any GAA related stories or yarns to tell post them here.There was a fella that played hurling and football for Cork called Billy Mackesy.He won an all ireland hurling medal with Cork in 1903 and an all ireland football medal with Cork in 1911.He had a pub and restaurant on Oliver Plunkett Street in Cork for many years up until the early 60's.The Cork teams when they came home from Dublin after an all ireland win on the monday would always have a function in there where Billy would pay tribute to the team.This would happen right up as far as the Christy Ring era.

Anyway there was these two penniless Cork City characters a father and son who walked into Mackesys one day. The father went up to Billy and said (picture a really strong Cork accent here!) excuse me Mr Mackesy i was just talking about hurling and football with my son. I was trying to explain to him that you won 2 all ireland medals with Cork but he thinks it was only the wan. It was two wasn't it Mr Mackesy? That's right lad's two one in hurling and one in football. Thank you Mr Mackesy. The two lad's then go up to the barman at the far end of the counter. Barman barman Mr Mackesy said to give us two pints! Would ye go away out of that fellas say's the barman who knew the pair well. But he did im telling ya he did! The father then shouts over to Mr Mackesy. Mr Mackesy Mr Mackesy wasn't it two you said? That's right lads it was two! The barman then pours the lad's their pints and the two lad's got their free drink.

Hammer Archer

Nice

This was before my time but it's legendary around here.
Kilbride is a tiny village just on the border between Meath and Dublin. Right now they perennially struggle against relegation to Junior B. But they had one of the greatest ever club teams back in the 1960s/70s, winning 5 senior championships in 8 years and having 6 players on Meath's All Ireland winning team in 1967.

In 1965, the year after they won the first of their titles, they were again in the final against Skryne. During the game, Martin Quinn (one of the famous Quinn brothers) was coming out of defence and was tackled roughly by two Skryne men. Instead of a free to Kilbride, the referee gave a free to Skryne for overcarrying. At this point, Martin lost it and was sent off by the referee. Instead of leaving the field, Martin Quinn promptly sat on the ball and refused to move. Obviously, no one was brave/stupid enough to try and make him move so the game was abandoned shortly afterwards. Skryne were awarded the title at a meeting of the county board.

Unfortunately, I'm not old enough to have seen this but it's the stuff of legend around my part of Meath.

Bizzum

Hammer Archer wrote: »

Nice

This was before my time but it's legendary around here.
Kilbride is a tiny village just on the border between Meath and Dublin. Right now they perennially struggle against relegation to Junior B. But they had one of the greatest ever club teams back in the 1960s/70s, winning 5 senior championships in 8 years and having 6 players on Meath's All Ireland winning team in 1967.

In 1965, the year after they won the first of their titles, they were again in the final against Skryne. During the game, Martin Quinn (one of the famous Quinn brothers) was coming out of defence and was tackled roughly by two Skryne men. Instead of a free to Kilbride, the referee gave a free to Skryne for overcarrying. At this point, Martin lost it and was sent off by the referee. Instead of leaving the field, Martin Quinn promptly sat on the ball and refused to move. Obviously, no one was brave/stupid enough to try and make him move so the game was abandoned shortly afterwards. Skryne were awarded the title at a meeting of the county board.

Unfortunately, I'm not old enough to have seen this but it's the stuff of legend around my part of Meath.

Do you know who the Ref was?
A hardy bit of stuff, a good footballer and a good boxer!

Hammer Archer

Bizzum wrote: »

Do you know who the Ref was?
A hardy bit of stuff, a good footballer and a good boxer!

Had to Google it:
http://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/temp/death-of-1965-sfc-final-referee-27129995.html

paul71

This is one I witnessed myself but I love telling it.

I was probably 15/16 and at a league game in Navan with my father, could have been 1987/88/89 but don't remember which.

Anyway we want into the clubhouse bar after the game and my Father was talking to Kevin Foley and another regular player whose name I will not mention. The second player had not played that day and my father asked him why not. The player concerned, who would be known as a fierce droll and witty character replied that he was hurt. My father asked how he got hurt, the reply to which was "I got a kick off a cow", inevitably my father asked him where the cow kicked him, at that I saw a little twinkle appear the players eye before he replied "Outside the cow shed door"

paul71

I remember thinking afterwards, the poor ****ing cow if he had kicked it back.

Straight Talker

This thread needs some Tom Ryan!::pac:

John Flavins loss was one of Tom Ryans biggest dissapointments.

We were down two backs from 1994 we had lost Ger Hegarty to injury and Joe O'Connor retired.John Flavin was like John Roche he had been in the camp for over a year and was being brought along gradually.He was going through what you would call our academy and he was ready.Before the championship he broke his leg.A disaster.He was never the same player after that.He was coming in 1995 and was a contender at wing back a year ahead of Mark Foley.But i was testing guys for a weakness again showing the intensity and pressure of the selection process that players were being put through.Flavin had a weakness which was the fact that he decided to go away and play junior football a fortnight before the championship.

He broke his leg behind in Athea.That put a question mark over him.Had he the mentality,the mental strength that you need to say no fcuk off im not playing football.I have my place on the Limerick team for the championship.You need that as well the missing ingredient in his case.

The fact that Flavin never came through would have been my biggest dissapointment as Limerick manager.But the reason he never came through was his own fault.He went off playing junior fcuking B football with the club.He was a very good nice fella like and then your man came looking for him.Davey whatever the fcuk his name is.The secretary or chairman of Monagea,a small fella with a cap.He was a b****x anyway whatever his name was and he took him away to the football.He collected him and took him away and there was two years work gone down the drain.

Straight Talker

Tom Ryan has strong views on GAA administration that time.

The 1995 incidents in Thurles grieved me because they weren't commented on.Clare got all carried away in my lovely rose of Clare and Biddy Earley and the 1932 thing and all that.I criticised the referee openly in the media.At that particular time criticism of referees was frowned on and i kept criticisng him,i didn't give a fcuk.Oh yere bad losers and sour grapes and all that kind of sh*t came out of the lips of everyone including our own cnuts here.I was hoping then that they would summon me to croke park.I had a barrister organised and a video of the fcuking match.And i would go up to croke park and i wouldn't give a fcuk.And i would go up there and walk into that room and say i don't give one rattling fcuk about any of ye here,the munster council,or croke park,or the county board or anyone.We will sit down and watch the video of this match here.

I didn't have to go up before any board.I had my apprenticeship served in hurling and the gaa.I never got my opportunity.The cnuts below in Clare were running the gaa that time you had O'Laoire and Jimmy Smith and all those fcukers that were there.I never got my day in the sun in croke park.And i kept up the criticism any opportunity i got.I was willingly going out cutting up Johnny McDonnell in the press hoping i would be called before croke park and i never got it.They beat me at my own game.There were disciplining fellas and suspending fellas all over the country everywhere for every game that year but not for this game.Sean O'Laoire and all them cnuts above in croke park probably said we'd better leave this man alone.The man i had lined up was Matt Shaw who is involved with the DRA committee.He was my man and he had a barrister and all lined up.I didn't care if they suspended me for life.

Straight Talker

And here's one more Toms a gas man in fairness!

Tom Ryan on Iron Mike Houlihans Return From A Broken Jaw.

We got the team ready for the championship and trained away.Houlihan eventually came out of hospital.Westmeath rang looking for a challenge game so we went out to Ahane and played them.Mike Houlihan was togged out a brave man and the hoor only out of hospital since the previous Thursday.There was blood coming out of his gums and his jaw was still wired up.Seven fcuking days later we were going to Cork for the championship.He had a big helmet on him with these big thick bars on the faceguard.Jaysus i said we'll stick you in at centre back, get a bit of hurling into you and see how you go.He got an awful roasting, got cleaned out,was missing balls the whole lot.They were all there on the sideline saying to take him off.I said nothing and left him hurl away.

Next thing a big fcuking row started a mother and father of a brawl.A Westmeath player came up and broke a hurley straight off the helmet and there was a free for all,a bad row.Then they were saying he definitely will have to be taken off now.I would always wait,chance the fcuking thing as long as i could.And he pulled off the helmet and fcuked it into the next field and jesus christ he started hurling like there was no tomorrow.The fear was gone you see,the row was after getting him going,the jaw was forgotten about.Jesus christ he was driving balls 80 yards up the field,drop striking balls and all that.Houlihan was back.Sure he went down to Cork the following week and walked all over the cnuts.

daithi1970

My favourite story goes back to an u-21 club match in Roscommon in the early 90s. Roscommon Gaels were winning by 1-2 points with a few minutes to go and one of their forwards went down under a soft tackle and stayed down to waste time. One the opposing team's supporters was heard to shout "get up to fcuk there's not a thing wrong with you!". The player got up slowly and blew the supporter a kiss..to which he shouted "Id say youre that way all right!" the player's instant reply,loud enough for half the stand to hear- "Ask your daughter..."

daithi

shockframe

Sure he went down to Cork the following week and walked all over the cnuts.

That is some quote.Tom Ryan stands out from everyone in Henry Martins book.


Any mention of Tom Ryan has to include this

Straight Talker

shockframe wrote: »

Sure he went down to Cork the following week and walked all over the cnuts.

That is some quote.Tom Ryan stands out from everyone in Henry Martins book.


Any mention of Tom Ryan has to include this

I have never ever come across a sporting personality that just let's it all out in the manner that Tom does!The story about the argument with the county board when they tried to get rid of his liaison officer Charlie Hanley with Jimmy Hartigan walking out in the middle of it was hilarious!There' so many funny Tom Ryan moments in that book.They get funnier with every read.:pac:

shockframe

For the week thats in it we need more of Tom. - Joe Quaid article from last year

We had some hard nuts on that team. They talk about the intensity in Kilkenny training. We’d have a couple of thousand people watching Houlihan and O’Neill flaking each other. I mean, the ball was a totally incidental piece of equipment for those two boys. Tom Ryan would run up to me. “Puck it down on top of them!’ “’Tom, they’re killing each other.’ “’Puck the ****ing thing down on top of them!’”

“Looking back, Tom was an unsung hero too. He mightn’t have won the big one and he might have gone against every modern coaching principle with his D’Unbelievables manner but there was method in his madness which is why he won a lot too.

“I’ll always give Tom credit. Now, we were twice on holidays and he wouldn’t talk to us; if you were out after a match with the wife or girlfriend he’d salute them but not us. He’d abuse us. I had a very good game against Cork in ‘94 and the next night in training he comes in and goes [Quaid does a marvellous Tom/Timmy Ryan impersonation], ‘Well, Joe Quaid, the bloody big shot, eh? Blocking balls out is all you want to do and they still end up in the bloody net!’ But I loved Tom Ryan because I hated him so much. Every day I went out to prove him wrong.

“Before we played Cork in ‘96 he goes in the dressing room in front of everyone, ‘Quaid, we don’t want any of this bloody gymnastics on Sunday and you ****ing diving on the ground!’ Same game, Mark Mullins pulls on a ball about 14 yards out and I dive and tip it around the post. Ryan comes in the following night, big grin on his face, ‘Ah Quaid, we were glad of some of the old gymnastics, weren’t we?!’”