What are the earliest images in your head of GAA

IRISHSPORTSGUY

For me

- Maurice Fitzgerald's monster kick in the '97 All-Ireland Football Final

- The ref blowing up two minutes from time in the '98 All-Ireland Hurling semi-final replay between Clare and Offaly with Clare 3 points up

- Subsequent Offaly sit down protest and the match turning into a replay (which Offaly won) instead of clearing the supporters off the pitch and restarting the previous match.

- Joe Deane's yellow helmet

premierstone

The first intercounty game I ever attended was the 1987 Munster Final Replay in Kilarney - what an ocassion and If I didn't get hooked on Hurling after that then it was never really going to happen. It still ranks in the top 3 GAA days of my life - along with my club winning an Intermediate AI and the 2010 Senior AI final.

I guess the abiding image from the game I have is Donie O'Connel ending up in the net and of course the out pouring of emotion during Richard Stakelum's famous 'Famine Speach'.

Clareman

My brother being captain of the local Under 16 team that won the county championship, which was the clubs first A title, I was 5 at the time

frag420

mud!!

WesternZulu

First championship game I can remember being at was Mayo and Leitrim 1994 Connacht Final at The Hyde.

Set me up nicely for all the pain and disappointment that would follow in the coming years!

iDave

First championship game was the Leinster Final in 91. Was 6 at the time

yop

Offaly 1982 - Seamus Darby scoring against Kerry. I wanted to be him

Tom Joad

This point always stands out for me - was lucky enough to be behind the goals that day - we still lost the replay though

SeaFields

Being squeezed through the stiles heading into a game long since forgotten. As a child I couldn't understand why I couldn't just walk 'to the green' and watch.

Littlehorny

Galway winning the All Ireland in 1980 and my home county Meath winning the Centenary Cup in 84, the start of the golden age for the county!

blue note

1992 all Ireland u21 hurling final. I was 6 and the one thing I remember well is some prick frightening me with an air horn throughout the game. I still hate those things.

mickmackey1

yop wrote: »

Offaly 1982 - Seamus Darby scoring against Kerry. I wanted to be him

blast, that was my one :pac:

Ando's Saggy Bottom

"Bobby Ryan uses Ivermerk Pour-on."

Seans_Username

Standing in McHale park at a Mayo game with my dad and Scottish cousins.

A helicopter lands and Mary McAleese pops out and I ask "Is she going to play??!!"

I was very very young.

ProudDUB

Dubs vs Kerry some time in the 70's. I was recovering from chicken pox, so was laid up on the sofa watching it with my Dad. We had curtains of that orangey/brownish hue that was so popular in the 70's . Even though it was a bright summers day, they were pulled to stop the glare from the sun on telly, so the room had a weird orange glow to it. Can still see it in my minds eye.

dirkmeister

First time in Croke Park was the 1995 Leinster final, we were hammered by the Biffo's, absolutely hammered.

DJ got a couple of late goals.


Actually Croke Park in the mid 90's wasn't a good place for Kilkenny people, Wexford, Offaly and Clare all dished out beatings to us.

ciarriaithuaidh

Vaguely remember the National football league final in Limerick in 1984..a scorcher of a day. No recollection of the game, but myself and another young fella amused ourselves by hopping from seat to seat from back to front in the stand for the duration of the game!

First real memory is the 1987 Munster final in Cork when Mikey Sheehy scored a goal in the dying minutes to put Kerry up by 1 only for Larry Tompkins to level it with a last gasp free. Was a very excited 8 year old the year after in Páirc uí Chaíomh the following year also watching an 18 year old Maurice Fitz take Stephen O'Brien (an allstar) for 10 points. The old lad whispered to me quietly that day "we mightn't win this game, but don't worry, that fella will win an All Ireland for us one day"....he did, but it took 9 years of mostly depressing defeats before it happened!

buckwheat

Charlie Redmond putting a penalty over the bar in the last minute against Meath when dublin needed a goal. Think it may have been 88. I can remember Meath winning the 87 all Ireland but the Redmond penalty is my first clear memory of a game I attended

ONeill2013

When Derry were a decent side 1998-1999 and capable of challenging for another All-Ireland, if there had have been a back-door system in 2000 we might have.

feargale

Going to a Senior club championship football match. I must have been about three, standing on the sideline. The ball was placed very near me for a sideline kick. As a player was about to take the kick, I picked up the ball. It took considerable coaxing to persuade me to part with it.

Jake Rugby Walrus666

Smoke. perfume. urine. Crowds. Chocolate bars four for a pound. Official Programs. The colour. The constant tense rumbling of the crowd. The sudden deafening roar. Football and hurling before it made any sense - players, tactics, patterns.

shiibata

Tom Joad wrote: »

This point always stands out for me - was lucky enough to be behind the goals that day - we still lost the replay though

So it was you doing fist pumps in front of me:p
Was behind them goals too that day, never thought few months later would be in canal end celebrating an All Ireland truimph...

PS..remember the replay, poured the whole day, got a real soaking....

shiibata

First big GAA game i attended was 1979 Ulster Final which we got thumped by Monaghan but honestly hardly remember nothing about the day...
The 1982 u21 All Ireland u21 final v Roscommon would be the first memorable GAA day out I had and the following year as a young fella, the tears came out for first time when Galway nicked the senior semi All Ireland on us due to a flukey goal....

dastardly00

dirkmeister wrote: »

First time in Croke Park was the 1995 Leinster final, we were hammered by the Biffo's, absolutely hammered.

DJ got a couple of late goals.


Actually Croke Park in the mid 90's wasn't a good place for Kilkenny people, Wexford, Offaly and Clare all dished out beatings to us.

First time in Croke Park for me too..... And the match was delayed because of the thunderstorms! I was at the front of the upper deck..... Got absolutely soaked, and my uncle decided to bring us home before halftime.

I remember on the radio on the way home the radio station was playing Van Morrisson: 'there'll be days like this....'

ArnoldJRimmer

First GAA memory is my Dad swearing at the radio as Donegal took another thumping in the first round in the mid 80's. First game I remember being at is a county final between St Eunans and Ardara on a scorching day. Cant even remember who won

Mouzone

87 Munster hurling final, draw in Thurles and replay in Killarney. So many memories of those two games. Nicky's kicked goal, Tipp throwing away a 7 point lead and needing a late Pat Fox free to force a never to be forgotten replay. Donie O Connells's mustache and Michael Doyle's two extra time goals sending us home happy.

Pudders

1978 Leinster hurling final KK versus the yellow bellies. I had been to many county matches before but for some reason this is the first I can remember. Being lifted by my grandad over the stiles into the hogan stand.
The flag out the car window on the way up and on the way back.
The paper creche hat (which on a wet day ensured you had the colours streaming down your face and the days were more often wet than not).
The journey back home which involved stopping in the Hideout in Kilcullen, The Lord Bagenal in Leighlinbridge and probably a few more before getting back to KK.
Whilst we have benefited from a golden generation I loved that KK team. Chunky O'Brien, Joe Hennessy, Fan Larkin, Billy Fitz, Frank Cummins. I was in primary school at the time and my teacher was Brian Cody with Matt Ruth also teaching in the school. A period when wexford hurling was really strong and there were some fantastic battles with Tony Doran and the Buggys.

lukin

Probably going to the local divisional final (Duhallow) with my Dad to watch my club (Meelin) beat the tar out of Kilbrin (again). Always seemed to be a sweltering hot day, the smell of Deep Heat from the players and the noise of their studs on gravel as they made their way from the dressing room to the pitch are what stick in my mind.
Great memories.
On an inter-county level, first game was the 1986 Munster football final in Killarney (not a happy occasion as Cork were beaten). Best early memory was the following year when we beat them after a replay (again in Killarney).

Fr Tod Umptious

My father and my uncled putting a 50p bet on some All ireland final back in the late seventies, and putting the money on top of the TV, and Pat Spillane soloing in the same game.

gramar

For me it's having a hurley about the size of a wooden spoon with white tape and having a kind of multi coloured spongey ball. I can't remember the first match I saw.

tipptom

Tony Mcteague,always think of Bily Bremner at the same time.

DARK-KNIGHT

Remember being in hill 16 with my dad and my uncles all of them dubs and me in my Kildare kit

Great game of football Dublin won it but the best memories were the hill it was a much better place back then compared to now.

Even remember a man standing beside me giving me 50 p at the time and saying maybe next year to me he told my dad get him an ice cream out of that

Poor_old_gill

Kerry beating Limerick in 1991 in the Munster football final- I was 5 at the time and was delighted.
I can still remember the following year when Clare beat us- I was quite upset as my dad had promised me that Kerry would definitely win.

Aglomerado

Clare Senior County Hurling final 1986. Mills v Clarecastle, in Carron. Lovely place, shame about the result on the day!

kc66

Asking my Dad to play hide and seek on the canal end... and wondering why he never would

Cosmo Kramer

Mayo v Leitrim in the 1988 Connacht Championship. As forgettable a first GAA game as you could have gone to. They didn't even play it in McHale Park, it was played in Charlestown. I doubt if many Mayo home championship games have been played outside Castlebar since. Think we won 1-13 to 0-04 or something similar. Mayo went on to the All Ireland semi that year but I had to watch on TV, I wasn't allowed to go to Croke Park until 1992 - in fairness Croker was a real hell hole at the time anyway, not a great place to bring a young child.

Hammer Archer

Meath game against Fermanagh in Navan. I can't for the life of me remember exactly what year it was but it must have been 1994 or 95. Can't remember if it was the league or whether it was just a challenge game. I remember that we won anyway and me being disappointed that there were no goals in the game.

First game(s) I can remember vividly was the epic 3 game Leinster semi final between ourselves and Kildare and being in the old Nally stand for all 3 with my school. For the first replay (and the other two games as well maybe) we were surrounded by Kildare schoolkids. Towards the end of normal time when Giles missed his penalty, they were giving it loads only for Trevor to score from the resulting sideline. At half time in extra time, they still hadn't learned their lesson and were giving it loads again only for the divine Jody to take matters into his own hands

Some of the posts here reassure me that I'm not that auld yet :pac:

DoctaDee

The pissing wall which went for the mens toilets in a lot of county grounds. Cusack Park Mullingar and Bellefield in Enniscorthy for a young fella were an ordeal !

ProudDUB

DARK-KNIGHT wrote: »

Great game of football Dublin won it but the best memories were the hill it was a much better place back then compared to now.

In what way? I thought the old Hill was a bit of a death trap.

walrusgumble

WesternZulu wrote: »

First championship game I can remember being at was Mayo and Leitrim 1994 Connacht Final at The Hyde.

Set me up nicely for all the pain and disappointment that would follow in the coming years!

At least Mayo won a few more Connacht Championships and that ye did not loose to Leitrim again.

I remember the opening of that Championship, Roscommon loosing badly to Leitrim. It was the 50th Anniversary of Roscommon's last All Ireland. Embarasing. Newton getting sent off for a stupid foul. The Leitrim goalie way a midget

Until 1998, the spirits were very much down (start of great league campaigns beating the Dublins and occassionally Kerry, and that near miss against Galway), then naivety creeped in going to Castlebar in 1999 (oh lord)

My first memory is 1988 at age 4ish years. I swear on my life, I remember it. I could not remember Euro 1988 . That memory is when Galway Hurlers crossed the Bridge over the Shannon into Athlone. First memories of massive crowds and loads of flags and really shouty happy people. Obviously I was oblivious to the importance, my mam is a Galway woman, my Dad a Rossie, but A Galway man when it came to hurling.

For me, apparently my first game was at the age of 6, 1990 Connacht Final. I only remember the crowd, gorgeous sunshine, and getting a picture with some big fella my dad knew very well , with a nice shinny cup (ie Tommy Grehen and the Nestor) Still, better than nothing, I could not for the life of me remember Italia 1990

However, I remember 1991 very well. By that point John Newton and Tony McManus were my heroes, again got near the Cup near the dressing room. The memories come, more from McHale Park (rainy enough Day) rather than nice sunny day in the Hyde. All I remember hearing was shouts for someone called Billy Joe Padden.The swearing that came out of my dad's mouth, even my more conservative uncle. The big one was Duggan's free kick. We were at the other end. Pure silence. Dad was telling me how our uncle knew him (big deal to me) Bang, the ball goes over the bar, Rossies go ape. I thought we won the game, wanting to go out on the field and celebrate. Bus journey home was made. Those days pubs actually hired buses .Me and the brother taught we were the Big Men at the back talking to the older fellas who were probably drunk (just remember that all the windows at the back were covered with flags, our flags being used - we were ready to kill if they were stolen) Then came the All Ireland Semi's , were were turfed off to Galway for the summer as usual. Dad wanted to bring us to Croker, mother said no way, too young for the hill. Had to put up with watching it on tv hoping to get a glimpse of the auld fella.

A few years later back in Castlebar, (the big trip) and Gay Sheerin broked the crossbar

And after all of that excitement, doom and gloom and out by June for the next few years

walrusgumble

Who remembers the Maor's or auld wimen going around, getting in the way, while you sat on them crappy stone benches , trying to flog cans of coke and ice cream ?

Cloth Hats with county colours with cardboard peak

X County "are Magic" Flags

Anyone with a replica jersey back in early 1990's were either rich or knew someone playing for the county

Men still wear suits and ties and awful smell of hair gel?

Marvelous

Thinkstoomuch

1990 Munster Final in Thurles,on a sunny day,all the talk was Tippereary and how their was little hope for Cork. They were going for 4 in a row in Munster,which they had never done before.
Not a fan of Dentists,I doubt many are,but one I will always hold dear is Mark Foley, 2-7 in that game.Some display he gave ,and unexpected when he had not done much against Waterford in the previous game.
John Fitzgibbon,2 goals,Cork have had not had a goal poacher as good since.
The fact I had heard so much about Tony O Sullivan,Jim Cashman,Teddy Maccarthy,Kevin Hennessey ,as legends in Cork,to finally be at the age to be able to see them play was great.
A packed Thurles ,and a Cork win against all the odds, stopping in Dundrum for an ice cream on the way home,was the day that Hurling really stole my heart.
It was great to relive glimpses of that day ,when the Sunday Game last week showed moments from the game.

feargale

Anyone remember " help the blind, please " ( mostly in Thurles ) ?

earlytobed

Tuning into the All Ireland hoping to spot my sister who was at the game. 1974 or 1975

toxicity234

The frist game i remember anything about is 1980 Lenister Final.
Offaly Killkenny. First Lenister, don't remember the game as i was only 3 at the time. Remember my Father Running out of the stand onto the pitch and leaving me and my 3 older brothers behind. The Brothers follow him I wasn't able to Keep up. Lost the lot of them. Spend what the next few mins on the pitch looking around.

don't remember the above that well but i remember what happen next scared the S**T out of him.

I remember hearing a scream from behind me and turned to see a Lad in an Offaly Jersey covered in blood coming run across the pitch at that moment my Father pick me up and put me on his shoulders. Didn't see Dad coming. scared the **** out of again.

Only when TG4 started and was showing old games did it dawn on me that the man running across the pitch was one of the Offaly Players that had being knock out in the last few mins of the game. He had being brought to the dressing room. He had woke up and being told they won and head back onto the pitch, and into my Nightmare for about 10 years.

Optimalprimerib

The smell of farts and cigars on the canal end. The whole summer of 91 taken up with the 4 game saga.

4 bars for a powand!!! Whahllyahavluv?

DoctaDee

earlytobed wrote: »

Tuning into the All Ireland hoping to spot my sister who was at the game. 1974 or 1975

On da radio. ....:D

castletownman

The general helter-skelter of 90's hurling. Can't really pinpoint my first memory, but my main memories of that period are George O'Connor's, Martin Storey's and Billy Byrne's glorious mustaches, Ciaran Carey being arguably the most dominant player of that era, Offaly and Clare and their swashbuckling style of play, and the game itself being at it's most competitive in perhaps it's history.

God be with the days.

feargale

castletownman wrote: »

The general helter-skelter of 90's hurling. Can't really pinpoint my first memory, but my main memories of that period are George O'Connor's, Martin Storey's and Billy Byrne's glorious mustaches, Ciaran Carey being arguably the most dominant player of that era, Offaly and Clare and their swashbuckling style of play, and the game itself being at it's most competitive in perhaps it's history. God be with the days.

Indeed, Castletownman, and then the powers that be came along and screwed it up with their silly backdoor. If it ain't broke be sure to fix it!

Hammer Archer

walrusgumble wrote: »

Who remembers the Maor's or auld wimen going around, getting in the way, while you sat on them crappy stone benches , trying to flog cans of coke and ice cream ?

Unfortunately for Meath fans, that's still very much the present in Navan.

ProudDUB

toxicity234 wrote: »

The frist game i remember anything about is 1980 Lenister Final.
Offaly Killkenny. First Lenister, don't remember the game as i was only 3 at the time. Remember my Father Running out of the stand onto the pitch and leaving me and my 3 older brothers behind. The Brothers follow him I wasn't able to Keep up. Lost the lot of them. Spend what the next few mins on the pitch looking around.

don't remember the above that well but i remember what happen next scared the S**T out of him.

I remember hearing a scream from behind me and turned to see a Lad in an Offaly Jersey covered in blood coming run across the pitch at that moment my Father pick me up and put me on his shoulders. Didn't see Dad coming. scared the **** out of again.

Only when TG4 started and was showing old games did it dawn on me that the man running across the pitch was one of the Offaly Players that had being knock out in the last few mins of the game. He had being brought to the dressing room. He had woke up and being told they won and head back onto the pitch, and into my Nightmare for about 10 years.

That's a great story. You don't ever forget the first really bad scare that you got as a child.