Laochra Gael

Whiplash85

Just watched the Ciaran Carey episode. Spine tingling stuff. He was such a barnstorming off the cuff player and one of the greatest of the last 30 years. I dont believe in monikers like best player never to win an All Ireland. Instead you look at a body of work. Most notably for Carey that point against Clare in the dying embers of a munster championship game against a Loughnane managed Clare side.

Back in an era when hurling was do or die an unbearable tension accompanied these games knowing that the fate of the losing supporters was watching Andre Agassi or Pete Sampras in Wimbledon instead of being at your fathers side in Thurles or Pairc Ui Caoimh at munster finals. Watching through younger eyes stung from piped tobacco smoke, hayfever and under what seemed like a stronger sun back then men were truly giants (to coin an old slogan from the Guinness marketing department). None more so than Carey.A lot of the Mystique and romance is gone but Careys nuances, deftness and fleet footedness will stand the test of time.

Amazing production from TG4. There is a great passion and rawness from Carey who has fought his demons head on. Got to the big dance twice and came away empty handed but will be remembered for so much more.

seligehgit

Whiplash85 wrote: »

Just watched the Ciaran Carey episode. Spine tingling stuff. He was such a barnstorming off the cuff player and one of the greatest of the last 30 years. I dont believe in monikers like best player never to win an All Ireland. Instead you look at a body of work. Most notably for Carey that point against Clare in the dying embers of a munster championship game against a Loughnane managed Clare side.

Back in an era when hurling was do or die an unbearable tension accompanied these games knowing that the fate of the losing supporters was watching Andre Agassi or Pete Sampras in Wimbledon instead of being at your fathers side in Thurles or Pairc Ui Caoimh at munster finals. Watching through younger eyes stung from piped tobacco smoke, hayfever and under what seemed like a stronger sun back then men were truly giants (to coin an old slogan from the Guinness marketing department). None more so than Carey.A lot of the Mystique and romance is gone but Careys nuances, deftness and fleet footedness will stand the test of time.

Amazing production from TG4. There is a great passion and rawness from Carey who has fought his demons head on. Got to the big dance twice and came away empty handed but will be remembered for so much more.

I believe in same ,he was a truly marvellous player.

danganabu

Best player never to win an AI is a very definitive label to put on anyone player, I can think of at least 4 Waterford players that would have equal claims, a few from Clare and Tipp in the late 70's early 80's and Galway before they made the breakthrough and again since 1988.

Not taking anything away from Carey btw but that's a massive claim imo.

Bluezar

Great episode last night - Carey was some hurler.
The Dan Shanahan episode is still the best one I have seen ( I am a deise fan though!)

seligehgit

danganabu wrote: »

Best player never to win an AI is a very definitive label to put on anyone player, I can think of at least 4 Waterford players that would have equal claims, a few from Clare and Tipp in the late 70's early 80's and Galway before they made the breakthrough and again since 1988.

Not taking anything away from Carey btw but that's a massive claim imo.

Ah it's just a label that is thrown out there.Yes you could include Ken McGrath,John Mullane and Tony Browne from the Deise and many more from other counties.

commonsense.

Best/greatest player never to win an AI is debatable all day long (but def one of the greatest).

Owner of the "greatest winner ever scored" as described by that great scribe Kevin Cashman is u[font=Verdana, sans-serif]ndisputable [/font]imo. The score in question of course being the last gasp winner referred to above by Whiplash85 in the Munster semi final vs Clare in 1996.
There has never ever been a better point scored when everything in the mix that day is taken into account.

Gael85

Does anyone know if possible to watch old episodes of Laochra Gael? Was looking for the one about the Meehan family

Mehapoy

commonsense. wrote: »

Best/greatest player never to win an AI is debatable all day long (but def one of the greatest).

Owner of the "greatest winner ever scored" as described by that great scribe Kevin Cashman is u[font=Verdana, sans-serif]ndisputable [/font]imo. The score in question of course being the last gasp winner referred to above by Whiplash85 in the Munster semi final vs Clare in 1996.
There has never ever been a better point scored when everything in the mix that day is taken into account.

I'm not really a fan of the 'all on the day' knockout fare but when you watch back that score, 50k in the Gaelic grounds Munster champions of the previous 2 years meeting with everything at stake its magic, compare to the rubbish served up last year in the Munster championship between them...the GAA need to get back to that somehow without players training all year for one game, you'd nearly be lucky to get 50k between the 2 semis in Munster nowadays, a shame.

Bluezar

Gael85 wrote: »

Does anyone know if possible to watch old episodes of Laochra Gael? Was looking for the one about the Meehan family

Good few of them are on Youtube - likely up there

gigantic09

Dermot Early snr. would be high on any list.Given a tribute not afforded to many,when carried shoulder high off the pitch by mayo players,in his final appearance,the 1985 connacht final.Would be interesting to try and pick "the greatest players never to win an all-ireland",from the most successful counties.Them being Kerry & Dublin in football and Killkenny,Tipp & Cork in hurling.

thesultan

Loachra Gael needs a face lift. Focus more on what the player done not how the team did?

Clareman

Sorry but that point annoys me, Clare were out on their feet and time was well up, Davy should have pucked the ball out over the sideline and taken the replay, not hit the ball down the middle on top of Limerick's best player.

slegs

Clareman wrote: »

Sorry but that point annoys me, Clare were out on their feet and time was well up, Davy should have pucked the ball out over the sideline and taken the replay, not hit the ball down the middle on top of Limerick's best player.

Doesn't take away one bit from the majesty of what Ciaran Carey did next though....

commonsense.

Clareman wrote: »

Sorry but that point annoys me, Clare were out on their feet and time was well up, Davy should have pucked the ball out over the sideline and taken the replay, not hit the ball down the middle on top of Limerick's best player.

Why does it annoy you (apart form your obvious county affiliations)?
Try and forget that it was Clare that was turned over and look at the magnificence of the score.

Maybe Clare were out on their feet? If they were, so were Limerick as was Ciar n Caery (that's part of what makes the score so special).
Maybe Davy should have put it over the sideline? He didn't.
Time was well up?. First minute of injury time as Canning says in the commentary).

No matter what way you look at it and considering all the circumstances it was a sublime score.