First game you went to

cms88

With no return to action for a while by the looks of it this is just something for people to discuss. Probally be done before.

What was the first GAA game you went to?
Was it a club or county game?
Was your county or club playing or were you a netural?

1984baby

Kk vs Offaly in Nowlan Park. Came home and told my mother Kilkenny we’re playing Ireland😂😂.

1st game I remember in Croker is 1999 AI final vs Cork. Prob remember because we got drowned wet.

castletownman

The first game I distinctly remember going to was the 1997 Leinster hurling final, Wexford vs. Kilkenny. I was too young to go to the 1996 games, so was naturally thrilled to be "allowed" to go the following year

I remember being blown away by the enormity of Croker, the colour and noise of the crowd and the traffic on the way up and down.

Wonderful memories

conor05

My late father took me to my first Wexford game in 1991 v Kilkenny. Leinster semi final. A young DJ Carey’s injury time goal, the one he was allowed to take about 11 steps broke Wexford’s hearts.
I remember my father going ballistic in the stand and the whole way home in the car as Wexford had been disallowed a perfectly legit goal in the same game.

You never forgot the buzz, colour and noise of your first time in Croke Park, it was a memory of a lifetime.

The first game I remember being at was Galway and Kilkenny in the qualifiers in 2003, Thurles.

We played them in two consecutive years there, the first we were smashed by around 20 points.
It started with a pointed effort coming up short but Donohue letting it in for a goal.

The year after started the same way but Galway rallied and went down by a few in the end.

First game in Croke Park was the AI semi in 2005, not a bad first game.
I'd say nearly 30% of the games I attended between 03 and 15 were Galway and Kilkenny and we barely won any.

Soulsun

1991 Dublin Meath 4 in a row... I was at the second game, excellent performance by both teams in the old Croke Park, the old wooden stand seats.

1991 leinster semi final kilkenny had there goalie, wing back stretchered off due to over robost incidents by Wexford players that day no action was taken Wexford should have been down to thirteen players.

sportsfan90

99 hurling semi-final between Cork and Offaly. My dad brought me to the old Hogan stand before it was demolished, he said there'd by plenty of chances to go into the shiny new areas of the stadium in the coming years.

Brian Corcoran was majetic as ever that day.

Exiled1

Oddly enough, I attended all of the above named games, including all four Dublin v Meath 1991 games.
Best was Cork v Offaly semi-final in 1999. Incredible first time play and skill sets by both sides. Corcoran and B Whelehan were beyond brilliant.
First game ...... 1962 All Ireland Senior hurling final Tipp v Wexford.

Granite Head

Down Vs Mayo NL SF 1978 - Croke Park
Neutral(ish) - Father from Mayo

blue note

First I have any memory of was the 91 all Ireland minor hurling replay. I believe it was in Wexford park. The only thing I actually remember about it though was being scared of an air horn beside me. I still hate those things.

The first match I properly remember being at was Waterford vs cork in the league in fraher field in 98. Tony Browne was majestic that day.

rpurfield

My first game would've been a club game but I couldn't tell you who it was against or when. The first one I remember is Meath v Donegal in the 1990 All Ireland Semi Final. I remember going in with my dad in his mates car and sitting in the Hogan, though the actual game is a bit of a blur.

moycullen14

Cork V Kilkenny Hurling Final 1972. I'm still scarred, tbh.

Met Eddie Keher some years back, tried to explain the effect he had that day on a 10 year old Cork boy. He was a gentleman about it and said that I wasn't the first Cork supporter to bring up that day with him!

Followed the footballers all the way to CP the following year. JBM, what a hero!

Best day out? 1999 without a doubt, closely followed by 2005.

Worst? Toss up between 1972 and 2007 football against our neighbours.

PS: Watched the 1990 double on eir sport last night. Twould bring a tear to a stone!

Fr Tod Umptious

Mayo v Leitrim Connacht championship around 1978, in Ballina.

fearruanua

My very first memory of being at a big match was at the drawn Munster Football final in 1987. Mikey Sheehy got a late goal to salvage a draw for Kerry. It was the beginning of the end for that fantastic Kerry team as Cork beat them well in the replay in Killarney.

sbs2010

1980 hurling final

Brought by my dad on his ticket. With no warning I was pushed onto the ground and told to crawl under turnstile. Sat between my dad's legs in the Cusack.

He's from Galway. I was 7.

Don't remember anything of the match. Just that dad told me to go and get some autographs from the players. Some of them were watching the minor from the tunnel which must have been in the Cusack, if I'm remembering right.

Joe Connolly blanked me but Iggy Clarke signed my programme

davegilly

First game I can remember is Kerry v Offaly - 1983.

I was 7 or so and there was a new pitch opening in, I think, Castleisland and Kerry were up against the 5 in a row destroying Offaly. Cant remember who won but i can still see myself and my father sitting on a wooden bench made of a plank of wood and two beer barrels.

Went to my first Munster Final v Cork that summer to see Tadhg Murphy punch a last minute winner to the net and beat Kerry.

pipelaser

davegilly wrote: »

First game I can remember is Kerry v Offaly - 1983.

I was 7 or so and there was a new pitch opening in, I think, Castleisland and Kerry were up against the 5 in a row destroying Offaly. Cant remember who won but i can still see myself and my father sitting on a wooden bench made of a plank of wood and two beer barrels.

Went to my first Munster Final v Cork that summer to see Tadhg Murphy punch a last minute winner to the net and beat Kerry.

Wasnt a punch my friend, he placed it right footed across the goal in off the butt of the post. Hell of a blow for Kerry!

pipelaser

davegilly wrote: »

First game I can remember is Kerry v Offaly - 1983.

I was 7 or so and there was a new pitch opening in, I think, Castleisland and Kerry were up against the 5 in a row destroying Offaly. Cant remember who won but i can still see myself and my father sitting on a wooden bench made of a plank of wood and two beer barrels.

Went to my first Munster Final v Cork that summer to see Tadhg Murphy punch a last minute winner to the net and beat Kerry.

Wasnt a punch my friend, he placed it right footed across the goal in off the butt of the post. Hell of a blow for Kerry!

LFC Murphy

First game was Galway v Offaly in 1981 in Birr. I was 5 and went with my brother.

It was the Goal Charity game after the AI final and I remember Galway beating them both by score and physically off the pitch 😆

I fell in love with the game there and then...

davegilly

pipelaser wrote: »

Wasnt a punch my friend, he placed it right footed across the goal in off the butt of the post. Hell of a blow for Kerry!

Correct My mistake

pipelaser

davegilly wrote: »

Correct My mistake

I wasnt even born then,
I only know because I have 'Kerry's Golden Years' video burnt into my retinas from watching every day because it was one of the only sports videos we had!

Edgware

Cork Kerry Munster Final at the Cork Athletic Grounds. 1973. Five goals put in the Kerry net.
Micko full forward for Kerry beside John Egan.
Then the semi against Tyrone. The year J.B.M. made the breakthrough.
The Tyrone crown singing some song to the tune of Gary Glitters D'want to be in my gang.
Another five goals for Cork

LoughNeagh2017

I was born 1992, the first game I am sure I went to was the League semi final on Easter Sunday 2000, Derry v Roscommon at Clones, I am sure of this because I remember eating an Easter egg in the car to the game. I think I went to my first county game in 1999 as I got a Derry Jersey that summer and used to get the Hogan stand magazine, I think I may have went to Derry v Cavan in 1999 when Joe Brolly scored in the last minute.

I have a photo of me in the Sam Maguire in 1993 I should also point out.

In regards to club, the pitch is just over the field from my house so I would have seen football as a toddler but the first memory was a minor game in 1997 I think. I'd also like to add that the Derry team trained across the field from me in early 90s.

thesultan

1989 Cork waterford munster semi final.

pipelaser

Meath Vs Laois in Pairc Tailteann in Navan in 1994.
My father brought me to the long terrace opposite the stand side, which was packed out, lifted me up on top of one of the walls on the side of the exit vomitorys and asked a Laois man to keep an eye on me, and he worked his way a bit further down in the steps-different times even then!
I remember the game well, especially the buzz any time that the ball went into Tommy Dowd, who just seemed like he was always in too much of a hurry, and as likely to crash through a Meath player as a Laois one! I think he scored 4 points from play and had a massive collision with the Laois goalkeeper. Jody Devine also made a brilliant dodging run down the wing in the first half which the Laois man was roaring about and delighted the crowd in the stand opposite.
Laois seemed to stay in touch with 2 soft goals but remember Meath getting in for a lot of fisted points, probably from Geraghty or Colm Brady. The always seemed inevitable win even in my young mind, even when Laois were in front.

Remember listening to Tommy Dowd being interviewed by LMFM on the way home in the car after, and they played Tina Turners "Simply The Best" as an audio bed for the commentary of his scores that day. Great days!

Would live to see a video of that game!

aidan24326

Good thread, my own first memory of being at a major intercounty game would be the 1984 Connaught Final between Galway and Mayo in Pearse Stadium on a hot July Sunday. Not sure why it was played in Salthill as Tuam would have been Galway's home ground in those days. I remember it being a pretty good game and being really taken by the atmosphere, the noise and the colour. Galway won the game with players like Val Daly, Brian Talty and Stephen Joyce to the fore and Kevin McStay was Mayo's star player in those days. A cracking goal from Brian Talty was the crucial score if I remember rightly. Galway were then overawed and brushed aside by Kerry in the semi final.