Female Gaa Commentators / Analysists

They seem to know a lot more about the sports than I do.

Bumpsy wrote: »

I think you do really to have any credibility, have there been GAA analysts before this that didn't?


When will there be male analysts that didn't play at the highest levels, as it seems like an easy gig if you don't mind personal abuse

Thats the thing.

It seems to be a prerequisite that you played the game to a certain level yet none of them are actually that good at it? Theyre not all bad but it seems just having played the game is all thats required whether good or not is my point.

Its a bit like the old "lets give your man the managers job sure he was a great player and that other fella never played at that level" despite the fact one could be better at the actual job of coaching/managing.

As someone mentioned soccer for example id much prefer to listen to Ken Early analyse a game than the been there and done it pundits that actually do.

Joanne Cantwell is very good I think.(know she is an anchor moreso than a commentator)

Ursula Jacob isn't brilliant, and doesn't bring any great insight to the thing, but you could say that about half of the analysts on there, male or female

NoBread wrote: »

Some people can understand a sport better than they can play it, others can play it better than they understand it.

But that's not why they're being picked. They're being picked because of their gender, they certainly haven't improved the analysis from what I've seen.

With all else being equal the person being picked should be the one who is most qualified i.e. played at the higher level.

Rolo2010 wrote: »

Most of the men are crap too. It's nothing to do with political correctness. Just RTÉ hiring people who aren't good enough for the job which a problem beyond their sports coverage as well.

Oh its all to do with political correctness ha. Its been an across the board thing for Rte and Sky to just even up the numbers.


It doesn't matter if half the lads are not up to it standard wise because I'm yet to come across any women who have been introduced in the last few years for any sports I've watched that where worth it.
Sure its always going to stand against you when your given a job not based on how good you are but because the company wants to look like they care.

ahnowbrowncow wrote: »

But that's not why they're being picked. They're being picked because of their gender, they certainly haven't improved the analysis from what I've seen.

With all else being equal the person being picked should be the one who is most qualified i.e. played at the higher level.

But playing hurling/Football at a high level has nothing to do with being cogent, coherent with an ability to get a point across on TV?

Thats the issue really not whether the gender.

Misguided1 wrote: »

I think calling any of them (men or women) 'commentators' is a stretch these days.
Marty Morrissey is getting worse. Doesn't know the names of the players, and is so one sided it is shocking.

For me - a commentator needs to have played the game to the highest level and have an in-depth understanding of it.
Rugby commentators are much better in that they actually comment on what is going on rather than how beautiful it looks.

To be honest a lot of the analysts in the Sunday Game currently are bad and I think shows that just because someone might have been a great player doesn’t mean that they are going to be a good analyst or pundit. In terms of commentary Darragh Moloney is by far and away the best by never gets the All Ireland Final, Marty even though he is from my own parish is poor at times, probably better on the radio, Ger Canning is dreadful as well.

The best analysts I feel in the hurling at the moment on RTÉ are Daly, Cummins, Tyrrell and Duignan, I also think Micheál Donoghue is good as well but I have only seen him on it a few times. Donal Og and Derek McGrath are the worst. Two massive egos who think they know everything.

Donal Og made some very tasteless comments about Antrim after the match yesterday. McGrath is the biggest dose of all, haven’t seen him in awhile so don’t know if he is still on it, but when he was used to come out when this words know seems to have heard, just to make the point of how much intelligent is and how much cleverer he is compared to everyone else.

A bit like Joe Brolly used to be like, but at least Brolly had a sense of humour and could say something funny and had at least a bit of charm. As regards the women doing the analysis I don’t think Ursula Jacob is that good on the it. Elaine Alyward was doing the co commentary for the Joe McDonagh and Camoige final and I felt that she was fairly good on the analysis, and would have been helped if she had a better commentator with her.

Joanne Cantwell I feel thinks that she has to argue with every point a pundit makes and I would have preferred if they were going to pick a woman for the job that they might have picked either Jacqui Hurley or Evanne Ní Chuilinn. As regards the football analysis the pundits are even worse on RTÉ Tomas O’Sé and Ciaran Whelan are the only good ones. I think Sky’s coverage is actually a lot better nowadays in both hurling and football.

Anyway I think the GAA hour is the best Gaa podcast and show out there I know they were involved in a bit of controversy with Eddie Brennan, but that aside the podcast is brilliant a great mixture of analysing and a bit of humour and craic. Some very good analysts in the likes of Cheddar Plunkett and Cian Ward who are the two best analysts out there in my opinion.

partyguinness wrote: »

"I am not racist but..."

Haven't seen many if any black women doing the sport on Rte actually ?

Surprising considering!

the kelt wrote: »

But playing hurling/Football at a high level has nothing to do with being cogent, coherent with an ability to get a point across on TV?

Thats the issue really not whether the gender.

As I said, the analysis has not improved so they're obviously not picking female panelists based on their ability to get an insightful, coherent point across.

Also, if the sole criteria for the job is getting a coherent point across rather than having insight, why are only lady footballers getting the role? Why not let a media student apply for it?

So if candiates have an equal ability to get a coherent point across, the next selection criteria should be the level they played the game at and therefore insight they can offer. i.e. How many of the female panelists know what it's like to play in front of 80,000 people?

I don't care about the gender of the person commentating or analysing, I just want to see the best applicant get the role, which is highly unlikely with gender quotas.