What was early GAA like?

I mean I've heard of the goal outweighing any number of points and then I think it was made to count for five points and then eventually three as it is now. And those early hurleys looked like weapons, and you'd be some lad to get the sliotar up on that and solo it. There is an old christy Ring video of him demonstrating the skills of hurling in the 1960's and to be fair the game might have evolved in other ways since then but from the video the basics of the modern game were there.

An interesting film for the 1949 All Ireland Hurling final which includes footage of Thurles and O'moore park on Portlaoise is a nice thing to say.

Kicking those old leather footballs was not good for your feet

My father has suffered terribly with the blood vessels in his feet, as did all his brothers.

This might be a place to ask. Anyone know when clubs stop going on to the All-Irelands?

BonnieSituation wrote:

I think the opprobrium is held for the 70s and 80s kick and crap.

The 70s and 80s was crap.. Football doesnt begins in 2011. The current Dublin are the greatest team ever. But that doesn't mean everything before 2011 is dreadful. Its like saying every team and soccer era before Barcelona team or Spain soccer team of this decade was rubbish or dreadful in soccer. Im sure u see in 30 years time say a Down or Galway team win a 3 in row All Irelands in 2050s. People will say this is best era ever. And this is Greatest football we have ever seen. Much better then football played 20 or 30 years before. They will be wrong, just as someone says football was crap in 70s and 80s. Sports evolves and styles change. But thats doesnt mean what happenned in the past was all crap, and only the present is any good.



Lets look at this era of crap called 70s and 80s.

How many players in this decade would get on the team of the Milleniun. 1 for certain Stephen Cluxton. Anyone else. In 70s you had playing Mick O Connell at midfield on team of Milleniun and Pat Spillane, Mikey Sheedy and Sean O Neill in the forwards in the team of the Milleniun. Thats 4 players from the 70s to 1 player from this decade. Remeber the team in Milleniun is who is the greatest left half back ever. On the team of the century you had 5 players who played in the 70s on the teams eg Mick O Connell, Jack O shea, Pat Spillane, Mikey Sheedy and Sean O Neill.

Here are some players that played in the the so callee crap 70s and 80s

Mick O Connell , Mick Dwyer , John O Keefe , Paudi O Se , Jack O Shea , Pat Spillane , Mickey Sheedy , Bomber liston, John Egan , Brian Mullins, Tony Hanohoe , Anto O Toole , Jimmy Keaveny, Kevin Moran , Barney Rock , Paul Curran , Charlie Redmond , Gerry Hargan , Joe McNally , Paddy Cullen , John O leary , Tony McTeague , Paddy McCormack , Wille Bryan , Matt Connor, Sean lowry , Richie Connor , Martin Furlong , Mickey Kearins , Dermot Earley snr , Tony McManus , Jimmy Barry Murphy, Billy Morgan, Val Daly , Liam McHale , Colm Browne, Eamon McEnaney, Joe kearins , Tony Scullion , Martin McHugh, Sean O Neill , Ambrose Rodgers, Larry Tompkins , Tony Davis , Niall Calahane , Dave Barry , Robbie O Malley , Mick lyons , Martin O Connell, Gerry McEntee, Colm O Rourke, Brian Stafford, Bernard Flynn , Mickey linden , Maurice Fitzgerald, Brian McAlinden , Harry keegan , Seamus McHugh, Willie Joe Padden , Peter McGinnity , Eugene McKenna , Plunket Donaghy , Kevin O Brien , Nudie Hughes , Frank McGuigan, Ger Power , Tim kennelly , Paddy Doherty , Conor Coulihan , Ciaran Duff, Tommy Drum , Ciaran Murray , TJ kilgallon , Stephen Joyce , Dermot Flanagan and many many more.

What about the teams in this era of so called crap
You had the greatest Offaly team ever which won 2 in row All Irelands 1971 1972
A brillant All Ireland winning Offaly team in 1982.
A brillant All Ireland winning Cork team 1973.
The second greatest Dublin team ever 1974 1976 1977
The second greatest team ever kerry 75 78 79 80 81 84 85 86
The Greatest Sligo team.ever 1975 Connacht champions.
The second greatest Roscommon team ever 4 Connachts in a row , league div 1 title and All Ireland finalist
The greatest Meath team ever 87 88
The greatest Cork team ever 89 90
One greatest teams ever to come out of laois second best laois team of last 70 years Div league 1 winners 1986
The greatest Monaghan team ever 3 times Ulster winners


And the great games in this so called era of crap.

Leinster Final 1970
Meath 2 - 22 Offaly 5 - 12

All Ireland Final 1970
Kerry 2 - 19 Meath 0 - 18

Ulster Final 1971
Down 4 - 15 Derry 4 - 11

Munster Final 1972
kerry 2 - 21 Cork 2 - 15

Connacht Final 1972
Mayo 3 - 10 Roscommon 5 - 8

All Ireland Final 1973
Cork 3 - 17 Galway 2 - 13

Munster Final 1973
Cork 5 - 12 Kerry 1 - 15

Connacht Final 1973
Mayo 2 - 12 Galway 1 - 17

All Ireland semi final 1974
Galway 3 - 13 Donegal 1 - 14

Connacht Final.1975
Sligo 2 - 10 Mayo 0 - 15

Munster Final 1976 Replay
Kerry 3 - 20 Cork 2 - 19

Ulster Final 1976 Replay
Derry 0 - 22 Cavan 1 - 16

All Ireland semi final Draw 1977
Roscommon 2 - 12 Armagh 3 - 9

All Ireland semi final 1977
Dublin 3 - 12 Kerry 1 - 13

leinster final 1980
Offaly 1 - 10 Dublin 1 - 8

Ulster Final 1980
Armagh 4 - 10 Tyrone 4 - 7

All Ireland 1980 semi final
kerry 4 - 15 Offaly 4 - 10

All Ireland final 1982
Offaly 1 - 15 Kerry 0 - 17

Leinster quater Final Draw 1983
Dublin 2 - 8 Meath 2 - 8
Leinster quater final replay after ET
Dublin 3 - 9 Meath 0 - 16

Munster Final 1983
Cork 3 - 10 Kerry 3 - 9

All Ireland semi final draw 1983
Dublin 2 - 11 Cork 2 - 11

leinster Final 1984
Dublin 2 - 10 Meath 1 - 9

Ulster Final 1984
Tyrone 0 - 15 Armagh 1 - 7

All Ireland semi final Draw 1985
Monaghan 2 - 9 Kerry 1 - 12

All Ireland semi final draw 1985
Mayo 1 - 13 Dublin 1 - 13

All Ireland Final 1986
Kerry 2 - 15 Tyrone 1 - 10

Munster Final 1987 Draw
Kerry 2 - 7 Cork 1 - 10

Munster Final 1988
Cork 1 - 14 Kerry 0 - 16

Connacht Final 1989 Replay after ET
Mayo 3 - 14 Roscommon 2 - 13

leinster Final 1989
Dublin 2 - 12 Meath 1 - 10

All Ireland final 1989
Cork 0 - 17 Mayo 1 - 11

Many great games . The thing is only All Ireland semi final and finals was shown live on tv in 70s and 80s. Even highlights was limited. So there is lack of footage of some matchs. While other matchs are never shown again from 70s and 80s. The only matchs are All Ireland finals. And they give a false impression of poor football. There was allot of kerry hammering teams in All Ireland finals and 3 tough finals in 70s and 80s. So people look at these finals and come to conclusion football was crap.

Anyway To show how little TV of gaa there was . In 1974 RTE only had 1 sports tv van and cameras. The Dublin horse show was on the same day as All Ireland semi final between Dublin and Cork in 74. RTE couldnt go to both so they went with cameras to Horse show in RDS in 1974 which meant we have no tv film at all of Cork v Dublin All Ireland semi final 1974. No live match, no highlights. Its not til 90s and really 00s tv matchs are live and many. The first ever live match that was not All Ireland semi final or final or Railway cup final, was 4th game Meath v Dublin in 1991.

The thing is allot of finals were poor in 70s and 80s because kerry were hammering everyone finals. Kerry hammering teams in 1978 , 1979 , 1984 , 1985 finals. While 1980 1983 and 1988 were tough finals . But there was many more great matchs in the era. People cannot see them because all that is shown from the era is these poor finals on re runs on TNAG. People see a bad final were kerry dominate in 1985. But forget there was great semi final in 1985 where Monaghan drew with Kerry.

There was some great legendary matchs from that era Meath v Offaly leinster final 1970 , All Ireland final Cork v Galway 1973 , 1976 Munster final replay Cork v Kerry, 1980 All Ireland semi final Offaly v Kerry , 1983 Munster final Cork v kerry, 1983 Draw All Ireland semi final Dublin v Cork, 1986 All Ireland final kerry v Tyrone , 1987 draw Munster Final Cork v kerry , 1989 Connacht Final replay Mayo v Roscommon. Great games.

U think of Jimmy Barry Murphy in 73 Michael O Hehir saying whats he going to do. Great kerry v Cork Munster finals in 76 and 83. Tadgh Murphy great goal to beat kerry in final in 83 in injury time. Or Barney Rocks late goal v Cork in 83 , or Pat Spillanes punch goal in 86 final , or Mikey Sheedy last second goal v Cork to draw match in Munster in 87 and Billy Morgan the Cork manager fallen to the ground in shock after. Many great moments.

And what about all the great managers in 70s and 80s three greatet ever managed in this era Mick Dwyer, Kevin Heffernan and Sean Boylan who between them won 15 All Ireland senior titles. You also had John O Mahoney the most sucessful Connacht manager ever , and Billy Morgan Corks greatest manager and the late great Eugene McGee Offalys All Ireland winning manager. Other quality managers who were managing at the time were Brian McEniff , Art Mcory , Sean Mcague .

The 70s and 80s had some of the greatest teams ever , some of the greatest players ever , the 3 greatest managers ever , and all time great legendary games. Not bad for an era was it.

Bonniedog wrote: »

TV highlights do not do justice to the games of the past.

Just following on from Sonny, the tension and excitement of Dublin/Meath games as one example went well beyond the quality of the games. And it was a different game but they had people on edge of seat most times. 1991 being most well known but not unique.

As the man says, you would have to been there!

Your 100% right, I have been at every leinster final since mid 80s and when Dublin beat Meath in 89 with Vinnys goal I never heard such a loud roar from the Dubs , the Dubs celebration were just unreal, it was unreal, the tension was unreal. The same when we won in 91. Also kerry v Cork 87, and if you go into 90s the games in Ulster were unreal, eg 1994 First round match between Down and Derry that was some game between All Ireland champions 1993 v 1994. And there was no back door. Thats what made it so tense. In 70s 0r 80s or 90s infootball there was no backdoor u got one chance and that was it. It was do or die. It was proper hardcore championship football.One chance and only one chance u got.

Itssoeasy wrote: »

The 1930's ? I think there is newsreel footage of the 1931 final between kilkenny and Cork which has a nickname but I can't remember which one it is but that game with to two replays.

The 1939 final between between kilkenny and cork is known as "the thunder and lightning final" kilkenny won by a point on the day Chamberlain declared war on Germany