“You’ve got a situation now where everyone is roaring third ball you’ve to kick it. It was supposed to make the game more attractive, I think it’s doing the direct opposite. It is playing into the hands of packed defences; they back off because they know at some stage the kick has to come.” Colm […]

7 years ago

“This is unique, this is history, this is Galway versus Kilkenny.” Marty Morrissey started the Wild Geese game in full-on PR mode… but he wasn’t finished there. “A wonderful day for Galway in a remarkable game.” “This was not an exhibition, this was not a challenge match, this was a bit serious.” “Do you think […]

7 years ago

“On my first night back, the majority of the training was all running. I made a passing comment to him like ‘Jesus Peter, is it going to be all running tonight or will it be any football. I didn’t mean anything malicious by it, it’s not my character. The following night I received a phonecall […]

7 years ago

“Everyone will go out and look at the Dublin team – and it is full of superstars – and you go out to try stop Dublin. Everybody spends all their time trying to stop them. But, at the end of the day, you need to be knocking up that 20-point score against them. And that’s […]

7 years ago

“I did feel over the last few weeks that the fact I have been there for six years, maybe I was a bit of a lightning rod for criticism and I was drawing criticism into the group. I didn’t like the fact that some of our younger players were going around the county and there […]

8 years ago

If any tweet summed up hurling people, it’s this one. Donal o’ Grady’s nit picking analysis is wrecking the buzz of an unbelievable hurling weekend 😒 — OLLIE MORAN (@olmorfs) July 29, 2018 I’m not sure exactly what part of Donal O’Grady’s ‘nit picking’ that Ollie Moran was referring to but it was probably the […]

8 years ago

“Maybe our set-up, adding one to the backs, drew them on a small bit. That is a decision we took and it didn’t work. Maybe we should go toe-to-toe with teams. But we decided to be a small bit more conservative and play a sweeper at the back.” John Sugrue giving his typically honest analysis […]

8 years ago

“Days are rare in rugby when you get a ground full of absolutely manic supporters. It’s different when you’re on the opposition line and you’re attacking, but when you’re on your own line deep in doodoo, and suddenly there’s 15,000 people shouting `Munster’, Jesus, you get out of there pretty quickly. You’ve got somebody else […]

8 years ago

“We’re going to stick with the existing structure of things. We’re happy with how the arrangement has worked up to now and we’re not looking at changing the nuts and bolts of the arrangement until that comes up for renewal.” It’s a depressing quote for GAA fans everywhere. Despite the increase in games this year, […]

8 years ago

“There’s something unnaturally frustrating about getting a ball in a championship game and not being able to hit a pass or execute what you see in your head. You can deal with that happening a few times or even for a few games, but over time if you’re repeatedly blocked up, caught up, short of […]

8 years ago

I was lucky enough to witness Laois’ best performance in years in Wexford Park on Saturday night. The atmosphere was incredible, understandably after such a dramatic comeback. The game had everything – the stirring 10-point comeback, three goals, two penalties awarded, one penalty tapped over the bar, one unbelievably not given, extra time, cornerback equaliser […]

8 years ago

Read these two quotes: “Definitely, everyone wants to play more games and there will be less training. Training is great but after a while you can only train so much…” Next one: “It’s cruel to have the four games one after the other. A lad gets a serious enough injury in the first game, he’s […]

8 years ago

It was 1999 and Laois manager Tom Cribbin was naming the team ahead of our Leinster championship game against Westmeath. I was waiting for number 7 to be called out so, as usual, I was concentrating hard just waiting for my turn. When it was was called out though, the name Joe Higgins went after […]

8 years ago

In 2005, in Micko’s last year with Laois, relations between myself and management had soured. I wasn’t getting picked and didn’t see much chance of that changing. I watched helplessly from the bench as we were hammered by Dublin in the Leinster championship. The full quota of subs were introduced and I wasn’t one of […]

8 years ago

“We came down here and we knew who we were facing. The game against Dublin last year showed you that and they haven’t changed a whole lot since.” Laois manager John Sugrue talking after Laois edged out Carlow in a dour game of football on Sunday. The most interesting part of the above quote is […]

8 years ago

“We’re playing the best team in Ireland. It was a chastening experience for us today but we’re just going to have to take it on the chin now and move on pretty quickly.” *** “Dublin were always superior, and particularly after that goal, the game was played on their terms, not ours, and that was […]

8 years ago

“Dublin GAA stars and management will attend a media event to announce details of Dublin´s new ‘official hydration partner’ and discuss Dublin’s prospects for the remainder of the Allianz Leagues and year ahead…” Let me get this right: Dublin county board need the much-maligned media’s help to promote a new sponsor? This relationship should really […]

8 years ago

“I would establish a small work group to devise a template and bring clarity to our fixtures schedule. We need our full games programme clearly set out for all competitions.“ Around this time three years ago, on the eve of his election, former president of the GAA Aogán Ó Fearghail set out his manifesto which […]

8 years ago

Paddy O’Rourke caused a stir last week with an article he wrote for AIB. In the piece, he outlined his decision to quit the Meath senior squad at just 28 years of age. He’s not alone. Others have gone before him, more will follow. Inter-county hurlers, Brendan Bugler and Kieran Bergin, recently outlined their reasons […]

8 years ago

“Here’s an idea: With such quality clearly on show throughout the GAA leagues and public appetite to see/hear about the lower division games also, why not run a Division 3/4 league programme just like there’s the Premier League & excellent Football League shows? Just a thought.” Above is a tweet from Ciaran Deely, London manager. […]

8 years ago

Marc Ó Sé told a story recently on SportsJOE Live about the time we arrived back in Maynooth after beating St Mary’s in the Sigerson Cup up in Belfast. The team was going to the Roost Bar, the main sponsors, when I pulled Marc aside. “Do you know what we’ll do, the two of us, […]

8 years ago

“There was a lot that went on in that game to think about, but two points is what I am most happy with it, even if I agree we left ourselves very open at times in defence.” 11,000 excited Kerry fans packed into Fitzgerald stadium on Sunday to see a new generation of Kerry young […]

8 years ago

“We have started the process to see if we can double it up. They are all talking about player welfare, couldn’t we double it up and save us the 18th of February? We’d like to play it next Friday…” (Kevin McStay) Sometimes the GAA really shoot themselves in the foot. Kevin McStay, quoted above, wants […]

8 years ago

“The panel already trained 15 out of 16 days in December. Some of those days incorporated two sessions: early morning gym, followed by a pitch session that evening.” The above was a description of a senior intercounty hurling teams’ training schedule in December, by Christy O’Connor. It prompted the following response from Tomas Ó Sé. […]

8 years ago

St Brigid’s document absolutely shocking

9 years ago

HE’S 21!!

9 years ago

The definitive dissection of former Mayo managers’ ‘revelations’

9 years ago

Pity the GAA bureaucrats who find injustice wherever they look

9 years ago

“I am very fortunate with the group I have: they are all pushing to make the first 15 and I don’t think anyone will rest on their laurels. But it is important to take time out and enjoy this, particularly for the younger players, it is their first Connacht title.” Corofin manager Kevin O’Brien need […]

9 years ago

Something has to give and it has to give soon

9 years ago

The GAA isn’t about the free market. It should be about something more than that

9 years ago

What’s wrong with seeing the glass as half empty?

9 years ago

No room for classic 13 in the modern game

10 years ago

“I honestly, honestly say, hats off to the lads that can do it… I was pulling my hair out on the sideline mad to get on.. when I saw the lads fighting so hard, I did nothing for that Munster championship… I felt empty afterwards, I think every player should feel the same, you should feel empty… I felt […]

10 years ago

Pure, amateur football

10 years ago

This championship draw is a joke too

10 years ago

Somebody has to stand up for club players and take the power back from inter-county managers

10 years ago

Unfortunately, like a lot of fans of other counties, I’ve never supported a successful Laois senior team. When Laois were competitive I was involved with the squad so I can’t relate to what Dublin and Mayo supporters went through on Saturday. It must feel like heaven and hell all rolled into one. That last 10 minutes of […]

10 years ago

There are no favourites in a replay

10 years ago

“We’re the small fish out there so we are….we’re trying hard to make it through….but it’s harder get the breaks when you’re the smaller fish.” Davy Fitzgerald is box office….so he is! I’ve never met Davy but I’ve had a (one-sided) love-hate relationship with him for a long time now. Every time I decide I’m […]

10 years ago

Forget the stats and make something happen

10 years ago

It is fear that drives this Dublin team. The fear of losing their place on the team. It doesn’t matter who they are or what they have done before, Jim Gavin doesn’t care – if they’re performing below their best they’re getting the curly finger. Yes, it’s a panel game now but no player wants the curly […]

10 years ago

“It’s like people speak about intensity as if it’s something negative about it. It’s a hugely positive thing. It’s probably what allows you to express yourself as a hurler. In terms of intensity, all you expect is that everybody gives everything they have really.” That was Brian Cody giving an intensity tutorial ahead of the […]

10 years ago

The meltdown began on 29 minutes. Stephen Cluxton went short to Davy Byrne with a kickout that was intercepted by Paul Geaney; two passes later the ball was in the Dublin net. Draw match. The next kickout flew over James McCarthy’s head and out over the sideline after Kerry put all sorts of pressure on a now […]

10 years ago

“The pressure Colm, honestly, since we got bet by Galway has just been huge……Our job was to do our best, stick in the championship and get to an All Ireland and that’s where we’re at…how’s our form? To be honest with you, our form was good last year when we drew with Dublin in the […]

10 years ago

“Dwindling attendances; boring contests like soccer where we have 65 minutes of stalemate, then a long-range point to win it; football so scripted the players could be following a teleprompter; a game where spontaneity and judgment are rehearsed out of highly skilled players; boredom for the players; disenchantment for Gaels.” Another Sunday, another Joe Brolly […]

10 years ago

Cian O’Sullivan is not only one of the best players in the country – he is also a gentleman on the field. I know this first-hand. In 2010 Parnells played Kilmacud Crokes in the Dublin senior championship. I was playing centre forward for Parnells and I knew Cian would be centre back for Crokes. I was 32 […]

10 years ago

During my own football career, Laois went from division 3 no-hopers to division one finalists and Leinster champions. As we progressed, the difference in our motivation was very obvious. When we had no realistic prospect of winning anything, playing for Laois and maybe getting to Croke Park kept us going. Back then, we only trained […]

10 years ago

Time for change. Hot on the heels of our own Conán Doherty’s ‘World Cup-style championship model’ I’ve decided to get my restructured Championship season mapped out properly. Champions League and World Cup models are doomed to failure because, very simply, they scare the living daylights out of congress delegates and they still throw up dead […]

10 years ago

Our GAA Editor experienced the best and the worst of Laois managers, but he knows who his county now need

10 years ago