IN IRELAND, we’ve turned mean-spiritedness into an art form. We’re quicker to condemn and criticise than praise someone. It’s our default position. And there’s no better forum for this desperate kind of begrudgery than the GAA.
One of my favourite teams was the Clare hurlers of the mid-90s. They had bravehearts in every sector of the field. You had Brian Lohan, Seanie McMahon, Anthony Daly, Jamesie O’Connor and the indestructible Ollie Baker. They never knew when they were beaten. And they were led by the totemic Ger Loughnane.
The former Clare manager has certainly dined out a time or two on those famous All-Ireland victories of 1995 and ’97. He’s still writing newspaper columns and his glass is still half-empty.
AFTER Na Piarsaigh clinched their first-ever All-Ireland club hurling title on St Patrick’s Day, Loughnane hammered Antrim and Ulster champions Ruairi Og, Cushendall.
Where possible, in his newspaper column, Loughnane removed any sense of achievement from the Cushendall team. He said they won an “ordinary” Antrim and Ulster Championship and that they’d beaten a “very poor” Sarsfield’s team in the All-Ireland semi-finals.
‘Rasharkin Gael’ was quick off the mark to take issue with Loughnane’s mean-spirited analysis of the north Antrim club: “Ger Loughnane was a bit over-critical and, in my eyes, has lost the plot when he says Cushendall lacked skill, but only got to Croke Park by effort alone.
“Any team that makes the club final on St Patrick’s Day are a serious team. It must be remembered Galway clubs led the way in the roll of honour and the ’Dall thumped Sarsfield’s.”
Ger Loughnane was a great manager. We’ll leave it there.
THE two-part feature on the life and times of Gavin Devlin got good feedback from readers. The Ardboe clubman talked about the halcyon days of playing for Tyrone and how he now finds himself on the Tyrone sidelines alongside Mickey Harte.
One reader commented: “Enjoyed reading the Gavin Devlin interview in the paper this week. Shows how age doesn’t equal experience when it comes to moving into management.”
ANOTHER reader texted: “Congratulations to Brendan Crossan on his extended interview with Gavin Devlin. No doubt, Mickey gave his blessing for the interview to take place.
“One question that wasn’t asked was the continuing attitude of Mickey Harte towards RTE. In fairness, maybe Gavin may not have been in a position to answer this. I sense that the Tyrone county board will like to see a resolution to the matter. If the Red Hands go as far as many of their supporters hope this year, surely the impasse will have to be resolved.”
I didn’t discuss with Gavin Mickey Harte’s on-going issues with RTE. Given the nature of the interview, it never came up in our conversation. Why would it? After all, Gavin is not Mickey Harte’s spokesperson on such personal matters.
ON FACEBOOK, ‘Michael Quinn’ wrote: “‘Horse’ didn’t forget the good ole days anyway with the lads in wee Brian’s back field!”
Apparently that’s where greatness was spawned in the O’Neill county - and I note Gavin kindly gave you a mention, Michael.
BACK to matters on the field, Tyrone have already gained promotion back to the top flight and ‘Dermot from Portadown’ hopes Mickey Harte will give some game-time to the players on the fringes against Armagh in Omagh on Saturday night.
“I hope Tyrone can give some of the younger squad players a run out on Saturday night in Omagh,” he texted.
“Promotion is secured and it’s really a dead rubber for them.”
Ah, your naivety is most endearing Dermot. This is Tyrone versus Armagh we’re talking about here. The last time the Orchard men visited Healy Park, they knocked Tyrone out of the All-Ireland. I would imagine Mickey Harte will be reminding his players of that bitter defeat, regardless of promotion being secured.
IN TG4’s hugely popular Laochra Gael series, Stevie McDonnell was the man in the spotlight earlier this week. One texter left this short message: “Sometimes you forget just how brilliant Stevie McDonnell was for Armagh. Imagine him in the current Armagh team. He would transform them.”
NOW the 'mark’ has been deferred to 2017, its surprise introduction is still reverberating among our readers.
‘Lurgan Caller’ said: “If Croke Park are serious about the mark how about using the clock which only moves when the play is on-going, like rugby. It’s a darn shame that our Gaelic players are robbed by one man’s watch.”
The mark needs a good, rigorous trial to determine its value or otherwise.
THE Down footballers showed some fighting spirit in their last outing against Dublin and, while they’re all but relegated after five straight defeats in Division One, ‘Down supporter’ laments the fact that some players have not rejoined the panel.
“I’m disappointed that Benny Coulter has withdrawn from the panel,” says ‘Down Supporter’.
“I wonder is this the start of all the boys who promised they would come back to help because of Down’s bad start? Are they all leaving a sinking ship? Would they have left if Down had won a couple of matches?”
Benny Coulter was in retirement and, technically, never withdrew from this year’s panel. Others weren’t invited onto the panel, so it’s perhaps unfair to lump all the absentees together.
ON DOWN’S poor NFL campaign, ‘J from Warrenpoint’ left this comment: “I would love to hear Jim McCorry’s thoughts on Down woes. Eamonn Burns will be the scapegoat, but the real problem lies elsewhere.”
I think Jim McCorry has moved on. I also don’t think Burns will be the scapegoat given the deficit position he found himself in after taking the reins.
AND this week, the last word goes to ‘Liam from Cavan’, who’s fed up with the Irish language in match programmes and radios with no earpieces.
“I feel there is far too much emphasis on the Irish language by GAA officials, considering that only a small percentage of followers of the games are fluent as Gaeilge,” he writes.
“For instance, printing the names of clubs on match programmes in Irish can be confusing and unfair. Fans who pay through the gate deserve a clearer picture after purchasing a programme.
“On another issue, while attending one of Cavan’s away league games recently, I was unlucky enough to be seated close to another spectator who had a radio blaring as he tried to keep up with happenings at other venues. This was distracting while attempting to follow the action out on the pitch. The supporter in question may not have heard of a ‘new invention’ called earpieces.”
And Liam isn’t easily annoyed either...
