While I agree with most of the negative comments, I must say that I wasn't surprised with the portrayal of the GAA: what we got was the GAA through the eyes of RTE.

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 10/01/2009 22:11:56    177538

I thought it was a very poor effort and most of the audience looked stiff, embarrased and bored a lot of the time. I turned over when an unfunny 'comedian' came on and Brush Shiels was just ridiculous, you could see people cringing and shifting in their seats. It was a disgrace on RTE's part to have Bertie Ahern & Dunphy as first guests , they took up a half hour which could have been given over to the history of the GAA. Why couldn't it have come from Croke Park with the lights as a background to give some spirit and atmosphere? The best parts were the musical bits at the start and end, there could have been more of this with a few county songs and tunes maybe. Fair play to Peter Quinn for NOT forgetting our members in the North who were murdered because of who they were AND he rightly said Ulster felt let down by the rest of the country sometimes. Others should remember this when they stick the boot into Ulster for no good reason other than......it's that Nordie shower.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9818 - 11/01/2009 01:44:15    177593

Why was Brush Shiels on the show. Who is he anyway? He was given 15 mins. Here was a guy who admitted not going to croke park sfter his friend died in 1993. I wonder if he could name any of the current dublin panel. His rendition of Fields of Athenry was by far the worst I have ever heard. Did he really get the crowd going at the International games? Or was he the reason for all the fighting.

The Saw Doctors are fine as they are steeped in the GAA. Christy Moore would have been a far better choice. In general I thought the show was interesting but not a great reflection on the whole organisation. Some local characters from up and down the country would have been good. Guys like Effin Eddie in Aherlow -every county has them.

realgaa (UK) - Posts: 128 - 11/01/2009 10:12:50    177614

I've thought for a good while now that RTE is a disgrace as a national broadcaster. Go through the schedule and see how many Irish shows they have on it. Compare it to the archival stuff on TG4 and there's no contest. Laochra Gael, Ringy, Micheal O'Hehir, the list goes on, that's before you get started on music, arts and politics.

Setanta produced a 4-part history of the GAA
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=WeLUy4O9Kbg&feature=channel_page

I'll be looking forward to seeing the 10-part history that's starting on TG4 today. Pat Kenny's a disaster zone.

Benandonner (Antrim) - Posts: 459 - 11/01/2009 11:33:37    177628

It was pure scutter. Some legends mentioned but were were the likes of all the club representaives...the volunteers of small clubs. Where was teh representation from Scor teams. Bertie Ahearn-Eamon Dunphy and Brush Sheilds...jasus

RuaHughONeill (Tyrone) - Posts: 110 - 11/01/2009 13:20:42    177656

shanedublin
County: Dublin
Posts: 19

177537
Patrique,

sorry to be pedantic, in response to a post from one of HS's greatest pedants, but over half the population down here do not live in Dublin.


Sorry Shane for my error. Has the percentage increased? It was rising towards 70% at one stage.

Mind you, I think that is counting parts of Wicklow, such as Bray, and Kildare, such as Celbridge, as part of "Dublin" as the houses now go out that far.

Perhaps I should have said the "greater" Dublin area.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 11/01/2009 14:33:34    177681

You can watch it again(mon night) tue morning Jan 13th 12.10am. I think Ill give it a miss but I will watch BLOOD OF THE IRISH 9.35PM RTE1 .

allSOran (Sligo) - Posts: 690 - 11/01/2009 14:41:14    177686

patrique,

Leinster in total comprises 54.13% of the total population.
Dublin comprises 28%;
Dublin, Wicklow, Meath, Kildare combined comprises 39.14%.

These figures are from the 2006 census but perhaps you know of significant demographic changes that have occured in the meantime.

info from the cso website: http://www.cso.ie/statistics/popofeachprovcountycity2006.htm

its worth remembering that you can check these facts now and don't have to make them up yourself :)

shanedublin (Dublin) - Posts: 47 - 11/01/2009 17:38:34    177747

Such a shower of ol whingers and cry babies ye all are, there's just no pleasing some people

PJ (None) - Posts: 2288 - 11/01/2009 17:58:19    177756

This was a Dublin show all the way.
What about all the great Cavan teams that were in Croke park in the forties, Mick Higgins a living legend.
Mickie Hart got about a one minute slot.
Perhaps the GAA would consider protesting about the unbalanced nature of this show.

tomsmith (Cavan) - Posts: 4033 - 11/01/2009 18:12:36    177765

Thanks Shane, as I said, over half the population.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 11/01/2009 18:18:02    177770

lads to be honest rte would need to put on a hundred shows to celebrate the gaa it was not everyones cup of tea and i can appricate some of your views .but the gaa or the dublin or kerry board did not produce the programme it was the late late production team and thats where the blame lies . but alas i dont even think that rte know about all the other parts of the gaa or even care about it and as patrique said it was aimed at the biggest audidence and their sponsors would also have a say in that

hipster (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 11/01/2009 19:40:31    177831

i'm glad i'm not the only one who found the show really disappointing. other than dublin and kerry they seemed to forget that there are 30 other counties in ireland, including kilkenny and tyrone who won the finals and were barely even talked about.
the most interesting gaa people were sitting in the audience listening to politicians, soccer pundits, singers etc when it should have been them who were up there sharing their memories of the GAA. Pat Kenny was definitely the wrong man to present it, i agree he showed no passion for the GAA at all and Des Cahill definitely would have done a better job.
Surely after such an interesting history of the last 125 years there could be a better programme than that!

kefan (Kildare) - Posts: 498 - 11/01/2009 20:52:10    177861

Havent posted here for a while but i have to say that I was DISGUSTED by the show. Stayed in especially. should not have bothered. Had to change over when Brush was on. If he's rte's idea of a tribute...... Whole show completely top heavy with Dublin Kerry. Where was the tributes to all the unsung heroes, the volunteers, the unheralded clubs, the kit man, the guys like the fella in laois who has a book out whose name escapes me...... the scor, handball. I got up at the end of the show and said to herself how big a disgrace it was, stomped round the kitchen and went to bed in a mood. Every thing else negative i wanted to say has been said already. Poor Dara O'Se. Micky Harte was squirming in his seat.

PS:
Good to see all the comments from those who arent loogged on 9 -5 mon - fri. refreshing this post mainly without attacks on other posters. Although this will change, another thread probably start up soon!!

freddy15 (Westmeath) - Posts: 139 - 11/01/2009 20:55:14    177865

i just watched a recording, what a load of drivel imo, Highlight was kenny referring to Henry shefflin and brian dooher as the 2 guys. drivel drivel drivel,. Oh and dont forget bertie is going for president.

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 11/01/2009 21:14:35    177881

keep_the_faith
County: Meath
Posts: 136

177418 milo
County: Tyrone
Posts: 65

177372
And who exactly was that muppet with the berret and guitar? in all my years following gaa round the country ive never heard of him or come across such a cringe-worthy load of toss?

Milo brush shiels is the name of the man in the beret-a friend of former meath manager sean boylan,a dub,a great character-plays anually at croke park when my country play australia,he made my day that day(the day with the fisticuffs)

Its neat trick playing there annually when the games are every second year. what was he on about before he played the celtic anthem??

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 11/01/2009 21:18:07    177884

patrique
County: Antrim
Posts: 1640

177502 When the seventies are mentioned to me, the first name that springs to mind is Limerick. They re-emerged after 30 years and dominated the hurling headlines for about 5 years. anyone who remembers the impact Clare made inthe 90s will know what I mean. Limerick however with Pat Hartigan, Grimes, Foley and the "great" Eamon Cregan were possibly a better team than Clare.

Kilkenny had arguably their best team ever, built on the axis that was Keher, Delaney and Purcell. Cork had a three in a row hurling team, and great duels with a top class Wexford team.

In football Cork had a wonder team in 1973, destroying Tyrone and then Galway in the semi and the final, and then disappeared. Derry had a very good side, as did Galway and Roscommon.

A good decade indeed, but there have been better.
10/01/2009 21:17:58


No way can even you defend that drivel, i like to think that i can argue for or against anything with a view to understanding it, but that stuff takes the biscuit

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 11/01/2009 21:20:51    177886

I am pretty sure that the GAA would have had little if any editorial influence on this show, but even by late late show standards this was abysmal. You cant go round saying it was a Kerry/Dublin stitch up, like they were responsible for the whole farce, do me a favour. Lets face it this show has been a national embarrasment for decades, I remember Billy Connolly once asked why the audience for the late late show were so old, to be told that they were young when they first applied for the tickets!

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 11/01/2009 21:35:40    177897

I think using the word "singer" for Brush Shields would be using the word fairly carelessly....

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 11/01/2009 21:45:41    177912

I was going to post a message after the late late show but at first decided against it. I thought being a kerryman, after what Pat did to Darragh O'Se it would be seen as sour grapes. However, after reading the other posts from all over the country I see I wasnt the only one who thought it was a bit tasteless. Thankfully for me, its seems, I only watched the bit with Darragh O'Se and I agree in fairness to Brian Dooher he looked suitably embarrassed by what was shown to Darragh. Its just a pity Darragh was so polite that he didnt ask Pat how he was getting on with his neighbours now?? Think that might have shut him up. From what i gather there was nothing about hurling which is a shame. Some great hurling teams down through the years worth a mention, Corks great 4 in a row 1941-44, Tipperarys 3 in a row 1949-51, Galway 1987/88, Clare making the breakthrough in 95, Wexford in 96 when it looked like it would finally be Limericks year, and finally last but by no means least Killkennys great 3 in a row 2006/08 with what looked like hurling perfection in this years final. These are just a few I picked out and I'm sure I've left out very obvious ones but not genuinely meant. As for the footballers, other than Kerry and Dublin, what about Wexfords 4 in a row 1915/18, Roscommon 1943/1944, Cavan in the polo grounds in New York in 1947, the great Down team of 1960/61, Galways 3 in a row 1964/66, Offalys last minute winner and heartbreak for kerry's 5 in a row bid in 1982, Cork 1989/90, Armagh winning their first all Ireland in 2002 and finally and once again not least Tyrones 2003 win in the first ever all Ulster final. Appologies to anyone i've left out but like i said earlier these are just a few I picked out. Anyone doing their job properly in RTE could and should have seen these too. As I finish I just want to wish everyone, North, South, East and West the very best for the forthcoming year and may the best team win.

kerrystar (Kerry) - Posts: 20 - 11/01/2009 22:19:05    177947