Dunno how anyone is surprised this was rubbish. I always go out for a few bevvies on a Friday night. Sometimes its cold and wet and I'm thinking - ah I might stay in - then the Owl appears and I know whats coming and off I go. Probably the worst anchor man in the history of TV but hey - he's getting a huge salary thanks to you and I!! Anyway having him chair a 'GAA show' when the man knows nothing about any sport was crazy. The first 'special' was the Dubliners - it ended up being a smash hit. They have tried the formula again and again - with limited success and sometimes awful results.

Also please refrain from all rubbish about the focus on the Dubs etc. This show was obviously put together by a load of people who have a Wiki knowledge of GAA. If they were serious about it they should do a whole series (6 programmes or so) - trace right back to 1884 and let Des Cahill or someone who is interested in GAA chair it. Material for a great series there and probably cheap enough too. But if it doesn't involve one of the 'anointed' presenters going off to India or USA or somewhere on my licence fee then forget it.

Lets face it - could you pay tribute to 125 years of GAA in a couple of hours???

JayoCluxton (Dublin) - Posts: 2688 - 11/01/2009 23:46:32    177982

Dara most certainly carried himself with decorum and dignity, he was diplomacy personified when Kenny shoved that book in his face. You wouldn't have blamed him for turning Pat upside down and placing the book in one of his orifices. Why is it that Kerry players make you curse and shout on the pitch but seem to be the most decent fellas off it? Mark of a great county and great players I suppose who do their talking on the pitch although I wish they woudn't take criticism so personally sometimes. The Late Late Show was a chance to show the GAA in all it's glory and great traditions and it failed. Sorry to say but you get the impression that Gay Byrne would have known how to carry this one off, PAAAAAAT KENNNNNNY is TOOOOOO Dublin 4 to do so.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9818 - 12/01/2009 00:39:59    178013

Looking back at it two days later I am still wondering what RTE set out to do... They couldnt have done worse. If that is how RTE view the GAA it is a sad day..... I think in th eend it says a lot more about RTE and Mr Kenny than it does about the GAA.

BIG SACKS (Tyrone) - Posts: 1681 - 12/01/2009 00:46:30    178015

Complete mess of a programme, link oops is that the late late e-mail address I posted..

LocalLass (Tyrone) - Posts: 151 - 12/01/2009 08:58:32    178051

I normally can't stomach the Late Late, but I made an exception on Friday. No wonder the country is in recession, the program was a metaphor for it. You had RTE's main man, Kenny, in front of an extraordinary gathering of GAA people with a wealth of knowledge, talent and charisma - how could you not have a great show out of them? Well, Pat Kenny managed it. The thirty seconds that many of the audience got, well, those who got to speak, was often just sufficient for their personality to sparkle through before Pat cut them off and asked another banal or idiotic question of someone else. They would have had a half decent show if they'd randomly brought half a dozen of them down and interviewed them properly (i.e. let Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh or someone else do it). Who does he interview instead? A few lackeys they've hauled in for the occasion, ok, a couple had GAA credentials, but practically all of whom had that awkward 'I don't know why I'm here either look on their face'. If only Pat Kenny was from Cork, surely Darragh Ó Sé would have risen to the occasion and made us all smile...

pearsesabu (Antrim) - Posts: 663 - 12/01/2009 09:51:03    178078

Dunphy likening Henry Shefflin to Ronaldo of was laughable - did he mean that Shefflin was an arrogant big headed over rated player or was it a case of Dunphy forgetting himself and sub-consciously letting us know that he does actually rate Ronaldo as a footballer.

bocerty (Tyrone) - Posts: 539 - 12/01/2009 09:51:07    178079

It is gas people blaming 'Dublin' for something put together by Pat Kenny! Pat Kenny I would safely say never kicked a ball or pucked a ball in his life, has never been at a Dublin match except he might have been given a free ticket, and would know more about the satelittes of Jupiter than Dublin clubs. Likewise, Bertie whose involvement with Dublin GAA was and is minimal. A chancer in that regard as in everything else.

Can't resist replying to the Louth supporter talking about knocking the stuffing out of Dublin and Kerry!! When in the name of God did that ever happen? Bunch of junior C hurlers from 5/6 Dublin north county clubs destroyed your county senior side yesterday by the way.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 12/01/2009 10:16:01    178097

Had it recorded and was planning to watch it, think i wont waste my timenow after hearing all this. Not surprised really though.

Did anyone see the show on TG4? Does anyone know at what time it will be repaeted on Friday?

Derry_ledd (Derry) - Posts: 2093 - 12/01/2009 10:19:00    178101

never thought that I would find myself defending Des Cahill, but to be fair he knows that the GAA is about the small club, the volunteers, all players, basically the modest everyday stuff that goes in in every county. There was too much about Kerry vs Dublin in the 70's, we heard all that stuff before. I would leave it ot TG4 to do something, they will definitely do it right, great station.

matrixroyal (Meath) - Posts: 96 - 12/01/2009 10:49:40    178123

Well I have no sympathy for any man who stays home on a Friday night to watch the Late Late show it's in the pub ye should and not be watching women's programmes the next thing someone will start a thread on "Big Brother "

chainsaw (Laois) - Posts: 712 - 12/01/2009 10:55:34    178126

Seen a fair bit of it and it was shallow nonsense,just pure fluff.Poor aul Pat hadn't got much of a notion and was at sea.I would blame whoever laid out the format as well.I mean Brush and Dumphy where do you go from there.I'd say Henry was cursing himself for cutting short the holiday for that rubbish.More history more players ,more ladies football,camogie more hurling which was very poorly served and more content other than Dublin/Kerry from the 70's.Don't get me wrong that was an important era but not to the exclusion of the rest.Just a poor attempt which is a pity.Watch TNaG if you want decent coverage.

northpole (Derry) - Posts: 739 - 12/01/2009 11:08:59    178140

Have to agree with you matrixroyal, TG4's coverage of GAA and their sports programmes are always very well put together. It is definitely a well run station.

Rio Bingo (Tyrone) - Posts: 788 - 12/01/2009 11:12:06    178141

sorry address is [email protected] if anyone wishes to complain..

LocalLass (Tyrone) - Posts: 151 - 12/01/2009 11:25:19    178150

I agree there was too much Kerry/Dubs 70's. Not enough of the heroes from previous decades in hurling and football and why in Gods name was Brush Shiels on? This was to celebrate 125 years of the GAA not a few recent years and throw in the odd comedian/singer.

Real Kerry Fan (None) - Posts: 2957 - 12/01/2009 12:23:40    178256

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)

______________

That's me firmly put in my box then.
So what yer saying is he's a busker...at a game that doesn't play gaelic games. Ok then.
Is that (bit in bold) supposed to be a reference to something? i've never heard of a republic of ireland team other than the soccer one. If yer man made yer day, yer easily amused is all i'll say.

milo (Tyrone) - Posts: 238 - 12/01/2009 13:31:19    178337

Was anyone here at the Internationals when Brush Fields (that's what he should be doing) performed. He rabbled on about how he outperformed every other act who has performed in croke park. Did he create an atmosphere or as I suspect and suggested before be the real reason for the fighting between the players? I still can't get over how bad a singer he is and the fact he was interviewed for so long when it was obvious he knew as much about GAA as I do about croquet.

realgaa (UK) - Posts: 128 - 12/01/2009 13:57:35    178355

I just wanged off an email of complaint to the rte. Feel free to copy it. [email protected]
Awful effort by the RTE!


Dear Pat and Co,

I was very disappointed to watch the Late Late Show last Friday evening. I tuned in expecting to enjoy a special which remembered the best from the past of the GAA, discussed its successes and analysed its failings.

Instead what was presented was very poor and badly prepared. A number of the choices of guests were inappropriate while the subject knowledge of Pat Kenny was obviously scant. I could go on but that would waste more than the two hours I have already wasted with the show.

If its not worth doing properly then don't do it.

Yours,
etc etc

wingwonder (UK) - Posts: 535 - 12/01/2009 14:23:58    178385

As a GAA man I have to agree in part with all of these posted messages. I really can't get past RTE in this country. It seems like no real taught go's into alot of programs and Friday night's Late Late show was no exception. Pat Kenny talking about the GAA was just a complete discrace. He seems like a D4 snob who really isn't in touch with irish culture in general let alone the GAA. He obviously had no researh done no game plan, didn't really know who to talk to and when he did talk to the people he clearly couldn't make a connection, what the hell was he tinking of when he was talking to Darragh O Se.

In fairness I'm not a hugh Des Cahill fan either but in my opinion he was clearly the obvious choice within the RTE ranks to host this show. He has the knowledge and the way about him and he allraedy hosts a GAA program, "The Road to Croker". I think if the RTE got a second bite at it maybe they would probably have Gerry Ryan host the show and don't get me started on that clown. Surely Nicky Brennan must have had some input on this show with who should and shouldn't have been their. If he had or hadn't then its just another failure on his behalf, maybe he has been too busy trying to make the GAA games look more like what's going on accross the water i.e. the premiership.

Where was the charicters of the GAA, the grass roots men and women instead we had to listen about the graet Dublin and Kerry teams which in my opinion is only a small snapshot of what the GAA is really about. Where was DJ, Brian Whelehan, Brian Cody, Joe Cooney, Liam Griffin, Justin McCarthy,Sean Og, I could go on forever about some greats and my favorite would be Ger Lochnane who in my opinion would have given some real input and grit but ALAS we were left with an uncomfortable Pat Kenny.

I think I'll leave it there because there is not enough time in this day to vent my entire disapointment with that show.

Leixman.

leixman (Laois) - Posts: 2 - 12/01/2009 14:59:12    178414

realgaa
County: UK
Posts: 23

178355 Was anyone here at the Internationals when Brush Fields (that's what he should be doing) performed. He rabbled on about how he outperformed every other act who has performed in croke park. Did he create an atmosphere or as I suspect and suggested before be the real reason for the fighting between the players?



I was at that game, in all fairness he did create a brilliant atmosphere at half time everyone was on there feet singing, the australians in the crowd was also loving it, but his apperance on the late late was cringe worthy to say the least

paddyogall (Mayo) - Posts: 5110 - 12/01/2009 15:01:01    178418

Well they should have got Gerry Ryan to do it - eh maybe not! Joe Duffy - eh no! Ryan Tubridy - nooooo. Charlie Bird maybe - he he he! Are we seeing a pattern here? And all for just 160 per annum. Just heard JD stirring it up about pay cuts in the public service - no fear of them allowing a caller on to ask when these guys are gonna take a cut in their massive pay with their summers off - and all on licence payers money after all. Public Service Broadcasting indeed!

Dubinmeath (Dublin) - Posts: 1123 - 12/01/2009 15:09:33    178429