Remember my dad taking me as a 7 year old to the 1977 final between Dublin and Armagh and being taken by the colour and atmosphere.Have been hooked ever since.

juniorbsub (Wexford) - Posts: 646 - 10/03/2016 18:59:26    1833432

Breffni39, I remember that day well. A great game of football with two unbelievable scores (O'Reilly and McHugh) at the end.

For me, the Ulster Final in 92 against a highly fancied Derry was when I got completely hooked. Donegal had a great team at the time, but they had so many disappointing days in prior years. This was a magnificent performance against the odds, and the springboard for our first Sam.

petejoeduff (Donegal) - Posts: 329 - 10/03/2016 19:11:54    1833437

:)

KerryKillers (Dublin) - Posts: 711 - 10/03/2016 19:33:49    1833444

Armagh 2002-2008. Loved every journey to croker and clones. Was in awe at some of their players back then.

halfback_5 (Armagh) - Posts: 13 - 10/03/2016 20:01:23    1833453

At hello

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4563 - 10/03/2016 20:52:40    1833476

I'm from Kerry, football mad county and Gaa family with a clatter of older brothers and committee involved father.. when did the Gaa have me.. the moment the midwife, cut the cord and said... It's a boy.....

Horsebox77 (Kerry) - Posts: 5491 - 10/03/2016 21:03:15    1833481

I'm from Kerry, football mad county and Gaa family with a clatter of older brothers and committee involved father.. when did the Gaa have me.. the moment the midwife, cut the cord and said... It's a boy.....

__________________________

Cringe!

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13654 - 11/03/2016 08:21:05    1833510

Never mind the last comment Horse, those outside the Kingdom will never understand....

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 11/03/2016 10:20:15    1833555

Never mind the last comment Horse, those outside the Kingdom will never understand....

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts:1138 - 11/03/2016 10:20:15

I know yous are good at football and all but I think the rest of us can understand misty eyed sentiment when we see it.

It probably works a treat when yous are fleecing gullible Yanks with a few yarns round Killarney way though.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13808 - 11/03/2016 12:04:36    1833599

waynol.. sense of humour maybe... ya?

Horsebox77 (Kerry) - Posts: 5491 - 11/03/2016 12:55:37    1833623

Always loved gaelic but my first ever match in croke park was Dublin vs Kerry in 2013 and it blew me away, everything about the day was perfect, that was GAA at its best!

RoscoMan (Roscommon) - Posts: 80 - 11/03/2016 13:16:11    1833633

May not have been to everyone's tastes, but back in 2003 when the Tyrone lads surrounded the Kerry players and hits were flying in left right and centre, in the end Darragh O'Se kicked the ball out of the way to get a moments rest. That was it.

I was only 16 but at that moment it hit me that it wasn't a game, it was war when you went onto the pitch.

GetOverTheBar (Tyrone) - Posts: 1388 - 11/03/2016 13:16:39    1833634

when the Tyrone lads surrounded the Kerry players ... in the end Darragh O'Se kicked the ball out of the way to get a moments rest. That was it.

One island, two nations ;)

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 11/03/2016 13:44:00    1833649

1972 Ulster final & Donegal's first title.

No young fella was ever as excited.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 11/03/2016 14:14:13    1833659

When we won in 1992. I was six years old. Parents both moved back from the UK in the mid-1980s just before I was born. Neither was into GAA - was all soccer on both sides of the family and most of my friends, especially with Packie Bonner being from up the road. I don't remember any of the Ulster Championship that year, but I remember the semi-final against Mayo when we switched to our current colors of gold and green after years playing in the green jerseys with the gold hoop. After we won that semi-final, the county went mad. The road markings, pavements, cars, even pets were all painted gold and green. Flags outside every house. That song "We're in our first All-Ireland and we won't give up 'Til we cross the bridge in Lifford with the Sam Maguire Cup". It was madness.

The Cup came round to all the schools. Still have the photo of me, my brother and my grandfather with the cup in our school. We got Donegal jerseys for our birthdays that year. I had a birthday cake in the shape of a Donegal jersey that year.

I'd consider myself a fan of all sporting codes - but nothing gets me as passionate as watching Donegal play gaelic football.

Texas (Donegal) - Posts: 163 - 11/03/2016 18:50:18    1833731

At Heffo.

Dubh_linn (Dublin) - Posts: 2313 - 11/03/2016 19:10:48    1833739

First memory is of being called down from the bedroom to watch someone perform 'the Jacks are back' on up for the match or whatever its equivalent was before the final in 1974, ours wasn't a GAA house as such so that stuck with me that dad thought it was important enough to let us watch, probably because he knew a couple of lads on that team. My first game in Croker was a league game against Roscommon, the first game after Dublin had won the All Ireland in either 76 or 77, (I was around 11 at the time), a typical grey October day but what has always stuck with me was how bright the Roscommon jerseys appeared and the noise from the crowd every time anything of interest happened.

AHP (Dublin) - Posts: 323 - 11/03/2016 20:31:32    1833758

When we won in 1992. I was six years old. Parents both moved back from the UK in the mid-1980s just before I was born. Neither was into GAA - was all soccer on both sides of the family and most of my friends, especially with Packie Bonner being from up the road. I don't remember any of the Ulster Championship that year, but I remember the semi-final against Mayo when we switched to our current colors of gold and green after years playing in the green jerseys with the gold hoop. After we won that semi-final, the county went mad. The road markings, pavements, cars, even pets were all painted gold and green. Flags outside every house. That song "We're in our first All-Ireland and we won't give up 'Til we cross the bridge in Lifford with the Sam Maguire Cup". It was madness.

The Cup came round to all the schools. Still have the photo of me, my brother and my grandfather with the cup in our school. We got Donegal jerseys for our birthdays that year. I had a birthday cake in the shape of a Donegal jersey that year.

I'd consider myself a fan of all sporting codes - but nothing gets me as passionate as watching Donegal play gaelic football.

Texas (Donegal) - Posts:92 - 11/03/2016 18:50:18

That's one of my earlier memories of the Dubs.

I can still see Charlie's peno flying high and wide! I think it was eventually rediscovered floated down the Canal several years later!

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13808 - 12/03/2016 09:18:38    1833786

As a kid the GAA had me from the moment I first started playing both sports, especially hurling. Seeing Baltinglass win the Leinster Club Championship in 1990. The most gripping game I have ever been at was the All Ireland semi-final between Baltinglass and Castlehaven in Aughrim. Larry Tompkins lined out against former team-mates from his All Ireland Vocational Schools victory with Wicklow in 1983. People literally had rosary beads praying for the final whistle. Baltinglass won 0-8 to 0-6, low scoring but so captivating!! After that the All Ireland win in Croker v Clann na nGael was easy.

Wicklowman (Wicklow) - Posts: 1142 - 15/03/2016 17:16:05    1835191

Antrim beating Down in 2000 to end the famine on a horrendous day at casement. Just about old enough to remember, then Anthony tohill broke our hearts in the semi by pulling sheeny McQuillans 45 from going over the crossbar. From joy to devastation.

spy_in_the_sky (Antrim) - Posts: 273 - 15/03/2016 17:57:47    1835204