Launched by Noel Dempsey TD, Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources at Navan O'Mahony's GAA club on Wednesday 5th January, the fourth series of TG4's 'Laochra Gael' honours local hero, Peter McDermott as well as ten other GAA stars. The series kicked off on the same evening with a repeat showing of a tribute to Kilkenny camogie stars Angela and Ann Downey and will continue over the nine Wednesday's at 8 p.m. (with repeat showings on Friday nights at 11.30). Each half hour programme blends archive footage, personal reminiscence with assesment from team-mates, rivals, media commentators and family members as well as the subject of each programme. Next week former Cork hurling star and current Waterford manager Justin McCarthy will be profiled. After a promising playing career was curtailed by injury, he led Clare to two National Hurling League success before helping his native county win the Centenary All-Ireland Hurling title in 1984. In recent years he has steered Waterford to two Munster final victories. On January 19, Frank McGuigan's career will be under the spotlight. A brilliant underage star, he captained Tyrone to Ulster success in 1973 in his first year out of the minor ranks. After a spell living in the USA, he returned him to help his county to their next provincial success in 1984, scoring eleven points from play in the win over Armagh. Brian Whelehan's career will be assessed on January 26. The Birr clubman was the only player of the modern era to be named on the Hurling Team of the Millennium. In addition, he won two All-Ireland SHC medals, four club titles and two Hurler of the Year awards. The tribute to Peter McDermott will be screened on February 2. Dubbed 'The Man with the cap' by legendary commentator Micheal O'Hehir, he served the GAA as a player, referee, coach and administrator and was instrumental in pioneering links with Australian Rules Football. He is the only man to referee an All-Ireland football final before and after winning one. Tipperary star John Leahy, the first man from Mullinahone to senior hurling for the Premier County, is the subject of the programme to be screened on February 9. After winning two All-Irelands, four NHL titles and three All-Stars, he was player manager of the first Mullinahone side to win the Tipperary senior hurling championship in 2002. Next up on February 16 will be Joe Brolly. Best known today as an outspoken TV pundit, the successful barrister helped Derry win their first and so far only All-Ireland senior football title in 1993. Former Tipperary dual player and the man who led the blue and gold out of the hurling wilderness in the late Eighties, Michael 'Babs' Keating is the subject of the programme scheduled for transmission on February 23. The penultimate programme in the series on March 2 will focus on Eoin 'Bomber' Liston. Scorer of 3-2 in Kerry's All-Ireland final win over Dublin in 1978, he went on to win a further six titles though he missed the 1980 win over Roscommon when recovering from an appendix operation. On March 9, the series concludes with a tribute to Sean Purcell, who played for Galway between 1948 and 1962. Best remembered for his on-field partnership with team-mate Frankie Stockwell, which led to them being dubbed 'The Terrible Twins'. He was chosen at centre-forward on the Teams of the Century and Millennium. Tweet

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