The battle of Aughrim

[Mayo4Sam]

Good article on off the ball about this where they had the ref on where he said there was f**k all fighting and he sent off the four lads he saw striking. He went on to say he received a death threat from "the Laois Trio", which he read out, said he'd get the same thing as the lads in the north, the bullet and not to travel alone, them seemed to have a particular fixation on his car.
Then they had on Kevin O'Brien who said he saw nothing and some Laois lad who basically claimed Laois did nothing wrong and was very bitter, he was the real comedy of the piece. Well worth a listen, its on the off the ball gaa podcast

[Shamrock Shore]

Thirty years later Laois are still whingeing.

National League champs in 1986 - hot favourites for Leinster. They went to Aughrim expecting a cakewalk but the hoors from Wickla gave them loads of it.

Auld fashioned football at its finest.

[AZOffaly]

Catch Buckley got some abuse that day.

[Billys Boots]

When I read the thread title my first reaction was 'which one?'.

[AZOffaly]

That was Willie Brennan from Laois on the show. Catch Buckley, the ref is from Offaly. Kevin O'Brien was a class player. I do have to smile at the notion of Laois being molested down in Wicklow, as they did their fair share of mullocking in their time. However I would say that if there was one county worse, it was probably Wicklow, especially below in Aughrim. When they say it's a graveyard for championship teams, they don't necessarily mean the result of the match.

[StephenC]

Good article on off the ball about this where they had the ref on where he said there was f**k all fighting and he sent off the four lads he saw striking. He went on to say he received a death threat from "the Laois Trio", which he read out, said he'd get the same thing as the lads in the north, the bullet and not to travel alone, them seemed to have a particular fixation on his car.
Then they had on Kevin O'Brien who said he saw nothing and some Laois lad who basically claimed Laois did nothing wrong and was very bitter, he was the real comedy of the piece. Well worth a listen, its on the off the ball gaa podcast

Heard this last night and it was a really good piece. Ref confirmed that he wasn't horsed into the boot of a car which was one of the myths that had built up. The letter than he received was real scummy - very bad form.

[rodney trotter]

The podcast of it http://www.newstalk.ie/shows/47.305.363/25071/0/

[Michael Schmeichal]

Good article on off the ball about this where they had the ref on where he said there was f**k all fighting and he sent off the four lads he saw striking. He went on to say he received a death threat from "the Laois Trio", which he read out, said he'd get the same thing as the lads in the north, the bullet and not to travel alone, them seemed to have a particular fixation on his car.
Then they had on Kevin O'Brien who said he saw nothing and some Laois lad who basically claimed Laois did nothing wrong and was very bitter, he was the real comedy of the piece. Well worth a listen, its on the off the ball gaa podcast

Heard this last night and it was a really good piece. Ref confirmed that he wasn't horsed into the boot of a car which was one of the myths that had built up. The letter than he received was real scummy - very bad form.

The letter sounded awful like the work of Don't Matter.

[waterfordlad]

There was an article in the Independent today about this match too. 4 men sent off, 3 from Laois and Laois player had to go off injured with facial injury and Laois fans tried to attack ref at end of match.
Was there any tv highlights of this match?

[AZOffaly]

Yep

[Dont Matter]

This was one of the lowest days in the history of the GAA. Laois, at the time had a team that was one of the most talented ever seen. Full of class, skill and beauty. They had an All Ireland in them but they were the victims of a vicious ambush.
Wicklow players came out to physically attack some of the greats of the game and they were let away with it by the Biffo ref and his assistants. In fact they only punished the Laois players who were defending their lives.
Then this ref Buckley says Laois were complacent and felt they only had to show up. Laois were 5 or 6 points up at half time, they were playing ball and well in control. The only reason they were beaten was because of Buckley and his linesmen, they let the animals in Wicklow away with murder.
The letter was from some thickos in Lilyland, they obviously were hoping that Buckley would go public with the letter earlier and tarnish the reputation of honourable Laois people. They weren't smart enough to post it in Laois though.
That day in Aughrim will forever be remembered as a black day for Gaelic Games. A crime against football.

[thejuice]

There's nothing like an old wound to get people talking.

[Syferus]

This is a preview of the Louth-Meath coverage in 20 years time, surely.

[omagh_gael]

There's nothing like an old wound to get people talking.

There are plenty of old wounds round the county, most of which were caused by Meath hoors ;-)

[Mayo4Sam]

Good man Don't Matter, u sound exactly like Willie Brennan, bitter as f**k