Your GAA induction/indoctrination

[gortnaleck]

Hey Fox,Aidan Mc Mahon was a way better soccer player than he was a Gaelic player.He was a very good center forward,and was a great header of the ball

[longrunsthefox]

Hey Fox,Aidan Mc Mahon was a way better soccer player than he was a Gaelic player.He was a very good center forward,and was a great header of the ball

I know he was a good soccer player too. Top GAA player and was midfield on Tyrone team won 1973 Ulster final and I think he may have played for Ulster a few times.

[Farrandeelin]

Any newbies want to share their experiences?

[BennyCake]

At what age did you go to your first GAA match ? 7

Who played in the match? NFL final 85 Armagh Monaghan

Do you remember anything about it ? Joe Kernan scoring the first point with a free. Paddy Linden doing a wee celebratory dance near the end. Getting a triangular Armagh flag from the croke  park shop.

Who were the main figures involved in introducing you to the GAA ? My da

What was your first match in Croke Park ?  85 NFL final

Who were the first GAA players you were aware of ? Joe Kernan, Jack O'Shea

Is anyone else in your family as interested in GAA as you are ? Yes

Did your indoctrination involve any bad-mouthing of soccer  or was it more ecumenical ? We all played for the local team. It was just something everyone did. We all played soccer too but there was never a team locally.

[Boycey]

Brilliant Benny,I'll add another question if that's not too cheeky?

At what age did you go to your first GAA match ? 5, in the days of lifting the child over the turnstile at Croker

Who played in the match? All Ireland Hurling Final 1974 Kilkenny and Limerick

Do you remember anything about it ? I remember absolutely nothing about the game but that it was raining and there were more people there than I thought there was in the world

1st game you remember on the telly? Dublin-Kerry All Ireland Final1976. The auld fella, a west Limerick man, was a staunch Kerry supporter and I remember us being ferried into Dublin to the cousins house while him and the brother (a Dub fan) went off to the match. Dublin won and the cousins teased me relentlessly, I probably cried



Who were the main figures involved in introducing you to the GAA ? The auld fella

What was your first match in Croke Park ?  see above

Who were the first GAA players you were aware of ? Stephen Rooney and Georgie Wilson from that Dublin team as they were from our town, actually probably all the Dublin and Kerry players from that era. I could look at a photo and name them all but wouldn't be able to with the current Dublin team

Is anyone else in your family as interested in GAA as you are ? Yes

Did your indoctrination involve any bad-mouthing of soccer  or was it more ecumenical ? Brought up as a kid in Balbriggan, a garrison town and there was way more soccer than gaelic but I'd have been aware we were 'GAA people'.
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[imtommygunn]

Most interesting post you've ever made seafoid lol.


At what age did you go to your first GAA match ? 8
Who played in the match? No idea
Do you remember anything about it ?  It was in Bellaghy.
1st game you remember on the telly? Meath Cork AI final either 89 or 90...

Who were the main figures involved in introducing you to the GAA ? My da.
What was your first match in Croke Park ?   AI hurling semi finals 89. Still haven't topped that day.
Who were the first GAA players you were aware of ? Jack O"Shea first memory
Is anyone else in your family as interested in GAA as you are ? Yes
Did your indoctrination involve any bad-mouthing of soccer  or was it more ecumenical ? No

[brokencrossbar1]

At what age did you go to your first GAA match ? 8, was the Frank McGuigan final

Who played in the match? Armagh and Tyrone

Do you remember anything about it ?  f**king Frank McGuigan!!! 

1st game you remember on the telly? The 1983 AI final.......seeing as that was my first ever game that I can recall no wonder i ended up the way I did

Who were the main figures involved in introducing you to the GAA ? My mother

What was your first match in Croke Park ?   1985, my brother played in a schools compromise rules game for the Abbey

Who were the first GAA players you were aware of ? Jack O"Shea first memory

Is anyone else in your family as interested in GAA as you are ? Yes, wide involvement of my extended family at playing and coaching

Did your indoctrination involve any bad-mouthing of soccer  or was it more ecumenical ? No

[Maroon Manc]

At what age did you go to your first GAA match ? First one I remember anything from was when I was 6
Who played in the match? St Brendans of Manchester v St Peters in 1987 Lancashire Senior Final
Do you remember anything about it ?  Neil Collins the future Down keeper making a huge mistake causing Brendan's to lose. Brendan's won 4 in a row either side of 87 so its a much talked about game
1st game you remember on the telly? Galway beating Kilkenny in 87, can remember complaining why I wasn't allowed to go over for it.For some odd reason it was on black and white on Channel 4

Who were the main figures involved in introducing you to the GAA ? Dad. It was a huge part of his life from when he came to Manchester in 1964. His weekends were taking up running underage teams etc.
What was your first match in Croke Park ?   1990 Hurling final, never experienced anything like it even at Old Trafford. The noise and colour were unreal, will never forgot it. I was in awe of the great Joe Cooney first half display.
Who were the first GAA players you were aware of ? Joe Cooney was my first GAA hero. I'd heard so much about my dads favourite hurler Sylie Linnane too. Mainly players from Cork & Meath as first football final I remember was i 87 and the mother was from Cork. Val Daly was another one.
Is anyone else in your family as interested in GAA as you are ? Yes
Did your indoctrination involve any bad-mouthing of soccer  or was it more ecumenical ? No, encouraged to play any sport we wanted.

[bigarsedkeeper]

At what age did you go to your first GAA match ? 7 or 8

Who played in the match? Annaclone v St Johns I think

Do you remember anything about it ? I remember my cousin playing but not a lot else. I would of been at a few camogie matches around the time with the sister playing

Who were the main figures involved in introducing you to the GAA ? Family - prob my sister more than the rest

What was your first match in Croke Park ?  91 semi final v Kerry

Who were the first GAA players you were aware of ? County wise it would be James McCartan & Ambrose that I remember first.

Is anyone else in your family as interested in GAA as you are ? Yes

Did your indoctrination involve any bad-mouthing of soccer  or was it more ecumenical ? Not really - there was no soccer teams anywhere near us so it was never a threat

[Milltown Row2]

At what age did you go to your first GAA match ? All Ireland  Vocational schools hurling semi final

Who played in the match? St Pauls from Beechmount were playing a team for Galway in god knows where

Do you remember anything about it ? My oldest brother was playing and a couple of cousins, on the bus going down feeling nervous of these 'big lads' as I was still in primary school.

Who were the main figures involved in introducing you to the GAA ? My cousins, mum and dad had no interest in GAA or any sports really.

What was your first match in Croke Park ?  I can't remember off hand but it would have been a Leinster hurling final, I'd have been around 12, as our juvenile manager, Hilary McDaniel was a huge Kilkenny fan and brought us every year, I remember some of the match and annoying some fan by running around the wooden benches at Croker, I also got stung by a wasp that day!

Who were the first GAA players you were aware of ? My main men were the Galway hurlers and the Offaly hurlers, always went for the underdog, Brendan Lynskey, a combative style of hurling which I brought into my game!

Is anyone else in your family as interested in GAA as you are ? just my brothers

Did your indoctrination involve any bad-mouthing of soccer  or was it more ecumenical ? No,  there was no soccer played at our schools, though we played 5 asides a lot I'd no time for it really

[bennydorano]

At what age did you go to your first GAA match ? No idea, would have been at Armagh Harps games in the College Fields (old)

Who played in the match? First County memory NFL final 83 Armagh v Down

Do you remember anything about it ? Not really

Who were the main figures involved in introducing you to the GAA ? My Dad

Who were the first GAA players you were aware of ? Johnny Corvan would have been a big one, Fran McMahon, Jack O'Shea

Is anyone else in your family as interested in GAA as you are ? Yes

Did your indoctrination involve any bad-mouthing of soccer  or was it more ecumenical ? Played plenty in the park but it
It was like organised Youth soccer never existed - it didn't at my end of town.

[Itchy]

Some amount of people recalling games as 4 year olds. I call bullshit!

[magpie seanie]

At what age did you go to your first GAA match ? 8 I think

Who played in the match? Sligo v Mayo, Connacht SFC

Do you remember anything about it ? My Dad brought me which is unusual when I think back as he pretty much never goes to matches though always watches on TV or listens to the radio. Sligo did ok for a while but were well beaten in the end.

Who were the main figures involved in introducing you to the GAA ? My Dad and several great coaches in my local club.

What was your first match in Croke Park ?  Meath v Mayo All Ireland semi final 1988. Played Ashbourne in an U-12 challenge game the evening beforehand.

Who were the first GAA players you were aware of ? Pat Spillane and Jack O'Shea.

Is anyone else in your family as interested in GAA as you are ? No

Did your indoctrination involve any bad-mouthing of soccer or was it more ecumenical ? No, I played any sport I could be involved in. 

[ardchieftain]

At what age did you go to your first GAA match ?   I was brought up in Armagh city so would have seen a lot of games in the Athletic grounds but never really paid attention to who was playing as i was only interested in getting onto the field to play. The first game that i vividly remember was the National league final of 1982.

Who played in the match? Armagh v Down

Do you remember anything about it ? It was in croke park and the upper hogan was very high.

Who were the main figures involved in introducing you to the GAA ? In p4 we got a male teacher and started doing Football and Hurling in P.E. In p6 i joined the Football team and the teacher/coach had a huge influence on turning me into a decent player.

What was your first match in Croke Park ?  As already stated, league final 1982 but the next visit lasted long in the memory, the club took the u12 team to the 1983 all ireland final, Dublin v Galway. We were on Hill 16 and the atmosphere was toxic, i remember being quite afraid, especially after seeinga Galway fan in the toilets, covered in blood.

Who were the first GAA players you were aware of ?  I have hazy memories of the 1977 final being on tv and the players from those days became household names, so people like Colm McKinstry and Joe Kernan.

Is anyone else in your family as interested in GAA as you are ?  Strangely no, despite my Da having played and later becoming chairman of Ballyhegan.

Did your indoctrination involve any bad-mouthing of soccer  or was it more ecumenical ? Pre p4 everyone i knew played soccer, i joined a soccer team before i joined the local GAA club. Maybe it was different in the town but noone ever said a word about what code you played.

[lurganblue]

At what age did you go to your first GAA match ?  I used to go with my Dad to Clan na Gael matches most weekends from i was a child. I probably didnt pay much attention to the actual match and played football with some of the other kids. I remember many games sitting on the grassy banks of Clones but again it is hard to remember the specifics. The first big match that springs to mind is Armagh v Roscommon in the 1992 minor semi final.

Who played in the match? The "stars" for me were the lads from my club... Marsden, Kevin O'Hagan and Barry John O'Hagan

Do you remember anything about it ? Yeah, some bastid burnt me with a cigarette in the canal end.

Who were the main figures involved in introducing you to the GAA ? My parents and grandfather.

What was your first match in Croke Park ?  You know, before i started thinking of these questions I would have said the 1994 National League final v Meath. The minor semi of 1992 trumps that though. My first all Ireland final experience was the 1997 Maurice Fitzgerald show.

Who were the first GAA players you were aware of ?  Clan na Gael club players in the early 90s. John (soup) Campbell, McCabe, Henderson, McCann etc

Is anyone else in your family as interested in GAA as you are ?  No not really.  Thankfully the wife is interested but not as much as me.

Did your indoctrination involve any bad-mouthing of soccer  or was it more ecumenical ? No. I had my chances to play soccer too and soccer was always on the TV in our house.