GAA books

[brokencrossbar1]

He didn't say.

You should write a book about the Cross awakening in the 90s from an insider's POV. You can explain away the elbows etc.

Have often thought about it, the elbows though never happened

Would it not be better if one of the footballers wrote it.

1996 or 1998, I'm not sure which was most satisfying

[donegal_abu]

This is our year is a very good read imo. Just bought it today and seems good so far anyways... very sincere accounts by all players. would recommend it

[NP 76]

Have you read Ross Carrs piece yet . Saw an extract in the Newry paper he seems to have a real chip on his shoulder

[magpie seanie]

He didn't say.

You should write a book about the Cross awakening in the 90s from an insider's POV. You can explain away the elbows etc.

Have often thought about it, the elbows though never happened

No melters at all!

[Don Johnson]

Have you read Ross Carrs piece yet . Saw an extract in the Newry paper he seems to have a real chip on his shoulder

What is this about?

[Stevie g 8]

his son was excluded from the down panel and he has a bit of a go at management,claiming he,s one of there best

[seafoid]

Big Joe's book.

Extract.


Tyrone player mocked Marsden after wrongful dismissal in 2003 final
By Martin Breheny/Kernan

I've seen a lot on football fields and I have to say that nothing ever annoyed or frustrated me more than what happened to Diarmaid Marsden in the 2003 All-Ireland final. I'll say it straight -- his dismissal against Tyrone cost Armagh the title.

I haven't a doubt that if Diarmaid had been there over that crucial finishing stretch, Armagh would have won the two-in-a-row. Now, if he had done something that warranted a dismissal we could live with it.

Do the crime, do the time and all that.

In this case, there was no crime but plenty of time. Well, certainly enough to sway what had been a tight, tense game where inches were always going to be crucial. Instead of having Diarmaid's intelligent presence on the run-in, we were down to 14 men after he had been sent off by referee Brian White.

Tyrone's Philip Jordan ran at Diarmaid, who instinctively put up his arm in self-defence. Jordan went down as if he'd been hit by a crowbar, the Tyrone crowd starting baying and suddenly Diarmaid was in the referee's firing line.

If White saw the incident clearly, I have no idea how he could have sent Diarmaid off on a straight red card, which implied he had been guilty of striking. Was the ref serious? A guy is running straight at you and you're supposed to stand there with your hands down by your sides and take what's coming?

I was disgusted by the actions of at least one Tyrone player who mockingly clapped Diarmaid off the pitch. There's an honour among players -- or at least there should be -- and to see a man gloating at an opponent's bad luck in an All-Ireland final is something I could never understand. It's not the GAA where I was brought up or one I ever want to be part of.

Diarmaid's dismissal meant he would miss the first game of the 2004 championship and placed a black mark against his name which had to be challenged.

We were furious that he had been wronged. Diarmaid was conscious that, among other things, his little girl, Lara, who was too young to understand at the time, might ask him in years to come why was he sent off in an All-Ireland final. He could explain as much as he wanted that it was an injustice, but the record books would show otherwise unless he had his name cleared.

You would have thought that the Games Administration Committee might have decided in favour of Diarmaid on the basis of video evidence. But, no, he was suspended and we had no option but to set about having it overturned. The final port of call in that frustrating process was Central Council and, to their credit, they acknowledged that an injustice had been done. The suspension was struck out and while it was of no value to us or Diarmaid in footballing terms, it at least cleared a good man's name.

Irish Independent
Saturday October 15 2011




But then I got a call from John Joe and he told me that, while they wanted me to continue, I would have to change my back-room team. I took that to mean I would have to get rid of John McCloskey as trainer and Paul Hatton as strength and conditioning coach, something I was not prepared to do.Once I was prevented from appointing the people I felt would do the best job, then I had no option but to resign. I was, after all, bringing these people in for the good of Galway football.

In hindsight, perhaps some of the changes I suggested at the meeting didn't go down all that well. Maybe those suggestions caused a change of heart between the meeting and the phone call to tell me that I would have to alter my back-room team.

I hate that aspect of the culture. You can't say "no" to somebody's face so you make up some BS to get rid of them anyway.

[Orchardman]

This is our year, brilliant book so far. Over half way through at this stage

Kevin Cassidy seems a great character; love the stories about the Donegal sessions years ago. Nothing overly wild, but good to read regardless. The other good characters would be ricey, clerkin and val andrews. Clerkin opens up a fair bit, very honest about stuff the last few years. Val andrews story is great, puts himself down as a mad man from ballymum who just got lucky, interesting guy.

Some of the rest are duds though. Our own stevie McDonnell's chapters are ok, though there was a good part where he talked about the rubbish psychologist they had 2 years ago and got rid of him, the guy kramar from queens who the mcnculty brothers and other sigerson players raved about in the 90's.
The stuff about aiden carr is one long borefest/moanfest. No harm to the lad,obviously very down on the whole sub role, and I can relate to that and how shite it feels. But it goes on and on, and ross carr gets plenty of airtime on it as well. Still, i do like honesty, i'll give them that. I havn't watched the lad play much to be honest, but ross contends that 2 or 3 years ago he was in the top 5 defenders in the country, do any down posters agree with this??

Paddy cunningham is very honest about stuff, but i just wouldn't be interested in anything to do with the antrim side. He actually gives out loads of stink about the poor quality of training that antrim were doing, i'm surprised it hasn't been picked up on. Amazing that cassidy has been given the road for saying how great big jim is, whilst wee paddy lambasts the shite training under baker!

Oh aye, conlon the derry keeper has a decent story about his comeback at 33 and changing jobs, and big barry owens story about the strike etc aint bad

[ONeill]

This is our year, brilliant book so far. Over half way through at this stage

Kevin Cassidy seems a great character; love the stories about the Donegal sessions years ago. Nothing overly wild, but good to read regardless. The other good characters would be ricey, clerkin and val andrews. Clerkin opens up a fair bit, very honest about stuff the last few years. Val andrews story is great, puts himself down as a mad man from ballymum who just got lucky, interesting guy.

Some of the rest are duds though. Our own stevie McDonnell's chapters are ok, though there was a good part where he talked about the rubbish psychologist they had 2 years ago and got rid of him, the guy kramar from queens who the mcnculty brothers and other sigerson players raved about in the 90's.
The stuff about aiden carr is one long borefest/moanfest. No harm to the lad,obviously very down on the whole sub role, and I can relate to that and how shite it feels. But it goes on and on, and ross carr gets plenty of airtime on it as well. Still, i do like honesty, i'll give them that. I havn't watched the lad play much to be honest, but ross contends that 2 or 3 years ago he was in the top 5 defenders in the country, do any down posters agree with this??

Paddy cunningham is very honest about stuff, but i just wouldn't be interested in anything to do with the antrim side. He actually gives out loads of stink about the poor quality of training that antrim were doing, i'm surprised it hasn't been picked up on. Amazing that cassidy has been given the road for saying how great big jim is, whilst wee paddy lambasts the shite training under baker!

Oh aye, conlon the derry keeper has a decent story about his comeback at 33 and changing jobs, and big barry owens story about the strike etc aint bad

Finally got my hands on a copy today and agree on the Cunningham material. I'd say Baker wouldn't be overly pleased at Paddy's honesty.

[clarshack]

is this book all sold out as expected? or can copies still be got?

[Farneylawd2011]

Finished Joe Kernan book.Very good so it was.

[Minder]

is this book all sold out as expected? or can copies still be got?

Was there only a limited number printed ?  If there is demand for it you will be able to get it.

[ONeill]

There were plenty in Eason's in Craigavon yesterday.

[TGFC]

Teemore Shamrocks of County Fermanagh have released a book recently. It recalls the history of GAA activity in the area stretching back to 1880's when it was first recorded, to 1904 when the club was officially founded and goes into detail on the clubs 21 senior football championships up until the most recent championship success in 2005, detail which includes pictures, match reports, team sheets and general information as history records it. The book also tells the story of the people who have played their parts in the club at all levels including Brendan Reilly who won senior county championship titles over four consecutive decades, former GAA president Peter Quinn and 2 time All Star Barry Owens to name but a few.

It has so far proved to be a popular read for the people of Teemore and its surrounding areas with the book recalling the very early years of the GAA. It also offers interesting reading for the people of Fermanagh and indeed GAA people nationwide especially in the story of GAA's emergance and the journey for a club from its beginning in 1904 to its position as the most successful club in the county. It also tells of the political and economic troubles which affected Ireland throughout the last 100+ years and how they nearly put the club out of existance but for a very determined few who kept it alive. more info on the website in my signiture.

[5 Sams]

Got Big Joe's book in the stockin. I'm a good bit through it at this stage..great read ...huge respect for the man and his players.