The biggest and longest running gaelic games forum on the web

[turk]

Ah the nostalgia season begins.   

That's great stuff being able to look at some of the old web archives.  I reckoned I joined in around the time of the Leinster Final in 1997.  I had been reading for quite a while, and I will admit I felt almost intimidated by the knowledge of a lot of the contributors back then.  The Meath presence was substantial, as was the active Female contingent (Ann, a few from Waterford whose names I cant quite remember, and I think Meath Avenger was of the fairer sex).  Offaly football's last real success gave me the courage to join in the banter.  Age, wisdom and the willingness of others to let fly quickly has led to my reduced contributions at this stage, but I still have a look now and again.

Impersonation - Bummer, you were a ba$tad alright.  I remember that IP Addresses had to be displayed at one stage to try to weed out the subversives.  Luckily, the fad passed.

Apart from an occasional visitor, Tony Fearon pretty much carried the Ulster banner single-handedly.  I'll admit that he riled me up easily many times with his dogmatic opinions, but I'll also admit that he deserves huge credit for being prepared to use his real name (at least I think it's real) and for keeping the interest up for so long.

I wonder if Hardyarse the Fiddler still has his "Patsy from Forkhill" post? 

I think Jim Gallagher was the original Moderator/Administrator/guy-who-setup-the-site.  Fair play to you Jim, your legacy lives on.

I think the IP address display had already been reigned back by the time I joined in July 2000 because I don't remember seeing it. Anyway the honest reason for pulling off a fake Fearon was that he pretty much riled me up as well, I think the best one in that afternoon of forgery was winding up the Westmeath contingent by saying that Ger Heavin wouldn't make the Armagh bench! Even the fellow Armagh posters were fooled, though it wasn't until Hotelgate that they started to disown him. Don't worry, some people tried to impersonate me but no one was fooled because they were poor attempts. 

As far as I'm aware I was the first Tyrone regular on the board, with O'Neill coming along a few months later. Both myself and him put up with a load of crap from Fearon and the Ourma contingent especially before the 2001 USFC first round game between Tyrone and Armagh which ended up with a rare occurrence in GAAboard history - everyone outside Armagh cheering a Tyrone victory! 

I wonder if Hardyarse the Fiddler still has his "Patsy from Forkhill" post?  It was so good that Jerome Quinn put it up on the BBC NI Championship website albeit edited for a PG12 audience.

The first Tyrone poster I remember was Lorna!

[rosnarun]

I think Indigo.ie were involved in hosting at one point and were asked by the GAA Via Nicky Brennan  to 'GPA' it and bring the lot under GAA control along with a lot of independent county pages that were sprouting up at the time ,with very variable quality ,  the outcome was AFAIK was indigo stopped hosting and set up GAA.ie

[Uladh]

There were some great characters in the early days and some epic threads. The fiddler was in a league of his own and i must admit to still opening threads because his name appears. Bummer, did you change your username around the time you "found" the Sigerson Cup? Hope you got your reward cheque from the honorary president of the club...

I previously posted as Setanta from about 99 i think. The build up to the All Ireland semi v meath that year made the occasion all the more enjoyable.

Maybe i'm getting old but the quality of discussion back then seemed much better informed. The hurlers that were marauding around at the time are a big loss to the site.

[Bord na Mona man]

The first Tyrone poster I remember was Lorna!

Remember when Lorna used to post about her nights out in The Relic (drinking Pernod) and the various Tyrone players she spotted.

There was a bit of back and forth between herself and Tony F. That all ended on a bit of a sour note. Anyone who was on the board at time will have known what the craic was!  ;-)

[turk]

The first Tyrone poster I remember was Lorna!

Remember when Lorna used to post about her nights out in The Relic (drinking Pernod) and the various Tyrone players she spotted.

There was a bit of back and forth between herself and Tony F. That all ended on a bit of a sour note. Anyone who was on the board at time will have known what the craic was!  ;-)

That's the one!!

;-D

[Shamrock Shore]

I've been here since Day 1 in all the Board's guises.

[5 Sams]

I'm here since 1999 when football was invented after that year's Ulster Final.

[rrhf]

Theres a great bond between all you older guys as well, a sense of belonging and ownership of the online community, not my thing but certainly not a bad thing.  The most interesting point made there is how the quality has dropped of GAA online conversation has dropped.  Id widen that out though, I think thats the case in any pub, paper, match or online discussing board, the craic and chivalry of crafty wind up and smarter debate to do with GAA matters has been on the wain for years now.  We are "talked out", the games have been "over exposed" we see more on TV, we take on board the opinions of the Spillanes and Brollys and that does us for our opinion which we rehash back to someone who agrees with us, and we all do it so many times theres little room for a robust argument.  And you are right we are more informed oursleves but its not the same craic.  In fact I admire what O Neill, Fiontamhnach and hardy arse try to do when they open up a controversial topic on the board,  they are only stimulating new debates and arguements because for the most part the board lacks the crack it would have had in the early days, ie before man landed on moon. 

[seafoid]

Theres a great bond between all you older guys as well, a sense of belonging and ownership of the online community, not my thing but certainly not a bad thing.  The most interesting point made there is how the quality has dropped of GAA online conversation has dropped.  Id widen that out though, I think thats the case in any pub, paper, match or online discussing board, the craic and chivalry of crafty wind up and smarter debate to do with GAA matters has been on the wain for years now.  We are "talked out", the games have been "over exposed" we see more on TV, we take on board the opinions of the Spillanes and Brollys and that does us for our opinion which we rehash back to someone who agrees with us, and we all do it so many times theres little room for a robust argument.  And you are right we are more informed oursleves but its not the same craic.  In fact I admire what O Neill, Fiontamhnach and hardy arse try to do when they open up a controversial topic on the board,  they are only stimulating new debates and arguements because for the most part the board lacks the crack it would have had in the early days, ie before man landed on moon.

The board back in the late 90s was like a street and now with 4500 users is more like a medium sized town so it's obvious there is going to be a different buzz
But I don't think that's a bad thing.

One of the best things about discussing GAA online is the interaction between the wee 6 and the rest of Ireland.
i don't have the impression there was much of that sort of discussion going on say 15 years ago.

[The Biff]

I agree.  The discussions did seem take on a new slant when the Armagh/Tyrone rivalry came to a peak.  Understandably so, I suppose.  No-one could say that those lads didn't have something to say.

But before that, there were some right good contributors from "up there", notable (that I can remember) MACinery (from Derry I think), Seamy Bejasus McDougal (Monaghan?), Jovial Chap, plus a few Mexican legends - Gobshite (Sligo?), Jimbo (Dublin?), a busy Mayo contingent of Speed Bump, Blast Calyle, Fat Larry and many more.

There was also more Poetry in the old days.  Hardy and Gobshite had good offerings, and Seafoid too (I think) but my favourite was a contribution from Turk that I know I saved on an old computer somewhere.  Let's just say the very last word in it was "vomit".  Legends.

Oh, and I can take credit for starting the original the Predictions Competitions.  It was a great way to learn using Excel.

[mylestheslasher]

I've been here since Day 1 in all the Board's guises.

Back when it was a blackboard?

[oakleafgael]

The skits involving Club Energise where some of the funniest works on any incarnation of the board. Does anyone have a link/copy of them?

[Jinxy]

I've been here since Day 1 in all the Board's guises.

Back when it was a blackboard?

You used have to dictate your posts over the phone.

[rosnarun]

did the anfearrua chap have soe kind of discussion board or mailing list way back under his real name??
cant quiet remeber now gargle has dimmed the brain

[magpie seanie]

Farneyboy answering all our questions in his unique style! Loved that.

Sonny's unpunctuated passion. Did anyone ever hear of him after he went to Africa?