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Topics - Mourne Rover

#1
GAA Discussion / Paddy O'Hara RIP
August 16, 2008, 09:00:22 PM
A minute's silence was observed at Croke Park today to mark the death of Paddy O'Hara, one of the great figures of the GAA in Ulster. Paddy had an incredible football career, starting off by winning an Ulster title with Antrim in 1946 and was one of the stars of the team which only lost narrowly and controversially to Kerry in the semi final. He also both played for and managed Queen's, and was in charge of the side which won the Sigerson for the first time in 1958. Many people feel that success was a big factor in Down's All Ireland break-through two years later.

Amazingly, Paddy went on to manage six of the nine Ulster counties at senior level. He was particularly well regarded during his time with Down in the mid-1960s, and, if an internal row which led to his resignation had been avoided, he might well have won an All Ireland there.

Paddy was later the main GAA commentator with the BBC, and was also a regular with RTE. He retired to live in the west of Ireland, and had been in poor health in recent years, but he will always be remembered as a true legend of the game.
#2
GAA Discussion / Eamon Coleman
June 07, 2007, 10:06:49 PM
According to friends, Eamon Coleman, the former Derry manager, is seriously ill in hospital. It's related to his former illness, and he was apparently admitted some days ago. Eamon is one of the greatest characters in the game, and everyone will be wishing him well.
#3
GAA Discussion / TG4 All Ireland Gold
April 26, 2007, 10:02:44 PM
There's a bit of bad news about the TG4 All Irleland Gold series which has attracted the attention of older board members on Wednesday nights, as it seems to have come to the end of its run. Instead, from next Wednesday, we're getting Aussie Rules in the same slot. There an almost unlimited amount of material in the RTE vaults going back around 40 years, especially if provincial finals and semis are included, and it makes great viewing. If everyone emails TG4 via the feedback section on its website <www.tg4.ie> they might have a re-think. In addition, they could even bring it back at an earlier time than 11.45pm. 
#4
GAA Discussion / Down v Derry 1994
March 27, 2007, 12:34:24 AM
For all aging Down fans, including this one, who wake up every morning and hope it is still 1994, the good news is that it will be on Wednesday. TG4 are doing our legendary trip to Derry on their All Ireland Gold series (11.35pm). The highlights will include the first half save by Neil Collins from Anthony Tohill, which probably kept us in the game, and Paul Higgins introducing himself to Joe Brolly. Derry supporters can count again how many steps Fergal McCusker took before their deflected goal (12 in my impartial view, which is at least one more than James McCartan when he hit the point of the game), and wonder how the reigning all Ireland champions did not get out of their own half in the last ten minutes. There will be the Ciaran McCabe wonder strike, the easier one that he missed, the even easier one that Peter Withnell put wide and Gregory McCartan's late free which just about got over the bar.  Gregory's war dance at the final whistle was nearly as good as Mickey Linden's overall display, and the whole experience was enough to keep most Down people smiling for at least another 13 years.
#5
GAA Discussion / Laochra Gael Charlie Redmond
February 26, 2007, 09:30:00 PM
Down fans who need a little cheering up after recent results will probably look forward to Laochra Gael Charlie Redmond on TG4 tomorrow night (9.30pm). According to the trailer, it concentrates heavily on Charlie's missed penalty in front of Hill16 in the 1994 AI final. As every Down supporter will confirm, it was never a penalty in the first place and Brian Burns was stitched up by a bad decision.
However, we need not have worried, as Neil Collins pulled off a brilliant save and DJ managed to block the rebound. Wee James jumped into Neil's arms, and the Down support on the Canal End danced in the rain - number five was in the bag.

In fairness to Charlie, he turned up to play in the Goal charity game in Newry a couple of nights later when a lot of players would have invented an excuse. He went to the Brass Monkey afterwards with a couple of other Dubs, had a few pints with the Down fans, took a fair amount of banter and kept smiling. Tyrone might not have been too happy about the circumstances in which he eventually won his All Ireland a year later, but no one in Down would have begrudged his medal. Charlie was a character and a half, and the Dubs don't seem to produce forwards like him any more.

#6
GAA Discussion / Laochra Gael Mickey Linden
January 28, 2007, 11:24:22 PM
I'm not doing PR for TG4, but this week's Laochra Gael (Tuesday, Jan 30,9.30pm) is on Mickey Linden. My only concern is that 30 minutes is hardly long enough for a career which began in Down's division four and reached a period as, beyond dispute, the best player in Ireland. Everyone has their favourite Mickey moment, but mine is the run and long-range point which turned the 1991 All Ireland semi final against Kerry. That was a landmark moment for Ulster football, after more than two decades of failure, and seven Sams came north in the next 16 years. I could probably name another 20 or 30 Linden scores of equal quality, and I hope that the programme comes somewhere close to doing him justice.
#7
GAA Discussion / All Ireland Gold Dublin v Armagh
January 26, 2007, 07:37:12 PM

As a bit of advance warning, the TG4 All Ireland Gold offering this coming Wednesday night(January 31, 11.35pm) is Dublin v Armagh. According to the Sky schedule, it is from 1997. I suspect they are 20 years out and I am absolutely certain that the best Ulster team on view that day was Down minors - Pat Donnan, Paddy O'Rourke, John McCartan, ET McGivern coming off the bench and all the rest. Unfortunately, the tv coverage will probably concentrate on all those goals hitting the Armagh net.