The first match you saw in Croke Park

[muppet]

What age were you?  11

Who was playing, what year  ?  Abbey Grammar in a Hogan Cup match v St Mels Longford

Who did you go with ? My mum

Do you remember anything about it ?  My brother was playing and I was due to go to the school the following year so it had to be 1987

Was that 1987? We lost to Mel's by a point in the final in '87, but that was played in Roscommon. Ye feckers didn't get a semi in Corker did ye? Was Tom Fagan playing for the Abbey at that stage?

15
1985
A few mates
I remember sitting on the top of the Canal End wall and thinking that the wall was very narrow, and sloped the wrong way, and that I would die instantly if I fell.


Looking back I remember someone describing Willie Joe as the last great folk hero of the Gaa. I had no idea what he was talking about but I have a better idea now. More innocent times.

[thejuice]

What age were you?
3 or 4

Who was playing, what year  ?
Meath vs Dublin, might have been a league game. Might have been 1985-1986. Fairly vague memories, upper Cusack possibly. Seemed really high up to little me.

Who did you go with ?
Me Dad and Brother. Lifted over the turnstyles.

Do you remember anything about it ?
The smell of pipe smoke, crepe paper caps held together with staples and the field turning to a mud bath. By the end it was hard to tell some of the players apart such was the muddiness.

[Plain of the Herbs]

What age were you? 8 (about to turn 9)
Who was playing, what year  ? Offaly v Kerry, 1980 All Ireland Semi Final (the 4-15 to 4-10 one
Who did you go with ? My father.
Do you remember anything about it ?  Hardly anything about the match. Remember parking in the Phoenix Park, then discovering we forgot the milk for the tea, spotting a family from town and Dad borrowing "a sup of milk for the young fella".
Dad buying me a crepe paper hat around Mountjoy Square.
Thinking the pitch was fierce small (I'd expected the pitch to be at least twice the size of the pitches I'd been to at home).
Dad preparing me for the worst pre-match "shure you won't be disappointed if they're beaten by the mighty Kerry today" and being devastated when Offaly lost.
A Kerryman near us in the Lower Hogan shouting "Aboy Jacko" and me thinking it was funny.
Thinking it was odd that everybody applauded the Kerry player as he was stretchered off the pitch.
Going for a walk up to the Upper Hogan after the match (during the Minor hurling replay that took place after Offaly v Kerry).
Traffic crawling on the way home.
Being fascinated with the match programme.  It was the first of hundreds.

[seafoid]

What age were you?  11

Who was playing, what year  ?  Abbey Grammar in a Hogan Cup match v St Mels Longford

Who did you go with ? My mum

Do you remember anything about it ?  My brother was playing and I was due to go to the school the following year so it had to be 1987

Was that 1987? We lost to Mel's by a point in the final in '87, but that was played in Roscommon. Ye feckers didn't get a semi in Corker did ye? Was Tom Fagan playing for the Abbey at that stage?

15
1985
A few mates
I remember sitting on the top of the Canal End wall and thinking that the wall was very narrow, and sloped the wrong way, and that I would die instantly if I fell.


Looking back I remember someone describing Willie Joe as the last great folk hero of the Gaa. I had no idea what he was talking about but I have a better idea now. More innocent times.

I'd say Dan Shanahan or Mullane would be  modern day folk heroes. The Tyronies probably have a few as well. Francie Bellew would be another.

[muppet]

What age were you?  11

Who was playing, what year  ?  Abbey Grammar in a Hogan Cup match v St Mels Longford

Who did you go with ? My mum

Do you remember anything about it ?  My brother was playing and I was due to go to the school the following year so it had to be 1987

Was that 1987? We lost to Mel's by a point in the final in '87, but that was played in Roscommon. Ye feckers didn't get a semi in Corker did ye? Was Tom Fagan playing for the Abbey at that stage?

15
1985
A few mates
I remember sitting on the top of the Canal End wall and thinking that the wall was very narrow, and sloped the wrong way, and that I would die instantly if I fell.


Looking back I remember someone describing Willie Joe as the last great folk hero of the Gaa. I had no idea what he was talking about but I have a better idea now. More innocent times.

I'd say Dan Shanahan or Mullane would be  modern day folk heroes. The Tyronies probably have a few as well. Francie Bellew would be another.

Dunno, Dan the Man and Mullane got a lot of abuse from their own at times. Ciarán McD quit for a while because of the stick.

Willie Joe, after a few early career falters, seemed to be immune from that from his fans. The worship was untainted.

[AZOffaly]

Dan the man got abuse from Waterford lads alright, but I don't think Mullane got much of that. He cared so much, and obviously so, that I think Waterford lads would have forgiven him anything.

[naka]

What age were you?  11

Who was playing, what year  ?  Abbey Grammar in a Hogan Cup match v St Mels Longford

Who did you go with ? My mum

Do you remember anything about it ?  My brother was playing and I was due to go to the school the following year so it had to be 1987

I played that day
It wAs  in navan Easter Sunday
Broken crossbar where did your brother play
We were getting beaten by two points and big tony mc Mahon pulled down in the square
Ref give a 14 yard free
We lost by a point

[deiseach]

Dunno, Dan the Man and Mullane got a lot of abuse from their own at times. Ciarán McD quit for a while because of the stick.

Dan was quoted after the Clare game in 2008 saying that "he will now ask his child to stay away from his games in the future". Yet two matches later against Wexford:



Anyone who gives a player stick needs some stick themselves. But Dan is not the most reliable of witnesses.

[Ball Hopper]

What age were you? 11
Who was playing, what year  ? 1972 Kerry/Offaly All-Ireland Final Replay
Who did you go with ?  Dad
Do you remember anything about it ?  SOmeone had a transistor radio near us and we sang along with whatever songs were on before teh game.  Not much about the game...but teams wore the wrong colours.  Offaly in green, Kerry in blue.  Thought Willie Bryan was magnificent - and he must have been to outplay Mick O'Connell.

Best day in Croke Park was 1980 semifinal Kerry 4-15 Offaly 4-10.

Worst day was same opposition 2 years later...

[deiseach]

What age were you? 11
Who was playing, what year  ? 1972 Kerry/Offaly All-Ireland Final Replay
Who did you go with ?  Dad
Do you remember anything about it ?  SOmeone had a transistor radio near us and we sang along with whatever songs were on before teh game.  Not much about the game...but teams wore the wrong colours.  Offaly in green, Kerry in blue.  Thought Willie Bryan was magnificent - and he must have been to outplay Mick O'Connell.

Best day in Croke Park was 1980 semifinal Kerry 4-15 Offaly 4-10.

Worst day was same opposition 2 years later...

A good friend of mine is the son of a Kerry fanatic. He was just too young to go the 1986 All-Ireland final. "Never mind," he was told, "we'll take you next year". Oops.

[seafoid]

What age were you?  11

Who was playing, what year  ?  Abbey Grammar in a Hogan Cup match v St Mels Longford

Who did you go with ? My mum

Do you remember anything about it ?  My brother was playing and I was due to go to the school the following year so it had to be 1987

Was that 1987? We lost to Mel's by a point in the final in '87, but that was played in Roscommon. Ye feckers didn't get a semi in Corker did ye? Was Tom Fagan playing for the Abbey at that stage?

15
1985
A few mates
I remember sitting on the top of the Canal End wall and thinking that the wall was very narrow, and sloped the wrong way, and that I would die instantly if I fell.


Looking back I remember someone describing Willie Joe as the last great folk hero of the Gaa. I had no idea what he was talking about but I have a better idea now. More innocent times.

I'd say Dan Shanahan or Mullane would be  modern day folk heroes. The Tyronies probably have a few as well. Francie Bellew would be another.

Dunno, Dan the Man and Mullane got a lot of abuse from their own at times. Ciarán McD quit for a while because of the stick.

Willie Joe, after a few early career falters, seemed to be immune from that from his fans. The worship was untainted.

(Brendan) "Lynshkey"
He wasn't the most elegant of hurlers but he was a legend and the fans will never ,ever, forget him
Tipp lads would remember him as well. They were so sure in 87


"I'm trying to say this without blowing a head gasket," he sighs. "But there's a problem here in Galway..."
You ask Lynskey is he pessimistic? "Very," he says bluntly.
Having served as a selector during Loughnane's first season as Galway manager, the teak-tough former All Star centre-forward believes the county inculcates too many bad habits in its young players.
"Galway win an All-Ireland minor and, all of a sudden, these lads' heads become as big as buckets," says Lynskey. "They're on Galway Bay FM, they're down in Supermacs, they're opening up this, opening up that, signing jerseys. There's too much made of them.
"We're making superstars out of middling hurlers in Galway, blowing up bad hurlers as good.
"And they end up putting on the jersey as if they're entitled to it. They're not entitled to it.


We need someone like him again

I'd SAY Ciaran Carey would have qualified as well.

[Champion The Wonder Horse]

What age were you? 15
Who was playing, what year  ? Hogan Cup final, St Pat's vs St Jarlath's
Who did you go with ? A bus load of fellow pupils from Glenullin and Swatragh
Do you remember anything about it ? Mark Butler's winning point. The final score 0-10 to 2-3. 50p in for 'schoolboys'

[laoislad]

What age were you? 6
Who was playing, what year  ? 1985 Leinster Final Laois v Offaly
Who did you go with ? The Da,Ma and brother
Do you remember anything about it? Laois lost(badly) and my Uncle was the Laois goalkeeper.

I was probably in Croke Park way before that but that's my first memory.

[Clarin Pearl]

What age were you?  5

Who was playing, what year ? Donegal V Galway AllIreland Semi 1983

Who did you go with ? Dad & Uncles

Do you remember anything about it ? Val Daly. The instant noise... the atmosphere.

My WDL ratio in Croke park(football and hurling championship games only) is Won 11 drew 3 Lost 10. Not a bad record on paper for a Galway fan. Its masks the carnage of Thurles and other graveyards of hope.

[Fuzzman]

What age were you?  15
Who was playing, what year  ? National League Final 1992 Derry v Tyrone
Who did you go with ? Father
Do you remember anything about it ? Anthony Tohill taking one of his soon to be trademark 65s and it dropping into Plunket Donaghy's hands on the goal line when he decided to drop it on into the net to give derry a goal and ultimately victory! A Good Day!

SNAP TBRICK18
I really wanted to go to the AI semi and final in 1986 but I was only 13 and my older brother went with his mates. Didn't make it on 1989 either so 2002 was my first time.
I went to the league final with 2 other club mates and one of their Derry cousins and his GF and the craic was great having a Derry man to pick on the whole game
Sadly my enthusiasm was curbed as a price came up and sat next to me and so my usual colourful chit chat was majorly subdued.

I remember being worried about how our MF would do against Tohill and McGilligan but Ciaran Corr played an absolute brilliant game and made loads of clean catches. I was in total awe.
The other clear memory I have was when we left the match totally dejected I heard Joe Brolly who played at 13 being interviewed and him saying
"We were out played in midfield, outplayed in the forwards and outplayed in defence and we still won"

I learned that day that being a Tyrone fan was always gonna be troublesome and have lots of ups and downs. I didn't think though that Donegal would go on to win the AI that year or that Derry would win it the year after, or that we would have to wait 11 years for our first big day.

http://inpho.ie/assignment/National-Football-League-Final-1992/s_ozJ6zCxIrxqWld6_W1Sw..a