Late Late Show - GAA Special

[Maguire01]

If 100 of us were capable of producing a tv programme like this in honour of the GAA, we would come up with 100 different programmes/ formats etc.

Yes, but not one of those formats would include Brush Shiels or Eamonn Dunphy, i'd wager.

[T Fearon]

Ah feck it, why don't you all just write to Points of View or whatever it was, presented by Arthur Murphy?

PS I'll bet you all purchase the DVD of the show when it comes out

[Shamrock Shore]

You are having a laugh Tony 

It won't ever be out on dvd FFS.

[ziggysego]

Tony probably gets a lot of freebies from RTE. Can't think of any other reason he's defending the Late Late Show so much.

[Maguire01]

I see today's Off The Fence in the Irish News is full of this too.

[el_cuervo_fc]

'The Late, Late Show' can make its own way home...
Off The Fence
By Paddy Heaney
15/01/2009


The lovely men and women at BBC Northern Ireland will really enjoy today's Off the Fence.

In the absence of any competition from the pitiful UTV, the public broadcaster has often been derided in this forum for the quality of its GAA coverage.

But today, the BBC has received a temporary reprieve and it is the producers at RTE who now stand on the gallows.

To mark the 125th anniversary of the GAA, a special edition of 'The Late Late Show' was screened by RTE on Friday night. The ordinary people of Ireland were not impressed, well certainly not those living outside Dublin and Kerry.

For those of you who missed the programme, it's probably enough to say that the guest list included Eamon Dunphy, Brush Shiels and Bertie Ahern. Yes, those three doyens of An Cumann Lúthchleas Gael. But don't take my word for it. Here's what you thought of it all:

'Erne supporter domiciled in Armagh City' wrote: "On watching 'The Late Late Show' shambles last Friday evening, you would have thought the only two teams that played the great game were Dublin and Kerry.

"Over 60 per cent of the two hours was devoted to these counties. It was a total disaster. It was nearly as bad as 'Up for the Match' that was broadcast on the Saturday evening prior to the 2003 final between Tyrone and Armagh.

"For that programme, the first 25 minutes was given to the actual game and then RTE's Des Cahill proceeded with the life and times of the 'great' Mick O'Dwyer. What had O'Dwyer to do with the following day's game? Absolutely nothing! I rest my case."

- 'Noelle from St Enda's, Omagh' provided a more forensic, but just as critical, assessment of the programme. She wrote: "There was nothing 'special' about 'The Late Late Show' on Friday night. It was a big disappointment.

"As a keen GAA fan and a member of St Enda's 2008 All-Ireland Scór-winning ballad group, I was delighted when we were asked to perform on this show.

"Later, however, we were told that no Scór acts were required to perform on the show as RTE had booked 'The Saw Doctors'.

"The 'comedian' who appeared, and most of the guests, who had very few links to the GAA, only served to make the show even less interesting.

"We caught glimpses of real GAA legends in the audience (eg: Mick O'Dwyer, Michael O Muircheartaigh and Duxie Walsh) but they were ignored rather than being interviewed by GAA legend and number one fan himself, Pat Kenny!

"RTE doesn't seem to realise that the GAA is made up of more than just football and hurling (which got little enough mention). There was a passing reference to camogie, ladies' football, and Scór when they introduced Tommy Fleming, which was the highlight of the show for me.

"As far as I am aware, handball didn't get a mention at all despite the presence of world champion Paul Brady in the front row.

"The show seemed to be a celebration of Dublin and Kerry, with very little reference to all the other great football and hurling teams from the past 125 years.

"The feedback that I have heard from anyone I have spoken to has been overwhelmingly negative. This could have been a wonderful celebration of the GAA, but it was just a big disappointment."

- 'Jim from Keady' was equally unimpressed. He rang our hotline and said: "I wanted to crawl behind the sofa. I never watched worse in my life.

"I also want to ask the question: how many of the guests on the programme were paid-up members of the GAA? I would hazard a guess – probably none.

"As for your man, the impressionist, Oliver Callan, I think the crowd wanted to leave when he was on. What a sickener!

"I thought the whole thing was an absolute joke. I hope to God there is no more stuff like that on."

- 'Damian from Camlough' also added his voice to the chorus of dissent generated by 'The Late Late Show.' (Sure, it's never been the same since Gaybo quit).

He said: I would like to complain about the Kerry/Dublin love-in put on by RTE the other night. It was an absolute joke.

"Would the Dalkey-dwelling Pat Kenny know an O'Neill's ball if it hit him in the face?"

- Moving away from Donnybrook, we received an intriguing email from 'Reading Between the Lines.' Judging by the tone of his message, the choice of pseudonym is entirely appropriate.

'RBTL' wrote: "After Tyrone lost to Down by seven points on Sunday, Mickey Harte sounded gracious in defeat when he said that Down's 'superior fitness and teamwork showed in the end'.

"As a huge fan of Harte (below), I pay close scrutiny to everything he says and I think his comments deserve further examination.

"Prior to the closed season in November and December, Tyrone's last competitive game was September 22. On the other hand, Down's last Championship game was around the start of August (Saturday August 2, to be precise).

"One big question therefore begs to be asked: How can Down be fitter and more fluid than the reigning All-Ireland champions when they've been out of action for five months, a full two months more than Tyrone? Hmmmmm. I wonder."

Surely you are not suggesting? You couldn't possibly think?

- And finally, 'RP from Belfast' emailed to voice his disagreement with this week's Against the Breeze column.

The column argued that if it's kosher to pay full-time administrators then the same rules should apply to club and county managers.

'RP' wrote: "Thankfully, I am not a member of a club that pays a manger. If I was, I would not be happy to learn that a portion of membership fees and money collected from various

fundraising events throughout the year were helping to pay for the manager's mortgage or their new car.

"Would the money not be better spent on strips for the U12s, refurbishment of the club rooms, etc?

"The wee man who cuts the grass and lines on the pitch receives no financial reward, but, of course, he wouldn't ask for it. Those people's roles are often taken for granted.

"The GAA is not just about winning the Championship – the amateur ethos of the Association is much more important. Paying for a manager will never guarantee success anyway."

Harsh reality tells us that many clubs' members have no problem paying a manager.

The key question that has to be addressed is why is it considered a breach of the rules?

Why does the so-called amateur ethos not apply to the thousands of coaching officers and administrators who are on the GAA's pay roll?

[An Laoch]

Ah feck it, why don't you all just write to Points of View or whatever it was, presented by Arthur Murphy?

Mailbag, Pat

[Dougal Maguire]

I'm led to believe that the Late Late insisted that the GAA pay for the Artane Boys Band

[furboot]

What was that infamous Late Late line ....." It started with (or on) the Late Late Show ...."?
Well I think this time RTE have a real winner - tongue in cheek!!!

This GAA Late Late has the potential to make it the very top in cult status - just because it was so so bad and managed to attract so much negative reaction.  It could really confound us and go on to become a collectors item like the infamous 'Effin Eddie'.

On second thoughts, maybe that's not being fair and a dis-service to Eddie!
So, on third thought I think it should be elevated to be up there with RTE's other famous entertainment decision of in the last 12 months - sending Dustin to represent us on the Eurovision stage. What happened to Dustin since by the way?

Are the RTE heads of entertainment who make these decisions clued in or just arrogant enough to believe that they know what's best for the licence payers???

[Hardy]

Son Of Brush

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXU0R1oFmRo

[Shamrock Shore]

 

[drici]

drici a chara

Thank you for contacting us regarding The Late Late Show GAA Special.

The best way of being sorry is by making sure it does not happen again.

It will not happen again.

Best wishes,

The Late Late Show

[Billys Boots]

Good man drici, brightened my Friday. 

[An Laoch]

I see Setanta honoured their fondness for deferred GAA coverage as they covered this story also......today!

Jesus, what more needs to be said about it? Every fecking columnist in the country seems to be regurgitating the same gripes we all had with it as a quick fill for their articles this week.

Time to move on chaps.

[dodo]

Son Of Brush

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXU0R1oFmRo

Good man Tommo