Things I like about the GAA

[Farrandeelin]

Meeting up with the lads for a leisurely pint on a Sunday afternoon, strolling down Jones Road listening to the buskers, soaking up the atmosphere, exchanging greetings and pre-match analysis with people from home, "Will we do it d'ya think?", "Yep. Definitely. I've a good feeling about this one", the boundless optimism as you skip up the steps, the little tingle you get as you step out of the tunnel into the stand and that beautiful expanse of vivid green unfolds below you, finding your seat and exchanging nods with the various folk you know from the club, watching your lads charge out onto the field, "They look fit anyway", trying to decipher positional switches and late omissions, borrowing a programme from the opposition supporter beside you, cheerfully enquiring as to the well-being of their injured midfielder, wondering if they've any good young lads coming through, wishing him the best of luck today anyway, a hearty bellow at the throw-in, "Hon da Roy-al!", chuckling apologetically at the first soft free you get, "Where's this ref from anyway?", rolling your eyes when one of your lads is ticked for a late challenge, politely disagreeing with the opposition supporter when he suggests that should have been a yellow, rolling your eyes when one of your lads is booked for a late challenge, loudly disagreeing with the opposition supporter when he suggests that should have been a red, making it to half-time knowing we should be further ahead, "We need a good start to the second half", not getting a good start to the 2nd half, "That was never a f*ckin penalty!", hoping the lads keep the heads as we're still in this, red card, "Where the f*ck is this ref from anyway?", angrily asking the opposition supporter if he ever played the game after he says "That man should have gone in the first half", telling him his crowd have never won anything anyway after he reveals he played senior intercounty football, glowering at the lads when they tell you to calm down, sitting there with a big thick head watching the other crowd kick points from all angles to win pulling up with every ironic cheer like a pin inserted under your finger-nail, sensing the smug satisfaction oozing from every pore of the opposition supporter beside you, storming up the steps and out of the stadium at the final whistle, cursing under your breath the whole way up Jones Road, driving home in total silence, refusing to watch The Sunday Game.
Heaven.

Great post. Definitely memories of the Kildare loss this year reading that.

I'm always at that myself Jinxy, great post!

[andoireabu]

http://www.thelongislandgaels.com/index.php?p=custom4
some very good GAA related humour.  Some well known, some not so much.

[Denn Forever]

http://www.thelongislandgaels.com/index.php?p=custom4
some very good GAA related humour.  Some well known, some not so much.

I concur.  Check it out.

[Blowitupref]

http://www.thelongislandgaels.com/index.php?p=custom4
some very good GAA related humour.  Some well known, some not so much.

Micheal O Muircheartaigh Quotes are class.

[seafoid]

The month of May when the Championship is back on and  Sundays suddenly have a point again

[EagleLord]

I would have to say its the fact that no matter where in the world I have been, in London, Liverpool, New York, Berlin, wearing an o'neills polo shirt/jersey and people come up and talk to me and ask where Im from etc. I dont think you get that in any other sport. 2 strangers wearing man utd jersies walking past each other, would hardly stop and strike up a conversation.

[Mike Sheehy]

Meeting up with the lads for a leisurely pint on a Sunday afternoon, strolling down Jones Road listening to the buskers, soaking up the atmosphere, exchanging greetings and pre-match analysis with people from home, "Will we do it d'ya think?", "Yep. Definitely. I've a good feeling about this one", the boundless optimism as you skip up the steps, the little tingle you get as you step out of the tunnel into the stand and that beautiful expanse of vivid green unfolds below you, finding your seat and exchanging nods with the various folk you know from the club, watching your lads charge out onto the field, "They look fit anyway", trying to decipher positional switches and late omissions, borrowing a programme from the opposition supporter beside you, cheerfully enquiring as to the well-being of their injured midfielder, wondering if they've any good young lads coming through, wishing him the best of luck today anyway, a hearty bellow at the throw-in, "Hon da Roy-al!", chuckling apologetically at the first soft free you get, "Where's this ref from anyway?", rolling your eyes when one of your lads is ticked for a late challenge, politely disagreeing with the opposition supporter when he suggests that should have been a yellow, rolling your eyes when one of your lads is booked for a late challenge, loudly disagreeing with the opposition supporter when he suggests that should have been a red, making it to half-time knowing we should be further ahead, "We need a good start to the second half", not getting a good start to the 2nd half, "That was never a f*ckin penalty!", hoping the lads keep the heads as we're still in this, red card, "Where the f*ck is this ref from anyway?", angrily asking the opposition supporter if he ever played the game after he says "That man should have gone in the first half", telling him his crowd have never won anything anyway after he reveals he played senior intercounty football, glowering at the lads when they tell you to calm down, sitting there with a big thick head watching the other crowd kick points from all angles to win pulling up with every ironic cheer like a pin inserted under your finger-nail, sensing the smug satisfaction oozing from every pore of the opposition supporter beside you, storming up the steps and out of the stadium at the final whistle, cursing under your breath the whole way up Jones Road, driving home in total silence, refusing to watch The Sunday Game.
Heaven.

nice one. post of the year.

[seafoid]

The team and the local allegiance
One win can inspire a whole county

Soccer is different

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jul/25/harry-redknapp-portsmouth-finances-help

"It has great fans to the extent that, if you live in Portsmouth, you are a Portsmouth supporter."

[donegal_abu]

EVERYTHING

[donegal_abu]

The sense of community and belonging. You can go to anywhere in the world and if you see someone with a GAA top, it's like meeting someone you know.

Agree completely. Every year on holidays if you hang around the irish pubs plenty of people walk around in gaa tops and you speak like you know eachother from ages ago ! Gaa=family

[In the Onion Bag]

Meeting up with the lads for a leisurely pint on a Sunday afternoon, strolling down Jones Road listening to the buskers, soaking up the atmosphere, exchanging greetings and pre-match analysis with people from home, "Will we do it d'ya think?", "Yep. Definitely. I've a good feeling about this one", the boundless optimism as you skip up the steps, the little tingle you get as you step out of the tunnel into the stand and that beautiful expanse of vivid green unfolds below you, finding your seat and exchanging nods with the various folk you know from the club, watching your lads charge out onto the field, "They look fit anyway", trying to decipher positional switches and late omissions, borrowing a programme from the opposition supporter beside you, cheerfully enquiring as to the well-being of their injured midfielder, wondering if they've any good young lads coming through, wishing him the best of luck today anyway, a hearty bellow at the throw-in, "Hon da Roy-al!", chuckling apologetically at the first soft free you get, "Where's this ref from anyway?", rolling your eyes when one of your lads is ticked for a late challenge, politely disagreeing with the opposition supporter when he suggests that should have been a yellow, rolling your eyes when one of your lads is booked for a late challenge, loudly disagreeing with the opposition supporter when he suggests that should have been a red, making it to half-time knowing we should be further ahead, "We need a good start to the second half", not getting a good start to the 2nd half, "That was never a f*ckin penalty!", hoping the lads keep the heads as we're still in this, red card, "Where the f*ck is this ref from anyway?", angrily asking the opposition supporter if he ever played the game after he says "That man should have gone in the first half", telling him his crowd have never won anything anyway after he reveals he played senior intercounty football, glowering at the lads when they tell you to calm down, sitting there with a big thick head watching the other crowd kick points from all angles to win pulling up with every ironic cheer like a pin inserted under your finger-nail, sensing the smug satisfaction oozing from every pore of the opposition supporter beside you, storming up the steps and out of the stadium at the final whistle, cursing under your breath the whole way up Jones Road, driving home in total silence, refusing to watch The Sunday Game.
Heaven.

Bril Jinksy, says most of it for me.  Would only add that having all that playing the game offers the pride one feels in being able to give something back: be it coaching the yth; developing young lads/lassies; washing the kit; giving lifts to away matches; general helping out any way I can, and the knowledge that I am only one of many others doing likewise.  Jeysus, we should be the proudest people being part of the world's best amateur/community organisation.