PSNI Team to take part in Antrim Inter-Firms League

[BallyhaiseMan]

Police Service to make history
20 May 2007


The Police Service of Northern Ireland will make history next week when their team of Gaelic footballers takes part in an official GAA competition for the first time.

The PSNI side will take part in the Antrim Inter-Firms League on Thursday next.

"This was first muted when Sean Kelly was GAA president and it has taken quite a bit of time to put the arrangements in place," said Superintendent Gerry Murray.

"There is no doubt that the new political dispensation has made this more possible than would have been the case.

"The GAA and the Ulster Council have been very supportive.

"A number of the PSNI players are also lining out with their clubs and we have played a number of challenge games.

"But the opposition sides understandably wanted to keep things discreet."

whats the opinions of those from the North on this?

[Gnevin]

link please

[BallyhaiseMan]

http://www.hoganstand.com/Antrim/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=77553

[Square Ball]

There was a thread on the non GAA board about the PSNI playing St Brides, some comments there, wonder will there be any softening of attitudes with the political love in at the minute.

[orangeman]

not worthy of comment !!!!!!!! Forget it -

[Orior]

Probably not a problem for senior officers, but I reckon the career prospects of any constables playing could be in jeopardy.

[Broken_Cross]

http://ulsterinterfirms.gaa.ie/

[Gnevin]

http://ulsterinterfirms.gaa.ie/

Broken_Cross: Necromancer

[ONeill]

Yes I accompanied a man of the cloth along the sidelines.

Some legends in thon photo, including the father and son offering on the left. The oul fella there, as you probably know, was an Antrim legend and won an All-Ireland Handball title a couple of years ago at the age of 50-odd. His son in the background played in a recent All-Ireland hurling club semi-final. He seems to be a bit soured that daddy is being friends with someone else. McSorley I think you call them....

That side had some great names on it - Tohill, Armstrong, MacManus, Breen. How on earth could a country bumpkin like myself, wheezing from the smog in Birmingham, make it onto thon side?

[ONeill]

I know that some stories gather extra moss as they roll down the years but I heard that the da and him (pictured above) used to tell the 'waterboy' to store a collection of Marathons, Mars Bars, Revels, Puff Candys etc and at regular intervals one or the other would go down with a sprain, strain or cramp. The waterboy'd run on and hand over one of the goodies which would be chomped down in seconds.

[orangeman]

Hardstation - great picture - any more ?

[Deal_Me_In]

Ulster Inter-Firms Junior semifinal between Belfast City Council and Donegal County Council takes place tomorrow, with the winners playing Citygroup next week. Is there an All-Ireland series for the junior or just the senior Inter-Firms?

[saffron sam2]

Did you play any part in this ONeill?

I asked one of the triumverate in the photo about the story behind it.  He tells me that Chris 'Smickers' Smyth had been a playing member of the St. Gall's championship winning squad that season, but had not been given a medal by his club.  This despite the fact that medals were being fired out right, left and centre.  CJ McGourty, for instance, won his first championship medal that year at the age of 13 and his father won his last at the age of 52.  Not sure if Ma McGourty got one or not, milltown row will be able to tell us. What is true is that the La Salle team organised a special presentation on the day of the Inter-firms to ensure that Smickers got a medal for the Inter-firms.  He also got the black eye off some gulpin from Newry Building Supplies.

What is also true is that the player of the tournament was the man presenting the medal in this photo, former Rossa and Antrim great Gerard 'Yash' Armstrong.

[ONeill]

Great timing and accuracy from Joe there.