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With all the hoo-haa Henry La Cheat going on was just wondering of any great examples of cheating or fair play in GAA matches.

One example of fair play that springs to mind was the famous 1998 hurling s/f match Clare v Offaly when the ref blew up early and Clare won. Then generously Clare offered a replay and duly lost and Offaly went on to win the All Ireland - that 'fair play' cost Clare a place in the final and maybe a third All Ireland.

As for cheating a recent one was in 2008, I think, when Kerry's Aidan O'Mahony did his fake dive that fooled the referee and got Cork's Donnacha O'Connor sent off.

Any more ?

In yesterdays Sunday Indo Eamon Sweeney had an interesting piece http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/novelty-gets-shown-the-door-1903772.html comparing how the last 9 years of football would have ended if there was no back door. His conclusions were as follows :

2001 - Final would have been Meath v Roscommon with a Meath win instead of a Galway win over Meath
2002  - Armagh win over Galway instead of Armagh win over Kerry
2003 - Tyrone win against Laois in final instead of a win against Armagh
2004 - no change - Kerry beat Mayo
2005 - Armagh would have met and beat Kerry instead of Tyrone beating Kerry
2006 - Mayo would have met Cork and won instead of losing to Kerry
2007 - Kerry would have met and beat Tyrone instead of their win over Cork
2008 - Dublin would have won final against Cork as opposed to Tyrone's win over Kerry
2009 - Dublin v Cork again with a Cork win this time instead of Kerry win over Cork

so instead of the 9 titles going to 4 counties - Kerry (4), Tyrone (3), Armagh and Galway - the result could have been 7 counties winning a title - Kerry (2), Armagh (2), Tyrone, Cork, Dublin, Mayo and Meath. And on top of that Roscommon and Laois could have made it to a final.
I know it's all hyopthetical but themain point is to question if the back door is good for the game or not. Certainly the weaker counties benefit by getting the extra games and an extended run. But it also looks like it is also working to the benefit of the stronger counties who can afford to lose and get that second chance.  The big losers seem to be the likes of Dublin, Mayo, Cork and Laois and a few others who have brought great excitement and effort to the game in the same period but have nothing to show for it.
The game is better when the spoils are more evenly divided.
This post is not to generate debate on who exactly might have won in each year but to question whether the current Kerry / Tyrone dominance is being faciliated by the back door system to the detriment of others. The main case against the back door being dropped is that it will penalise the weaker counties but is that a fair argument if the only real winners are 2 counties. Nothing against either Kerry or Tyrone as they are both great teams but ....
Paudie O'Se thinks the back door is working fine http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/back-door-gets-my-vote-to-deliver-the-right-results-1903775.htmlbut he would as Kerry have bagged All Irelands in 2006 and 2009 that they otherwise wouldn't and Tyrone would't have even been in the finals of 2005 and 2008.

As a neutral it was easy to enjoy watching Kilkenny at their finest yesterday - there was only one team on the pitch and it was fantastic too see a display of hurling that most of us will never see the likes of again. It was a much different match to what we all expected but no matter who the opposition were yesterday there was only going to be one result. Kilkenny didn't need any opposition to put them under pressure - they manage do it to themselves.
Based on what I saw I have no citicism of DF or the Waterford team but I do have a gripe with the droves of Waterford fans who exited Croke Park before the end. Surely your team deserves better than that - no team deserves to see their supporters walking out, bad enough to be at the end of a beating without your own turning their backs. Looking around the stadium in the last 5-10 minutes was sad to see so many emty seats.
The 'real' fans did stay and i'm sure were just as disgusted with the walk-out of so many 'fair-weather' supporters. The same fans are likely to be throwing negative comments on their team around like confetti today. And with tickets are so hard to get the least that should be expected from those lucky enough to get one is to stay for the full match - there are many others would love to have been there yesterday.A s I say I was neutral and could appreciate but can understand that the emotions of Waterford supporters might be very different but that is no excuse to walk.
It's not the first time this has happened at big matches (and not referring to Waterford only) but is an awful practice!!

would like to buy my father in law (Galway) a gaa pressie for xmas but he's old fashioned and not into wearing the jersey or scarf.
Any ideas for good gaa merchandise other than the jersey / cap / scarf type stuff ?  the more unusual the better --- even funny stuff ??

Having revecently seen the Royal battle dvd and all the press coverage of that Meath V Dublin 1991 series of matches led me to thinking of what other great rivals have fought out great matches.
One I can remember is Cork v Tipp in 1984 Munster Final when Cork managed to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat.Tipperary led by 4 points with 6 minutes to go before Cork rallied with Seanie O'Leary scoring a sensational goal and Cork won by a point.
And the same rivals served up another classic in 1991 - som say that was an even better game.
And then more recently football rivals Tyrone v Armagh in 2005 -  no room for the faint hearted.
Who can add to the rivals list? Kilkenny Wexford, Galway Mayo, Cork Kerry