All-Ireland Football Final

[Maggie]

I was asked a question about the All-Ireland Football Final, which is a great event
held at Croke Park (Páirc an Chrócaigh) in Dublin, on the third Sunday of September every year.
The All-Ireland Hurling Final is on the first Sunday of September, an even more passionate event,
and completely, madly Irish.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-Ireland_Senior_Football_Championship_2010

http://www.crokepark.ie/events

One day when I was a young girl, (long, long ago!) I arrived in Dublin in the early morning,
not realizing it was the day of the All-Ireland Football Final.
I soon found out!
The first clue was when I heard the clip-clop of hooves on O'Connell Street Bridge.....I looked around
and saw a little donkey pulling a cart, trotting North in the general direction of Croke Park.
The man driving the cart and his passenger wore Dublin colours, sky blue and navy blue,
with ribbons and balloons waving in the breeze from the sides of the cart.
The donkey must have been from Galway, he was wearing a hat with maroon and white ribbons.
He looked very determined and was obviously on a mission.
Croke Park belongs to the Gaelic Athletic Association, and usually only Irish Sports are played there.
Rugby was recently allowed there for the first time, because the Lansdowne Road rugby stadium was demolished
to make way for a new Stadium.
Croke Park is hallowed ground.....a tragic incident happened in 1920 which left 14 Irish civilians dead.
British Security forces opened fire in the stadium, killing Michael Hogan the Tipperary Captain, 2 boys aged 10 & 11,
a young woman, and 10 more. This was in reprisal for a deadly IRA attack on British Intelligence Officers.
Hill 16 at one end of the Stadium was built from the rubble of the Easter Rising.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croke_Park

Tickets for the Finals can only be bought from regional GAA Clubs, which is supposed to ensure that
only true fans can get to Croke Park.

 

[MaryNorth93]

Wow, that stadium looks pretty amazing with all the green lighting. I hate football, but stil.. impressive stadium 

[Maggie]

Wow, that stadium looks pretty amazing with all the green lighting. I hate football, but stil.. impressive stadium  

It was done up that way for the 125th Anniversary of the GAA, they had a U2 concert there.
The GAA was started by a group of guys at a meeting in the bar of Hayes Hotel, Thurles, Tipperary.

Any excuse for a party......

Here is a great video clip of the Anthems before the Ireland V England Rugby game.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX4ka-5j2vU&feature=related

the irony was not lost on the Irish......it was the first time the English had visited Croke Park since the 1920 massacre.
However, with typical Irish hospitality they showed respect during the British Anthem....
...but showed no mercy when the game started.

Ireland 43 - England 13

[zankoku]

Interesting Articles Maggie, especially the descrition of the Pitch.  I see that Cork made it to teh Semi- finals. Maybe next year all teh way. GO REBELS!

[Maggie]

Interesting Articles Maggie, especially the descrition of the Pitch.  I see that Cork made it to teh Semi- finals.
Maybe next year all teh way. GO REBELS!

That was hurling, Jim, and it was the Munster Semi-Final, not the All-Ireland.

Yes, they did well though.....Here's the notice on the Cork GAA website:  http://www.sportsmanager.ie/cake/gaa2/cork

SUNDAY JUNE 20th
MUNSTER GAA SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
SEMI-FINAL
 
CORK V LIMERICK

 @ Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork at 4.00pm

Réiteoir - James Owens (Loch Garman)

In Gaelic Football, their Team lost by just one point to Kerry:

"Defeat for Cork
Kerry 1-15 Cork 1-14 (aet)All-Ireland champions Kerry are into the Munster GAA Football Senior Championship final
after an absorbing 1-15 to 1-14 extra-time victory over Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday afternoon."

[kathleen]

Maggie
I can remember as if it was yesterday. Paul and I were in a Pub in Cork and the tv was on. We walked up to the bartender and asked for a Guinness. We just stared at the tv. We had no idea what the sport was on the screen. We asked a few patrons and they were happy to tell us it was Gaelic Football.  Seemed to me a combo of soccer, football and rugby all into one.  They boys were killing each other. Its a very rough sport. 

Sure enjoyed watching it and drinking my guinness!

hugs
Kathleen

[zankoku]

SUNDAY JUNE 20th
MUNSTER GAA SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
SEMI-FINAL
 
CORK V LIMERICK

 @ Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork at 4.00pm

Réiteoir - James Owens (Loch Garman)


GO REBELS! thanks Maggie, I was reading fast.     You will have to give me an update as I will be at work.

[Antiup]

With all luck,  I will be attending this game and if not at a pub close to the event will give a full report when I get back. If I come back.
let the games begin.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

[Maggie]

With all luck,   I will be attending this game and if not at a pub close to the event will give a full report when I get back. If I come back.
let the games begin.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

If there is any chance at all, I will try and make that happen, Kasey.
What you have to remember is there are thousands of fans in Ireland just waiting for these tickets to go on sale.
They try to be fair with distribution to the Regional Clubs, and the lion's share will go to the Finalists.
Teams from the 4 Provinces of Ireland play each other and half get eliminated, and so on until the quarter finals,
then the semi finals in August. Strange though it may seem, a team from London and a team from New York play in the Province of Connacht matches. They always get knocked out!

We will not know who is playing in the final until August.....by then it's at fever pitch.
I will do my best......but please don't bank on going, I don't want you to be disappointed.
Like most of Ireland, you can watch on TV......find a nice cosy pub in Wicklow,
get yourself a pint of Guinness, and join in the fun.
Or go up to Dublin and see where the term "Wild Irishmen" came from!

[lisaholic nr1]

Wow, that stadium looks pretty amazing with all the green lighting. I hate football, but stil.. impressive stadium 

wow, indeed!

[Antiup]

I totally understand Maggie and dig all the help on this one as well as many other things. 

I will be totally stoked about sitting in a pub and cheering and yelling for the bars choice. No doubt about that one. Just so much excitment in this trip.

Do not work to hard on this Maggie, no stress my friend.

Huge HUGS Back at ya!!!!!

[Maggie]

Maggie
I can remember as if it was yesterday. Paul and I were in a Pub in Cork and the tv was on. We walked up to the bartender and asked for a Guinness. We just stared at the tv. We had no idea what the sport was on the screen. We asked a few patrons and they were happy to tell us it was Gaelic Football.  Seemed to me a combo of soccer, football and rugby all into one.  They boys were killing each other. Its a very rough sport.
Sure enjoyed watching it and drinking my guinness!

I can imagine that! The locals would be glad you asked about it.
It's a very fast, exciting game.

http://www.gaa.ie/coaching-and-games-development/rules-and-specifications/playing-rules/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz9PQ6QQ8Wk