I don't understand the sport, but if you are excited about it Maggie - it must be important!!
So, Congrats to Cork and WOOOOO HOOOOO !!!!!
Zee
Gaelic Sports have been around longer than most ball games.
There are numerous legends about them, involving Celtic Warriors.
So it is tied in with the love of Country and Tradition.
It is exciting, non-stop action and what you Yanks call "full contact"....except they don't use any body armour or padding.
They don't communicate by microphone or during huddles and meetings on the side line.
They communicate by instinct.
They don't stop, because they don't need to. There are no "commercial breaks".
There is a short refreshment break at half time.
The greatest thing is....it's PURE SPORT. No big money in it, just a love and passion for the Sport.
There are no Superbowl rings, no images on cereal boxes.
The reward for the best players who put their heart and soul into it,
is being held in high esteem by their peers and supporters....and the satisfaction of knowing they did it
for the glory of their County and it's people.
The legendary players are talked about with reverence for many generations.
If you see little boys outside a school playing Hurling or Gaelic Football,
you will see the same passion in their faces as you see at Croke Park in the All-Ireland Final.
The top Players all have regular jobs.....their Gaelic Sport is their National Pride.
I watched the All-Ireland Hurling Final in an all-Irish pub here in Orlando.
99% of the people in there supported Tipperary.
(YAY!!! CHAMPIONS!!!)When the game was over, the Tipp supporters shook hands with the Kilkenny supporters and bought them drinks.
The Kilkenny supporters agreed......Tipp were the best team on the day.....but there's always next year!
Here's a quote from a famous Soccer Team Manager in England who was at the Gaelic Football Final::"I managed to get over,’’ he said. "It was a great day, a great experience.
The All-Ireland final will beat any World Cup final or European final, trust me."
The Ipswich Town boss said the GAA is all about playing for your own.
"It’s about local pride, that’s what GAA is – people representing their parishes and the streets where they grew up,’’ he said.
"Gaelic football in Ireland is different. They all come from their local parishes.
They don’t move clubs when they get fed up. They represent the people they’re brought up with.’’
Keane feels soccer could learn something from the Croke Park crowd.
He explained: "The supporters are brilliant, they mix well, there’s a good atmosphere and they take defeat well.
A great lesson for everybody.
"There were 80,000 people there and I think I met most of them!
"I’d recommend getting to an All-Ireland if you can, it’s brilliant."