On Sunday 3 May, along with my friend Liam, I attended the Leinster GAA Senior Football Championship Semi-Final between Westmeath and Kildare that took place in O’Connor Park Tullamore, the resplendent grounds that are home to Offaly GAA. There was an electric atmosphere at the match, and we were well positioned at the top of the stand to take in the colour and sense of occasion, and along with the Westmeath supporters who were in the majority of the 12,086 attendance, to marvel at the team’s outstanding victory over the Lilywhites by 2-21 to 0-23 after extra-time.
It was a fantastic occasion to witness the celebrations that took place on the pitch amongst players and supporters as the final hooter sounded and the Lake County celebrated this famous win. Despite being underdogs Westmeath showed true grit and determation with a dominant and high-scoring attacking performance and some very disciplined defending. It was an unforgettable experience for the thousands of maroon and white supporters present, and the team and supporters are now looking forward to their sixth Leinster final in Croke Park on 17 May against Dublin.
Playing in Croke Park is every young Gaelic games player’s dream growing up, and that dream was realised earlier this year for the hugely successful Mullingar school Coláiste Mhuire who won the Hogan Cup (All-Ireland Post-Primary Schools Senior Football Championship) at GAA headquarters on Saint Patrick’s Day [a game I was also privileged to attend] and now many young players on the Westmeath Senior team will have the opportunity to line out at the famous stadium, and grace the hallowed turf and follow their dreams.
The new rules for Gaelic football have brought great excitement, passion and skill back into the game. Every time I attend a championship game I am reminded of many memorable outings I had with my Dad to Gaelic games over the years. As a child my Dad would faithfully bring me to all the Roscommon games in the early 1990’s which was a particularly successful period for the Rossies. Myself and my Dad were immersed in the Castlerea Saint Kevins club at the time, as our family swapped the busyness of city life for the quiet market town of Castlerea in the late 1980’s.
I joined the club when I first developed a love for Gaelic games at St. Paul’s National School, where we had junior and senior Gaelic football leagues every year on the grass pitch at the back of the school. I can recall during sixth class in we received coaching from the Coaching Development Officer, undoubtedly the GAA were very advanced in the sphere of Coaching and Games Development work, when compared to other sports at this time. Two particular memories stand out from my time playing Gaelic football – taking part in the Roscommon Cumann na Bunscoil finals and playing for my club in the Under 12 County Championship final at Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon in 1994.
It was Roscommon’s home ground where I attended many club and county games with my Dad, so as a young twelve year old it was ‘hallowed turf’. I played in the left-half back position, occupying the number seven jersey, and as we played on a smaller size pitch the atmosphere was hugely exciting as team management and supporters were closer to the game. Although we were comprehensively beaten in the county by a much better team, collecting a county final runners-up medal meant a lot to me at the time. Playing Gaelic games regularly for two years and travelling to GAA grounds across the wide hinterland of County Roscommon to play league and championship games is definitely among my most cherished childhood memories.
When we moved to Mullingar in 1995 I had largely given up Gaelic games and soccer to concentrate on athletics. In the back of my mind, in the history of the GAA, I was aware that when the organisation was founded on 1 November 1884, it was established for the preservation and cultivation of Ireland’s national pastimes including gaelic football, hurling, handball, rounders and athletics. Hence the name ‘Gaelic Athletic Association’. Many stars of hurling and football became decorated athletes, from the time of Dr Pat O’Callaghan, Ireland’s most successful Olympian, who won gold in the hammer at the 1928 and 1932 Games; to the modern era and Ciara Mageean, who won gold, silver and bronze 1500m medals at three different European championships.
Although athletics became the mainstay of the life over the past thirty years I remain an avid GAA fan. Myself and my Dad have made many trips to Croke Park and other venues to support Westmeath and Roscommon footballers over that time [and I have accompanied him on some occasions to support his home county of Cork]. There is something special about Gaelic games, they are that integral part of Irish culture and Irish society. The GAA is at the heart of communities throughout the island of Ireland, and it provides opportunities for people of all ages to engage in sport and physical activity. Most of all it provides a great sense of community and the community is where we all belong.
