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GAA fans living in the UK can watch live Football and Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship action in commercial premises from this weekend thanks to an agreement between the GAA and Setanta Sports.

The agreement means that the big matches from these crucial stages of the All-Ireland Championship season will be available in up to 45,000 commercial premises across the UK.

On Sunday August 2nd Gaelic Games fans in the UK can watch live coverage of the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Quarter Finals between Cork and Donegal and also Tyrone v Kildare, while on Monday August 3rd there will be live action from the Quarter Final clash between Dublin and Kerry at Croke Park.

This weekend’s live broadcasts will be available on Sky Channel 167 in commercial premises in the UK. From August 9th the live games will move to a permanent slot on Sky Channel 437. These games will be available only in commercial premises.

GAA President Christy Cooney said: “I warmly welcome this initiative which is the culmination of behind the scenes work undertaken by the Association as soon as the problem arose.

“Our overseas units and their continued passion for our games form a vital strand of the GAA given the large and vibrant Irish communities that are dotted across Britain.

“I look forward to the return of a service that will allow so many of our members and supporters being able to follow top level action on what is a massive weekend of championship football with three of our four quarter-finals scheduled to take place in a 48 hour period.”

The Tipperary team to face Mayo in the All-Ireland Minor football quarter- final at Tullamore next Monday shows three changes from the team that lost to Kerry in the Munster final at Pairc Ui Caoimh on July 5 last.

Aldo Matassa takes over at midfield in place of Jack Lonergan. Johnny McMahon is promoted to full forward as is newcomer Shane Fagan to left corner forward, leaving Michael Ivors and Liam Treacy on the bench.

There are some positional changes also with Billy Hewitt and Ross McGrath moving out to the half forward line while Roger Peters goes from left wing forward to top of the right.

The team is as follows.

1 Aaron Wall Cahir
2 Paddy Dalton Arravale Rovers
3 Jonathan Ryan Ardfinnan
4 Graham Quinn Clonmel Og
5 Luke Murphy Ballylooby/Castlegrace
6 Gerard Mulhair Arravale Rovers Captain
7 Darragh Dwyer Moyle Rovers
8 Aldo Matassa Clonmel Commercials
9 Eddie Kendrick Cahir
10 Thomas Hill) Moyle Rovers
11 Billy Hewitt Ardfinnan
12 Ross McGrath Newport
13 Roger Peters Cahir
14 Johnny McMahon Inane Rovers
15 Shane Fagan Ardfinnan

Cork v Tipperary, Páirc Uí Rinn, Saturday 3.30pm
Tipperary’s championship season hinges on this away outing to the All Ireland champions. The Premier County have yet to give their best performance this year, and with Claire Grogan (just back from holidays) and Eimear McDonnell (finger injury) listed among the subs, it will take a mighty effort if they are to upset the home side.
Cork have given two-goal hero against Kilkenny, Emer O’Farrell, a start at full forward. A win for the Rebels would guarantee them a place in the All Ireland semi-final.
Verdict: Cork.

Dublin v Kilkenny, Ballyboden St Endas, Saturday 1.30pm
Dublin picked up a few injuries in their last game so are short a few regulars for this crucial tie. The two teams need the win – but for different reasons. If the Cats triumph they will be in a strong position for a penultimate spot, however, should the Blues prevail and depending on the Cork/Tipp outcome, the second placed team in Group One could be decided by a play-off.
Kilkenny are the more settled, and with the All Ireland semi-finals in Nowlan Park in two weeks, they will go all out to qualify.
Verdict: Kilkenny.

Clare v Wexford, Bodyke, Saturday, 3.30pm
Wexford, following their loss to Galway, have named a full strength side for their final Group Two game against Clare. The best they can hope for is to finish in second position and barring an upset they should achieve this and come away with the points.
Clare collected their first win in the senior championship over Limerick a couple of weeks ago, and consequently they will have nothing to lose against the 2007 All Ireland champions. Siobhán Lafferty is back in the number three jersey following injury. Still, they will have it all to do.
Verdict: Wexford

Galway v Limerick, Kenny Park, Athenry, Saturday, 2.30pm
Galway will go top of Group Two if they defeat Limerick in this tie. Although Liam Donoghue has rested some of his players, this is still a very strong Maroon and White 15. Most noticeable is the inclusion of 2008 top scorer Jessica Gill for her first championship outing this summer.
Limerick, on the other hand, while battling extremely hard, are finding the going tough. Yet, the experience is standing to the younger players like Sarah Carey, Judith Mulcahy, Sarah Collins and Kerrie Brosnan.
Verdict: Galway

Cork: A Murray; J O’Callaghan, R Buckley, C Foley; J Duffy, M O’Connor, S Hayes; B Corkery, O Cotter; E Dillon, G O’Connor, U O’Donoghue; S Burns, E O’Farrell, R Moloney.

Tipperary: P Ryan; M Ryan, S Kelly, T Shortt; P Bulfin, T O’Halloran, U O’Dwyer; L Bourke, J Horan; G Kinnane (Capt), M Luttrell, C Devane; J Ryan, E Hayden, M Shortt.

Dublin: J Hoary; A Fitzpatrick, T Corrigan, A Cushen; E O’Meara, L O’Hara (Capt), C Power; C Lucey, A Maguire, R Costello, A Murphy, A Griffin; E Lucey, S Ryan, N Taylor.

Kilkenny: C Ryan; L Fennelly, C Doherty, J Frisby; E Aylward, A Butler, L Lyng; C Dormer, A Dalton (Capt); E Keane, A M Phelan, K Power; M Quilty, T Muldowney, A Neary.

Clare: D Lynch; D Corcoran, S Lafferty, K Lynch; S Sherlock, D Murphy (Capt), C Morey; A Ryan, R Kaiser; S O’Loughlin, F Lafferty, N Corry; C Roseingrave, C Commane, S Enright.

Wexford: M D’Arcy; B Holohan, D Codd, C O’Connor; Á Codd, M Leacy, A O’Connor (Capt); C Murphy, M O’Leary; U Leacy, J Dwyer, K Kelly; U Jacob, R M Breen, M Hearne.

Galway: S Earner; R Glynn, A Kelly, S Tannion; C Glynn, S Cahalan (Capt), N Kilkenny, A M Hayes, S Noone; B Hanney, T Maher, J Gill; O Kilkenny, M Dunne, A Connolly.

Limerick: S Moynihan; S Carey, S Collins, J Garvey; A McNamara, A Sheehan, J Mulcahy; D Fitzpatrick (Capt), C Davis; E O’Brien, N Mulcahy, F Hickey; N Carroll, J Clifford, K Brosnan.

Conor. . . Micheal. . . The way you make me feel. . .

Most commentators assumed this to be a tribute to the deceased American pop star Michael Jackson and put the error in spelling down to Mortimer’s youthful enthusiasm or at worst a case of mild dyslexia. Either that or some oul fella called Micheal Jackson, who lived a few fields away from Mort at home in Mayo has just died.

Reporters ruminated on whether Mortimer has ever visited Jackson or indeed shared his bedroom with him. Certainly as a member of the Mayo senior football team he has intimate knowledge of Neverland as he and his colleagues continue their quest to end their barren streak and bring Sam to the Wesht. Mortimer also had the message MJ Mort marked on his boots for the game in another touching tribute.

When asked is the Mayo forward would face GAA sanction for his unprecedented display of affection towards Wacko Jacko, GAA media Chief Alan Milton rather inscrutably replied “The GAA is an apolitical organisation,” said Milton. “It isn’t a Michael Jackson organisation.” Whatever that was suppoed to mean! The new Eric Cantona perhaps?

This is believed to be a reference to the GAA regulations which prohibit unauthorized political or commercial displays.

Whatever. If Mayo manage to make it to the All Ireland final this September don’t be surprised to see Bubbles the Chimp, the Jackson Five, Uri Geller and Liz Taylor turn out to support the men from Mayo.

Antrim's John McSparran - a key man in the hurling intrigue. What else has he got in that boot?

You won’t need us to remind you that with Carlow winning the Christy Ring Cup and gaining promotion to the Liam McCarthy automatically, Antrim and Wexfrod subsequently qualified for a relegation final that neither wanted to play in. Nor for that matter did Clare and Offaly. Remember, all of these counties have played in the All Ireland Final in the last twenty years with Offaly, Wexford and Clare actually winning the damn thing.

Towards the end of 2008 we were invited to a meeting at a secret venue near Croke Park with a number of senior members of the Powers that Be. Our brief was simple. To raise the profile of hurling in such a way that people will sit up and take notice. Everything was on the table we were told, use the GPA, the DRA, the UDA, the VIAGRA, whatever you can do to get more people interested in hurling. Data produced and hastily whipped away again showed us Directer of Hurling Development Paudie Butler’s mileage claims. The man’s doing twice the distance he used to. That tells you something.

Do whaterver you can to get hurling noticed. And fast. Whhatever it takes. Get it out there, make peoplpe sit up and take notice. Sometimes you gotta slaughter a few sacred cows they said. Back at the office, set set about our task with a relish that would make the Goodman tribunal look like a bowl of catfood.

The campaign was simple. First, Gerald McCarthy had to go. Nothing like a high profile casualty and a bit of controversy to whet the appetite in the winter when there’s no matches. We knew the Cork boys would be keen to promote hurling so they readily agreed to agitate for a new manager. Frank Murphy reluctantly bought in at first but when Gerald and the so-called rebels were assured of a holiday in La Manga things began to happen and wheels turned quickly.

Next up we met John McSparran. How would Antrim like to play in Leinster? We would say it was for three years we told him, but once in there we would make sure they weren’t kicked out. No problem said John and he proceeded to say all the right things in public. Antrim in Croker, sure that’s a big carrot for any man from the Glens.

Other carrots were needed. We dangled automatic promotion in front of Carlow, Westmeath, Down and a few others in the Christy Ring. We all want up they said. So, we sent a motion to congress, nominally from Westmeath but our fingerprints were all over it like flies round shite. Another hurdle overcome.

Galway had been early supporters of the plan but on one condition we said. Loughnane had to go. We needed him in the studio with Donal O’Grady and the boys to stir the shit as only they can. Not a problem, Ger was happy to oblige, and so was Galway.

Other bits of the subplot fell into place. Davy Fitz making the right noises down with the Deise – most of the unprintable; Justin back in the saddle with Limerick; The Dubs a renaissance under Dalo. Sure twas great altogether.

And the last week the biggest coup of all. The total shambles round the relegation play offs and promotion. What better way to get everyone fired up to look at the structure of the hurling champiohsip than to show that under any objective viewing it is a total and utter shambles as it stands. The final piece of genius? The DRA decision, it was the final icing on our Cake.

But. Our job’s not over yet. If things don’t go the way we plan this relegation play off will be played in the middle of November just in cae you understand?

Anyhow, lest you don’t believe us, remember that as far as hurling is concerned, fact is often stranger than fiction. And that’s a fact.

Pitch invasion. Try this yourself next time you're in Croke and see what happenns!

Without a doubt the biggest story since the new Croke Park opened has been the state of the pitch. Going back over the years, player complained about the effect on their feet, questioned the sorts of boots they should wear. Hurlers were wary of the irregular bounce compounded by the vagaries of the then O’Neills sliotars. Club players going up for Intermediate and Junior Finals were nervous about playing at the national stadium, the concerns over the pitch making things worse.

All this was compounded by the Powers That Be showing a certain reluctance to let teams onto the surface to train. This was compounded this season when Geezer eventually was allowed on the hallowed turf with Kildare for a brief try-out with his Kildare team ahead of their tie with Dublin. The complaint has been for years that Rugby and soccer teams are allowed to train there but the GAA’s own people aren’t.

The controvery is certain to rumble on this week after the astonishing decision to change the playing surface within a week of the All Ireland Football quarter finals. The argument has been that with U2 playing in Croker for three nights the existing grass would have died having been covered by an artificial surface. So, apparently because the surface was due a change anyway, the PTB took a hefty contribution from U2 to allow the concerts to go ahead and relay the surface.

Peter McKenna and his team appear supremely confident that all will be in order for Sunday afternoon. He tells us that Paddy Andrews and a few others will check the new surface over the intervening days to make sure all is in order for the weekend. The process wasn’t helped by a demonstration by local residents the other night that led to a ten hour deay in U2 getting their stuff out of there so the process could get underway.

What is astonishing and anyway who has been at Croker with a team or even on a day trip will know all to well, is that the grouondsman is extremely retentive when it comes to his pitch. And he treats it as if it is his pitch. Under normal circumstances there is no way this guy would be happy having the surface torn up and a new one laid days before the first big showpiece in the All Ireland series.

But then in this case, money talks. It’s all about taking an opportunity. U2 were offering money for something that was going to be done anyway so that makes it OK. To add insult to injury (well hopefully not) the new turf is of English origin.

It reminds us of the old story concerning Winston Churchill. Seeking some evening entertainment Churchill enquired of a wealthy socialite of his acquaintance: ‘Madam, would you sleep with me for five million pounds??To which she replied, ‘My goodness, Mr. Churchill… Well, I suppose… we would have to discuss terms, of course…’?

Churchill replied: ‘Would you sleep with me for five pounds??Insulted she responded, ‘Mr. Churchill, what kind of woman do you think I am?!’

He replied: ‘Madam, we’ve already established that. Now we are haggling about the price.’

Let’s hope no-one pays the price in Croker this weekend.

Swine Flew Over the Autumn Tests

But Sean Boylan, manager of the Irish team for the last two series isn’t too sure the reason for the deferral is finance related:

“To say it was just monetary, I would find it hard to accept. There may have been other things. One of the things that crossed my mind was, was there a certain fear of travelling so far on account of the swine ‘flu and so on?”

I suppose it’s a fair point, it’s bad enough having the Aussies here without having them laid up sick, whinging about the weather and wishing they were back home.

As you would expect one prominent GAA manager could not hide his glee at the news that the matches would not be taking palce this Autumn. One M Harte of Errigal Ciaran and Tyrone said (rather predictably):

“I am just delighted that it (the International Rules) is not happening. I think in this year of the 125 celebrations, we now get a chance to finish our celebrations with Gaelic football and not some hybrid game that doesn’t belong to our game at all.

“Now is the opportunity to resurrect the inter-provincial series to the level it should be at. I am not saying it is going to happen in one go, but there is a great opportunity now to begin the building process of giving it the importance that it deserves.

“Why not use the time that was going to be set aside for that to highlight the Railway Cup and build to make that a real event again?”

Regular readers of the Irish News beware – Mickey will no doubt say the same thing in this week’s column. . . but will take five times as long to say it.

Cúl kid alright, but no sign of the 125!

That means the mammies have time to get the hair done, bake buns, or whatever it is they do. All we know is that if the Garda put a speed gun on the cars racing out of a pitch car park after parents deposit the children they would make a killing on points and Euros!

We are told there are over 83,000 children will attend the Vhi GAA Cúl Camps throughout the summer – there are camps taking place in almost every GAA club around the country and in over 20 overseas GAA clubs, in the US (New York, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia), Canada (Toronto), the UK (London, Scotland, Bristol, Birmingham, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Herefordshire) and it is hoped to have a camp in Europe (Brittany, France) also.

As the GAA celebrates 125 this mass movement of exercise for the young people of Ireland is a tribute to the effectiveness and organisation of the GAA. However one parent has contacted Talking Balls to point out a startling omission.

Fiona McCabe tells us that she dropped he boys off at the camp (no doubt duly accelerating out the gate at top speed with the other mammies) where they had a great time hurling and playing football. But she noticed that the Cúl Camp organisation seems to be the only unit within the GAA that has no mention of the 125 year celebration. The kit isn’t branded, the signs aren’t branded. It’s as if in the land of the Club Camp the previous 125 years have been forgotten.

We checked out the website, press notices and indeed the kit for ourselves and Fiona’s right. This is a startling error of omission. Maybe kids don’t give a damn about the 125 but they certainly won’t if we don’t tell them about. With clubs encouraged to develop their La na gClub and the primatry schools day, it seems this has slipped under the radar.

Cúl in every way then except for the 125. Get on the bike lads, same as everyone else.

The RAF GAA team in action, not an offensive weapon in sight. . .Only the sound of trumpets blowing loudly.

Some years ago the PSNI, in a flurry of self congratulatory publicity, announced that they had extablished a hurling team to go alongside their gaelic football team. The zenith of their achievement was in getting to the final of an inter firms conpetition which was played in Pairc Esler in Newry. The team featured a few ringers but anyway I suppose the fatc that they were there and took part was the main thing.

It has emerged in the last week or so that the entire PSNI team may have in fact been breaking the law if reports from Derry City are anything to go by. Th Irish News reported that young Aaron Griffin (14), who plays for the Na Magha club in the city and is a member of the Derry development squad was pucking about outside his home.

He was approached by a few enlightened boys in blue who informed him that he should move on from the green where he was playing. When he objected, as you would, he was told that the hurley he was holding was an offensve weapon and that he could be arrested. The matter was taken up by Martina Anderson, recently voted the best looking Stormont MLA, beating off flaccid competition from Iris Robinson and Arlene Foster. Anyway, we digress.

The Polic Ombudsman was duly asked to consider the case and as a result the family received an apology from police and were told that all officers would now be told that hurls are not to be classed as “offensive”.??
A letter is due to be sent to every police station across the north which will come as a relief to the legion of hurlers in the PSNI.

For her part, Ms Anderson said: “I am delighted that the family are now satisfied and the police have reacted in this way. It is the kind ­­of effective and efficient police service that we have been looking for.?Hours of training are put into this sport. It is a wonderful game and I am delighted that for the family that they have received this outcome.”

We believe the sport she is referring to is the sport of hurling, not the sport of baiting innocent young lads playing Ireland’s national sport.?It reminds us of the old chestnut, what’s the difference between a lad in Cork walking down the street with his hurley and a lad in Belfast wlaking down the street with his hurley. One is a young fella going to training, the other is a legitimate target. Hopefully those days have gone and the hurlers of Na Magha and the PSNI can go about their business and play the game they choose without interference from anyone else.