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NOT TO BE outdone by the menfolk in their club, or the women from ladies football that are getting all the coverage these days, one group of intrepid camogiers of slightly, moderately and possibly severely advancing years in a club far away, have organised social camogie of a Sunday afternoon.

All this to get them away from the children, household cleaning duties and the snores of the husband after a big feed of dinner or maybe just to enjoy the delights of the game.

These ladies encompass all shapes, sizes and skill levels of camogie players. Enthusiasm and craic have been the main attributes on show. Some were obviously deft young things in their heyday, and can still lift and shape to strike with the best of them. Others show a natural gra for grabbing balls out of the air.

One or two others apparently have decided that the camogie field on a Sunday is a grand place to take out the frustrations of the week, pulling hard, early and often on unsuspecting ankles, shins, hands and the odd knee. The only downside is that it isn’t the long-suffering husband that’s on the receiving end of these late blows. Beginners and experienced players alike have taken to it like ducks to water (and not ducks full of lead as one opinionated oul boy remarked, leaning over the wire pulling on his pipe).

Of those that played before, a number have easily slipped back into old habits. Some are graceful, skilful and still able to take their score. Others make up for a skills deficiency with a steely determination to win the ball at all costs, and will clearly do anything and pull on anything to achieve the desired result. Some were clearly dirty bitches when they played years ago, and on the evidence it’s fair to say old habits die hard.

The day’s proceedings were great craic going by the girlish squeals of delight from this group of ladies. The event was not without its fair share of injuries, There were reports of one broken scaphoid, a couple of badly bruised knuckles, a buttock haematoma that required some massaging, a pulled hamstring and some severely strained bra straps. Also, a word of caution from our experts. They suggest that anyone thinking of taking up the Camogie slightly later in life should do a few of them Kegel PFE exercises before they sign up – just to be on the safe side like and to make sure they are up to all that swingin’ and runnin about.

As we always say, Playing is Only Part of It.

AYE, YER MA. The term of abuse has often been heard on the fields of gaeldom emanating from gobshites. But now, Ulster Games development manager Sheena Tally, has been getting’ busy with a novel idea of getting mothers, elders sisters, aunts and probably even grandmothers out palying ladies football. The scheme is called Gaelic 4 Mothers.

Figuring that these ladies are already involved in the sport through dropping off their beloved children at the pitch for training, the thinking is that ladies might as well have a go. It offers them recereational football, a chance to get fit and probably best of all a chance to get away from the husband. Gaelic4Mothers National Blitz Day, which was hosted by St Sylvester’s GAA Club in Malahide, Dublin. 528 mums from fifteen counties played in the tournament. It was designed to be recreational and social and it certainly was that and more.

Over 800 womens of varying ages and abilities have so far registered with clubs for the Gaelic4Mothers initiative which has been developed by the Ladies Gaelic Football Association to offer mothers and older women an opportunity to play the game in a fun, non-competitive and social environment.

The official blurb says: “It is proving a huge hit with women of all ages who have either played in the past or who have never played the game at all, allowing them to get their recommended weekly exercise in a fun way while meeting other mothers in the area. Gaelic4Mothers brings a whole new social aspect to clubs and also provides parents with an invaluable insight into the club scene.”

It also of course a chance to fry the husband’s head asking him about tactics, positional changes and the best way to take your points. He in turn can reciprocate by changing nappies, doing the dusting and mopping the floor. Boiling spuds for the dinner might still be a bridge too far to be fair.

ALTHOUGH lT’S normally considered polite to be asked into someone’s house before you refuse, the IRFU have stipulated that even though they haven’t been asked back to Croke Park, they won’t be going anyway.

The news that they won’t be doing something they weren’t asked to do anyway will come as great solace to those old school GAA types who considered the playing of foreign games, the presence of the English rugby team and the lusty singing of THAT song a betrayal of everything they ever stood for. One old stager from deepest Cork said, ‘it was bad enough having to listen to God Save the Queen but that Ireland’s Call tune is pure dung.”

Apparently under the terms of the agreement struck with Aviva all Irish Rugby games are to be played at the new 50,000 seater stadium and, even if the likes of Munster and Leinster were to meet again in another seismic showdown, 32,000 will miss out.
Aviva’s deal will be considered null and void unless games are played at the new stadium.
“The business model put in place to fund the building of the Aviva Stadium has been predicated upon Ireland playing all of its rugby fixtures in the home of Irish rugby,” an IRFU spokesman said.

“It is funded by way of commercial contracts with suppliers, 10-year ticket holders, box holders and, most importantly, our naming rights partner Aviva. While we are indebted to the GAA for the use of Croke Park, it was always made clear to the IRFU that Croke Park would only be available during the redevelopment of the Aviva Stadium.”

All we need now is a commitment that U2 will wreck the Aviva pitch in future and the future certainly will be bright.

Sensational claims by former Roscommon goalkeepr Shane Curran, of British collaboration in the All Ireland successes of Tyrone and Armagh in recent years are thought not to be covered in any detail whatsoever in Mickey Harte’s forthcoming book.

Curran, who won nothing of real note during his inter-county career with Roscommon, is more famous for inventing the puntee kicking tee used by various goalkeepers round the country. It is thought that one of the kicking tees may have inadvertently got lodged in his arse and from there it has interfered with his normal (already limited) brain function. Certainly if he ventures north of the border anytime soon into ‘British Territory’ there’s a fair chance his nads will be placed carefully on a puntee and well kicked.

Curran’s claim is that extra funding from the British Government has given northern counties a distinct advantage over their southern counterparts,and that their success has little to do with ability.

“Since the inception of the backdoor, demographics along with financial clout, have dictated who does and does not compete for All-Ireland honours. The emergence of the northern counties owes as much to the peace process and financial assistance afforded to them by Her Majesty than any real innovation.”

It is not known whether Mr Curran consulted Nelson McCausland before he made these claims. It is also not known whether anyone has told Mr Curran that Ulster counties won Sam in the years 91-94 when the prevailing conditions and the attitude of the British towards gaelic games, especially among squaddies stopping players travelling to and from games, was far from conducive to supporting our national games.

What Her Majesty and her servants on the ground did deliver in spades through their ‘assistance’ was a tight knit GAA communty that to this day is fiercely protective of its members, its culture and its games.

Mr Curran’s comments might earn him a few laughs in Roscommon but for the likes of Sean Brown’s family in Bellaghy or Aidan McAnespie’s family in Aghaloo or the scores of GAA people going about their lawful business in Derry, Antrim, Armagh, Tyrone, Fermanagh and Down who were harrassed, intimidated, insulted and at times shot at for years, these comments are ignorant and offensive.

As some commentators have pointed out, if the Windor’s cash was so forthcoming how come the other counties haven’t dominated as well. In Armagh a contributory factor was the success of Cross in winning the All Ireland club under Joe Kernan, there was little British funding went into that club – they didn’t even pay rent for the land they occupied. And in Tyrone, he forgets two words. Club Tyrone.

So our message to Shane? Your famous these days for inventing things big lad, more so than playing football. And your latest claim is just that, an invention.

WITH ALL THE talk of one of Ireland’s leading institutions introducing a degree in hurling and of adding hurling to school curriculum, the question on everyone’s lips is whether the game is an art or a science.

That’s enough to keep the professors going for a year or two and good enough for them. They certainly have enough material if history is anything to go by. Certainly the Medicine Men of the Sioux saw much to commend it, but more of that anon.

The game has evolved since Cusack and the lads first put pen to paper back in Lizzie Hayes place down in Thurles in 1884. We are told that the first All Ireland Championship in hurling was held in 1887, the game played on pitch of 196 yards by 140 yards. Goals were 21 feet apart, and the crossbar was ten and a half feet off the ground. Even with 21 players a side that’s a fair bit of turf to cover by any standards for fellas togged out in heavy boots and swinging hurls that are a distant relative of the wands we see boys use these days.

Because early hurling finals were such low scoring affairs, despite the gaping goals, we can only speculate that defenders were in the ascendency. Archaeological evidence points to the typical full back as a pure savage with forearms like hams, hands like a navvy’s and a swing of the hurl that in another age, may have made him an executioner.

Thor’s hammer would have swang with less power than our man’s widowmaker-caman, as he sundered flesh from bone and knuckle from finger. Woe betide the nippy forward indeed. Historical evidence suggests that the farthest man forward was known as an extreme forward, and it is fair to deduce that either great stupidity, extreme courage, or both, were part of the full package in them days.

Indeed our research has shown that some of the leading members of Custer’s Seventh Army were hurlers, who faced into the unknown in the New World, carving out new territories and facing peril at every turn, and that was only among themselves.

In fact Wounded Knee, the scene of the famous battle, derived its name in Indian legend from an excruciating hurling injury sustained by Captain John Woodlock, formerly of Tipperary, whilst he and his comrades in the Seventh were waiting on Sitting Bull and the lads to put up or shut up. Playing on a pitch made of cleared brushland, they hurled long and hard under the desert sun, no quarter asked or given.

With seconds to go, and as the roughly fashioned sliotar of sun-hardened buffalo dung and coyote leather hopped a few inches off the ground, a galoot from North Antrim pulled wild, high and loose, dislodging Woodlock’s kneecap into a nearby peyote cactus. The pain was excruciating and his screams terrified and stampeded several herd of buffalo comprising half a million beasts over a nearby cliff.

Two advance scouts from the Sioux Nation were so put out at the act of savagery they had just witnessed that they reported back to their elders that the white man was so ruthless, they were disembodying their own men alive.

Luckily for them, a young buck from Clare who had gone native some years earlier, recognised the description from his distant youth in the emerald isle and was fit to tell the elders of the strange game played with a stick and ball called hurling. For several days as the Seventh rested and hurled, unbeknownst they were watched from afar by the Sioux Nation who decided that whilst it was a great game, there just weren’t enough ash trees on the Great Plains.

Now, together with members of the Sioux Hurling Nation, we are starting a campaign to take a future All Stars tour to South Dakota, for old time’s sake you understand. When we’re there, we plan to bury a hurl at Wounded Knee.

For all things Gaelic and Athletic, read Talking Balls at www.squareball.com.

The nominations for the 2009 Camogie All Stars were announced today with All-Ireland champions Cork being rewarded with 12 nominations and defeated finalists Kilkenny receiving 11 nominations. Galway are next with nine while National League champions Wexford have five. Tipperary get three nominations and Clare two. Derry, Limerick and Dublin make up the rest of the 45 nominations.

The winners will be announced at a gala banquet in the Citywest Hotel on Saturday, 7th November.

Cork’s Gemma O’Connor is in line for an incredible sixth consecutive All Star, while Rebel full forward Emer O’Farrell is looking to secure her first. Their team mates Aoife Murray, Cathriona Foley, Briege Corkery and leading championship scorer Rachel Moloney are amongst those seeking back-to-back awards.
Kilkenny, who contested their first final since 2001, have players nominated in all but four positions including Aoife Neary who was the Cats’ sole recipient in 2008. Other nominees include captain Ann Dalton, her midfield partner Collette Dormer, Elaine Aylward and Katie Power.

Beaten semi-finalists Galway look to Aislinn Connolly, Therese Maher and the Kilkenny sisters, Orla and Niamh.

18-year-old Katrina Parrock is rewarded for the first time following an exceptional season with Wexford. The National League champions also have Rose Marie Breen among their nominations. Tipperary’s early season form when qualifying for the league final sees Cait Devane, Claire Grogan and Joanne Ryan in contention.

Clare have two nominations in Chloe Morey and Deirdre Murphy, while Grainne McGoldrick is seeking to join Derry’s only other recipient Aisling Diamond who was an All Star in 2007. Dublin and Limerick also have one each.

In all, nine counties are represented. Commenting on today’s announcement, Joan O’Flynn, President of Cumann Camógaíochta na nGael said, “This year’s Gala All Ireland senior and intermediate championships have been of very high quality. The championship season produced exciting games, close finishes and great skill with Cork and Galway respectively claiming the senior and intermediate titles.

“I am delighted that 45 players from nine counties receive national recognition as All Star nominees. During the season these players’ excellence stood out. We are looking forward to the announcement of the winners on November 7.”

NOMINATIONS
GOALKEEPER
Susan Earner (Galway)
Aoife Murray (Cork)
Catriona Ryan (Kilkenny)

FULL BACKS
Rena Buckley (Cork)
Deirdre Codd (Wexford)
Catherine Doherty (Kilkenny)
Leann Fennelly (Kilkenny)
Cathriona Foley (Cork)
Jacqui Frisby (Kilkenny)
Regina Glynn (Galway)
Catherine O’Loughlin (Wexford)
Joanne O’Callaghan (Cork)

HALF BACKS
Elaine Aylward (Kilkenny)
Sinead Cahalan (Galway)
Ann Marie Hayes (Galway)
Sara Hayes (Cork)
Niamh Kilkenny (Galway)
Lizzie Lyng (Kilkenny)
Chloe Morey (Clare)
Mary O’Connor (Cork)
Louise O’Hara (Dublin)

CENTREFIELD
Briege Corkery (Cork)
Orla Cotter (Cork)
Anne Dalton (Kilkenny)
Collette Dormer (Kilkenny)
Kate Kelly (Wexford)
Deirdre Murphy (Clare)
HALF FORWARDS
Cait Devane (Tipperary)
Brenda Hanney (Galway)
Edwina Keane (Kilkenny)
Therese Maher (Galway)
Niamh Mulcahy (Limerick)
Gemma O’Connor (Cork)
Katrina Parrock (Wexford)
Katie Power (Kilkenny)
Joanne Ryan (Tipperary)

FULL FORWARDS
Rose Marie Breen (Wexford)
Sile Burns (Cork)
Aislinn Connolly (Galway)
Claire Grogan (Tipperary)
Orla Kilkenny (Galway)
Grainne McGoldrick (Derry)
Rachel Moloney (Cork)
Aoife Neary (Kilkenny)
Emer O’Farrell (Cork)

GALWAY captain Caroline Kelly got the ideal going away present as the Maroon overcame Cork in the Gala All Ireland intermediate camogie championship final replay at McDonagh Park, Nenagh on Saturday. The 22-year-old from the Davitt’s club is moving to London shortly for a year to continue her work as a nurse, and says winning the Jack McGrath trophy means a great deal to Galway.

“We won it in 2004, but it is different this time. We trained hard for this competition, whereas five years ago it was a case of getting together once the seniors were beaten and then concentrate on the intermediate championship. This year it was a big deal for us.”

Following a draw three weeks ago when they let a four point lead slip, the 3-10 to 1-5 scoreline was far more emphatic on this occasion. Kelly explains, “We tore into the game from the start, and for the past three weeks we trained really hard. Our manager Noel Finn is good friends with Bertie Sherlock (involved with Waterford hurlers and the Clare camogie team) and he came in to help out Basil Larkin with the training, and it was brilliant. We were hopping off the ground.”

U16 All Ireland medallist Laura Mitchell set the tone when the first half sub netted on 24 minutes. However, Eimear Watson answered immediately with one for Cork to leave the interval score, 1-6 to 1-2.
Galway were slowly beginning to take control, especially Sarah Dervan who was superb at centre back, as was midfielder Paula Kenny. When Aoife Lynskey found the net on 37 minutes and Caroline Murray followed six minutes later, it was all Galway, who maintained that momentum right to the finish line.
Kelly was particularly pleased with the nature of the victory, believing it will impact positively on their senior set up for 2010.

“Galway already have a very good senior panel, so it means there will be more competition. It was very disappointing to be beaten by Kilkenny. Many people believe there is a senior All Ireland in Galway. Up to Saturday we hadn’t won anything major at senior level since 2004, so it would be great if our win is motivation.”

A FEW WEEKS back, over in the Slieve Russell, members of the Cavan Minor team that won the Ulster Championship in 1959 and lost to Dublin the All Ireland final were having their fifty year reunion.

No-one knew the whereabouts of Kevin McCormack, the team’s corner back. He hadn’t been seen for years and many thought he had passed away. Indeed Cavan’s Anglo Celt Newspaper on 26 August this year reported three of the panel deceased, among them our man Kevin.

Just as the reunion do got underway, guests noticed this oul lad with a long shaggy beard and long grey hair meandering about the place, bizarrely kitted out in a blue t-shirt bearing the legend ‘I Love Cavan’ and a pair of Cavan football shorts. Most thought some local character had gatecrashed the party before gradually realising that it was in fact – Kevin!

He wasn’t dead at all, rather he has been living in London where he has been making his living as a busker. Indeed, some of our readers have probably tossed him a few shekels on the Tube from time to time.

Cavan chairman Phil Smith said: “He entertained everybody. He was busking with the accordion, playing the flute, the guitar – you name it. He was the life and soul of the function.”

Although the people of Cavan didn’t know where he was, the folks at Talking Balls did – we have a picture of Kev batin’ away at his bodhran at Clones last year. If only they’d asked us.

At Talking Balls he’s become a bit of a hero, in fact we have produced a limited edition t shirts in recognition of the fact that we love the GAA and we love the fact it can deliver stories like this that warm the cockles of yer heart.

Click here to buy the limited edition T.

The 2009 O’Neills/TG4 Ladies Gaelic Football All Star nominations have been announced with Senior All-Ireland Finalists Cork and Dublin dominating with 21 of the 45 nominations between them. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at Citywest on Saturday, 14th November.

The Rebelettes, unsurprisingly, have secured the most nominations with 12 covering every area of the pitch. Amy O’Shea and Ciara O’Sullivan are in line for their first All Stars, while amongst the most decorated are Juliet Murphy and Angela Walsh, going for their fourth and fifth awards respectively.

Dublin, who put up a memorable display against Cork in this year’s senior final, have nine players nominated, including goalkeeper Cliodhna O’Connor and captain Denise Masterson at midfield. They are amongst those looking to secure a first All Star for Dublin since half back Gemma Fay collected in 2005.

In all, 12 counties are represented in the nominations. Mayo have four, with Golden Boot winner Cora Staunton going for number seven, while Kildare’s Noelle Earley has made it two football All Star nominations in one family, following her brother Dermot’s nomination last month.

Galway’s early season form has secured the team four nominations and semi finalists Monaghan have five. Intermediate champions Clare have three nominations, Tyrone and Armagh have two each and Longford, Fermanagh, and Tipperary are rewarded with one each.

Making the announcement, Ladies Gaelic Football Association President Pat Quill said, “2009 has been a truly memorable year for ladies football with three classic finals having been played out at Croke Park with over 20,000 in attendance.

“Year by year new teams are pushing to the forefront, which is encouraging and indicative of the growing strength of the game. It is heartening to see Dublin back in the spotlight and they deserve their nine nominations and Clare are rewarded with three which shows that there is real talent at intermediate level. Congratulations are due to all the nominees and we look forward to what is sure to be a great night for everyone involved.”

2009 O’Neills/TG4 Ladies Gaelic Football All Star Nominations

Goalkeeper:
Elaine Harte (Cork)
Cliodhna O’Connor (Dublin)
Denise Walsh (Clare)

Full Back Line:
Rena Buckley (Cork)
Noelle Comyn (Dublin)
Maria Kavanagh (Dublin)
Sinead McLaughlin (Tyrone)
Emer Flaherty (Galway)
Geraldine O’Flynn (Cork)
Noelle Tierney (Mayo)
Dervla Toal (Armagh)
Angela Walsh (Cork)

Half Back Line:
Colleen Barrett (Dublin)
Martha Carter (Mayo)
Breige Corkery (Cork)
Jennifer Grant (Tipperary)
Aoife McAnaspie (Monaghan)
Siobhan McGrath (Dublin)
Rebecca McPhilbin (Galway)
Ciara O’Sullivan (Cork)
Bríd Stack (Cork)

Midfield:
Amanda Casey (Monaghan)
Louise Henchy (Clare)
Norita Kelly (Cork)
Denise Masterson (Dublin)
Juliet Murphy (Cork)
Alison Smyth (Longford)

Half Forward Line:
Edel Byrne (Monaghan)
Nollaig Cleary (Cork)
Eimear Considine (Clare)
Noelle Earley (Kildare)
Anne Marie McDonagh (Galway)
Emma Mullen (Mayo)
Mary Nevin (Dublin)
Amy O’Shea (Cork)
Shauna O’Hagan (Armagh)

Full Forward Line:
Sinéad Aherne (Dublin)
Una Carroll (Galway)
Lyndsey Davey (Dublin)
Joline Donnelly (Tyrone)
Niamh Kindlon (Monaghan)
Caroline Little (Fermanagh)
Ciara McAnaspie (Monaghan)
Valerie Mulcahy (Cork)
Cora Staunton (Mayo)