The GAA is facing more sporting competition than normal this summer and perhaps it’s with this in mind that the coming weekend has been earmarked for county teams to open their doors to the general populace, enabling supporters to get up close and personal with the lads on the field. The Mayo version of this nationwide jamboree is set for this coming Friday (11th May) at McHale Park with a 6.30pm throw-in.
All manner of fun and games have been planned for the evening. As well as being able to rub shoulders with the players and backroom team, there’ll be face painting, jersey signing, music, the opportunity to have your GAA skills assessed by the county coaches and the chance to have a right good nose around the McHale Park facilities. Elverys will also be there if you want to stock up on any replica gear while you’re in the mood.
The evening gets underway with press and media stuff at 6.30pm while the ordinary folk will get in on the action at 7.15pm. Then there’s a squad training session at 8pm which everyone is welcome to watch from the comfort of the stand. Full details on the evening are available here.
I think this is a good idea. I remember being at a training session Castlebar before the 1989 All Ireland. Great chance to get the kids involved and up close to the team. There is plenty of competition form other codes.
Well lads did anyone make it to the open night? If it went off as WJ mentioned above it sounded great.
Lest we start getting some sort of inferiority complex about the way things are done by our county board, let me tell ye my experience bring 2 of my sons and my daughter into Pairc Ui Caoimh last night. If it was an example of the way the Cork county board carry on in general then I can completely understand why there has been so many issues in the county with strikes and player unrest etc.
The event essentially took place in one small room under the stand. In the room was about 14 of the football square, Conor Counihan and Cathal Naughton from the hurling squad. The players sat at one big long table, well some of them did because believe it or not there wasn’t enough seats for all of them. Some of them such as Eoin Cadogan had to stand and sign autographs. While I was there he was being badgered by a steward to stand somewhere else as it was blocking up the door. Unbelievable stuff.
Pa Kelly tried to get a chair for himself, couldnt and rightly decided to throw his hat at it and left.
That was it, autograph signing, nothing else. The players were giving freely of their time, were in good form and chatted to the kids, but if I were them I would have been rightly pissed off.
If I was a Cork man I’d be seriously concerned at the way their county board conduct themselves. Its only a small thing but from my experience of organizations, what you see on the outside is a very good indicator of whats going on elsewhere.
Martin mchugh has apiece n tha star today n he feels tha standard of football has never been lower n needs to be improved, its a pity the arsehole would,t come out n say his own county which his son was on contributed to this standard with tha shite they wer playing last year, thanks be to god tha dubs bet them. some 1 said they wer at tha same in a measly challenge game last sunday in swinford n hope they dnt get far in ulster, he also mus think that connacht has dissappeared as he mentions tha 3 other provinces in tha minor structure changes n no mention of poor ole connacht, get off ur high horse martin it took u n ur county 100 years to get to croker n now u think ur 1 of tha big boys, nx. time midwest radio asks for ur views on mayo football, well i know wat i,l do with radio……….. And god help us another arse ho.. eug .mcgee is head of tha review group on football , wat eugene start play,n like OFFALY .load of c…