By Patrick Sharkey,
Episode 54: David Dempsey – The GAA Zone podcast
The dust has firmly settled on the 2022 All-Ireland races, with club championships now in full swing.
In the controversy over a proposed GAA pitch at Victoria Park in Belfast, some people seem to have assumed that the GAA is just another sporting organisation. It means a lot more to the cult.
A GAA-mad Sligo teenager is visiting every county ground in Ireland this week to fundraise for Temple Street Children’s Hospital. He could have seen Ephie Fitzgerald when he landed in Waterford as Aaron Maher Predergast from GAA Fan TV spoke on episode 53 of the GAA zone podcast talking about him.
Clara GAA Club has not reached an agreement to sell their old ground at Pairc Brid on the Ballycumber road. However, Waterford seemed to have agreed to keep Fitzgerald in place with Mr. Maher keeping the faith.
A Cork GAA club has hosted a Cúl Camp course for some 40 Ukrainian children staying in the area.
A Co. Limerick GAA pitch narrowly escaped an inferno after a stack of hay bales caught fire in the vicinity during last weekend’s heatwave. Waterford footballers could also catch fire in 2023.
The horrible last few weeks that have been for the Tipperary GAA family have been a stark one for many around the county, but one thing that has shone brightly from the passing of Dillon Quirke is the community values we are lucky to have in our organisation. Over the border in Waterford, community spirit is fully behind the footballers with Mr. Prendergast saying: “Yeah, I think the right decision is just to keep him I think personally because I think Shane Roynane obviously was the manager there last year and they had another manager the season before that as well so there has been a lot of instability there so probably do need just a bit of stability manager keep the same ideas. It’s hard to know really what the goal or the objective is but I suppose it is better to keep the same manager because it does probably increase the likelihood of improvement and results. Like even look at London like who kept Michael Maher throughout the Covid break and everything else”.
Most of the side is made from Connacht. That is in terms of the style of play for Limerick and Maher Prendergast said: “Yeah it will be tough for them obviously in division two, but I do think they should keep him to be fair though like I think you know like when Billy Lee took over, they were in division four. So, he has taken them from division four all the way to division two and brought through a lot of young players in there as well also, so I think they’re in good hands. I think he’s done a really good job, like, I think probably the ambition maybe with Limerick football now, is maybe they’re looking at what Clare has done, and do you know like they obviously beat Clare on penalties and gave Clare a good run for their money. Clare has been very good at staying up in division two. So, you just don’t know, like, I’d still give Limerick a good chance at staying up, but it is going to be tough for them.”
All-Ireland champions Galway have six players on the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Star Football Team.
Mayo, whom Galway beat in the final, has four members on the team. Paddy Tally however isn’t rumored to be on any of the Mayo coaching tickets to bring these young lads through with Maher saying he could be looking elsewhere.
Rio Mortimer and Paul Gilmore of Claremorris have been named in defense while joint captains Diarmuid Duffy and Ronan Clarke are in attack. Prendergast has backed Tally to succeed elsewhere.
Inspired by the powerful midfield duo of Michael Gacquin and Senan Buckley who accounted for 0-24 between them, Clonguish Og produced a fine performance to defeat St Vincent’s.
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