Johnny Corcoran: The man who set the foundations for Castleknock GAA club

Johnny Corcoran is a truly remarkable character. From Finglas to Castleknock, via Leixlip, he has immersed himself in the GAA. Johnny is a proud Erin’s Isle man who was involved in the iconic Dublin squad of the 70s, commonly known as ‘Heffo’s Army’.

His enthusiasm for the game stemmed from his love for Erin’s Isle. There was a fantastic mix of characters within the club in the early 70s. “Every county in Ireland was represented where we lived,” recalls a nostalgic Johnny. Finglas East has produced many notable Dublin GAA stalwarts. John Costello, Paddy Canning, and Mick Seavers, who are all vital county board members, lived in the same neighbourhood as Johnny.

It is fair to say that Heffo encouraged the love Johnny had developed for the GAA. Johnny is adamant that you should always play for your local club. He married and moved to Leixlip where he joined his local GAA club, engulfing himself within the local community. When he moved to Castleknock in 1996, it was no different. The only challenge was that there was no GAA club in his local area to join. Johnny knew this issue must be addressed.

St Patrick’s Day 1998: Johnny’s hometown club Erin’s Isle lose out to Corofin by five points in the All Ireland Football Club Championship. However, thoughts turned from Erin’s Isle of Finglas to a potential new club in Castleknock. Johnny raised the thought with the late John Egan, who was county chairman at the time. John Egan attended Beneavin College in Finglas, a school with a strong GAA ethos. He was fully supportive of Johnny’s plans. John Costello, county secretary at the time, also committed to supporting the venture of creating a GAA club in Castleknock.

Johnny explains why he wanted to start a new club. “The love of the game is what drove us to start something from scratch. It’s all about the promotion of hurling and football. I saw, first-hand, in Finglas East and Leixlip what a GAA club can do for the area. The community spirit it brings into the place is amazing. Between 1985 and 1998, there were an awful lot of houses built in Castleknock; the population exploded.

We came in at the right time. The Celtic Tiger era came after so even more houses appeared then. We were able to capitalise on that; there was a bit of luck involved too.”

Johnny initially got the plan in motion. Fergus Hamill, a friend of Johnny’s and a teacher in Castleknock, became involved after John Egan had mentioned it to the Monaghan native. Fergus, at first, was slightly apprehensive about the idea. He eventually became the first chairman of the club. Johnny, although a humble man, was focused, driven, and extremely intent on succeeding with the Castleknock GAA project.

“You have to be on the edge all of the time. I was going around telling people white lies. I asked Fergus would he come to a meeting if we got a group of people involved. But at the time I had no one else, there was only me.”

Johnny was cunning in how he went about organising support. His resilience paid off in the form of luck on many occasions. “My third son, Rory, was in Francis Xavier School and there was a man there, John O’Brien, who would take the class out a few evenings every week and play football in the field under the lights from the shopping centre. The lights were shining onto the school and that’s how they first started with GAA.”

John O’Brien didn’t have a big GAA background but his enthusiasm was what drew Johnny to him. John agreed to support the plan of creating a Castleknock GAA team. That group of school children formed the first juvenile team for the club at under 10 level.

John was part of a small group that held their first meeting upstairs in Myos pub, in Castleknock. Another man associated with Erin’s Isle, John Conway, was an integral part of that meeting. He was good friends with John Costello, as they grew up together. Plans were coming together for Castleknock GAA club. Suddenly, they had a chairman and secretary agreed on, Fergus Hamill and John Conway, respectively. It became a bit of an obsession for Johnny as he put all of his spare time into the project. But that’s what was needed.

The group agreed to meet once a week, in order to build up regularity. From the outset, they organised professional meetings; minutes of the meetings were taken. Although they were not officially a club yet, they were doing things right.

“From the start we could see Castleknock was a great name. Everyone knows Castleknock as a nice area which would be good for sponsorship. We were putting Castleknock on the map. It was never associated with the GAA, until we came along.”

“The essence of the GAA is localism. You want local rivalry. The area around Castleknock is a hotbed for the GAA. If you come up the Navan Road, there is a GAA club in every parish. You have St Finbarrs, Oliver Plunketts, St Brigids, and if you keep travelling up that road you’re met with a club in Clonee and a club in Dunboyne. They may be in a bordering county but they’re still the next parishes.

If you go west, then you’ve now got Castleknock, St Peregrines, Tyrrelstown, Westmanstown Gaels, Lucan Sarsfields, and Confey.”

Castleknock also had a struggle competing for grounds. In April and September of 1998, there was a desperate rush to obtain grounds to play on. They received a green in a housing estate to use as a juvenile pitch.

“We could only put up temporary posts as the local residents didn’t want us using it as a permanent pitch. We were happy to agree to that. We knew beggars couldn’t be choosers. We went up every Saturday morning and dragged steal posts up. We had to put them up and take them down during the week too if there was a match. It was hard going but it was great fun.”

Their home ground was affectionately known as Tir Na nOg. In early July of that year, before official approval was granted, they had begun training. Twenty five children showed up for their first session on a beautifully sunny Saturday morning. A week later, they were officially granted approval.

Castleknock entered three juvenile teams at under 9, under 10, and under 11. Approval was needed by July in order for all paperwork to be submitted and approved for the start of the leagues in September. However, there were still some stumbling blocks along the way.

“If we hadn’t of been approved when we were, just before the deadline, we may have folded,” admits Johnny. 

He goes on to say, “at certain stages, we were very worried because the county board only meet once a month. We were working hourly. Big wheels move slowly. However, it all worked out in the end. We even entered an adult football team for the start of the season. So now we had to search for an adult pitch.”

The county council provided Castleknock with a pitch in Porterstown and it all took off from there. Within eight Saturdays they had 100 children playing for the club.

They hounded local schools for support. Johnny recognises the support Castleknock Community College gave to the new club. Their principal wrote a letter which Johnny produced to the county board and local politicians in order to entice them to support the club.

Johnny elaborates on how funds were raised in order to give momentum to the project. “The local pubs were much busier than they are now. We used to be down there every night of the week gathering support. We got everything from them. They really were so supportive. They gave us cash when it was needed in order to buy anything for the club. We organised functions. Mick Lynch, a great man from Cavan, organised two golf classics in the one year with 50 teams in each. That’s a great bit of money raised. It was tough, but we got there.”

At their second meeting, they created a membership scheme. They all decided to give €20 each. The thinking behind this was that if 20 people gave €20 then that €400 could be used to purchase a set of jerseys. Johnny was overwhelmed with the support the club received at the start. “The local T.Ds were great - Joan Burton and the late Brian Lenihan – but so too were all of the local councillors.”

Castleknock were beginning to progress as a club. A year after their inception, they entered a junior hurling team. At times Johnny and the chairman, Fergus Hamill, often found themselves playing for the adult teams in order to fulfil the numbers needed.

“We adopted the mindset from the start which was to never give a walkover. I’d be very upset if we gave a team a walkover, even if it meant lads playing two or three times per weekend. That is how we aimed to get ourselves a good name in the county board. We never withdrew teams. Even if we were beaten, at least we fielded a team and fulfilled the fixture. We insisted on developing a good name that way.”

As the years progressed, Castleknock further improved as a club. In 2007 they won an All Ireland Division One hurling Feile. It was an extraordinary achievement for a club who were in existence for less than ten years. The Feile was held in Kilkenny. None of the country teams had even heard of Castleknock GAA Club. They were astonished that a relatively new Dublin club, whose facilities consisted of a council pitch and a container as a makeshift dressing room, were playing at this level. Castleknock beat Ahane of Limerick in the final. Brian Cody gave a pre-match talk to the team as he helped mentor the teams who had knocked out the local Kilkenny teams from the competition.

Members of Castleknock GAA Club during the Feile na nGael Atha Cliath parade in 2012

Confidence was extremely high in the club after that victory. The adult teams were gaining promotions and are now playing at very respectable levels in Division 2 football and Division 3 hurling. The Feile win in 2007 was the juvenile highlight for Johnny, and he admits it would be “very hard to beat that feeling of winning our first national juvenile competition.” However, progress can be seen at all levels in the club.

“Two years ago, we won the Junior A Dublin Championship in football which was brilliant. Kenmare beat us in the All Ireland Junior A semi-final which was disappointing, but it was a great achievement to reach that stage. Last year, we won the Junior A Dublin Championship in hurling. The hurlers will be hoping for promotion this year, but there’s no pressure on them. They’re a very young team.”

Castleknock are currently fielding three adult football and hurling teams. On average, there are 170 children who attend the nursery level in the club on a Saturday morning. According to Johnny, there are around 1,000 members in the club with a big emphasis put on family membership. There are an estimated 600 families involved with the club. The team who won the All Ireland hurling Feile achieved more success at minor level when they won the Dublin minor A football Championship. Competing at the top level has occurred for Castleknock, now they must strive to maintain that level of success.

Castleknock and Dublin star forward, Ciaran Kilkenny

When one talks about the current state Castleknock find themselves in, the name Ciaran Kilkenny must be mentioned. In Johnny’s opinion, Ciaran was “the best bit of talent in Dublin at under 14 level up to minor both in football and hurling.” He goes on to state that: “his talent was evident since the cradle. The impact he has had in promoting Castleknock has been huge; he’s a genuinely nice lad which helps the cause too.

The saga about him going to Australia and returning was mind-blowing for us. A few people had a quiet word trying to convince him to stay, for the good of his future career, but you can only say that to a certain extent. He’s an all round fantastic sportsman; he’s a brilliant tennis player too. His recent injury is not only a huge blow to him, but to everyone involved with Dublin GAA. I wish him all the best in his recovery.”

Overall Johnny is proud of the progress that Castleknock have made. “It was such a huge challenge at the start to get the club on firm footing and not just be temporary.

A lot of people involved with other clubs in Dublin saw us as a temporary idea at the start, especially when we were first looking for pitches. We were offered pitches on Dunsink dump and the joke was that Castleknock were going to get pitches with underground heating! A councillor actually came back to us with that idea. But that would have killed us; we aimed for everything to be local.”

Castleknock is now a distinct GAA area thanks to work Johnny and many others have put in.

“It’s been tough going at times, you have to be really focused. You have to be prepared to go beyond the call of duty sometimes. It takes up all of your spare time, but that’s how the GAA thrives. I was on talking terms with every chairman in the county, and we get on really well with other clubs. For me personally, in a sporting context, Castleknock GAA means everything to me. We’re promoting the games that we should be familiar with. It’s great for the community ultimately. When you put so much into it, it’s fantastic to see so much come out of it. You’d be a bit disappointed if it hadn’t reached the levels you intended, but at the moment we’re exceeding all expectations.”

Johnny recalls one of his most recent happy memories associated with Castleknock.

“One of the biggest matches this year, in a way the biggest adult football match we ever played, was against our local rivals St Brigids. We had to win in order to gain promotion to Division 2. The match was scheduled for the Sunday. On the previous Friday night, we had to beat Whitehall Colmcille’s in order to get to that position which was very tough. Beating Whitehall was our best ever win in terms of the standard of football, as Whitehall play in the senior championship. We brought a huge crowd down to St Brigids that Sunday and we came away victorious. But we were all welcomed in the clubhouse afterwards with absolutely no animosity.”

Indeed there has been a great amount of work put into Castleknock GAA Club but there are miles to go before they sleep. They recently acquired grounds beside the Castleknock Hotel where they now have fantastic playing facilities. Building work on a clubhouse should begin this summer. Johnny is aware though that they must keep progressing as a club.

“If we think everything is rosy then that’s the rock you perish on. You have to keep working hard and see where that takes you. But generally, it’s been brilliant. I can’t wait to look back on all the brilliant work we’ve achieved when our 20^th anniversary comes around in 2018.”

With his welcoming mannerisms, unique Finglas humour, and his honest toil, it’s clear to see why Johnny Corcoran has been so beneficial to Castleknock GAA Club.

There has been a core group of men working relentlessly on behalf of Castleknock since its inception in 1998. It’s these people that are the life and soul of the GAA.

They are the true patrons of the game. They represent the tireless volunteer work which the GAA embodies. It’s people like Johnny Corcoran that make it possible for Dublin GAA to achieve success at the highest level of the sport.

But for players rising through the ranks of Castleknock GAA club, it would be advisable to follow Johnny’s mantra.

“Castleknock should be people’s main aim. You have to start at the grassroots and if you’re good enough, Dublin will come calling. But the parish comes first!”

S.DAWSON 11/04/14

Eamon 'Silver Dunning': "GAA is my life"

The GAA is a unique organisation. It is an unparalleled amateur sporting organisation that is played, and run, at a professional standard. It is arguably the most professional sporting organisation in the country, even though it operates on an amateur playing basis. The effort put in by volunteer coaches at the grassroots level of a GAA club is most admirable. There is a certain unique spirit the GAA possesses, and Eamon Dunning embodies this characteristic.

The Roscommon native is a well travelled man who has adopted St Brigids GAA club as his club. He is quick to point out that his roots are in Clonown, Roscommon, and that his local team Clann na nGael will be in his heart forever. Where ever Eamon has travelled, his love of the GAA has followed.

He recalls a tale from his youth: “we’d go to 10 o’clock mass and then we’d meet our neighbours and we’d spend all day kicking a ball in a field. We had to make the football out of paper and tie twine around it. We wouldn’t go home for dinner even. It was the same in school; we’d make a football and spend all day kicking it around. We all lived for football.”

The GAA has been omnipresent in the life of Eamon Dunning. In 1965, Eamon emigrated to Manchester and he linked up with St Brendans GAA club during his time in England. It was his time playing Gaelic football in Manchester that developed his character both on and off the pitch.

“Football in Manchester was filthy; it was absolutely filthy. You’d want to be insured to play, but having said that, when the game was over you’d go and have a few drinks with the lads and there was no bitterness. At the time you could be working with the same guys on the building sites and although they’d be playing for another club, they’d still be your friends. It was most enjoyable,” says Eamon.

The handful of clubs based in Manchester, Leeds, and Birmingham who all played in a Lancashire league were solely made up of ex-pats. The English never integrated. It is clear there was a strong commitment to the GAA from the Irish in the sports-mad city of Manchester. “We used to train every Thursday and you’d have to get two or three buses out to train, it was tough going,” a nostalgic Eamon recalls.

In 1971 Eamon returned home to Ireland and settled in Blanchardstown, Dublin. The local club was St Brigids. He joined St Brigids in 1975 and nearly 40 years later he is still seen around the club on a weekly basis. Eamon began his career with St Brigids by chance when he stopped to watch a local GAA match.

It’s clear that Eamon’s devotion to the club began from the outset as he says: “at the time, they only had one intermediate team. A year later myself and a friend of mine, Jim Powell, started a second team. It all really started from there. An under 21 team was created and a junior team then followed.”

In the early 80s, St Brigids created a juvenile committee which had a separate chairman, secretary, and treasurer. Eamon believes this is the “best thing that the club have ever done.” The club linked up with local primary schools in Blanchardstown, Castleknock, Corduff, and Clonsilla. These teams started an under 10 league of their own, refusing to enter into the Fingal league.

“They used to be fierce matches at under 10. It was a great idea to have them play locally before entering the Fingal league at under 11. Jason Ward was a product of this system before playing Senior in 1991,” according to Eamon.

Jason Ward, although a proud St Brigids man, played inter-county football for Leitrim. He was the first player to avail of the parent rule and he was part of the Leitrim side who famously won the 1994 Connacht Championship.

Eamon was the manager of one of the teams from Clonsilla. He rejoices: “we won the league in ’84 and we won it well. We had three girls on the team that beat Blanchardstown, who had all boys in their squad, in the final. It was a great day.”

Eamon gave up playing at the age of 35 and he’s been coaching teams ever since. Eamon loved the early stages of his coaching career, stating: “St Brigids started a camogie team in the 70s and I coached it. We won a good few leagues and championships, I even brought them up to Senior B level.”

“Then I started coaching minor hurling. We won the minor hurling division 3 about five years ago. I love coaching the juvenile teams because if you take an under 9 or under 10 team, they don’t even know how to pick up a ball. The following year they can do that. The following year they can hit a ball. You see promotion all of the time. They’re learning all the time and it’s the thrill of a lifetime to see them play minor hurling.”

Eamon explains the key to the success of his minor winning side: “when we won the minor championship, we had Paul Winters (current Dublin senior inter-country hurler) on that team. He was only 15 but he was a different class. To see all of them progress, all of the time, is an absolute pleasure to watch.”

Eamon is still coaching in St Brigids: “I’m coaching a Junior division 6 side at the moment. I’m coaching 30 years and I keep saying I’ll leave it because I want to watch the Seniors play and when you’re coaching a team you just don’t have the time to do that. But I love it. I might go back down to coaching juveniles again. I’ve grandchildren coming along and the ultimate goal would be to see them playing inter-county football.”

“All of my grandchildren are involved with St Brigids. The GAA is my life. I would not be as fit as I am today only for the GAA. I’d go home and sit down and do nothing if it wasn’t for the GAA. But I’m out there with a football with the kids. I’m always training down in the club and it is terrific the people you’d meet.”

The GAA thrives on its community based ethos which is evident as Eamon says: “I’ve met Sean Og O’hAilpin in my house. James ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick was up training my minor team. Brendan Murphy of Offaly and Damien Hayes of Galway were up speaking to the team. I know all the Cork footballers. Paudie Kissane is a great friend of mine. It’s the people that you meet which is unreal. They’re all friends of mine. I was at a wedding two months ago and I had a great chat with Mick O’Dwyer.”

Eamon has gained many things from St Brigids such as “hardship and many friends.” He speaks of the welcoming nature of St Brigids: “every friend I have has some association with the club. They all call me ‘Silver’. They wouldn’t know me by my real name at this stage.”

The friendship and family ties are interlinked for Eamon as he speaks about his wife: “my wife is a Cork woman and she too was heavily involved with St Brigids. Coming back from Cork and anytime there was a football or hurling match on, we’d have to stop and look at it. That’s the one thing I have to say about the woman I married; she embodies sport. She was out seven nights a week. When I was playing she’d have three of the children with her – two in the pram and one holding her hand – and she’d push them across the field walking to watch us. And that’s the family spirit that the GAA is all about.”

Indeed there is something very special about the GAA. For those who are involved, no explanation is necessary; for those who aren’t no explanation is possible. Eamon told me of a story which he feels represents what the GAA means to him. “I had a cousin over from Australia two years ago for the Dublin v Mayo match. There were two lads gunning for each other in the Hogan Stand. But as soon as the final whistle went, they were walking up the aisle talking to each other. We went to the pub afterwards and there they were drinking together. My cousin just couldn’t physically believe it. He was afraid more lads would come into the pub and it would be uneasy.”

“The GAA breeds a unique type of person. You go into Meaghers, The Big Tree, Hedigans, or any pub around Croke Park and they are all drinking together. It’s hard to explain to an outsider.” On a more local level, Eamon has his priorities set for his beloved St Brigids. “My hope for St Brigids is for them to reach a county final. To beat St Vincents would be ideal. I’d hope for that because that’s why you play the game, you must want to reach that level.”

“One thing St Brigids has had all my lifetime is a great chairman to bring them forward. And each time they take the club one step further.” Eamon is in high praise of the work done by current chairman Billy Quane.

Eamon reiterates his heritage by saying: “I don’t shout for Dublin, I support their efforts, but I’m a Roscommon man and that’s the only team I truly support.” Having said that, Eamon goes on to praise his adopted Dublin club saying that: “St Brigids help out greatly in the parish; it brings people together. It’s brilliant. I think the GAA really is so special. I’d have nothing wrong said about the GAA. You could kick lumps out of each other on the pitch and you’d still be the best of friends in the dressing room.”

The GAA plays a pivotal role in many rural towns across the country. Eamon agrees that the organisation is “all powerful”. “I think that the GAA is something very special. If I was driving along and I saw a soccer match, I wouldn’t bother with it. But if I was driving along and I saw two ducks playing Gaelic Football, I’d have to stop and watch them.”

Eamon Dunning is the GAA. His journey from Clann na nGael of Roscommon to St Brigids of Dublin, via St Brendans of Manchester, is a route illuminated by the eternal flame the GAA shines upon Ireland. It’s very easy to follow a GAA club; it’s much more difficult to support one.

When players such as Shane Supple, Paddy Andrews, Sean Murray and the now retired Barry Cahill don the blue and navy of Dublin, it is because people like Eamon Dunning are tirelessly putting in the effort of training the stars of the future in St Brigids. Without people like Eamon, St Brigids wouldn’t survive. He, like many others, is the life and soul of the club. St Brigids relies upon volunteers such as Eamon to be the lifeline of the club. And there is a certain soothing comfort in knowing that there are still many years of devotion still to come from Eamon 'Silver' Dunning.

S.DAWSON 07/04/14

South Africa Gaels end their tour of Ireland with exciting clash against Ballyboden St Endas

On a bitterly cold Dublin evening emerged a South African Gaelic football team to face Ballyboden St Endas. They made the short walk from the dressing room to the pitch with their arms linked, chanting in unison.

It was the inaugural tour for the South African Gaels. A team made up of South African and Zimbabwean natives, and former Irish ex-pats. They were captained by Steven Mavinga who played in midfield alongside former Ballyboden star, Greg Heraty.

The match was played in four 15 minute quarters. The rules were relaxed for the visiting opposition with kick-outs and 45s being allowed to be taken out of their hands. Ballyboden fielded their Junior B side that compete in Division 9.

Although Ballyboden were a much more experienced side, the Dubliners were lucky to come away with a victory thanks to a goal late in the fourth quarter. 

At half-time the score was 0-04 to 0-01 in favour of Ballyboden, but it was an open free-flowing encounter. Plenty of scoring opportunities were created but the South Africans' finishing let them down on occasions. It took Ballyboden most of the first two quarters to adjust to the speed of their opponents.

It was a thrilling performance from the South African side. The athleticism of the Africans was prevalent throughout, especially in the third quarter when they blitzed their opponents by scoring two goals and four points compared to Ballyboden’s two points.

The final score was 3-08 to 2-09 in favour of Ballyboden St Endas. However, the final score mattered little. It was all about the occasion; the once in a lifetime experience that these South Africans were immersing themselves in, throughout their time in Ireland.

The South African Gaels played against a St Vincents Masters selection on Sunday evening before travelling to play St Marys in Belfast on Monday. Brian Mullins coached the squad in UCD on the Saturday. The lessons learned from this trip will no doubt add to the development of the GAA in South Africa.

Ultimately what cost the South African Gaels was their lack of accuracy. Their Manager, Paul Carpenter, agrees. “It was a close game but we made too many mistakes. We didn’t execute properly when we attacked. We panicked a little, maybe that was down to the occasion.”

The few mistakes that were made were admirable for a team who have only been in existence for four years. It is the first time that the group have been out of South Africa together, with the exception of competing in the Dubai Gulf Gaelic Games competition. For a few members of the squad it was the first time they have ever left South Africa.

Paul Carpenter has been with the team since its inception. He first got involved with the GAA while he was living in Singapore. He was part of a GAA club in Singapore for nearly ten years. When he moved to South Africa, one of his first ventures was to set up a GAA club in the region.

The English native believes that the GAA can thrive in South Africa over the next few years.

“I knew that the South African boys would have a natural ability to play the sport. The interaction and the speed of the game, the hand-eye coordination; they really just take to it. If we can, as an international community, come together to create competition to give other countries outside of Ireland something to play for then there is great potential to go forward."

Captain Steven Mavinga commented that: “the game was very intense. We have learned a lot in Ireland. In the last quarter the lads from Ballyboden started to step it up a level which was tough for us. It was clear that we were getting a bit tired near the end so that is something we have to work on.”

He went on to say that: “Overall we did very well. We took everything we learned in Ireland on board. We have been taught to keep composure and keep the structure of the game at all times, thanks to coaching from Brian Mullins.”

The South African squad have learned a lot both on and off the pitch. Earlier in the day, before their match against Ballyboden, the team visited Stormont in Belfast.

They were given a tour of Government buildings before meeting with Martin McGuinness, deputy first minister of Northern Ireland.

Carpenter recalls that: “Stormont was hilarious. The guys were bouncing up and down singing songs with Martin McGuinness in the middle of it all. Joe Brolly was there too. He was taking ‘selfies’ with the team and putting them up on Twitter. We’ve really been so warmly welcomed everywhere we went. It’s been an absolutely fantastic experience.”

The team were given a history lesson in Stormont also. Steven Mavinga mentions the links between Northern Ireland and South Africa. “In Belfast, we learned a lot about the conflict in Northern Ireland and how it relates to the apartheid regime we were subjected to in South Africa. They are still working on relations in Northern Ireland and we are still working on issues back home in South Africa too. There are a lot of similarities between our two countries.”

Next up for the South African Gaels is the Dubai Gulf Gaelic Games competition at the end of March. The competition features teams from the Middle East, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia, and even Ireland. There are competitive and social level standards. South African Gaels will be entering teams at both grades in what is sure to be another exciting challenge for Paul Carpenter and his team of enthusiastic African Gaelic football devotees.

Over the next few months, two permanent GAA development officials are being set up in South Africa in the Johannesburg townships of Tembisa and Alexandra. The South African Gaels are grateful to their sponsors ESB International who have been extremely forthcoming in their support for the team.

The GAA has gone global, and South Africa is thriving on a sport steeped in history and tradition. This tour of Ireland will no doubt enhance the reputation of the GAA in South Africa and further afield.

The South African Gaels team show off their dancing skills after the game; listen out for the most Irish GAA comment ever at the end of the video.

S.DAWSON 26/03/14

Hugh Gill, St Vincent's vice-captain relieved to be over injury setbacks.

St Vincent's vice-captain, Hugh Gill.

Hugh Gill tasted All Ireland Club Football glory with St Vincents in 2008. The fresh faced defender who was just out of minor sampled the fruits of the ultimate prize in club football without maybe fully realising the enormity of the achievement. Now, as the current vice-captain, Gill, recalls his experience six years ago.

“I was pretty fresh faced when we won it in 2008. I was only out of playing Minor football and it came pretty quickly but it was a brilliant feeling and a great experience. Although, I think it kind of went over my head because it came so quick I thought it was going to come every year.”

The 25 year old has suffered with some serious injuries over the past few years but he is now focused on bringing the Andy Merrigan Cup back to St Vincents for a second time in his career.

“I had a tough couple of years with injuries but thankfully I’m back in contention, playing football and most importantly, I’m enjoying it.”

The gut wrenching experience of losing to Ballymun Kickams in the previous Dublin championship campaign only intensified this Vincents team’s desire to get the job done this season, according to Gill.

“When Tommy Conroy took over, we sat down and we had a target of winning the Dublin Senior Football Championship. The first year we came very close. We lost to Ballymun Kickhams in the quarter final of Dublin by a point. We had about 18 wides that day and they went on to an All Ireland Club final so we knew we were close. That loss put a lot of hunger into the team. People realised how close we were to doing something special last year so we knew we just had to keep working hard and it should eventually come.”

Hugh Gill embraces club teammate, goalkeeper, Michael Savage,

The efforts of Mossy Quinn have been appreciated by the whole panel. Hugh Gill admits that “it gives everyone a lift when you see your corner forward chasing back and doing some dirty work. As a defender it gives you such a lift and such motivation when you see a forward dispossessing someone. It makes you want to go and do the exact same thing. It comes down to the trust we have in each other. Mossy leads by example and gets everyone going.”

The talented corner back is keen to stress at every opportunity that his side’s strong and united squad mentality is their biggest asset.

"We played most of the league without our inter-county players. We were used to playing without them. If they were fit to come in then it was obviously a bonus but if they weren't it wasn't a big deal. Mossy Quinn cracked a joke in the dressing room after Ger Brennan was sent off in the match against St Lomans when he said that we were back to our best team now. It shows you the strength we have in the entire panel. I think there are 35 lads here now and any sub that’s ever come on has improved the team".

S.DAWSON 18/03/14

PSNI harass the GAA

Recently a young Antrim hurler, Domhnall Ó Moraín, and his friends were stopped by the PSNI for carrying hurls outside the ground of Casement Park.

Casement Park is the county ground of Antrim, located in Belfast. With a capacity of over 32,000 it is one of the biggest GAA stadiums in Ireland.

The police accused the group of young athletes of carrying dangerous and offensive weapons before attempting to take the hurls off of them.

When the group refused to hand over their sports equipment, the PSNI attempted to unjustly claim they were trespassing on Northern Ireland Railway property.

This video shows The Mairead Farrell Republican Youth Committee holding a demonstration at the former Andersonstown RUC barracks in protest at the PSNI's harassment of young nationalists who were innocently carrying a hurl.

This disgusting case of discrimination is something that nobody in Ireland should have to deal with in 2014.

This horrifying case of police  harassment of these young GAA members may give precedence for more suspect profiling on the bases of sporting allegiances which have ties to a certain divide in the community of Northern Ireland.

Please share this video to help spread the message that we, as a united Irish nation in favour of peace and equality, will not be discriminated against in representing a national sport steeped in years of charity, history, and tradition.

S.DAWSON 10/03/14

Jesse Corcoran of St Pats Donabate

Jesse Corcoran, St Pats Donabate Senior captain.  

Twenty eight year old Jesse Corcoran personifies the resilience and determination seen in the St Pats of Donabate senior panel over the last number of years. It is no surprise that this Donabate native has reached the pinnacle of his career by captaining his team to the highest level of Dublin club football.

Jesse is born and bred in Donabate and started playing Gaelic football at a relatively late age. As a child he played a lot of soccer. The only GAA outlet he had at the time was through his school. When Jesse was younger, St Pats never had any underage setup. It wasn’t until he was 16 that he began his illustrious career with St Pats starting off playing minor football for the Black and Green.

A lot of the players he plays with today at senior level started off together playing minor football. Jesse recalls that “ we started our own minor team from nothing, just the local lads started playing. We always had adult teams but they were in Division 6 and Division 10. We came out of minor level into Division 6. We gave it a bash and now we’re up in Division 1.”

The confidence in the group has always been prevalent. “It’s been the same group of lads all the way up. We probably only had 15 lads in that minor team but we stuck together through it all. When we progressed, we figured that we were too good to be playing in Division 6 and our aim always was to be playing at a much higher level.”

The club have enjoyed three successive promotions under the captaincy of Jesse Corcoran. Jesse attributed the success of these promotions to hard work on behalf of the whole panel. “We trained hard and when we originally won Division 6, we knew that this was the start of something special.”

“I wouldn’t say there’s any key to the promotions. We train hard and everyone believes in the lads around them. There’s a good mentality in the team. Everyone’s friends; we all grew up together and we’ll always fight for each other. That’s the type of hard work which has pulled us literally from Division 6 to Division 1."

Adrian Henchy has managed the side from when they were lingering in Division 4. During his first two years in charge of the team, they got to the play-offs both years but unfortunately lost in the final. The third year they gained promotion from Division 4 to Division 3. St Pats' first year in Division 3 saw the Donabate outfit secure promotion to Division 2 through the play-offs.

Adrian Hency’s first silverware with the club came when they won the Division 2 title, a year after promotion. Jesse appreciates the effort Adrian has made turning this St Pats side into a title winning team. Jesse notes that when Adrian came on board things “really started to look more professional.”

“There was no more messing about when Adrian came in. He brought his own strict rules and we all bought into it. He is one of the main factors that we were able to take it to the next level. Before Adrian, we had Charlie Redmond coaching us and that was a very high standard. When Charlie first left us, we were thinking who’s going to take us further?”

Jesse is aware of Adrian’s respectable management background. “He has a good previous record. He’s managed Na Fianna at senior level and he has captained them as a player. He’s got that bit of experience that instilled professionalism in us.” Jesse elaborates on the lifestyle Adrian demanded from the players.

“The training changed gradually. We worked a lot more on fitness. He told us to knock the drink on the head so we all got into good shape. We started to feel like real athletes. When we were playing in Division 6 we were a pub team and that mentality was still in the panel when we got to Division 4. Too many lads enjoyed their weekends and their few pints.”

Adrian saw the potential in the team and Jesse recalls that the manager “demanded that old lifestyle had to be knocked on the head.” Jesse admits that the drinking ban was a “shock to the system” but “everyone has bought into it and everyone has genuinely stuck by it."

St Pats Donabate Senior panel 2014

Jesse is ambitiously confident about the season ahead. “Obviously you’re not going to stop, you’re always going to want to be better and go further. Staying up is obviously the goal this year but that was the same goal last year and we ended up winning the league. All we can do is take every game as it comes and try to win them all.”

The management team along with Jesse, and vice-captains Niall Collins and Michael Lynders, met at the start of the year to assess their goals for the season. They agreed that “it’s obviously a massive step up." In Division 1 there will be matches against inter-county players on a weekly basis. The team know that “staying up would be a good achievement.”

However, Jesse is adamant that they don’t limit themselves. “We’ll go out to beat every team and we want to hold Donabate as a fortress. We want to make sure teams don’t like coming out to Donabate because they’re in for a massive game. That’s what we as a team set out to do.”

Aside from the league, Jesse has unfinished business with the Intermediate Championship. “We’re definitely aiming to win the Intermediate Championship this year. That’s the real goal because we’ve found ourselves stuck there over the last few years. We see ourselves as a senior side and so we should be playing in the Senior Championship.”

The St Pats captain envisages a bright future for the club who mark their 90th anniversary this year. They are the biggest sporting organisation in the area, with nearly 600 active playing members and 200 non-playing members. When Jesse started playing there were only two adult teams; one in division 6 and the other in division 10.

Now the club is packed at the weekends. There are nurseries, juvenile teams, and there are hundreds of children who enjoy being part of this club which thrives on its community spirit. Blitzes are played on a regular basis in the club and the minor team are competing at a higher level than the team Jesse and the senior panel of today were playing at. There is an extremely positive vibe around the club at the moment. Jesse notes the importance of integrating everyone within the club.

“I think we’re setting an example for the younger lads. We started training with a few of the under 16’s this year, purely just to try and break them in. They’ll get used to the squad easier that way. They’re really enjoying it and they’re looking up to some of the older lads.”

“They can see where we came from and where we are now. I think it’s massively impacted a lot of them to even knock the drink on the head. Committing to our hectic training schedule and giving up the weekend for matches is a huge commitment for a young lad at the age of 16. It stops them acting the maggot as well.”

Jesse goes on to say that: “it is a lot of training that we are doing but to be fair they’re all buying into it. I really think that’s down to the success of the first team. Nobody wants to come up as a 16 year old and play Division 6 football. I find it great to see the hard work pay off and to do it with lads you grew up with, your best friends, it means an awful lot to me. But now we want to push on even further as a team, as a bunch of friends, and as a parish.”

Jesse speaks about the positive energy which is resonating in Donabate as a result of the success the senior team has achieved. “It’s huge for the parish. You can see the rise in attendances now. It went from basically nothing to two or three hundred watching our games. It’s great to see. It’s had a ripple effect right down through the parish. Everyone has seemed to notice us and it has given everyone a lift around the club.”

The team have infinite ambitions and Jesse reiterates his desire to achieve success in the Intermediate Championship. “We really are out to win the Intermediate Championship this year. However, we are aware that the competition is even tougher this year. Castleknock and Naomh Barrog are two teams on the up who have recently broke into division 2 and they’ll be looking to get into the Senior Championship too. Fingallians will also be a threat. They’ve beaten us in the past but we really think it’s ours to win. Hopefully we can do it this year.”

Jesse is aware that there are plans for the club to celebrate their 90th birthday and he tentatively remarks that: “nobody wants to mark a 90th by being relegated.” He goes on to say that: “we want to give a good account of ourselves for the club and for the parish.”The team are aware that there is an added pressure as the club prepare to celebrate their milestone. 

“We want to do well for everyone that comes up to support us. We’re grateful for the club backing us. There’s always pressure on us to stay up, especially after we’re coming off the back of a promotion. Other clubs are looking at us and presuming that we’re going straight back down. But we know what our abilities are and what we are capable of. For that reason, we’re always confident going into games.”

Jesse contemplates the notion of reaching the unfathomable heights at the top of Division 1. “If we make Donabate a fortress like we have done over the past couple of years then anything is possible. Reaching the top four isn’t a million miles away and that would secure a play-off. If we play to our strengths and to the best of our abilities, we reckon we can take anyone on our day. It’s a good mentality to have. But it is our first year in Division 1 so we’ll see how it goes.”

Jesse's St Pats Donabate are taking on Ballymun Kickams on Sunday at 10.30am in Donabate.

S.DAWSON 06/03/14

Graham Linehan: one half of the comedy duo that gave us Father Ted.

Today mark’s the 16^th anniversary of one of Ireland’s greatest comedic talents, Dermot Morgan. The most iconic role that he played was the lead role of Fr Ted Crilly in the hit sitcom, Fr Ted. The show was created by Graham Lineham and Arthur Mathews. It was thanks to the hard work of Linehan that Dermot Morgan is such a well known face both in Ireland and England. Dermot Morgan spoke extremely highly of Graham Linehan describing his as an “insane comedy genius.”

Graham Linehan is one of the most accomplished comedy writers Ireland has produced. He is a product of Colaiste Dhulaigh, studying in the post-leaving certificate institution from 1987 to 1988. Graham studied media in the Coolock campus, which was the only campus at the time.

The Castlenock native came from a middle class background. He attended Plunkett’s secondary school in Whitehall before completing his tenure at second level education at the Catholic University School on the south side of Dublin city. Although Graham had a staunchly religious upbringing he has referred to himself in the past as “the first generation to turn their back on the Church.”

From an early age, Graham wanted to pursue a career in writing. Colaiste Dhulaigh enhanced his appetite for a career in media. Shortly after departing from Colaiste Dhulaigh, Graham obtained a job with Hot Press magazine. The journey Graham took in his literary career focuses more on the portfolio of work he built, than the educational institutions he attended.

In the current world of media, which is transforming daily, it is important to have stories that you can call your own. The fact that you’ve got those stories in a portfolio of work is of paramount importance. Stories that landed; stories that were real. Even though they didn’t end up where you wanted, those are yours. Sometimes you get a story and you might not work at some place that’s that important in the national narrative but if it’s important enough people will reach down and grab it, and it will end up happening for you. Luckily for Graham, this is what occurred.

During his time at Hot Press, he met Arthur Mathews. Arthur and Graham formed a formidable comedy duo. They were the writers for the iconic Irish comedy, Father Ted. Graham’s major breakthrough came from the success of Father Ted, produced by Hat Trick Productions for Channel 4. Actor Dermot Morgan regarded Hat Trick productions as the “AC Milan of comedy producers” Graham has stated in the past that he offered the show to Channel 4 instead of RTE because there was “no sophistication in Irish TV.”

Dermot Morgan who played the lead role of Fr Ted Crilly in the hit show Father Ted.

Graham departed for England in his early twenties. The early 90s was a very druggy scene in London, according to Graham. Ecstasy was the drug of journalism at the time. He had a very frugal living when he first arrived in the English capital. He spent his first few months living on floors, with a diet that, at one point, consisted entirely of hot dogs. While writing for music magazines in London, he maintained this unstable lifestyle for a few months going through those years in a slight fuzz.

His big break came with the production of the aforementioned Father Ted. The BAFTA award winning series is a timeless classic. First airing in 1995, it is still renowned today as one of the greatest comedy shows ever. It is also one of the most quotable comedy shows, thanks to the witty writing style of both Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan. In 2000, the pair released the scripts for the Father Ted series in a book entitled: ‘Father Ted: The Complete Scripts.’

Graham attributes the success of the series largely on the fact that it was aired on a British broadcasting channel. When talking about this decision Graham has also said: “why would you give it to RTE, you may as well give it to Waterford Glass”. Graham is aware that some of the clerical jokes may not be as successful in modern times, since the Church has been so victimised by the media.

The early complaints of the show being anti-Irish came largely from an English audience. Graham often found himself, as an Irishman, defending any anti-Irish sentiment perceived in the show against an opposing argument from an English contingent which was quite perplexing for the young Dubliner.

The success of Father Ted was a just reward for the gallant work the young and determined writer was putting into his work during his unglamorous living arrangements when he first emigrated to London in the early 90s.

Graham has also produced other hit comedic work. He scripted numerous scenes in sketch shows such as Harry Enfield and Chums, Brass Eye, Alas Smith and Jones, The All New Alexei Sayle Show, and The Fast Show where Graham, along with his writing partner Arthur Mathews, was the brainchild behind the characters Ted and Ralph.

Graham also wrote one series of Paris, which was not as highly acclaimed as Father Ted. It failed to get recommissioned after the first series. Graham’s most accomplished writing venture to date is Father Ted. However, the most tragic event of his career is also connected with this show. The actor, Dermot Morgan, who was omnipresent in the show with the lead role as Fr Ted Crilly, sadly passed away after suffering a heart attack just as the final series drew to a close.

The death obviously had quite an affect on the brash writer. It took Graham two years before returning to writing. During these years he returned to live in Dublin with his wife Helen, who he married in 2004. They had been living in the London suburb of  Canonbury, near Islington. Canonbury has been voted one of the most dangerous towns in England due to its high crime rates.

Graham and his wife would often see posters on street lamps asking for eye witnesses to assaults and rapes, which occurred in broad daylight. As crime became more frequent in his locality, he knew it was time for a change. And he returned to his hometown. However, Dublin had changed greatly since he first departed for England.

Graham had grown up in the ‘Hot Press scene’ of casual writing and drinking in pubs which did not appeal now to a more focused and driven Graham. He wasn’t a big drinker either, so the pub lifestyle was never an option. The addition of the love of his life, Helen, was also a big factor in his more work-centred lifestyle. He was creating a family; he needed a secure income to provide for.

Graham returned to the comedy scene by co-writing Black Books, another highly successful show receiving a BAFTA for Best Situation Comedy in 2001. Graham was a mainstay of the first series of Black Books, scripting all six episodes with Dylan Moran. Graham took a step back for the following series and was determined to embark on a venture where he would be the only writer, after numerous co-writing experiences.

Graham’s first solo project was The IT Crowd. Graham both scripted and directed all 25 episodes, and was the producer of the first series. The show is beautifully crafted to have jokes throughout every episode while at the same time maintaining a storyline based on loveable nerds in an IT office expertly played by Chris O’Dowd and Richard Ayoade. The extravagant Noel Fielding makes regular appearances in the show also.

Graham decided to return to the traditional method of producing a show in front of a studio audience, mimicking the success that Father Ted achieved from such methods of production. He chose this uncommon method while successful comedy shows at the same time, such as The Office, were created in the opposite manner in a mockumentary style.

The IT Crowd won both an IFTA and BAFTA award in 2009 having been nominated the previous two years and missing out on achieving the top accolade. In 2008 the global success of The IT Crowd was evident as it claimed an International Emmy. The talent of Graham was being recognised in Britain and Ireland, and also across the globe, which is no more than this quick-thinking writing sensation deserved.

Graham’s most recent work was co-writing Count Arthur Strong with Steve Delaney which aired for six episodes on BBC 2 last year. The now 45 year old Graham Linehan has had a decorated career, one which is still developing as he embarks on many new projects. Although he is now happily married with two young children, he is still as driven as ever.

Graham’s latest venture is The Walshes, starring Owen Roe who many would know from his five year stint on Ballykissangel. The show is based on an Irish family and is set in Ireland but it is due to be shot in London. It will be co-produced by RTE and the BBC. The three-part series is based in the fictional west Dublin suburb of Strollinstown. The idea is based on Diet Of Worms web series Taste Of Home, which recreated a family’s home videos from the 1980s. The Walshe's debuts on RTE next Thursday the 6th of March.

Graham has had a hugely successful career since graduating Colaiste Dhulaigh 26 years ago. But his success has come from exploring all avenues himself. In order to be successful in the business, one must be confident enough to take chances. Graham nostalgically talks of his past experiences, once saying that: “I found it [moving to London] quite freeing. London just didn’t care about me. I could become a writer or I could become a junkie, and there would be no ripples either way”.

Graham Linehan’s fame can be seen from the fact he has amassed over 340,000 followers on Twitter. Any writer from Colaiste Dhulaigh can only hope if they are to be a fraction as successful as this particular alumni; they can take solace in the fact that their time in Colaiste Dhulaigh was educational, character building, and most efficacious. One cannot wait for their own extraordinary experiences, they must be seized upon. The future depends on what you do today.

S.DAWSON 28/02/14