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Donal McAnallen

The Cardinal Ó Fiaich Memorial Library and Archive in Armagh will host a two day conference entitled “For Community, County and Country” in eight days time. It’s part of the Ulster Council’s celebrations of the 125th anniversary of the GAA.

On this edition of the Gaelgames podcast here at www.gaelgames.com, Padraig Coyle has been hearing some of the detail of what’s being planned for the conference from Donal McAnallen, an education officer at the Cardinal Ó Fiaich Memorial Library.

Peter Canavan

One of Gaelic football¹s great stars of recent times, Peter Canavan talks

to Padraig Coyle on this edition of the Gael games podcast.

Peter, who won almost every honour in the game, has been retired from inter

county football for a couple of seasons though not before winning two All

Ireland senior medals for Tyrone.  He’s still deeply involved in the sport

as a manager with Errigal Ciaran as well as being part of the coaching staff

at Holy Trinity College, Cookstown.

In this interview, Peter talks about the enjoyment he gets from coaching at

vocational colleges level as well as giving his views on the debate about

the perceived dangers that Gaelic football is under from Australian Rules.

If you have any comments do contact us at www.gaelgames.com

Oakleaf magazine

Chris McCann, a professional journalist and coach to the Limavady Wolfhounds minor and under 21 football teams talks to Padraig Coyle on this edition of the Gael games podcast here at www.gaelgames.com.
Chris is editor of a new publication, the Oakleaf Magazine, which features Gaelic sports in County Derry. The magazine profiles former Derry All Star and Northern Ireland international Gerry McElhinney and examines the success story behind Ballinderry Shamrocks.

On this edition of the Gael Games podcast, Padraig Coyle looks back at some of the weekend action from the Allianz National Hurling Football and Hurling Leagues. He hears from Laois manager Sean Dempsey after his side defeat Armagh at the Athletic Grounds. Armagh manager Peter McDonnell is less than pleased with the performance.

However Derry’s Damian Cassidy is measured in his thoughts following the Oakleaf County’s destruction of Westmmeath at Ballinsascreen.

And ahead of the quarter finals of the Ulster Bank Sigerson Cup, Padraig speaks to Coilin Duffy , the press officer for the tournament in which Jordanstown is defending its title.

Listen to the podcast here.

Terence McNaughton

Former All Star hurler, Terence McNaughton is the joint manger of the Antrim hurling team and this edition of the Gael Games podcast, Terence talks to Padraig Coyle about his passion for the sport and sets out some of the targets that he and Dominic McKinlay have their sights on for 2009.

It’s going to be a busy year for the Saffrons as the county aims to finish in a high position in the Allianz National Hurling League, retain its Ulster Championship title and then later in the season compete in the Leinster Hurling Championship for the first time.

Padraig spoke to Terence at his workshop in Cushendall where he handcrafts hurling sticks.

Listen to the podcast here.

In this edition of the Gael Games Podcast, we look back to a busy few days in Gaelic games.

The Allianz National Football League is underway, UUJ gain bragging rights over Queen’s University again and the Ulster Council of the GAA launching its plans for the 125th anniversary celebrations of Cumann Luthchleas Gael.

There are contributions from Tyrone manager Mickey Harte, Katherine O’Hara chair of the Ulster Camogie Council, Terence McNaughton - joint manager of Antrim’s senior hurling team, Ulster Council president Tom Daly, and Danny Murphy, secretary of the Ulster Council.

Listen to the podcast here:

This weekend sees the first round of matches in the Allianz National Football League with Derry defending the title it won last year.

At  the Belfast launch of the tournament Padraig Coyle  met Tyrone’s All Ireland winning captain, Brian Dooher, Charlie Vernon of Queen’s University and Armagh and Derry star Paddy Bradley who has recently returned from a four month break in Australia. They give their views on what lies ahead, while Donal Bollard of sponsors Alliance talks about why this 17 year relationship with the GAA has been so successful.

Thank you for downloading the podcast and if you want to comment on what has been said do contact us at gaelgames.com

The first silverware of the season was decided last weekend when Donegal claimed the Gaelic Life Dr McKenna Cup title with a 2-12 to 0- 11 points win, in extra time, over Queen’s University. The next phase of the season is the Allianz National League in both hurling and football. The curtain raiser will be Saturday night’s clash of Dublin and All Ireland champions Tyrone under the floodlights at Croke Park.
But let’s ask ourselves about the development of the players who will be gracing the big stages during the season. What may have helped in getting them to this stage in their careers?

One answer, for those who play in Ulster , will have been the Ulster Colleges Council which organises various post primary tournaments.

One of the many volunteers who gives up a lot of his time in the running of these events is the UCC treasurer, Sean McGourty. There are 36 competitions – 16 for hurling, 20 for football. And there are some 1400 games played in a relatively short space of time before the champions of the Mageean, McRory and all the other cups are crowned.

Sean highlights the importance of these competitions in the overall development of young people regardless of whether they go on to win the highest accolades - the Colleges All Star awards.

Have you come through this colleges system in your football career? Do you believe that it helped you both on and off the field? Do you agree with Sean’s views on the subject?

Listen to the podcast interview and leave your comments here at gaelgames.com

As you head out the M1 motorway towards Stockmans Lane  and beyond, you may notice some GAA pitches on the right hand side of the road behind the Bog Meadows.  In there you’ll find the home of one of Belfast’s best known GAA clubs - St Galls.  Next year the club celebrates its 100th anniversary and already  work is well advanced in compiling an extensive history which will be published in 2010.

In this gaelgames.com  podcast, club historian James A Walsh  tells Padraig Coyle  a little of the remarkable story of St Galls who have been Antrim and Ulster club champions, but are still waiting to bring home the All Ireland club title in football and hurling.

There are stories, too, about tragedies in the early decades of the last century as well as the association with the  international teaching order, the De La Salle Brothers, and a man nicknamed ‘Big Kerry’. 

As the club prepares for that big birthday in 2010, it’s asking for additional help in charting its history.  You can contact the club at  naomhgall.com 

We’ve had a huge number of downloads of our first podcast which featured an interview with former Armagh star and Gaelic football commentator Jimmy Smyth.

In this podcast, one of Ireland’s most experienced and respected football coaches gives his views on the early weeks of the new season.

Adrian McGuckin , whose club Ballinderry went all the way to win the All Ireland club title in 2002, has also guided St Patrick’s Maghera to success in the MacRory Cup. His connections with Derry as both a player and as part of the Eamon Coleman era have established his credentials as one of Gaelic games’ leading analysts.

For nearly a decade he has been a regular broadcaster on the BBC Sunday Sportsound programme where his observations have stimulated much debate on the state of the sport.

More recently Adrian has been coaching Donegal Seniors and University of Ulster Jordanstown - the present holders of the Ulster Bank Sigerson Cup.

In this Gaelgames.com podcast Adrian McGuckin reflects on the season so far as UUJ prepare to defend the Sigerson Cup.