Personalise Your Experience

Ulster Bank
Ulster Bank
 
  • GAA Force

Meet the GAA Fan Reporters

Niall Farrell's avatar

Niall Farrell

Niall Farrell is a 20 year-old reporter who is passionate about Gaelic Games. He played hurling for St.Clare's as a schoolboy and is a current member of the DCU Handball Club. As a reporter, Niall covered DCU's winning Sigerson Cup season and football league campaign, as well as the DCU hurling team's run to the Ryan Cup final and league win. He also reports on League of Ireland soccer for extratime.ie- reporting live from grounds around the country.

Pearse Corcoran's avatar

Pearse Corcoran

Pearse Corcoran is an avid sports fan who comes from a vast GAA background, including his father who won an All Ireland medal with Cavan and brothers who represented Dublin in Hurling and Football. Pearse has performed many roles within his home club of Ballinteer St. Johns and takes his knowledge of Gaelic Games into the role of a journalist. Pearse has previously worked for the Sunday Times, The Star and has experience working in radio broadcasting. Pearse who recently won the Irish Colleges Fresher of the Year for 2009/2010 for his college IT Tallaght hopes to bring the same skills that many of the great Gaelic football players display week in week out to his blog posts. Pearse lists his sporting writing heroes as Jimmy Magee and Brian Carthy.

David Prendergast's avatar

David Prendergast

David Prendergast is twenty two years old and comes from Kilrossanty in Co. Waterford. He is going into his final year studying English and History in University of Limerick. His grandfather was a member of the historic Waterford football team which beat Kerry in 1957 and Cork in 1960. His passion for the G.A.A. stems from his family's involvement and parish's obsession. Living in the mountains he learnt from a young age that there is nothing only football. His home club Kilrossanty is a proud GAA parish steeped in history, silverware (although our last success at Senior level dates back to 1989) and anecdotes. Just ask Paidi O Se how Kerry got their famous green and gold colours!

Ciaran Daly's avatar

Ciaran Daly

Ciaran Daly is a 27 year old sports journalist from Newry. He is finishing a Masters in Journalism at DCU and is working on placement at the sports section of the Irish Times for the duration of the summer. Ciaran was this year's winner of the Veronica Guerin Memorial Bursary. He is a long-suffering Down fan. The first big game he remembers going to was the Mourne men's semi-final victory over Kerry in 1991 at Croke Park. Ciaran has worked at the Newry Democrat as a GAA correspondent. He has also had articles published in the Irish Times and the Examiner.

Liam Kelly's avatar

Liam Kelly

Liam Kelly is twenty two years old and comes from Co. Monaghan. He is studying Sports Journalism at the University of Lincoln in England. His passion and huge interest in Gaelic games is reflected in his dissertation, 'GAA and the question of Professionalism'. Gaelic football has been a part of his life since he was a child and he still plays for his local club side, Aghabog in Co. Monaghan. At 22 he is still quite young but has already collected medals at both minor and senior level. This opportunity to report on inter-county fixtures at championship level is one that he intends to grasp with both hands.

pentest3's avatar

pentest3

pentest4's avatar

pentest4

  • 23 Aug 2010

    McCartan managing to keep control

    Ciaran Daly on Down manager, James McCartan, before Sunday's semi-final between Down and Kildare. read more

    Comment (0)

    IF YOU WATCHED James McCartan during his playing days you might be forgiven for assuming that he might be a brash and almost cocky character on the side-lines because his style was such as a player that he got under the skin of opponents with his trickery and confidence on the ball.

    In reality, McCartan the man and manager could not be any more different. A considered and calm individual who prefers to stay out of the media spotlight, he must take much credit for the huge improvement in Down’s fortunes this year.

    McCartan himself has shied away from accepting plaudits for the team’s progress, insisting that the many new players who came to the fore was the main reason for Down’s march to the semi-final.

    “We’ve brought a lot of new boys into the squad this year. You’ve got the likes of Benny (Coulter) and Danny (Huges) and Dee Rafferty of course but there are a lot of players who are in single figures for Championship matches.  Kalum King is in his first season of Championship football and others like Benny McArdle are relatively new to the set-up so it’s a much changed side from the last few years,” McCartan said.

    The praise for his players is one thing but the job McCartan and his backroom team of Brian McIver, Paddy Tally and Jerome Johnston have done this year should not be underestimated. To integrate those new players into the fold without upsetting the applecart is a feat in itself and the truth is, although some of the players are new to championship football most have been on the periphery of the squad for the past couple of years.

    McCartan’s influence it seems is more important than the manager himself might care to admit to. Benny Coulter has praised the manager for the calming influence he exerts on the team.

    “He never shouts or loses the head. At half-time he is usually very calm and that helps to make you calm. He talks about what’s going on in the game and where things might be going wrong. He’s been really good but he’s also got a great back room team in Brian (McIver), Paddy Tally and Jerome Johnston. They know so much about football and Down football and they make things so much easier,” said the Mayobridge man.

    It is a point that the players and McCartan himself is keen to point out. It is not the manager but the entire management team who are helping to make Down tick. Still, the changes in personnel and tactics overseen by McCartan that have propelled Down to a surprise place in the semi-final must ultimately be taken by the man himself and for that he deserves praise. The mark of the man means that he is not likely to allow himself to think like that. Such thoughts of self-praise and acceptance of adulation do not come easy to McCartan and it seems that those hallmarks are also shared by the team he manages.

    Comments

    Commenting is not available in this channel entry.

Ulster Bank Events

Check out the events page for the latest events from the Off The Ball Roadshow to photo opportunities with the Sam Maguire Cup. Find one happening near you.

Find out more

Gaelic Football Challenge

Find out more

Home Away Date Time Venue
London Leitrim 03.06.2012 3:00 Ruislip
Longford Wexford 03.06.2012 2:00 Croke Park
Louth Dublin 03.06.2012 4:00 Croke Park
Clare Limerick 09.06.2012 7:00 Cusack Park, Ennis or Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

View more

Home Score Away Score Date Venue
Roscommon 0-10 Galway 3-15 20.05 Hyde Park
Cavan 1-10 Donegal 1-16 20.05 Kingspan Breffni Park
Limerick 2-12 Waterford 0-7 20.05 Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
Westmeath 0-14 Louth 2-9 20.05 Navan

View more