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

  • 20 Aug 2010

    The Meaning of the Ritual

    Razzmatazz: ‘A long and imposing series of mindless but necessary tasks’ . The word ‘razzmatazz’ has many definitions, but this particular meaning may have been conjured up by some punter after watching Cork forward Daniel Goulding performing his pre-kick rituals before each placed ball. read more

    Comment (0)

    Razzmatazz: ‘A long and imposing series of mindless but necessary tasks’ . The word ‘razzmatazz’ has many definitions, but this particular meaning may have been conjured up by some punter after watching Cork forward Daniel Goulding performing his pre-kick rituals before each placed ball. The art of placed kicking has been slowly fading since the 1989 rule amendment which allowed free takers to choose whether they kicked their free from the hands or from the ground.

    In a recent talk with John ‘Jackson’ Kiely he informed me that in seventy minutes of play, the ball is only played for about thirty minutes due to stoppages such as fouls, kick-outs and the ball going over the side-lines.
    When Cork are playing one could surely attribute two or three minutes of time lost to Daniel Goulding for his detailed procedure before each placed kick. However such an observation must not be mistaken for a complaint, for what we are watching when Gouding’s fine-tuned feet meet each kick is, simply, the art of placed kicking broken down into a science.

    Out of all the other placed kickers in GAA around the country, there is surely not a more intense routine than Gouldings. Routine is vital to make any system work. The importance of a routine for a placed kicker to be successful is that it allows for a sense of composure in the kickers mind. It offers an escape hatch from the strain and emotion of the pressure cooker situation.
    In the All-Ireland Quarter final between Cork and Roscommon the reception for placed kickers Donie Shine and Daniel Goulding was incredible in difference. When Shine was preparing his kicks pure silence and appreciation enveloped the stadium. When Goulding was getting in gear, hisses tolled from the four corners of Croker as the mass supporters of Roscommon did their best to put him off. It made no difference. Goulding slotted over two frees and a 45 to a chorus of boos that dared blemish his sacred process. Although his ‘happy feet’ may be slow and painful to watch, they get results for the Eire Og club man. By going through his routine each time, and the imaginary checklist in his head (eight steps back, two to the side, feet shuffle and over the bar) he is able to block out the catcalls and therefore remove the emotion from the kick. Routine equals focus, which in turn floods over into a safe anchor. It offers reassurance through the simplistic and is a form of mediation which ensures a perfect rhythm to Gouldings kicks.
    In Cork’s six championship games this year Goulding has pointed twenty one frees and three 45’s, a fact more impressive considering the Rebel’s free taking duties are also shared with Colm O’Neill and Donnacha O’Connor. If Cork are to prevail against Dublin in this Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final, then the precision of Goulding’s method will need to be as fine-tuned as his feet for the end product to silence the Hill.

    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