National Forum

Kieran Bergin Interview

(Oldest Posts First)

I have seen some of the comments which were made during Kierans interview with the Star. Just wondering if anyone has a link to the full interview?

He seemed to touch on a lot of points regarding the unsustainable nature and the different attitudes in GAA vs other sports

juicy (Meath) - Posts: 399 - 08/01/2018 16:48:05    2067369

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Spot on. I feel sorry for my friends who play club b football and miss many social events even though the game is 2 or 3 weeks away. The problem is if only one team implements a drink ban every team does it as going off the drunk is seen as an advantage. I am not so sure it is when it's weeks away...the week before and leading up to the big game then sure...

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11230 - 08/01/2018 17:31:05    2067377

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Replying To yew_tree:  "Spot on. I feel sorry for my friends who play club b football and miss many social events even though the game is 2 or 3 weeks away. The problem is if only one team implements a drink ban every team does it as going off the drunk is seen as an advantage. I am not so sure it is when it's weeks away...the week before and leading up to the big game then sure..."
Junior B off the drink???!!!

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1908 - 08/01/2018 19:29:15    2067398

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Kieran makes points a agree with however to revert to the tyical Irish stereotype of drink is depressing in the extreme. Poor wee Irish man didn't get out on a Saturday night for his 13 pints of piss water in some bar he's been in since he was 15. Heres something, why not go out and not drink. There's plenty to do on a weekend without drinking. God forbid. Think off the money you would save and the hang over free day the day after to spend with your family etc. No wonder the world thinks we are a pack of booze filled edjits.

The_Fridge (Tyrone) - Posts: 2088 - 08/01/2018 20:48:54    2067410

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I'd be interested to know what a top athlete's preparation would be say 4 or 5 weeks out from the Olympics or other big events. Bergin references seeing rugby lads on the piss days out from Heineken (how apt) Cup games, not sure how accurate that is.

ballydalane (Kilkenny) - Posts: 1246 - 08/01/2018 20:59:26    2067413

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I don't see any issue with a few drinks after a game or on a normal weekend. The effect would be negligible for a fit young man. If the norm was that players would have 2-3 drinks and go home I doubt anybody else would have an issue either. Unfortunately we have a culture of heavy binge drinking in Ireland, and this does not go well with high level sport.

I would broadly agree with Kieran's main point, which was more about the overall commitment required of amateur intercounty players rather than just not being aloud a few pints at the weekend. It is becoming unsustainable and something has to give. I think semi professionalism is inevitable and will separate the strong counties from the pack even further.

I heard interview with Paul Flynn and more recently Donnacha Walsh on OTB where they spoke about giving up careers that they had trained for in order to make more time for football and better their chances of making the county team. Neither seemed to regret it in hindsight, but that's not the point. It's crazy that young lads are thinking this way and the opportunity cost for some could be huge.

GeniusGerry (Kerry) - Posts: 2105 - 08/01/2018 21:45:08    2067419

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Replying To The_Fridge:  "Kieran makes points a agree with however to revert to the tyical Irish stereotype of drink is depressing in the extreme. Poor wee Irish man didn't get out on a Saturday night for his 13 pints of piss water in some bar he's been in since he was 15. Heres something, why not go out and not drink. There's plenty to do on a weekend without drinking. God forbid. Think off the money you would save and the hang over free day the day after to spend with your family etc. No wonder the world thinks we are a pack of booze filled edjits."
that is not what he is saying.
i doubt anybody thinks heavy drinking is a good idea,but as a low level runner,i sometimes have 2-3 pints on a saturday night and while i am a bit slow on sunday morning,by monday run i am able to run at the same pace as saturday.
it would be much healthier for all involved,and especially the mental well being of young men in rural ireland,if they were allowed have some sort of social life.
if a lad went out and had a bottle or two of beer,it would matter not a jot.but of course if he played a bad game "sure he was out drinking last weekend".
and nobody is saying the day before a match,or heavy drinking the week before,etc.
a bit of perspective is lacking in the gaa.young lads are different now to when micko had lads doing 50 laps of the field.players,at club and county level,are just turning away from the game.

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 09/01/2018 10:56:58    2067466

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Replying To ballydalane:  "I'd be interested to know what a top athlete's preparation would be say 4 or 5 weeks out from the Olympics or other big events. Bergin references seeing rugby lads on the piss days out from Heineken (how apt) Cup games, not sure how accurate that is."
I would be extremely surprised if that happened with the rugby players.

The_Fridge (Tyrone) - Posts: 2088 - 09/01/2018 10:57:31    2067467

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Replying To The_Fridge:  "I would be extremely surprised if that happened with the rugby players."
Why also the need for such long pre season training in Gaa. In the Premier League they return for pre season on July 1st with the League starting middle of August. Get lots done in 6 weeks.

FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2763 - 09/01/2018 12:07:08    2067482

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I think there's a small bit of hyperbole surrounding the hermit like existence of GAA players and how awful it is to be an inter county footballer/hurler.

I think it is one of those things that because it gets repeated so often has become true in many people's opinions, and it also helps feed into the constant negativity surrounding everything GAA in the media and in general conversation that is happening at the moment.

Undoubtedly there is a balance to be struck that isn't being at the moment but it isn't as bad as being portrayed imo.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 09/01/2018 12:28:47    2067489

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Replying To perfect10:  "that is not what he is saying.
i doubt anybody thinks heavy drinking is a good idea,but as a low level runner,i sometimes have 2-3 pints on a saturday night and while i am a bit slow on sunday morning,by monday run i am able to run at the same pace as saturday.
it would be much healthier for all involved,and especially the mental well being of young men in rural ireland,if they were allowed have some sort of social life.
if a lad went out and had a bottle or two of beer,it would matter not a jot.but of course if he played a bad game "sure he was out drinking last weekend".
and nobody is saying the day before a match,or heavy drinking the week before,etc.
a bit of perspective is lacking in the gaa.young lads are different now to when micko had lads doing 50 laps of the field.players,at club and county level,are just turning away from the game."
Kieran had a choice. He could of stopped playing inter county at any time if it was that bad.
Remember inter county get treated like gods in a lot of counties. Jobs and favours get done at the drop of a hat.
You run, I bet you don't get hundreds of pounds worth of free gear, doctors, physio's, masseur's and the opportunity to play in front of 80000 people in the best studiums. The way some inter county players complain (mostly when they retire or are dropped, I wonder why?), you would think it's s death sentence. The pros outweighs the cons by a mile.
If you don't like the pressure or commitment of inter county you have the option of playing club which isn't as pressurised or committed. If that's to much play reserve or junior b. Players have a choice.

The_Fridge (Tyrone) - Posts: 2088 - 09/01/2018 16:20:15    2067540

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Yeah that's fair enough and i understand your opinion on it. you must remember you're from Tyrone. however what happens if more and more young lads decide that it's just not worth it. I just can't see how its worth the commitment for basically any of the division 3 or 4 teams and even a few division 2 teams. My fear is that in 10 years you'll be left with an elite 6-8 teams (its already started with the super 8's) and as for the rest, Leitrim, Longford, Wicklow etc, even Counties like Down, Cavan, Meath the games will die on its knees because the gap along with the lack of funding will be unbridgeable.

theweanling (Cavan) - Posts: 414 - 09/01/2018 16:57:13    2067550

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Replying To The_Fridge:  "Kieran makes points a agree with however to revert to the tyical Irish stereotype of drink is depressing in the extreme. Poor wee Irish man didn't get out on a Saturday night for his 13 pints of piss water in some bar he's been in since he was 15. Heres something, why not go out and not drink. There's plenty to do on a weekend without drinking. God forbid. Think off the money you would save and the hang over free day the day after to spend with your family etc. No wonder the world thinks we are a pack of booze filled edjits."
Davy Fitz dropped 2 lads off his panel in Clare for going out and not drinking!!

woops (Kerry) - Posts: 2073 - 10/01/2018 10:36:06    2067621

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Replying To theweanling:  "Yeah that's fair enough and i understand your opinion on it. you must remember you're from Tyrone. however what happens if more and more young lads decide that it's just not worth it. I just can't see how its worth the commitment for basically any of the division 3 or 4 teams and even a few division 2 teams. My fear is that in 10 years you'll be left with an elite 6-8 teams (its already started with the super 8's) and as for the rest, Leitrim, Longford, Wicklow etc, even Counties like Down, Cavan, Meath the games will die on its knees because the gap along with the lack of funding will be unbridgeable."
i think that has happened already,and joe sheridan has reinforced that by his interview regarding players leaving the meath panel.
the problem is also a societal one in ireland though,i work in a hotel/bar and if a player was seen in having a pint,half of wexford would have heard about it before he had left.and then if he had a bad game on sunday,itd be "sure he was drinking last weekend",but as i have often seen players have the game of their lives a few days after a few pints,there is not a word about it.
personally,i think the performance hit from a couple of pints and a night out is negligible,and it makes the inter county game a far more palatable setup.
i accept kieran had a choice,but for me,a manager,being paid x amount per night,telling players they need to do a b and c,no drinking,5 nights a week,madness.
i would love to see,one county try training 2-3 hard nights a week,and see how much better or worse they get over the year.i bet the difference would be very little.
it is supposed to be a hobby after all.

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 12/01/2018 09:26:41    2067915

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Colm Parkinson interviewed him on the latest GAA Hour Podcast
https://soundcloud.com/sportsjoe-gaa-hour/kieran-bergin-on-intercounty-life-micko-unfair-on-laois-players

SlipperyDodger (Cork) - Posts: 93 - 14/01/2018 21:52:21    2068358

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