Hot Summers

Westfester (Limerick) - Posts: 941 - 11/04/2018 23:32:32    2092498

PyatPree (Cork) - Posts: 376 - 12/04/2018 00:27:07    2092500

The amateur ethos in teams and decisions being made by top brass that weren't all about the money.

kildare73 (Kildare) - Posts: 854 - 12/04/2018 01:56:35    2092503

Blackthorn boots, buck lepping after scoring.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 12/04/2018 11:25:19    2092537

King crisps in clones on Ulster final day, when all Stewart's to end of match positions wasn't announced 10 times in the last throngs of a match, the avenger not starting after the match , 6 pints before the match and 6 after then drive for a "feed" before we head to the local that had a band playing on a Sunday evening,less adds on tv during a match...

stoneygrey (Monaghan) - Posts: 213 - 12/04/2018 11:50:51    2092546

When you couldn't get your head around the idea that one fella in your school just didn't play Gaelic football. I mean, what did he do in the evenings, at weekends, all summer!?

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5010 - 12/04/2018 12:47:49    2092560

The late eighties, early nineties, the tar bubbling on the streets of clones. walking down the hill making plans for the celebrations in Donegal town, another few pints in the Creighton, then sitting in traffic for hours as we headed home, but it didn't bother us as we knew the anglo celt was coming back to the hills. oh for the days.

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2391 - 12/04/2018 13:18:31    2092568

jumping across stone steps in County grounds as kids. including splitting my lip once when i misjudged the jump.
"Any one for the last few choc ices "

Blackbog (Carlow) - Posts: 704 - 12/04/2018 13:19:15    2092570

The 'plan b' announcement going out to the stewards at Croke Park when you'd be running onto the pitch after the All-Ireland final, never did find out what plan B actually was!

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 12/04/2018 13:41:19    2092577

Club Championship being played throughout the summer.

Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 2099 - 12/04/2018 13:51:06    2092579

Straight forward knock out championship hurling.
Granted we were usually the ones licking our wounds and gone early but the sheer joy when we managed to beat Cork or Tipp in the munster championship, let alone win the munster final.

I hated the back door when it came in,felt it just gave stronger teams a second chance.

I still remember the shock on the Cork supporters when we beat them at home by a point in 2001.. The absolute silence on the Cork terrace at the final whistle.
Defending munster champs, won the A I the year before that yet gone after one game. Don't have too many good memories from Cork, but that's one of them. :)

skillet (Limerick) - Posts: 1056 - 12/04/2018 15:04:45    2092594

At the playing of the National Anthem, each player in position with his marker. Full Forward side by side the Fullback, man on man, and let the battle begin and best man win!

bogger from meath (Meath) - Posts: 226 - 12/04/2018 16:00:13    2092614

1,The old crepe paper hats with the dye running down your face when it rained.
2. being able to clap players on the shoulder as the ran into the tunnel under the Cusack Stand. I remember as a little kid my dad holding me while I clapped Mick O'Connell as he ran in during half time in a Railway Cup game.
3. The sight of the Dubs on the Hill parting like the Red Sea when the Gardai baton charged them.
4. Lads sitting on the roof of the toilets on Hill 16.
5. The oul lads in the white coats wading through the stands with cardboard boxes shouting 'Ice creams now, Ice Creams!".

avonali (Dublin) - Posts: 1974 - 12/04/2018 17:27:24    2092644

Crowds on the pitch after the final whistle on Provincial and All Ireland final days.

Chops (Westmeath) - Posts: 775 - 12/04/2018 19:00:32    2092660

Togging out under a hedge, from the boot of a car, in a disused railway freight carriage, ropes for crossbars , pitches with all manner of hills and slopes.

Wet hurling balls that ended up the shape of a rugby ball by end of training session. No 90 yard points with one of those !

One set of jersies to do all the teams in the club.

Can tick to experiencing all of the above.

facethepuckout (Roscommon) - Posts: 214 - 12/04/2018 21:13:48    2092686

Remember the lad who sat on the Nally stand roof beside the tricolour, for the whole '95 final? the hill were giving him abuse for sitting during the anthem :D

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8585 - 12/04/2018 21:27:24    2092689

What I miss most is club football in the 1980s, most grounds didn't have a stand or fencing around the pitch which meant supporters stood on the side line. I remember these games as a kid where the ref would start the game and both sides giving their all but when the ball was kicked into the corner forward on your right the supporters on the left couldn't see what was going on so they stepped onto the pitch to see but never returned to their original spot so when the ball was kicked into the other side of the pitch the crowd on the right couldn't see so they stepped out onto the pitch this see saw thing would happen through out the entire game, on numerous occasions the ref would stop the game and ask the crowd to go back to the side line. It felt like we were all playing the game, the joking, laughing and banter between both sets of supporters, linesmen, refs and players made every game every summer one to enjoy and savour. Fencing around the pitches disconnected the players and team from the supporters and their families and for me destroyed club football, yes it was probably needed for insurance reasons and to prevent unsavoury incidents on the pitch from escalating further and involving supporters that could run onto the pitch and start punching players

riverboys (Mayo) - Posts: 1389 - 12/04/2018 23:02:20    2092701

The thing I miss most is watching Gaelic Football being played by two good teams, what they play now is pass the ball . Something has to be done to make the game worth watching again, maybe do away with both the hand and fist pass , Good job my playing days are over , the present game cant be very enjoyable to be playing in when all you are allowed to do is keep ball , don't let the other team score and hope your team scores a few points on the break.

culmore (None) - Posts: 1398 - 12/04/2018 23:21:29    2092708

neverright (Roscommon) - Posts: 1648 - 13/04/2018 00:07:46    2092722

winning!

Kiwiq (Kildare) - Posts: 38 - 13/04/2018 06:59:13    2092744