My first time seeing Limerick was 1981 in the drawn semi final v Galway. I don't remember a thing about the game.

The first 'proper' memories were from 1983. Limerick drew with Cork in the Munster Championship, in Limerick and we travelled to Pairc Ui Chaoimh for the replay. A lot of neighbours travelled together in a van. A scatter of kids were in with young and older adults. The driver often drank a few pints on the way to & from the game. Getting to Pairc Ui Chaoimh was like the scene in Gladiator where Oliver Reed returns to the Coliseum. As Kids it was like another world. The excitement of being in Cork, a long way from home, the smell of tobacco in the air, the smell of freshly cut grass. The rumours about Eamonn Cregan being in the team or not - all made for a massive build up.

As a child, maybe things look simpler, but it was simple back then. They wore Red & White, we wore Green & White. No sponsors, no writing on the shirts. Simple colour. As the teams ran out onto the field there would be a roar, lads would be coming in late with pints on board. Then the Anthem and battle would commence.

It seems so distant from today. Back then you'd have food with you, chips etc were a treat. No mobile phones so your source of information was the radio. Whoever was commentating on RTE excitement was guaranteed. Mick Dunne, Micheal O'Hehir, Micheal O'Muircheartaigh. Most fans had either a headband, hat, badge or something with the county colours on them. Nowadays kids would think they were silly and would probably want the latest trendy kits.

And of course there are memories of the people who were with you. While I didn't know them well, a lot of the lads we travelled with were my Father's friends. The Craic on the way down, followed by the (usually) dejection on the way home, were little snippets of the paths each person's life would take. In the passage of time, many of the people we travelled with are no longer with us. Some emigrated. Some no longer go to games. Some still do & would bust your head about GAA in the Pub. Coming home from the games usually we'd listen to the commentary from other games. An underdog winning was always greeted well.

It is a long way from today and I wonder did it mean more back then or was it just that we didn't have other forms of entertainment? Most of the local lads where I lived carried hurleys most times, school, on the way home, anywhere. I remember Jimmy Deenihan bringing the Sam Maguire to a school near us one year. It was bigger than any politician's arrival.

To be a county hurler or footballer seemed to be all that mattered ...... GAA seemed to be central to our daily lives. It doesn't seem like that any more. Is that fair to say & is that good or bad?

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 25/11/2015 09:46:45    1809682

Yeah I would say its fair to say that the GAA probably did mean more to people in the past. I think in society in general a lot of things meant more in the past that they do now just down to the very nature of a simpler way of life. Today people are too busy in their lives or have more to occupy them and I think the GAA has maybe slipped down the priority list with people. I have been involved in managing teams in the club over the last 8 years or so and I sometimes struggle to understand the mentality of the guys playing now when you see the kind of excuses being offered as to why they can't make training or a match. When I was still playing 15 years ago or so you organised your life around the GAA - you knew when trainings and matches were on and fitted what you could around them. If things clashed then it was GAA which took precedence. Whereas today you see where exactly the GAA stands in the pecking order of some.

I too look back with some fond memories as a lad of being bunged in to a car with the Uncles and brothers and heading off around the Province come Ulster Championship day, probably stopping off in pubs both ways. The buzz just seemed to be that bit better or maybe that's just looking back through the romantic eyes of a sober 10 year old. Also remember well the return of the '89 Antrim team and the scenes that greeted the lads as they went on a tour of the clubs. When you think about the passion that was there for a team who were trounced in the final it is hard to even imagine what the County would have been like had they returned with Liam. I just wonder what the impact would be like now if we found ourselves in an All Ireland final again. Guess we will find out next year..... Aontroim abú ;-)

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 25/11/2015 10:55:53    1809725

Slayer,
You're a busy lad at the minute I see.
Productivity must be down as HS hurling matters take precedent.
You're right though about everything seeming better when you look back. At least on first impressions anyway. The summers seemed longer and warmer , Christmas was more of an event and was magical and so too was the build up to a big game. I remember those classics from the seventies between Dublin & Kerry like it was yesterday and while they were great for those involved there were probably a few rubbish games too which we tend to forget. Dublin hurling of course was playing the poor relative and wasn't as sexy and is still fighting for equal billing to this day. We didn't have the same luxuries or distractions and that probably made the simple things all the better. With all progress you gain and lose some of the past and no doubt there were some sacrifices made as we became a little fatter and maybe a tad more cynical.

Dubh_linn (Dublin) - Posts: 2312 - 25/11/2015 11:01:12    1809729

Dubh_linn

Busy most of the day :-)

I was on a day off work yesterday and met the legendary Richie Bennis in a DIY shop. Needless to say the minds eye images of that man running riot against Kilkenny in the 73 final came flooding back. I wasn't alive when that happened but the DVD has been watched many a time.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 27/11/2015 08:58:39    1810184

Dubh_linn Busy most of the day :-) I was on a day off work yesterday and met the legendary Richie Bennis in a DIY shop. Needless to say the minds eye images of that man running riot against Kilkenny in the 73 final came flooding back. I wasn't alive when that happened but the DVD has been watched many a time.

slayer (Limerick) - 27/11/2015 08:58:39

Slayer,
I hope you didn't corner Richie for too long.
Those are the days you mention and hard to believe its that long since Limerick won an All Ireland. Some great players that never reached the promise land and going to be tough to see it happening in the next few years for any but the usual suspects.

Hope springs eternal though.

Dubh_linn (Dublin) - Posts: 2312 - 27/11/2015 11:14:27    1810205

Topic is age appropriate , it certainly meant more to me personally , however the role it has in my 17 and 15 year olds lives is massive . What it ment to society well previously people didn't travel much bar emmigration , the world was a bigger place , the community aspect has been some what diluted but its still a cornerstone of many a community

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 27/11/2015 11:19:38    1810207

Slayer
i think its just age and maturity
up to 2005 GAA meant EVERYTHING to me
I planned my life around it, it was the be all and end all
But, I grew older, i developed other priorities. Family, kids, relationships etc etc
Now I only go to Leinster finals and games from there on
Time was i went to all league games all champo games regardless of opponent
When we won the AI in 95 it was the best day of my life. 2011 was just as good subsequently.

But, I hate to say it, but I have to be honest, I think i am discovering what its like to be a Kerry or KK fan. Winning AI's is still incredible in my book, the high point of any year, BUT, it just, I dunno, its just not "the same" as it used to be..........

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 27/11/2015 12:54:34    1810228

Come on Liamo - we have only won 3 in 5.. settle yourself! Long way off Kerry or KK

Still means everything to mean, helps I play it at club level and it is big part of my life in all circles.

Everyone in the last few years has been great and as good as each other - when u are out watching blue stars game from Jan 1 winning means everything to you! 2011 was so sweet cause it was just a relief

AthCliath87 (Dublin) - Posts: 345 - 27/11/2015 15:30:43    1810261

TBH

The last one was very special, had a great day.. lots of great memories with family and friends

Substantial memories that will be in there for as long as I'm capable of remembering them

Winning one in the rain like that.. especially after 1994...

Yeah.. that last one was special. Put a few demons to bed...

But listen we're all getting older on this site

Most of us were in our early to mid 20's when we first started posting

I'm the wrong side of 35 now...

It was def more important in your late teens, early 20's..

Life gets far more demanding as time ticks on... circumstances change, and once kids come along... complete game changer

Perhaps we're all just getting a bit long in the tooth...

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 27/11/2015 16:01:25    1810269

Jimbo
Snap and Snap word for word

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 27/11/2015 16:17:25    1810272

100% DISAGREE that the GAA meant more in the past than it does today. A few points worth noting:

1. Look at the levels of commitment being put in by both club and county players. I appreciate there is another argument here around player burn-out, but nonetheless these players would not be putting in this time and energy unless it "meant" something to them.

2. Look at the levels of fundraising being put in by clubs around the country; junior, intermediate and senior. White Collar Boxing, Strictly Come Dancing, the Cube, etc. I've heard of some junior clubs raising over €20k from such events. Would the people who volunteer their time to help facilitate these events really sacrifice all they do, unless the GAA "meant" something to them?

3. Look at the standard of our stadiums, pitches and clubhouses the length and breadth of the country. These facilities would not exist unless a lot of people put in a huge amount and time and finance into projects that they felt "meant" something to them!

4. To be successful in the past, you needed a talented bunch of players with good morale. To be successful nowadays, you need proper facilities, a hard-working club executive, skilled underage coaches, players with a good attitude and discipline and, of course, not forgetting talent. The reason the standards of our games have risen so much in the last 15-20 years is that an increasing number of individuals and clubs have decided the GAA "means" a huge amount to themselves, their families and their communities, and have decided to go the extra distance to achieve success! They stand to receive no financial gain from such success!

To the coach who mentions the point about receiving excuses from young lads about not training, I suggest this is a problem for his particular club in question, but certainly not symptomatic of the state of the GAA in general.

I'm involved in a club myself that has by no means dominated in terms of winning trophies, but is well organised and regularly competes at the business end of competitions, and I can assure you we have no problem getting lads out to training.

Conclusion:
The GAA is in a very healthy state and by my reckoning means more to the people involved today than it ever has. Without meaning to end on a sour note, I would suggest the starting point for this thread seems to stem from our constant need to give out and knock ourselves (both as Irish people and particularly GAA folk!).

Mondo (Longford) - Posts: 148 - 27/11/2015 16:26:16    1810276

Liamwalkinstown
County: Dublin
Posts: 6387

1810272 Jimbo
Snap and Snap word for word


________

Might be time to pass it onto the young lads...?

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 27/11/2015 17:15:53    1810281

I think it's just another form of fond reminiscing/nostalgia to reckon it meant "more" back in the day. As the Longford poster above has stated, the amount of time, money, facilities, promotion and other resources poured into the GAA these days by players, coaches, administrators, sponsors, volunteers etc. is a phenomenal amount more than it was only 30 years ago. Maybe this added complexity is what makes people feel a bit more disconnected than in the past, but the truth is that the GAA means a lot to probably more people than it ever has before.

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1643 - 27/11/2015 19:33:46    1810295

For a lot of the population the answer is probably yes...the centrality of the GAA is being eroded as part of the ongoing cultural change taking place in the country. When things like "black Friday" and "cyber Monday" are sweeping the country, and apparently nowadays some Irish people even celebrate Thanksgiving,you're in a different country...we may as well declare ourselves the 51st state. But globalosation has had an influence on culture in other ways as well.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1902 - 28/11/2015 10:12:38    1810313

Society has changed really over the last 20 years.
Things are all business now and the GAA is no different.
The "its a results business" mentality has taken some of the romance away from the game and as a result some people probably dont take the game to heart as much as they used to, but that doesnt mean it means less to people, it is just seen in a different way. Crowds are up, the players put in more effort, the games are far better organised than they used to be ,at least in terms of facilities, equipment,coaching etc. (the fixtures need work), so from that point of view you could argue that it means more to people.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 28/11/2015 15:30:51    1810355

Of course, another way to look at that would be that success means more to people now, and so long as peoples own counties are successful, theyre not bothered about the effect it may have on the games as a whole.
The diving and feigning injury that have become so much more common in the last 12 years, and the fans and ex players queuing up to defend such behavior, would suggest that the spirit of the GAA as a whole means nothing to people nowadays.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 28/11/2015 16:01:33    1810360

In my day there was no wire around the playing pitches for club matches-and some county matches.Spectators just lined along the sideline and by the goalposts.You could have a chat with the goalie during the game.The players were actual personalities and you knew most of them personally.If the going got tough and your team was losing you could organise a pitch invasion and get the game abandoned for another day.Yes indeed....those were the days.It's all so civilised and boring now.

worple (Roscommon) - Posts: 339 - 28/11/2015 20:30:17    1810390

Funnily, I think the GAA has come to mean more to me as the years have gone on.

I was a pretty brutal under age player and my childhood coincided with Kerry's Great Famine 1986 - 1997, so there was nothing much to inspire me (my first Munster final was the defeat to Clare in 1992!)

1997 was something special though and it did ignite a passion, but even then I can distinctly remember flicking between the 98 Kildare v Kerry Semi Final on RTE2 and the Belgium Grand Prix (Jordan's first ever win) on RTE1 as both were televised at the same time. I was hugely into Formula One back then.

I think the GAA started to really matter to me when I moved up to Dublin for college. For me the GAA was about maintaining that link to my home, when I was dealing with pretty bad home sickness in my first year away. The longer I lived in Dublin, the more important that link to Kerry became, through travelling to games etc etc. I still spend the majority of my time in Dublin, so that link to home, through the GAA remains strong and hopefully always will.

A Dublin poster mentioned above that with success it starts to mean less, I can't say I agree. The more I've seen Kerry win down the years the more I've enjoyed them winning! Its the ones we lost that stick in the craw and make you obsess over.

I also believe that shared love of the GAA plays a huge part in many people's family relationships. I guess like a lot of Irish men, myself and my father aren't the kind to voluntarily engage in deep meaningful conversations with each other every week. But I've always found travelling to matches together or chatting about the GAA when I ring home a way for the two of us to connect to each other. I don't know if that's just us or if others on here have experienced the same?

I went to the Dublin/Kildare Meath/Westmeath double header last June and I had a chat with a Westmeath girl after who told me a lovely story. She was so happy and grateful they had won and she told me how since she was barely able to walk her father was taking her to Westmeath championship games. She had moved over to London in early 2014 to get work but come June when she was listening to Westmeath's first game online, she suddenly she broke down in tears because she knew her Dad would be at by himself for the first time in 25 years. So she said she made up her mind right there that she couldn't face an emigrants life. She moved home and she was delighted she made the right choice. I just thought that story encapsulates so much of what the GAA still is for people.

It so much more than a mere sport.

Its a link with home and loved ones and may that link never die.

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 29/11/2015 13:05:34    1810431

I think it means more than ever. Back in the 70s and 80s I thought that the GAA was part of the scenery and looked after itself. As you get older, you realise how special it is and how much work is needed to sustain it. In an age of 'every man for himself', the community based aspect of it is counter-cultural. The GAA does more for communities than any government. Young lads nowadays train like bandits and put in surreal amounts of effort and dedication even at club level. I agree that jerseys looked better without logos though ...

essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 1141 - 29/11/2015 14:09:30    1810439