Mayo for Sam, challenges for Cork teams, and more talking points from Late Late Show GAA special
Cora Staunton, Marty Morrissey and Patrick Kielty on the Late Late Show GAA special
Amid the discussion of GAA’s highlights, commentator Marty Morrissey took a moment to address contrasting challenges in areas like Cork’s northside and rural Kerry.
“There's a lot of rural depopulation, and before Christmas, I did three reports. I just wanted to give an idea of what was happening around the country, because there are challenges, particularly for the GAA and indeed for other sporting associations as well,” he said.
“In South Kerry, for instance, which has produced Mick O'Connor, Mick O’Dwyer, the great Jack O'Connor… in primary school, in junior infants, in September, in 12 national schools, there was only 83 new pupils had started. So you can see where that would go.
“In Cork, there's a different situation. Glen Rovers and Na Piarsiagh in the northside of Cork City are facing a situation where, once upon a time, they might have had three or four minor teams; now they've only got one. It's the lack of building, new houses being built.”
Morrissey also noted that a lack of facilities for clubs is an issue in other areas that do not struggle to fill teams.
“In counties like Dublin, they have too many people, in some ways. Their problem is facilities.”
He said motions to make team sizes more flexible may be a lifeline to some clubs.
“Motions will come before Congress next month, in February, which will allow clubs and county boards to be a little bit more flexible: not to have 15 aside, but maybe a 13 aside or 11 aside. So they are aware, and to their credit, they're taking on the challenge.”
Eleven-time All-Star ladies footballer Cora Staunton is in no rush to take on the role of manager of the Mayo men’s football team, she confirmed on Friday night.
Staunton was asked by host Patrick Kielty if there was a chance she would take it on to finally bring Mayo to All-Ireland glory, and while she said no, she said her hopes are high for 2026.
“I'm certainly leaving that to Andy [Moran] at the moment, we've a great man there,” she said.
“The enthusiasm and everything is back in Mayo: last weekend's victory in Pearse Stadium and Andy brings so much energy to it. I have a feeling it's going to be a good year for Andy and the Mayo team. I don't want to put too much pressure on them.” She added she hopes to see a female manager in the coming years in any county.
“In whatever amount of year’s time, I'd love to see some female involved as a new county manager, wherever that is. It's really, really important. I'm involved in a senior club team in Mayo. There's not many females coaching within the whole of Ireland, so it's really important that they're there.
“Is it a dream or an aspiration? Who knows, but I’d love to see, before I pass away, that Mayo certainly win the All-Ireland anyways.”
Dublin GAA legends the Brogans, with a combined 14 senior All-Ireland medals, were in the studio to reflect on the impact of two generations of their family on the team. Father Bernard Snr and sons Bernard Jnr, Alan, and Paul spoke about their memories and hopes for Dublin.
Alan said that despite the prevalence of GAA in their home, the children never felt pressured to continue the legacy.
“It's a question we've often been asked, ‘was there pressure?’ There was never any pressure,” he said.
“In fact, dad actually managed my soccer team, that’s how little pressure there was for Gaelic football”
Bernard Jnr paid tribute to their mother’s support from the sidelines.
“She was well known across all sidelines,” he said. “She actually was very nervous at times at games — and aggressive at times. At Croke Park she used to walk the back of it, she wouldn’t watch us play. She got to know all of the stewards.”
However, she did get involved sometimes at local games, Bernard added: “At a local rival game where I was getting a few clips off a lad, she came onto the pitch one day with an umbrella, trying to clip him and I was trying to hold her back.”
Podcast host Laurita Blewitt spoke about her late father’s passion for the GAA. Her father, Brendan, died in December last year, aged 90.
“Dad was good fun, and I told a lot of stories about him on the podcast [Tommy, Hector & Laurita Podcast],” she said.
“My bond with my dad was going to football. He was involved in coaching in Knockmore for years, and I used to head over to training with him all the time and he used to come to my matches.
“My mother only came to one football match that I ever played in, and I got my ribs broken, and she never came again. That was a very strong bond that I had with dad, and obviously, we miss him so much. Now the two of them are gone, it’s a different household.
“He was the president of Knockmore GAA and we laid him out and buried him in his president's jacket, it would have been a good honour to him.”
