John Fogarty: GAA have to ask fans to support responsibly

Waterford’s Tadhg de Búrca, right, and Shane McNulty celebrate reaching the All-Ireland final after beating Kilkenny. There is huge excitement in the county but the GAA are a watching closely amid fears exuberant fans could breach social distancing guidelines. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Covid or no Covid, the Liam MacCarthy Cup won’t be going anywhere on December 13. In fact, it has pretty much remained in Dublin since the 1990s, when the original trophy was retired to the museum.

In 1992, a new MacCarthy Cup was commissioned and presented to winning teams starting with Kilkenny. Since then, it has been repaired on a number of occasions while a replica of it and the Sam Maguire Cup were created for marketing purposes 10 years ago.

Three years ago, there were reports of replicas doing the rounds in Galway when they won the real thing. As the GAA considers not releasing the Liam MacCarthy and Sam Maguire Cups to the winning counties to avoid people congregating to celebrate with it, that will be a concern in the weeks ahead.

The logic behind Croke Park’s thinking to play Scrooge is as obvious as it is sensible. These famous pieces of silverware attract crowds. Drinking from it may no longer be as common now but people still want to hold it or at least be photographed with it. If there is no spoils to show off, then the chances of even an unofficial homecoming are reduced.

However, the decision by the Munster Council to hold onto their provincial senior cup last Sunday week didn’t stop people in Ballyporeen coming out to greet Tipperary captain Conor Sweeney as he returned home from the game. And the fervent support in the two competing counties on Sunday week will be difficult to quell, irrespective of plans for both camps to plead with fans to support responsibly.

Limerick are not known for holding back when it comes to jubilations. In 2018, it was estimated more than 80,000 supporters, well over 45% of the county’s population, flocked to the city for the homecoming as they ended a 45-year wait. That appetite hasn’t waned in the interim as their 2,500-plus season ticket allocation is one of the highest in the country.

Going back to the 2007 final, support for a Limerick team going well has been boisterous. When Richie Bennis’s face appeared on the big screen before that game, the sound was incredible. 

“I thought I was well prepared for it but in truth, it got to me a bit,” he wrote in his book A Game That Smiles earlier this year. 

“It took me about 10 minutes after we went out to settle and properly assess the thing. We had heard the stories that it was going to be a massive Limerick crowd but this was beyond belief. The noise must have affected our lads.”

Ask Richie McCarthy what his abiding memory of his inter-county career and it was the outpouring of emotion on the Gaelic Grounds pitch following the 2013 Munster final win. “We beat Cork and Limerick had been just craving for success. When the final whistle blew and the crowd came onto the field, it was just madness. Every place was calling for the cup.”

Imagine the demand for the Liam MacCarthy Cup should Waterford end their wait of 61 years for it? We have been given some insight into their yearning in two of their last three final appearance since 1959. After beating Tipperary in the 2008 All-Ireland semi-final, then manager Davy Fitzgerald was given a king’s chair by supporters upon disembarking in Plunkett Station. Nine years later and despite the defeat to Galway, Derek McGrath and his players were welcomed home by 15,000 supporters on Waterford city’s quays.

On Sunday, an ever-enthusiastic John Mullane succinctly described the excitement in Waterford. As Darragh Lyons netted the team’s second goal on Saturday evening , he hilariously told of how his wife Stephanie, celebrating the score, threw their two-year-old son into the Christmas tree. “I felt like a fella who went to a wedding, didn’t have a drink, really enjoyed himself and woke up with a hangover,” he said about the semi-final win over Kilkenny.

“What can we say about this year? It’s been absolutely bonkers. I’m honestly beginning to believe it’s written in the stars that it could finally happen and the holy grail could come back Suirside. What it’s done for the county. To beat your rivals. The next two weeks in Waterford is just going to be incredible.”

For Waterford or Limerick to come home victorious but empty-handed would be preposterous if we weren’t living in such bizarre times. And after the lack of social distancing among players and fans after county final wins which prompted a halt to club activities, the GAA are being watched closely.

“It needs to not happen,” said Health Minister Stephen Donnelly about on avoiding similar scenes in December. The GAA, I think, is taking this very seriously, and measures have already been put in place.”

“Bah humbug,” you might say. But this year, this Christmas, winning might have to be enough.

Squad decision a just one for Mayo’s veterans

Mayo manager James Horan celebrates at the final whistle against Galway. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Last week, Mayo manager James Horan spoke of how it was “an absolute killer” for his players outside the 26-man matchday panel not to be able to go to games.

It would be no surprise if some serial All-Ireland finalists who have either yet to feature in the match squad or been in it briefly decide to call it quits soon after this weekend or after December 19.

To now be able to say some sort of goodbye to the inter-county careers in Croke Park, even if it doesn’t mean they are togged out would be appropriate, especially if they are to finally go and claim an All-Ireland title. It would be right for those All-Ireland winners in the Dublin group too who could soon be making way and haven’t featured for Dessie Farrell. Ditto the veterans in the Cavan and Tipperary camps.

Horan acknowledged his conversations with those players about not making the cut to go to matches has been difficult. “The guys are of the highest calibre you could possibly meet. They’re competitive in every training session, every drill and they’re looking to drive it on.

“Players have a very good instinct of who’s playing well and where things are at and they’ll be the first, they genuinely are, to congratulate guys or wish guys well, whether they’re new or whatever, that are on the matchday 26. In the GAA context they’re complete pros and top quality guys. There are difficult discussions but they’re such calibre of guys that there’s no residue left as a result.”

For the injured men too like Limerick’s Mike Casey and Mayo’s Jason Doherty, making the trip would mean the world. Hopefully, they can be accommodated.

Quieter build-up and fewer public distractions may just suit the Déise

Waterford manager Liam Cahill. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Quick out of the traps, Waterford have organised their press event for Dungarvan on Wednesday evening. Once done and dusted, it will then be all about the in-house training game on Sunday.

Not that players were pulled and dragged in 2017 but because this final is so different there will not be as many distractions. Tickets? Nothing to be done there. Suits? Unlikely since there will not be a gala afterwards. Public appearances?

Are you kidding? Practising the formalities of the day? Well, shaking hands with Michael D Higgins and John Horan is out of the question. There will not even be an Up For The Match the night before.

Players are being left well enough alone as others look to do their bit for the cause. Just as Club Aontroim are publishing their own commemorative programme to mark their Joe McDonagh Cup final against Kerry on Sunday week, Club Déise have put a plan of action together to raise funds for the team’s preparations.

They hope to raise €50,000 to assist their representatives with the tagline: “We can’t be there, but we are still a part of it”.

With restrictions returning to Level 3 on Tuesday, there may be overnight stays planned for Dublin on Saturday and/or Sunday but the idea of the players possibly travelling up the M9 and M7 on their own the morning of the game conjures a hark back to more innocent times.

How many times have managers insisted an All-Ireland final is just another game? This year, it will never feel more like one than ever before.

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