Neil Ewing: Join the subculture freaks in the joy of the Sigerson Cup
Paul Kerrigan of CIT in action against Neil Ewing of NUIG during the 2009 Sigerson Cup semi-final. Picture Credit: ©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan
To quote a well-known Derry All-Ireland winner, “I met a man last week”. The man is a GAA diehard, a former player, current underage coach and a filler of most positions on his club's committee. Few games played by his club and county in the last two decades have not been attended by him. A “football man” defined.
The football man wanted to talk Sigerson Cup. It transpired his Sigerson Cup chat was actually a rant about GAAGO and the upcoming decision on 2025 TV rights.
The Sigerson Cup is a GAA subculture. Loved by the small percentage lucky enough to participate. Unknown or unconsciously ignored by a large percentage of GAA supporters.
In America, college sport is box office, huge TV deals and many games attended by crowds numbering tens of thousands.
In Ireland, college sport is not box office. Sigerson Cup games played in neutral venues do well to attract 50 spectators, games at a home venue for one college would be notable if the attendance was above 500.
I count myself very fortunate to have had a few years' immersion in the Sigerson subculture. A weekend in Cork where we were defeated by a strong Cork IT (a side which provided plenty of Cork's 2010 All- Ireland winners) will always trigger pangs of regret.
That weekend in Cork also ranks up there with some of my best college memories. From Washington Street, an eventful bus journey back to NUIG, a missing key, golf clubs, rugby, slippy tiles, afternoon DJs, high-vis house visitors and hasty DIY — it was a few days that encompassed a lot of living.
As one of the subcultures freaks, I always look forward to the January start of the Sigerson Cup. The team sheets are sprinkled with current stars of the game and littered with future All-Stars. The tactical approaches are often cavalier (more cavalier than the intercounty game at least), the conditions are typically terribly testing, and the best performers are often the unknowns with chips on their shoulders, chips ready to be cashed in as points proven to their inter-county managers.
As one of the freaks, I have the insanity to go looking for the Sigerson fixtures and the motivation to seek out how they could be watched. The Higher Education YouTube channel is a crazily good resource. Multiple games streamed on dark evenings throughout January and into February. Amazing moments of skill, brilliant contests, ridiculous feats of endurance and toughness. So much of what we all want from the game, but, nobody to talk about these games with.
Only the relatively small few freaks in the subculture have the persistence to go looking for the fixtures and then to navigate the tiny challenge of getting to watch the great games on show. Free of charge! Great entertainment and enjoyable football at a prime viewing time but missed by the majority of football fans.
The Sigerson Cup final was shown live on TG4 in February. Live on free-to-air TV. TG4 as always doing us and the GAA a great service by showing some of the less high-profile action.
Back to the man I met last week. He was bustling with excitement about what he had seen in the Sigerson Cup final earlier this year. The breathtaking class of Daire Cregg and Darragh Canavan, the middle third brilliant bullocking of Oisín McCann, the amount of established county players on show.
The sporting tragedy here? For this football man it was, sadly but not shockingly, the first Sigerson Cup game he had seen, ever.
Cricket in the UK went behind a paywall in 2006. Viewing figures in the UK plummeted. Subsequent to this, cricket playing numbers in the UK plummeted. Imagination not captured today is a huge opportunity cost.
The potential that 2030’s most impactful club committee members, most passionate supporters, All-Stars and Junior B stalwarts may accidentally stumble upon the games or players that inspire them rather than seek them out behind a paywall must be considered as we approach a decision on what viewing platform our best and brightest will be exhibiting their brilliant best in 2025.
Balance, as always, is key, and difficult to achieve.
