Cracking GAA BEO video celebrates 15 years of Club action
By Stephen Barry
TG4’s GAA BEO is celebrating 15 years of live Club Championship coverage this weekend and has released a superb video to mark the occasion.
The video covers the main landmarks from that period, starting with Micheál Ó Domhnaill’s first intro and featuring the breath-taking skill and local passions that have illuminated our winters ever since then.
Incredible goals from Ballygunner’s Paul Flynn, Portumna’s Damien Hayes (feat. Joe Canning) and St Vincent’s Diarmuid Connolly all get pride of place alongside some dramatic winning goals.
There’s the excitement of Karol Mannion’s last-gasp Connacht-winning goal for St Brigid’s, Eanna Murphy 82nd-minute semi-final clincher for Clarinbridge and the general ecstasy of Mount Leinster Rangers prayers being answered in the Leinster Hurling final.
There’s also a famous shot of a British army helicopter flying by Crossmaglen Rangers’ grounds.
But the highlight of all the highlights are the passionate words of the players.
David Kennedy speaks about the importance of the spirit of rural clubs like Loughmore-Castleiney and there’s David Brady’s post-match reaction upon winning a long-awaited All-Ireland with Ballina Stephenites: “I’ve been a loser all my life but today, Hogan Stand boy, pick up the cup. Proudest day of my life. I’ll die a happy man now.”
With RTÉ in the middle of an eight-month break from showing live GAA, thanks be to GAA BEO for keeping us going!
Their coverage continues this Sunday with Clough-Ballacolla (Laois) v Oulart-the-Ballagh (Wexford) on live in the Leinster hurling quarter-finals and deferred coverage of the Ulster football last-eight tie between Scotstown (Monaghan) and Slaughtneil (Derry).
