Why we invest so much in telling local heroes' county championship stories

The Irish Examiner has always shown its commitment to Gaelic games nationally and, importantly, at club level.

Thu, 24 Aug, 2023 - 06:29

For all the global appeal of the World Cup, the Ryder Cup, the Americas Cup et al, Tip O’Neill wasn’t wrong when he cautioned that, ultimately, all politics is local.

We savour the galacticos of world sport, drool at their repertoire, but we almost never meet them coming out of the butchers or the barbershop at the bottom of the main street. They are stars in a faraway galaxy and barely relatable.

Drill down into our authentic sporting passions and bind them with what’s most important in our lives – family, friends and community. Anyone rooted in the GAA recognises the season doesn’t end with the All-Irelands and do well not to roll their eyes when such nonsense is propagated.

Around Ireland this week, GAA clubs put their best foot forward, the one that is months in the making, as the GAA’s county championships moves up a gear. Most have already set local tongues wagging with stellar (or distressing) first-round performances. The road ahead dazzles with crystallising dreams – or is pockmarked with anxiety over loss and relegation. Dropping to the junior grades might not have the draining effect on the town’s shops as relegation from the Premier League, but it’s a close-run thing. Some counties have done their business already – the village of Kilflynn, between Tralee and Listowel in Kerry, has been savouring Crotta O’Neill’s first county hurling title in 55 years. Last Sunday, the Wexford hurling title was decided with Naomh Éanna earning folk hero status forever.

Recently, the Irish Examiner was in Tralee as David Clifford returned to the bosom of his other family, Fossa GAA club, after the All-Ireland final disappointment at Croke Park. At the weekend, Maurice Brosnan traveled to Kenmare for the tie that has them walking on opposite sides of the town’s pavements – Kenmare v Templenoe.

In Cork alone, there are 29 football championship games last weekend. The Irish Examiner had writers at 21 of them. It’s a statement that speaks to our ongoing passion for and commitment to local GAA coverage. In our mission statement of local, national, international, the former will always enjoy the spotlight for our readers and subscribers to enjoy. We’ve done so for over one hundred years. A quick look through the archives this week brought us back 50 years as our late, much-loved colleague, Michael Ellard reported from the Cork Athletic Grounds as county hurling champions Glen Rovers overcame old rivals St Finbarr’s in an ‘overheated’ affair.

The game featured the likes of inter-county stars, Denis Coughlan and Jimmy Barry Murphy, and one Frank Murphy of Blackrock oversaw proceedings as referee. We flicked the page, savouring vivid details of wins for the Rockies over Bishopstown and a Bride Rovers fightback.

And on it goes. The commitment to local GAA remains steadfast, innovative and stimulating. Since 2020, when the nation was suffocated by the pandemic, we stepped in and provided live and free livestream broadcasts of the Cork GAA championships – continuing with coverage from all corners of the county that was shortlisted for international awards until this year when Cork GAA took the coverage back in-house.

Nevertheless, the Irish Examiner continues to invest and travel to venues near and far to bring our loyal readers and subscribers the broadest possible panoramic of local championship coverage – from the tears and ecstasy of the dressing room to the razor-sharp insights of our analysts – the people who know how much it all matters.

Such as the sage Seanie McGrath, the thought-provoking Brian Cuthbert and the playing insights of All-Ireland football winner Paddy Kelly in their Championship-focused columns.

As the knockout rounds separate the victors and the victims, we will step it up again as the road to the summit narrows.

And we’ll get to know those writers over the coming weeks in a new series, with more details to come on that.

Our acclaimed GAA podcasts will return in September for an autumn run across the counties making the headlines – and the small, rural clubs putting their communities on a pedestal.

We sincerely hope you’re along for the ride. We invest heavily to bring sports fans the type of content they want – and we listen to all feedback from subscribers, constructive and critical.

Whether you live in Boherbue or Brisbane, in Leamybrien or Los Angeles, you won’t find local GAA coverage – and a commitment to same – anywhere better than the Irish Examiner.