September Road: Minor stars who became major players in other sports

Watching Shane Long captain the Republic of Ireland soccer team yesterday reminded us that the Gortnahoe man could this week be preparing for next Sunday’s Munster senior hurling clash against Limerick.

His team-mate yesterday Damien Delaney is also a big loss for the GAA, having looked a star prospect during Cork’s run to the All-Ireland minor football semi-final in 1999 (where pictured tackling Rory Keane, Cork lost to Mayo, despite Delaney scoring two goals). That Mayo side included future Connacht centre Gavin Duffy.

There have been too many players that looked star prospects at county minor level but had their head turned by soccer, rugby, Australian Rules, and that other little talked about danger to the future of Gaelic Games, comedy.

So we picked a team of players that, frustratingly, left the GAA world immediately after representing their county at minor level – all that remaining being their undoubted potential to be future senior stars. Best of luck to them all.


Long Forgotten: Down's Patsy O'Hagan has a hat-trick at Wembley

So what was all the fuss about Shane Long scoring a goal at Wembley a few days ago?

He wasn’t the first Tipperary man to score against the auld enemy at the famous English venue – remember Niall Quinn’s famous goal in the Euro ’92 qualifying campaign (settle down Dublin fans, we know he has split allegiances).

Anyway, it was a Down man that holds the distinction of being the first Irishman to score a hat-trick at Wembley.

In an 1960 exhibition game, in front of 30,000 spectators at England’s soccer capital, Patsy O’Hagan hit the net three times as Down defeated Galway – 4-11 to 3-6.

Stick that in your pipe
Shane – who won a Munster minor hurling medal with Tipperary before being lost to the Dark Side (for confused Tipp fans, that's soccer, not Kilkenny).

Caid é sin? Comartas peile

Great to see several thousand people turning up in west Waterford yesterday (despite the county’s senior hurling side competing up the road in Thurles) and Saturday for the 2013 edition of Comortas Peile na Gaeltachta.

The football competition is a valuable contribution by the GAA to the Irish language and Gaeltacht areas.

And the finals this afternoon in Ring will be broadcast live by TG4.

Only pity is that the competing teams come from such footballing minnows as Kerry, Cork, Meath, Mayo, Galway and Donegal.


You're too late now but . . .

Amazingly, Kerry were 5/6 to score more than 1.5 goals against Waterford at the weekend. The Kingdom fired four past goalkeeper Stephen Enright and, truth be told, should have had a few more.

They said that? Twitter twaddle

Jason Sherlock @boomjayo
Didn't think it was gonna be a big deal announcing my retirement but overwhelmed by the well wishes,it means so much GRMA #athcliathabu

Pauric Lodge @pauriclodge
About 100 children out on the field playing hurling at half time in O'Moore Park. Let's hope that's one tradition we never lose.

Bernard Brogan @bernardbrogan
Great day with club 100k cycle from St malachys Louth to @plunketts_ie , I only did the last leg, tough going :)

Eddie Brennan @NedzerB13
@EamonnOHara8 o god I'm in the seat u went berserk in last wk "I must not b controversial I must not b controversial" 200 times

Quote of the Weekend

"Half-time was very relaxed, the same way as I am now.
– Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald