Sport

TV3 put out top team for first shot at All-Ireland

TV3 YESTERDAY launched at Croke Park the first season of their live championship coverage

SEAN MORAN Gaelic Games Correspondent
Fri May 16 2008 - 01:00

TV3 YESTERDAY launched at Croke Park the first season of their live championship coverage. It's the first time a terrestrial broadcaster has been assigned a share of the rights held exclusively by RTÉ for the past 46 years.

GAA president Nickey Brennan was unable to attend the launch, which had been arranged for a day on which he was committed to visit schools in Offaly to promote this year's Féile. Speaking for the association, director general Páraic Duffy welcomed the new partnership.

"This is a historic day for the GAA and we're delighted to welcome TV3 as a partner. People ask what the advantages and disadvantages of the new arrangements are for the GAA. One advantage is that there will now be another national broadcaster promoting and showcasing our games.

"We look forward to plenty of direct analysis and we'll probably take the odd whack from time to time but we're used to that."

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David McRedmond, CEO of TV3, said the station was "thrilled to be part of the summer," adding: "It's hard to be a national broadcaster without the national games".

The newly-appointed Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen TD was also present.

According to former Armagh All-Ireland winning manager Joe Kernan, who will be one of the analysts, the emphasis will be on constructive criticism. "I'm always analysing Armagh and I've always been very constructive. In the dressingroom you have to be constructive; if there's mistakes made you have to try and point them out. That's what the public will be expecting. It's not wrecking people's characters; it's trying to improve the game."

Did he believe some criticism of individual players has over-stepped the boundaries of what's acceptable. "I think it has, and referees too," he said, "and I would have been at fault for that as well. Everyone goes out to their best on any given day and some days it doesn't work out for you; that's just a fact of life and there's nothing you can do about that. If there are mistakes and we think we can enlighten the audience as to how to improve that's going to be our job."

Wexford's All-Ireland winning manager Liam Griffin echoed the director general's view when outlining the reasons he agreed to get involved with the coverage. "I've always been conscious of using opportunities to promote the game and also that TV3 hasn't done much coverage of GAA. I though it was a good step for them to do it so when they asked me and I liked what they were trying to do I was happy to get involved.

"They're a national broadcaster and it gives a different perspective and as well as that I like the situation where their coverage is all about the game - it's not all about panellists. I think it's a good ethos.

"RTÉ have been fantastic and I've worked with them and hope to work with them again. The one aspect - and I've written about this myself - that I'd change is after-match interviews with players and managers. It does my head in when people are jumping on their back and shouting and roaring - it's more Killinaskully than it is Croke Park. I wouldn't drop the interviews just do them in a way that you can ask an intelligent question and get an intelligent answer."

TV3 unveiled the full team that will be responsible for the coverage. Matt Cooper, who fronted the station's coverage of the rugby world cup last autumn, will anchor the live broadcasts, starting with the Clare-Waterford Munster hurling match on June 1st, and also the midweek magazine programme Championship Throw In, which begins in a fortnight.

Guest panellists will be: Eugene McGee (Offaly All-Ireland winning manager), Senan Connell (Dublin), David Brady (Mayo), Liam Hayes (Meath), James O'Connor (Clare), Nicky English (Tipperary), Joe Kernan (Armagh), Peter Canavan (Tyrone), Liam Griffin (Wexford), Daithi Regan (Offaly) and Paul Earley (Roscommon).

Match commentary will be provided by Mike Finnerty and Trevor Welch, while TV3's Gaelic Games correspondent Kieran McSweeney and sports reporter Sinead Kissane will also be part of the coverage.

Series producer is Ciarán Ó hEadhra of Motive-Asgard TV, which has been awarded the production contract.

Meanwhile, RTÉ have released details of their internet coverage, which will allow supporters of different counties to enjoy live coverage of their teams' matches even if they aren't being broadcast on television.

This weekend the Leinster football championship clash between Meath and Carlow (3.45pm) and the Ulster Senior Football Championship game between Antrim and Cavan (3.40pm) will go out live on the rté.ie GAA Media Player.

Both matches will be live on www.rté.ie/gaa, as will the double-header of Kildare v Wicklow and Galway v Roscommon on RTÉ Two's The Sunday Game Live, while The Sunday Game night-time highlights programme will also be live online from 9.30pm.