This is a subscriber-only article
I am an advocate of the “if you’re explaining, you’re losing” way of doing business, things should be clear cut but they rarely are. Being of mixed county heritage, I think I have been explaining myself in relation to my GAA support since the day I was born.
With a mother from Kilkenny, who has never brought me to a match in her life (that’s OK Mam, you brought me to lots of other things) and a father from Tipperary, who comes up trumps on the ticket front continuously, my allegiance lies on the Premier side of the camp. This has led to many the interesting conversation, a few raised eyebrows and plenty of slagging.
“Yes I now live in Kilkenny, yes I still support Tipperary. Yes – Kilkenny have won the most hurling All-Irelands. No – it’s not time to change my stripes” – personal favourite that one, trotted out a good 11 times since the year 2000.
When a team is so dominant in our national sport, people miss the excitement and to be honest, when one team is winning, it is a bit boring
Such was the dominance of Kilkenny hurling throughout my 20s, I rarely made it to Croke Park and reading the papers today in relation to Dublin football reminded me of that continuous disappointment.
When a team is so dominant in our national sport, people miss the excitement and to be honest, when one team is winning, it is a bit boring. That said the importance and the esteem that our national games are held in cannot be underestimated.
Just last week, this topic came up in conversation on a farm walk I attended in Westmeath. Our hosts GD Young and his wife Caroline moved from Scotland to Ireland, building a dairy farm from the ground up over the last four years. Having travelled extensively looking for a suitable property, they made the decision on their Westmeath property ultimately within a four-day window.
We knew that the GAA was big over here but we didn’t realise it was such a religion
The couple discussed how this short time frame had to incorporate not only an analysis of the farm but also visits to schools and an assessment of what facilities were in the area to inform their decision on how the move would fit with their young family. A very important consideration in this was sports.
Last year, I signed up my little girl to go to the primary school in Callan, Co Kilkenny that I had attended myself and was told that they were full
The couple said that the local GAA have been absolutely pivotal to their integration into the community in Westmeath. GD said, and I quote, “We knew that the GAA was big over here but we didn’t realise it was such a religion.” Some rather smart individual in the audience piped in with: “And you’re in Westmeath, imagine if you were in Munster.” Most laughed, but the competitive nature and pride in our sporting culture was evident.
Last year, I signed up my little girl to go to the primary school in Callan, Co Kilkenny that I had attended myself and was told that they were full. A little shocked but unperturbed, we signed her up to the other school serviced by our crèche, which just happens to be in Tipperary.
She is now coming up on six and keen to commence her GAA career. Although she already has a Tipp jersey and will play in school at some point, Granny, showing an unprecedented level of interest in the GAA, has offered to drop her to training on a Monday night in our Kilkenny home parish of Windgap. This was all organised outside mass on Saturday night and so for poor Raine McKeever, with a mother of mixed heritage and a golfing-focused father from Dublin, the confusion will continue.
SHARING OPTIONS: