A SMALL piece of GAA history will be made on Sunday when an AIB club championship match played overseas is broadcast live on Irish television for the first time – although one of the competing teams, London’s Tir Chonaill Gaels, will be hoping to make more significant history by becoming the first overseas club to make the All-Ireland semi-finals.
It’s a big ask, as they face Munster champions Kilmurry-Ibrickane, but they certainly aren’t without a chance.
It’s the third year in succession the London champions go searching for that elusive final-four spot. They once again have home advantage, in Ruislip, and the arrival of the TG4 cameras at the Emerald Grounds, in west End Lane – to accommodate the first club game to be broadcast live on TV from outside of Ireland – will provide plenty of extra incentive for Tir Chonaill Gaels.
“Absolutely, we feel we have a good chance,” says Tir Chonaill Gaels club chairman Tom Mohan. “We feel we been getting closer for the last few years. We were beaten narrowly by Corofin last year, and the year before, by Crossmaglen, by only four points. We’ve certainly prepared as well as we had any other year, and fully expect to give them a good game, at the very, very least.
“We have had a very settled team now, for the past number of years, and that’s always a help. In London, people do come and go all the time, but a lot of the players that have been with us have been around for four or five years, and played the last couple of years. So they know what it takes.
“And there’s been a huge effort put in. The only problem really has been the weather, which hasn’t helped preparations, but then I’m sure it’s been the same for the Irish clubs as well.
“But the live television is another extra incentive, for sure. That’s very important, the first club match to be televised live outside of Ireland. That’s a huge incentive for us, over here, to show the people at home that Gaelic football is alive and well, across the pond.”
The crisis in the Irish economy has forced many a young Gaelic footballer to look to London and beyond, for employment, and to continue their playing careers. Tir Chonaill Gaels field players from Donegal, Derry, Tyrone, Antrim, Cork, Meath, Westmeath and Roscommon, and Mohan has witnessed the fresh influx first-hand.
“Even since Christmas I’ve been getting probably two or three calls every day, from different players from different counties, looking for work, accommodation, after moving to London.”
Whichever club does emerge on Sunday will play Leinster champions Portlaoise in the semi-final next month, while Corofin meet St Gall’s of Antrim in the other semi-final.
Mohan doesn’t deny they see Kilmurry-Ibrickane as the preferred opposition, even though they did upset Kerry representatives Kerins O’Rahillys, by 0-7 to 0-6, in last month’s Munster final.
“We feel very confident in our own ability. To be honest, out of the four teams left, we feel our best chance is against Kilmurry. If it were any of the other clubs we’d feel they’re probably a bit stronger, so we feel we have a good crack at this.”
FIXTURES
TODAY:Dr McKenna Cup SF (All games 7.30): Group A: Monaghan v Armagh, Inniskeen; Fermanagh v UUJ, Brewster Park; Group B: Cavan v St Mary's, Kingspan Breffni Park; Donegal v Tyrone, Ballybofey; Group C; Down v Antrim, Páirc Esler; Derry v Queen's, Celtic Park.
FRIDAY:O'Byrne Shield SF: DIT v UCD, Ringsend, 8pm.
McGrath Cup SF semi-final: Cork IT v University College Cork, CIT Grounds, 2.30.
SATURDAY:All-Ireland IHC semi-final: Tynagh Abbey-Duniry (Galway) v St Gall's (Antrim), Parnell Park, 2.30.
All-Ireland Club JHC quarter-final: Black and Whites (Kilkenny) v John Mitchells (Warwickshire), Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, 1pm.
Waterford Crystal SH quarter-final: Tralee IT v Waterford, Tralee, 2pm.
Dr McKenna Cup SF (All games 7pm): Group B: Tyrone v Cavan, Healy Park, Omagh; Donegal v St Mary’s, Ballybofey.
Kehoe Cup SH: Kildare v Armagh, Clane, 2pm.
O’Byrne Shield: Carlow v Wicklow, Carloe, 1pm; Kilkenny v Westmeath, Ballyraggett, 7.30.
SUNDAY:(All Games 2pm, unless stated) All-Ireland Club SFC quarter-final: Tír Chonaill Gaels (London) v Kilmurry-Ibrickane (Clare), Ruislip.
O’Byrne Cup SF: Laois v Kildare, Portlaoise; Louth v Athlone IT, Drogheda; Dublin v Meath, Parnell Park; Offaly v DCU, Tullamore.
FBD Insurance League SF: Mayo v Sligo IT, Charlestown; NUIG v Roscommon, Dangan; Sligo v GMIT, Enniscrone; Leitrim v Galway, Ballinamore.
McGrath Cup SF semi-final: Kerry v Tipperary, Killarney, 2pm.
Waterford Crystal SH quarter-finals: Limerick v University College Cork, Kilmallock, 2pm; Limerick IT v University of Limerick, LIT Grounds, 2pm.
Dr McKenna Cup SF (All games 2.0): Group A: Monaghan v UUJ, Inniskeen; Armagh v Fermanagh, Athletic Grounds; Group C: Derry v Down, Celtic Park; Antrim v Queen’s, Casement Park.
Walsh Cup SH: UCD v Antrim, Belfield; Carlow v NUI Galway, Carlow; Laois v GMIT, Rathdowney; Offaly v DIT, Rath.
Kehoe Cup SH: Louth v Trinity, Dundalk; Wicklow v Roscommon, Arklow; Longford v Down, Michael Fay Park.
O’Byrne Shield: Wexford v Longford, Wexford venue (TBC).
All-Ireland Club IFC semi-finals: Naomh Anna, Leitir Mór (Galway), v Cookstown Fr Rocks (Tyrone), Pearse Park, Longford, 2.30.
Maynooth (Kildare) v Spa (Kerry), Limerick Gaelic Grounds, 2.30. All-Ireland Club IHC semi-final: St Lachtain’s (Kilkenny) v South Liberties (Limerick). Seán Treacy Park, Tipperary Town, 2.30.
All-Ireland Club JFC quarter-final: Emyvale (Monaghan) v Dunedin Connollys (Edinburgh), Pairc Esler, Newry, 1pm.
All-Ireland Club JFC semi-final: Castlegregory (Kerry) v Longwood (Meath), Limerick Gaelic Grounds, 1pm.
All-Ireland Club JHC semi-final: Calry-St Joseph’s (Sligo) v Naomh Colum Cille (Tyrone), Brewster Park, Enniskillen, 2.30.
