It began in 1951, the last time Mayo were crowned All-Ireland champions.
The Mayo panel were travelling back to the west from Dublin along with the Sam Maguire after beating Meath. Apparently the team, who were travelling in the back of a truck, passed a funeral in the town of Foxford without paying their respects and stopping. The curse was then put on them that they would not win an Alll-Ireland again until every member of that team was dead. It is believed a priest or a woman put the curse on them. Two members of the panel are still alive today, Dr Padraig Carney who lives in the US and Paddy Prendergast who lives in Kerry. Thos curse was never really believed however until the recent heartbreak for the Mayo footballing community. Mayo have been knocking on the door for many years now. They always appear to fall at the final hurdle. It has got to the stage that supporters are beginning to believe the curse. They have been beaten in 3 All-Ireland finals in the past ten years. In the 2016 All-Ireland final, they had the misfortune of scoring two own goals. Is this curse real or why do Mayo always fall at the final fence ? Could this be the year, that Mayo footballers come of age and clinch Sam Mcguire? They have started the year in great form under new manager, James Horan, winning the national league, but can they stop Dublin achieving 5 in a row ? Time will tell !

I have apposed the idea for a two tier champiosnhip for quiet awhile but the gap is growing between the stronger and weaker. The strong are becoming stronger, and the weak, weaker. The GAA has moved one step closer to a two-tier football championship recently after the Gaelic Players Association announced the majority of inter-county footballers are now in favour of the move.

Division 4 teams unanimously voted to boycott a potential ‘B’ championship before it went in front of Congress in 2016, but the opinion of players has shifted since then.

The GPA released figures today which revealed that 60% of inter-county footballers now support a move to a tiered championship. 

After surveying its members, the inter-county player body found that 90% of hurlers were satisfied they had a sufficient number of games against teams of equal standard, while just 53% of footballers said the same.

The survey also found that 50 squads were expected to train with their county as well as club during the ’club only month’ in April. Three-quarters of players said the off-season is too short, while there’s a growing prevalence of hip and groin injuries. This is down to what I discussed weeks back. There is no such thing as an off season for county players. All i n all though, the tiered champiosnhip is looking more and more likely!

Dublin are 6/5 favourites to win this year’s All-Ireland title and they’re 6/5 favourites for a reason. They’re currently the best team in the country. Their squad has the greatest strength in depth. Their path to the All-Ireland semi-finals is nigh on guaranteed and they are managed by a man who is tactically astute, level-headed and has made winning a habit. But can they be stopped from winning this year’s All-Ireland? Of course they can.Dublin may be 6/5 favourites but ask yourself this: if a bookie gave you the choice of Dublin winning the All-Ireland or any of the other 31 teams winning the All-Ireland, both at even money, who would your money be on? Dublin are a long way from the team that used to become suffocated by hype at the business end of the championship, but as was the case when they were ambushed by Donegal last year, they are still vulnerable. Looking at the Dublin team forensically, it’s hard to pick holes because it’s an impressive unit with any amount of replacements willing to take the place of any man not pulling his weight. But it’s not bulletproof. Losing one of Stephen Cluxton, Rory O’Carroll, Paul Flynn or Diarmuid Connolly would be a terrible blow. There’s no logical reason that would suggest Dublin could be stopped. There’s no scientific reason either. They’re the best side in the country. They’re the best trained side in the country. They have one of the best managers in the country. Dublin have only started getting the wheels turning on their frightening machine. Their merciless obliteration of Longford is just a taster of what is sure to come and we’re only a matter of weeks away from once again hearing the cries that the county should be split in two. Because it’s not fair. Because they’re too good.

Can you tell the difference between a team holiday and an overseas camp from an office at Croke Park? The GAA is bringing in a ban on foreign training for inter-county squads. They will also limit the duration of Ireland based camps. It is the latest move in an ongoing battle to keep April free for the club game. Is it a rule that can be enforced?

The crackdown follows a series of controversies since the establishment of the ‘club-only’ month. Both Armagh and Laois lost home advantage for one game in this year’s Allianz Football League. They were punished for breaking the current rules, which stop panels embarking on training weekends outside a ten-day period before a championship game. The Orchard County travelled to Portugal, Laois only went as far as Kerry.

The GAA’s Management Committee investigated 17 counties last year.  Only four were deemed to have a case to answer. All Ireland Champions Dublin jetted out to France. The Dubs insisted they did no training during an educational excursion and spoke of visiting war memorials. The Wexford hurlers argued their trip to Portugal was for ‘recreational’ purposes. There was widespread scepticism about the explanations, but with no evidence to the contrary, both teams avoided punishment.

Congress has changed the rules and counties now need permission from the Central Competitions Control Committee to hold extended training camps here or abroad. Armagh are back in Portugal this week, this time with the correct clearance. There are now plans for further changes. From 2020 onwards all overseas trips will be banned. Irish based camps cannot be longer than three days.
Can you tell the difference between a team holiday and an overseas camp from an office at Croke Park? The GAA is bringing in a ban on foreign training for inter-county squads. They will also limit the duration of Ireland based camps. It is the latest move in an ongoing battle to keep April free for the club game. Is it a rule that can be enforced?

If its abuse your looking for, I have the perfect solution. Grab a whistle and referee a Gaelic football or hurling match. As a player, I am 100% guilty of giving out to referees! I also believe the standard of refereeing is nothing short of a joke ! However I do take pity on referees ! There is little or no consistency when implementing rules. Take for example, the advantage rule. One referee allows 5 seconds, and brings the play back after a shot on goal, another plays advantage but if you get your shot away its advantage over, and others don’t play advantage at all. This drives players, myself included up the walls ! One referee gives a yellow card for a black card offence and vice-versa! The abuse referees get for minimal pay is really appalling ! A cultural change is needed to put a stop to this. Harsher punishments need to be put in place for players that challenge referees in an abusive way. In Rugby, the captain is the only player allowed to talk to the referee and all players respect this and the referee. The G.A.A needs to take a good look at this and it needs to take action before we are left with no referees at all. I respect anyone who enters the middle of a field with a whistle because it sure is not a job I would like to take on!

Only last week, I applauded the G.A.A and how the members are truly special people. It disgusts me that only a week on I read an article on how the G.A.A have fined a club for organizing a fundraiser to help a member with motor neuron disease. A Donegal club was fined 500 euro after hosting a soccer tournament in aid of the man. How can the G.A.A possibly take money off such a club. Last week I wrote of the fundraiser held in aid of Cork legend Kieran O Connor. It is such events that makes the G.A.A so special. It is these events that puts the G.A.A above all other sports. Sadly the money grabbing idiots at the top would rather fill their pockets than care for the sick. This is not the first instance of greed in the G.A.A! All members know the G.A.A is a money driven organisation! But my question is, when will this stop ? How many tweets will it take for the men at headquarters to realize that the G.A.A should be about the members that put their time and energy into improving the system. This type of news story disgusts me !

The G.A.A is truly a special community. We slate it often ! Problems with rules, referees, pitches, injuries etc. However It can’t be denied that there is truly something special about the G.A.A community. This has been most clear in recent days when the Irish examiner reported the illness of former Cork footballing legend, Kieran O Connor. O Connor enjoyed 7 years playing at the top level for Cork. In those years he won an All-Ireand, 3 Munster finals and 2 National football leagues. The Agheda defender was diagnosed with Ewings disease, which is a rare type of bone cancer. Thehorrible illness has led to two years of chemotherapy for O Connor. In January 2019 he sadly had his leg amputated with the news the cancer had spread further. Sometimes however, it takes a sad story like this to see how genuine and together the G.A.A community is. A go fund me page was set up to raise money for his medical expenses. With many current and former stars coming together on social media seeking small donations the page grew massive support from all over the country. The support shown for the former Cork legend was incredible. 270,000 euro was raised to help with treatment and future care. If that doesn’t show amazing unity and spirit, what does? Although a very sad story, It is nice to be able to speak positively about the G.A.A. We have a special community and when something like this comes up, it is even more visible.

As discussed in my latest blog, the season is long and grueling. Demands on players are higher than ever before. I train five nights a week with the Clare senior footballers. I am currently 19 and am yet to make the breakthrough to the team. I understand the commitments and sacrifices that are required to make it at this level. However is it really necessary to refrain from alcohol for such extended periods? Drinking bans are in place from the first session in November until the moment we exit the championship. By the time this comes around, the club season is beginning to heat up and demands are becoming higher at club level also. Many clubs are now putting in place drinking bans for champiosnhip, which in Clare can run into November . It almost eliminates the chance to enjoy a few drinks at any stage in the year. As a college student, it is hard to face training in January knowing my friends are going to be enjoying a few drinks at home. I don’t over indulge in alcohol and I don’t think players should be drinking close to important matches but the issue I have is …. Take rugby, we often see players enjoying a few beers after a match. And they still go out and perform to a professional standard the next week. If it is good enough for a professional sport like rugby, why is it not good enough for us?

I am writing this blog as a young Gaelic footballer. I was born into a family that eat, sleep and drink the sport. My Father and uncles represented Clare at adult level and I am currently following in their footsteps. However, Things have changed drastically in the meantime and the role of a county footballer no longer involves turning up to training two or three nights a week. It involves five training sessions a week along with a recovery session. This training load makes players stronger, fitter, faster and more powerful. It can’t be denied though that this is coming at a severe cost. Every few weeks we hear of young players as young as fifteen undergoing surgery. The G.A.A high powers are implementing rules to deal with the issue but talk is cheap and the issue of burnout is growing rapidly. Students in college who represent there county are being asked to play two games a week while also training five nights a week. It is physically impossible and our bodies are unable to cope with the demands expected of us. The seasons are practically never ending. You begin playing with the college in September. In November, the county pre-season starts up. Your club will begin training in February and can run right through to October. With teams demanding a certain level of commitment, it is next to impossible to go through a season without picking up knocks, muscular or serious injuries. Not to mention the impact it has on the lives of young people. How do you make and maintain friendships while having to train every evening after a day of study and work. Where does one get time for family, friends and other hobbies?  What impact will this have on our bodies in later life? How does one maintain a desire to perform each day he or she goes out? As aforementioned burnout leads to serious injury, mental stress and ultimately people leaving the sport they once loved. This is not sustainable and the high powers need to stop talking about it and take action. Fixtures are becoming more and more clumped and the demands are becoming higher and higher. Unless serious and radical action is taken from the people at the very top you would have to wonder when and where this will all stop!

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton