| Asian Gaelic Games 2004 Newsletter - 17th September 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dear All Welcome to the third edition of the Asian Gaelic Games Newsletter, which will appear weekly in the run up to this year's IrishAbroad.com Asian Gaelic Football Sevens. Read past newsletters: IrishAbroad.com - connecting
the online Irish community around the world If you have any articles you want included, just e-mail Myriam at myriam@irishabroad.com. ***Click on links immediately below to gain quick access to the areas you are interested in***
As the Asian Gaelic Games grows, it's simply not possible to hold all of the group games at the one venue. Last year, both Aberdeen and Pok Fu Lam Stadiums were used on the Saturday morning before everyone descended on Aberdeen for the knock out stages. This year, with up to 9 more teams added, there are more group games and more knock games, which has resulted in the need for a third pitch. Finally, we're happy to announce that Happy Valley will be the third venue on Saturday morning. Centred in the world famous Happy Valley racecourse, the training ground for the HKGAA will be an excellent venue for Saturday morning's group games. The pitch is only 5 minutes from both hotels. Saturday Night is Star Studded Night A reminder that Saturday night at the Games is a Movie Star Theme Night. Get your thinking caps on now, as the door of the venue will be covered by some Lilly Bordello style door bitches with attitude. Unless your dressed, expect a hard time getting in - and you can certainly rule out the Library Bar, where Hong Kong's very own Charlie McGettigan will be throwing out a few classics. Expect a belter of a night in Lan Kwai Fong. And just a subtle reminder that Delaneys will be showing LIVE the Ireland - France World Cup qualifier at 3 am - any takers ?? Hong Kong GAA - Macau Boot Camp...... As Hong Kong has the privilege of hosting the Asian Gaelic Games this year, they are also in the unfortunate position of not really being "On Tour" at the time of the games. So the Macau Boot Camp was / is intended to make up for that, and 40 members of the club made a pretty damn good effort. This year the training regime is the simple Fermanagh way - football, beers and curry - no injuries….. If anyone has read Tom Humphries recent book, which covers the Ireland's epic journey during the 2002, you'll know that the reason why Ireland chose Saipan as their pre World Cup destination is the result of a conversation that Ireland's travel genius Ray Treacy had in a pub over a pint of Guinness. The story goes that he met a man who knew a man who was the head green keeper at the Saipan Golf Club. He wrote the name of Saipan on Ray's packet of cigarettes, and that night before Ray was getting into bed, he stopped to have his customary nightcap smoke. As he opened the packet he saw the name Saipan. He immediately clicked onto the internet to do a bit of research, and the rest they say is history. Well Saipan / Macau - they aren't that disimilar. Both teams stayed at the Hyatt and on the first night a core group of players led by the maverick chairman broke all informal curfews (return home before daylight). In Saipan they had what resembled a cabbage patch as a pitch. In Macau we had a very large green skiddy surface, but the surroundings had character. In Saipan players mixed freely with other guests in the hotel; Likewise in Macau, the HKGAA mixed with other groups on a team bulding weekend who were attempting to remove a imitation bomb from the swimming pool without falling in - begs belief !! Ireland had Roy Keane, HKGAA had Dara Vaughan - injured, obeyed all curfews, drank little, went home early and no longer doing interviews. The Irish team played gaelic football at training and only half the players knew what they were doing; the HKGAA also played gaelic football at training and, well......will say no more. It's destiny......I guess this all means that the HKGAA will be knocked out in the quarters by Spain, who play extra time with only 6 men. Saturday night was another epic, as the HKGAA celebrated three birthdays - but it was Carmen's night, as she was invite onto stage to gyrate with the Mandarin Embassy Bar's lead sleazebomb singer - as the audience sange her happy birthday. Fortunately, the spot lights at the bar were no stronger than the spot lights you would find at a Guantanema Bay Prison, and any blushing on Carmen's part was hardly noticed. Next day, the build up to the big match. By 11am, check out time, the Langers were making their presence known. Cork -v- Kilkenny, it was to be the final that surpassed all other finals. As Cyril Hughes pointed out the week before - "Cork were beaten in the previous year's final, and Cork knew that they should have won and therefore will want to win. Kilkenny know that Cork know that they should have won and therefore will want to win. Cork know that Kilkenny know that Cork know..." at that point Cyril fell off the chair with the excitement. The HKGAA ate at renowned Fernandos and serenaded its other customers who were enjoying a peaceful Sunday lunch up until that point. The Cork Langers, as is tradition, brought their own Ham Sangers and sat outside as the non Langers sang "the Banks" for them. The party continued until the high speed ferry home, before which the HKGAA continued with their customary piss-take game of who can leave the restaurant at the latest and still catch the 6pm ferry - unfortunately we had a couple of black hawks down - but the party continued - and sadly, the captain of the ship declined our request to send the boat around the Hong Kong one more time. Back to the hurling, well it turned out to be a damp squib of an affair, which resulted in Cork being reported to the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for killing 15 Kats. Not even the HKGAA who will still trying, at that stage only 3 strings remaining on the guitar could liven up the affair. On Ireland's Radio 1, meanwhile, Micheál O Muircheartaigh played a mighty game packed with Malawi priests, Galloping Jesus, the 90 x 90 dimensions of the new Hill 16 and the history of Bride Rovers but even he couldn't turn it into a classic. A long and eventful weekend in Macau - not sure if we're quite ready for Japan and Korea just yet. Inside special from the Japan Camp Australian based author turned fashion designer Steve "Pants" Martin has come up with a new look for the Japan and Japan Exiles men's teams. According to Steve, "range of motion" , "air-conditioning" and - especially for the ladies – " twitching muscles " are the key design features of the new shirt. Peter Ryan, aka "The Gaffer", has already refused to wear it citing danger threats from his club back home if they ever found out. Other comments from the lads on the new kit ranged from: "Chicks are gonna love it. I'm off to the gym" to "It looks POXY" and not forgetting "This is a moronic idea. You may as well dress us in tutus". We wait in anticipation. Also the Japan tour casual gear remains shrouded in mystery. Suffice to say that infamous HK based tour pro Joe "Das Monster" Burke will as usual ensure that the tour gear is colorful. It is a pity that he is color blind and we are hoping that there are no flashing pinks and greens which were sore on the eyes in previous years. Also on a bigger note rumor has it that Shanghai GAA may put an official objection into Joe playing for the Japan Exiles as he is now Hong Kong based. Noelie and Ronan's strategy is obviously to weaken the Hong Kong team even though we have reports that Fergal was wining and dining Joe in the past few months to try and persuade him to cross over. Does Fergal know something we don't? Is Joe Burke destined to be the player of the tournament? Sure pigs might fly. Anyway the Japan Exiles said they would protest this to the death as without Joe they would never find Lang Kwai Fong and be stuck in Wanchai all weekend. This year Japan GAA committee, led by Barbara Whooley, is for the first time ever a completely all-ladies affair. Outgoing Japan GAA chairperson, Seamus Hanley, commented that he was really happy with the ladies running things as it gave him and lads more time for to check out "possible new ladies players" in such fine Tokyo establishments as 911, Motown 2, The Hobgoblin and Paddy Foley's. Well done to the ladies for an excellent job to date. And to the lads - keep on trying!!!!. Also finally ex Captain Fantastic Colman Murray and now roommie of the prodigal Mick Shannon, says that Mick may actually tog out for the first time since 1996. And pigs might fly again!!! The news from this camp is that the bare nucleus of a team (Ultan Peters (Captain & Coach), Kerry Dyke and myself) turned up last Sunday morning at 9am for our first ever training session. They actually trained with the local Australian Rules team (The Tigers) who had twenty players training some of which we hope will become 'dual code' players and come to HK with us.They expect to have a couple more people joining the squad this Sunday and its looking like we will have around 8 people coming to the games to represent the Thai Rovers - most won't have played much, if any, Gaelic Football before last Sunday although they are planning some intensive conversion/training sessions over the next few weeks. That will be interesting to watch! The Thai Rovers will probably be looking for a couple of people to supplement the squad in HK so if any of you know anybody that might want to play but without clubs, please email John Murray their details and he'll get in touch with them, especially if they have lived in Thailand previously. Players Traveling to Hong Kong: A Word of Warning about Personal Safety As the weekend of the tournament draws near, evidence of the media frenzy that is part and parcel with the games has already started to emerge. Despite best efforts to keep details of the weekend under wraps, someone has leaked the social schedule to the press, and no doubt the local paparazzi and the public will be out in droves to try and catch a glimpse or a snapshot of the stars of the Asian Gaelic Football Sevens at play. In a noble bid to thwart incessant phone calls and questions about the weekend and players, organising committee chairman Fergal Power went so far as to part company with his beloved mobile phone, deliberately leaving it in a Hong Kong taxi in the early hours of Monday morning, hoping that the signal might draw the insatiable hounds away. The decoy worked but only temporarily and when he left his office for training on Tuesday evening he only narrowly avoided the throng that awaited him as the crowd was certain the man dressed (cunningly) in purple (right down to his socks) could not be the usually stylish Mr Power. Of course, it's the fans that make you stars and you have to give them a show – on the pitch. But off the pitch you need your time, to relax, have a laugh and a few drinks with your peers without having to fend off stalkers, groupies and scandal-hungry journos. With this requirement in mind, the organizing committee has planned two invitation only events for the weekend – with heavies on the door to keep riffraff at bay. The opening event on Friday night is to be held at the HK Yacht Club – a pool party where the teams can unwind after traveling with the protection of high fences and exclusive access; of course we can't stop the helicopters. Your pass will be in your player pack, bring it or you may find yourself dining at the Jumbo restaurant and posing for photos with tourists. Saturday evening is even more exclusive. The event will be held in club An Poc Fada and, in a bid to avoid ongoing references to the past (think Viper Room), the club will open for one night only. To get to the club players must pass through Hong Kong's famous 'Lan Kwai Fong'. After much thought, the OC deemed that the safest way to get so many football stars past the crowds of LKF was for them to assume false identities for the evening. Hence, the bouncers of club An Poc Fada will allow entry to "movie stars" only. For your own personal safety, the OC urges you and your teammates to plan your disguises now, be the Brady Bunch or Marlon Brando, but please don't be yourselves. |
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