| GAA shorts All-Star awards
Since 1971 the best 15 footballers and hurlers have received an All-Star
Award. Four players have won awards in both football and hurling, they
are Jimmy-Barry Murphy (Cork), Brian Murphy (Cork), Ray Cummins (Cork)
and Liam Currams (Offaly).
Dublin goalkeeper John O’Leary has won five All-Star Awards and
two other goalkeepers Martin Furlong (Offaly) and Paddy Cullen (Dublin)
have won four each.
Offaly is the only county to have won All-Star Awards in every position
on the field in both football and hurling. Kerry’s Pat O’Shea
won six All-Star Awards in a row from 1980 to 1985 whilst fellow Kerryman
Pat Spillane has most All-Star Awards nine in total.
The third team on a pitch
No GAA match can take place without a referee. The referee awards frees
when rules are broken by players.
He is helped by his team of linesmen and umpires. The referee wears an
ear-piece and is in contact with the umpire and linesmen during play.
It is a very important job and can be a difficult one. Referees do not
get paid for the job but they get great satisfaction from what they do.
To make decisions clear to players and spectators, the referee uses yellow
and red cards. The referee shows a yellow card when a player is pulled
down of tripped by an opponent. A yellow card is also shown for other
forms of rough play. For striking, kicking, stamping and behaving in a
manner dangerous to another player the referee shows a red card. John
Moloney from Tipperary refereed six All-Ireland finals. Two former referees
Mick Loftus from Mayo and John Dowling from Offaly became Presidents of
the GAA.
Ladies football still growing
Cumann Peil Gael na MBan the Ladies Gaelic Football Association was
founded in Hayes Hotel, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, in 1974. The growth of
the organisation since then has been amazing.
There are now 90,000 members in 900 clubs throughout Ireland and also
in Britain, Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada and the USA. In 2004 the Ladies
GAA launched their own coaching programme and their own magazine Peil.
A Ladies All-Star scheme started in 1980.
In 2004 the first All-Star tour went to New York where they played a
Rest Of Ireland team in Gaelic Park before the Mayo v New York Connaught
Championship match.
The Kerry Ladies team currently hold the record for most All-Ireland
titles from 1982 to 1990 they won nine Senior Championships. Mary Jo Curran
(Kerry) has won the most All-Ireland senior medals, she has nine. Mary
Jo has also won the most All-Star Awards. |
