Over The Bar

By the end of the 1990s, the demands being placed on inter-county players had changed dramatically. Training commitments were increasing, the GAA was becoming more commercial, and yet the players themselves had no independent organisation to represent their interests. In 1999, that changed with the formation of the Gaelic Players Association. In this episode of Over The Bar Michael Foley and Ciará...

This week on The Week That Was, Michael Foley and Ciarán O’Hara travel back through the GAA history made between September 21st and 27th. We revisit 1986, when Kerry’s latest All-Ireland triumph saw some of the Kingdom’s greatest names rewrite the record books; go back 30 years to 1956, when a polio outbreak disrupted the championship and forced the postponement of the All-Ireland finals; and reme...

The 1953 All-Ireland Hurling Final brought Cork and Galway together in Croke Park, with Christy Ring chasing yet another chapter in an extraordinary career. But this was no ordinary final. A fiercely contested game produced incidents that would be debated for decades, with Ring at the centre of a controversy that didn't end when the final whistle sounded. Michael Foley and Ciarán O’Hara go bac...

In this edition of Week That Was , we head back through the GAA history books to three very different moments associated with the middle of September. We return to the extraordinary 1982 All-Ireland Football Final between Kerry and Offaly and look at the unlikely part played in the drama by the Lowry family — a story that goes beyond one of the most famous finishes in Championship history. Then we...

Few county jerseys are as instantly recognisable — or as closely tied to a place — as Mayo’s. Where did the colours come from, and how did the jersey evolve into the one generations of Mayo supporters know today? Michael Foley and Ciarán O’Hara dig into the archives to trace the story of the Mayo jersey, separating tradition from fact and uncovering how the green above the red became one of Gaelic...

In this edition of Week That Was, we turn the clock back to three remarkable chapters from GAA history. We revisit the 1947 All-Ireland Hurling Final, when Kilkenny and Cork renewed one of hurling’s great rivalries. Then it’s back to 1926 and the Munster Hurling Final — a championship encounter with a story that didn’t end when the final whistle sounded. And finally, we head to 1955, when the All-...

How did a Championship match end with a Garda Sergeant standing in the dock on a charge of murder? In 1929, what should have been another summer afternoon of Gaelic football instead set in motion an extraordinary chain of events involving players, supporters, the Gardaí and, ultimately, the courts. In this episode of Over The Bar , Michael Foley and Ciarán O’Hara go back almost a century to recons...

This week on The Week That Was , we head back through the GAA history books to revisit three memorable moments from the opening days of September. We look at the first All-Ireland final ever played on the first Sunday of September – a date that would eventually become synonymous with the biggest day in the Hurling calendar. We also revisit the unusual year when the footballers took over that slot....

On 19 July 1972, the most famous sportsman on the planet stepped into a boxing ring in the middle of Croke Park. Muhammad Ali’s fight against Al ‘Blue’ Lewis has become one of the most remarkable nights in the history of the stadium — a world heavyweight superstar fighting at the headquarters of the GAA in a bout that almost seems impossible in hindsight. But how did Muhammad Ali end up fighting i...

In the latest edition of Week That Was we're casting our eyes back to an All Ireland Semi Final on Leeside, an All Munster Semi Final in the the last four of the football championship and establishing why only one Provincial final was played in 1921. For those who want more Gaelic Games History, you can join our Cairde Club for less than the price of a match programme for month - where you'll get...

Radio was still in its infancy in Ireland when, in August 1926, the GAA took its first tentative step into the world of live broadcasting. In this episode we tell the story of the first live broadcast from a GAA match. Done with a primitive microphone, a makeshift commentary position and equipment powered by ship's batteries, it was a world away from the sports broadcasting operation we know today...

Episode 2 of Week That Was takes us back to some remarkable moments from this week in GAA history. We look at two major championship games that didn’t make it to regulation length, and the very different circumstances that brought them to an early conclusion. There’s also the story of how Kerry tamed an Ulster uprising, as the Kingdom faced a new challenge from the rapidly emerging northern counti...

Why do Longford wear blue and gold — and what does the county jersey tell us about the turbulent early history of the GAA in Longford? In this episode of Over The Bar, we explore the origins of the Longford jersey against the backdrop of a county where Gaelic games struggled to establish themselves. Political divisions, competing loyalties and splits within the nationalist movement all played thei...

Introducing Week That Was, a new series from Over The Bar – The GAA History Podcast , where we turn back the clock to revisit the games, stories and controversies that made GAA history during this week in years gone by. In our first episode, we look at four remarkable Championship stories from August 10th to August 16th. We revisit the dramatic 1981 All-Ireland Hurling Semi-Final replay between Ga...

Antrim’s appearance in the 1989 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final remains one of the most remarkable stories in modern championship history. But how did a county outside hurling’s traditional elite find itself walking behind the band on All-Ireland Final day? In this episode of Over The Bar – The GAA History Podcast , Michael Foley and Ciarán O’Hara trace Antrim’s extraordinary 1989 campaign — the...

Why did it take almost 30 years to play the first All-Ireland Camogie Final? The Camogie Association was founded in 1904, so why did the first All-Ireland Final not take place until 1933? In this episode of Over The Bar , Michael Foley and Ciaran O’Hara unravel the fascinating early history of camogie, revealing how political divisions within the game's administrators, the arrival of the Tailteann...

In this episode of Over The Bar , Michael Foley and Ciaran O’Hara uncover the story behind one of Gaelic football's most iconic colour combinations. Why did Kildare adopt the famous all-white jersey, and what events and personalities shaped the county's sporting identity? The lads sift through the evidence, separate fact from folklore, and trace the evolution of the Lilywhites' colours from the ea...

It's All Ireland Football Final weekend and Michael Foley and Ciaran O'Hara are taking a glance at the history of Kerry v Mayo games, a broadcasting milestone and a unique opportunity for Paul Geaney. For those who want more Gaelic Games History, you can join our Cairde Club for less than the price of a match programme for month - where you'll get exclusive episodes, bonus content, ad free and ear...

How did Mayo win their first All-Ireland in 1936? On the 90th Anniversary, this episode of Over The Bar sees Michael Foley and Ciaran O’Hara revisit the breakthrough campaign that brought Sam Maguire to Mayo for the first time. The lads trace the road to the final, the key figures who drove the team on, and the moments that turned a promising side into All-Ireland champions. A story of ambition, r...

As an All Ireland Hurling Final and World Cup Final collide, Michael Foley and Ciaran O'Hara explore what historically has made the difference for Galway and Limerick, how unbeaten records in finals are built, the story of the Limerick Hurler who went on to play for Ireland, and Galway's experimental byes to the big day.  For those who want more Gaelic Games History, you can join our Cairde C...

In this episode of Over The Bar , Michael Foley and Ciaran O’Hara revisit one of the defining days in modern hurling as Galway claimed the county's first All-Ireland title in over half a century. Facing a Limerick side chasing glory of their own, Galway produced a performance that changed the county's sporting landscape forever. The lads explore the long road to 1980, the key personalities, the ta...

It's All Ireland Football Semi Final weekend - so Ciaran O'Hara and Michael Foley are looking at a rare occurrence in a Dublin v Kerry semi final, Ciarán McDonalds record with Mayo in the final four and with Down and Wicklow meeting in the Tailteann Cup Final they run the rule over the Garden County's All Ireland Final experiences. For those who want more Gaelic Games History, you can join our Cai...

In this episode of Over The Bar , Michael Foley and Ciaran O’Hara uncover one of the most surprising stories behind one of Gaelic football's greatest upsets. While Louth's victory over Cork is rightly celebrated, the road to Sam Maguire included an unexpected contribution from their Connacht rivals.  For those who want more Gaelic Games History, you can join our Cairde Club for less than the...

This week on Bitesize, Michael Foley and Ciaran O’Hara uncover the fascinating history behind this weekend's All-Ireland semi-finals. The lads explain why, when Cork meet Galway, history suggests it's better to arrive as the underdog. They also reveal why a championship meeting between Clare and Limerick has become almost as familiar as Limerick taking on Donegal, before turning their attention to...

When did Eamon Dunphy and Johnny Giles play against Galway in Tuam Stadium? In this episode of Over The Bar , Michael Foley and Ciaran O’Hara uncover one of the most extraordinary cross-code exhibitions ever staged in Ireland, when two of the country's greatest soccer stars lined out against Galway footballers in the heart of GAA country. The lads explore why the match was organised, how it captur...