‘Gaelic football is like holding a mirror up to the Irish temperament': how the sport has lived up to the hype for 140 years
Nowhere does 'recency bias' loom as large as in sport. Excitable talk about the biggest, brightest and best arrives several times a year, especially in Gaelic games. Even seasoned commentators and analysts tend to get caught up in the fervour.
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RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Tipperary look to strive rather than survive in senior ranks
They have successfully retained their All-Ireland senior status since sealing a return to the top-tier competition a little under six years ago, but Angela McGuigan and Tipperary are now seeking to push on to another level in 2025. Despite also representing her native county at minor level in the same season, McGuigan started at full-forward and scored 1-01 when Tipp defeated Meath in an All-Ireland intermediate final at Croke Park six years ago. Whereas the Premier women suffered All-Ireland SFC relegation in the wake of winning their previous second-tier title in 2017, they have remained in the Brendan Martin Cup following that memorable 2-16 to 1-14 triumph over the Royal County in 2019. While remarkable resilience has seen them come through relegation play-off games in 2021, 2023 and 2024, McGuigan and Tipperary are hopeful this year will find them reaching a senior quarter-final for the first time in the modern era. After kick-starting their campaign against Galway in Tuam Stadium later on today, the Premier will also face Donegal in a home encounter on 21 June. "We've kind of just been surviving the last few years, coming close and not making it," McGuigan said. "Last year was tough because we drew with Armagh, who obviously won Division One last year and they were in the All-Ireland semi-finals. Losing to Meath by three points as well. "Even though we had probably two of our better games of the year, you're still facing relegation after that. It's definitely hard to take. We're really pushing to try and get into a quarter-final this year. "It has been a huge goal to try and make it, and not just survive and stay up in senior. You want to try and improve every year. We'll really be hoping to make a quarter-final." With 11 wins from as many games thus far in 2025 between their victorious campaigns in Division 2 – including an opening round win over the Premier – and the Connacht championship, Galway come into today's game against Tipperary as one of the country's in-form teams. From Tipp's perspective, they followed up a third-place finish in the same division of the league with consecutive defeats to Waterford and Cork in Munster. However, the final round of the latter competition saw Ed Burke's side playing out a 1-06 apiece draw with current Brendan Martin Cup holders Kerry and McGuigan saw this as an ideal confidence booster coming into the All-Ireland series. "That was huge because I think we weren't really performing well. We'd lost badly enough to Waterford and Cork in the first two matches, so we really needed something out of the Kerry match and it was a good performance. Originally from the Sliabh na mBan club in Tipperary, McGuigan is arguably one of the most well-travelled Gaelic footballers in Ireland. Having joined the Defence Forces upon leaving school, she found herself doing a cadetship in The Curragh. This brought her face-to-face with Grainne Kenneally, the former Waterford footballer who kick-started the second chapter of her inter-county career with Kildare in 2020. She had already been lining out at club level with Eadestown by that point and McGuigan went on to join her in their ranks for the 2021 club season. After amassing 1-03 in their senior football championship final win against Leixlip in the same year, McGuigan registered an outstanding 1-07 as Eadestown retained Kildare's top club crown at the expense of Sarsfields in 2022. "She was my second in command while I was in cadets. I had a good relationship with her. She was quite scary during cadets, but we became good friends after! She's also an exceptional footballer as well. Although she transferred back to Sliabh na mBan in April 2023, McGuigan is actually set to don the club colours of St Sylvester's in Dublin this year. As there is an option within the army to spend time in college at a certain point if you don't have a degree, McGuigan has studied sports science at TU Dublin for the past few years. She has played O'Connor Cup on a consistent basis with the capital-based college (albeit a fractured fibula kept her sidelined earlier this year) and lined out alongside some notable figures from the inter-county game. One such player was former Dublin star Niamh McEvoy – a five-time Brendan Martin Cup winner during her time with the Jackies. Along with the likes of Sinead Aherne, Nicole Owens, and Kate Sullivan, McEvoy has long been a stalwart of Sylvester's. While she did take some persuading, McGuigan completed a transfer to the Malahide club at the beginning of April and is looking forward to aiding their cause in this year's Dublin senior championship. "She [McEvoy] was doing a PhD in TUD and she had ended up playing two of the O'Connor Cup weekends with us. She is obviously an unbelievable footballer, but we got on really well personally as well," McGuigan added. "She was always hinting at me joining Sylvester's and I was kind of fobbing her off, but then this year it's just a lot of travelling up and down for training. She brought me to lunch one day and she sold it really well. A year of giving it a good go with Sylvester's. They were obviously in the county final last year and they've just serious talent there."
The National
7 hours ago
- The National
Fresh investment in Gaelic will propel Scottish pupils to success
I consider it an honour to champion the Gaelic language, and I've been thankful that recent years have seen significant progress on Gaelic language and culture policy. Among these is the Scottish Languages Bill, which is progressing through parliament and, if passed by MSPs, will ensure there is a more robust legal framework for Gaelic's promotion, particularly in education and public life. Adding to this is the overall trend of recent years in public finance, which reflects continued investment in the language and its culture. We've seen sustained funding increases that recognise Gaelic language as a valuable asset that strengthens our national identity. READ MORE: Patrick Harvie: Increased UK defence spending only makes war more likely But to me, the most encouraging sign of Gaelic's growing cultural success is our booming Gaelic schools. Being a recipient myself of Gaelic medium education (GME), I have first-hand experience of its value and effectiveness, having first learned the language while studying in GME in the Highlands. Learning through Gaelic undoubtedly instilled in me a deep appreciation for Scotland's rich culture, and the importance of preserving it for future generations. It was a joy to further strengthen Gaelic medium education this week with an announcement of funding for a new Gaelic primary school. Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a' Challtainn (Calton Gaelic Primary School) will become Glasgow's fourth Gaelic language primary school, following a £2 million investment from the Scottish Government. The school will have space for 416 pupils and will meet growing demand for Gaelic primary education in the city. Census figures published last year show a 45% increase in the number of people with some Gaelic skills in Glasgow compared to 2011. This school will build on the encouraging surge we have seen in the number of Gaelic speakers and learners in Glasgow and support the language's growth into the future. This exciting growth appears to be representative of the nationwide picture, with demand for places in Gaelic schools frequently outpacing supply – a problem we're delighted to have, as it demonstrates the genuine enthusiasm families have for bilingual education. Data from the Scottish Government tells us that in 2009, there were 2206 pupils in GME, compared with 5417 for the year 2022-2023. This represents an increase of 145%! The national picture for GME uptake is one of steady and encouraging growth. Perhaps this should be unsurprising, given the numerous and well-studied benefits of bilingualism in children. Evidence shows that bilingual children can demonstrate improved problem-solving, better attention and enhanced memory. There are also huge personal and confidence benefits that come from the knowledge and respect gained for Gaelic culture. There is a beautiful richness to be discovered in Gaelic songs, stories, traditions and history. It's not uncommon to hear concerns that Gaelic medium children will somehow be left behind compared to the majority who learn in English medium settings. But here, yet again, the evidence shows these fears to be unfounded. Children who go through Gaelic medium education match or exceed the levels of attainment of their monolingual contemporaries in English medium education. Gaelic medium education enriches communities and offers good value for money, providing better grade averages across all qualification levels despite costs being no greater than average. There are a multitude of reasons to embrace Gaelic medium education, and the evidence highlights that GME comes with a wealth of additional benefits for individuals and communities around the country. The announcement of funding for Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig a' Challtainn in Glasgow came alongside a host of other projects set to benefit from the Gaelic Capital Fund, with initiatives around the country gaining an additional £5.7m this year. Schools in locations such as Skye, Paisley, East Kilbride, Cumbernauld and Forfar will, among other things, receive new learning equipment, Gaelic signage and much sought-after upgrades to facilities. There's never been a better time to believe in Gaelic medium education. As a representative of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, a constituency where 12% of the population has skills in Gaelic, I've never been prouder of the SNP majority government that is investing in Gaelic language and culture. It's my sincere hope that generations to come will look back with thankfulness on these definitive years for the Gaelic language, seeing them as a turning point. I'm convinced that for this to be the case, bolstering support for GME will play a crucial role. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: if we don't recognise and protect our national languages, nobody else will!
Irish Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
From Saoirse to Aisling and Cillian to Liam, Irish names surge in popularity
Irish names are having a surge of popularity, with the likes of Caoimhe, Fiadh, Tadhg and Rian in the Top 20 every year. And some of our biggest celebrities have Irish names, such as Cillian Murphy and Saoirse Ronan. But often, Gaelic names and spellings are hard for those from elsewhere to get their tongue around. Now a new book gives the stories behind these names - and explains how to say them. Irish Baby Names: What They Mean And How To Pronounce Them, explains the provenance and pronunciation of girls names like Beibhinn, Blaithin and Croia; and ones for boys such as Turlach, Conall and Senan. Authors Feilim O'Connor, Morgan Buckley and Gavin Drea's compilation of more than 200 names is like a compendium for new parents, looking for something special. Chapters include Misprounounced Names and those from mythology and geography; as well as names from wilder times in Ireland and those that have been somewhat lost in time. Wild names include Cliodhna, which means Queen of the Banshees: "a dark, female ghost of the night in Ireland" while those from mythology include Brigid, after the goddess and member of the Tuatha De Danann. Eimear was the wife of Cu Chulainn, while Sadhbh, an ancient figure who was twice turned into a deer by a wicked druid for refusing his advances. She chose Fionn Mac Cumhaill instead, and her son Oisin's name means "little deer". Fiachra is the Irish word for raven, and one of the four children of Lir. Geographically-themed names include Gobnait, a saint who protected her abbey from a group of raiders when she unleashed bees on them. Her church can still be found on the island of Inis Oirr. Turlach refers to a lake that dries up in summer, while Iarlaith (Jarlath in English) comes from the old word "flaith" which means leader or lord. It's named after the priest who founded the monastic school of Tuam. Popular Irish names now include Alannah, which comes from the Irish word for child; Croia, which means heart; and Aisling - such as Aisling Bea - which means vision. Those of us who did Irish in school will never need a guide to pronunciation. But for those who do, the book makes it easy, with the likes of Tadhg explained as: "like Tiger, with out the R" and Caoimhin provided phonetically as "Kwee-veen". The book looks at popular Irish names today, the top names over the years and stories behind surnames. The book reads: "Irish names - they're older than the Pyramids, and they'll probably be mispronounced for another 5,000 years. "We're bringing you back before Christianity came to these shores, to rediscover Irish names from an ancient Ireland of mystery, magic and mythos. "It's the greatest gift you can give a child, whatever the future holds." The authors explain: "There are quite a few girls' names in Irish that translate to beauty and a lot of boys' names linked to bravery. "Digging a little deeper, you'll find references to the landscape, wild animals and ancient Irish sovereignty. "Throughout the annals, there are countless heroes who have kept these names alive." Lots of Irish celebrities have Irish names. Here are some, and their meanings: Aisling (Ash-ling) Means dream or vision. Cillian (Killy-in) Comes from the Irish word cillin, meaning little church. Saoirse (Seer-shuh) This has a lovely meaning behind it, standing for both liberty and craftsmanship. Liam (Lee-am) Liams are protectors. A shortened version of the old Germanic name Willhelm, which means helmet of will. From the Irish word seal (ron), Ronan translates into little seal or seal person. According to Irish legend, selkies transform into humans when they swim too close to the shore. Once human, they sometimes marry and have children, who are known as Ronans. Roisin (Roe-Sheen) This beautiful name means "little rose". In Irish mythology, the Roisin Dubh was the symbol on the robes of the Druids of Ireland, an ancient and high-ranking class who were considered godlike because of their knowledge of nature. Aidan (Ay-din) or Aodhan (Ay-dawn) Means little fire, coming from the old Irish word for fire, aodh. Aodhan Mac Gabhrain was a first-Century Celtic king. Sinead (Shin-ade) Means: "god is gracious". Colleen Part of the reason this is more popular outside Ireland than in Ireland itself is that this spelling is an Anglicisation of the word for girl - cailin. Popular with second and third generation Irish emigrants. Donnacha - or Donncha (Done-ah-kah). Means: "brown-haired warrior" and was the name of a famous High King. Irish Baby Names: What they mean and how to pronounce them by Feilim O'Connor, Morgan Buckley and Gavin Drea is published by Gill and is out now, priced €16.99. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
