The relationship between RTE and the GAA has had a rocky week since the announcement of the new broadcast deal last week. Last night though, the two came together in a celebration of the sport through ‘Hector goes… GAA’.
The programme, broadcast in prime time on RTE1 ‘looked at the pyramid beneath the point’ and covered everything from games of rounders to kids in academies all the way to singing on the pitch in celebration of an All Ireland triumph.
The storied history of Crossmaglen featured with Oisin McConville revealing that the presence of British Army helicopters circling the pitch gave them an opportunity to score against distracted opposition. The fact of six All Ireland club titles in one generation of players was put down by McConville’s Mother, who is responsible for tea and buns at the club, down to a holy statue she was given and which has never left the club.
The Burke family in Galway who produced six brothers on the All Ireland Club champions St Thomas’ as well as one daughter on the Camogie All Ireland champions last year as well were filmed around a busy kitchen table.
Cordal in Kerry who won last year’s Supervalu Clubs promotion laid on a party for Hector and his Orange camper van while his visit to Cuala in South Dublin coincided with the arrival of the Sam Maguire trophy and the presence of the club’s senior inter county stars, including David Treacy pictured above, taking a coaching session with the boys and girls of the U6 group.
The programme was an affectionate look at the stories behind the headlines and the magic of the presence in every parish.
Hector’s parting words to camera, delivered in front of an emptied Croke Park grandstand were “The GAA is every single one of us. It’s the very best in all of us.”
If you missed it you can still catch it on the RTE Player.
