“Remember that tribe in Iraq, the Shi’ite tribe? Well, we’ve been watching Shi’ite football. You know, there are people who go to the Hague for war crimes – I tell you this, some of the coaches nowadays should be up for crimes against Gaelic football.”
Pat Spillane releases both barrels on Jim McGuinness and Donegal for their All Ireland semi final performance and putting his ‘puke football’ jibe at Tyrone firmly in the shade.
“The mind was as willing as ever but the body wasn’t listening. I’d be embarrassed to hang around when I couldn’t play like I used to anymore – I couldn’t stay sane doing. No, it was time to go.”
Ken McGrath announces his retirement from inter county hurling after the National League clash against Cork in March.
“Lar there goes through the National League with sore toes and hamstrings…come Championship time ZOOM! He’s like Ben Bolt!”
Sunday Game analyst Cyril Farrell gets so excited over Lar Corbett’s heroics against Clare he mixes up the name of the fastest man on the planet!
“God almighty, a fiver. When I heard a fiver, it would hardly get you a tub of ice cream. It's crazy.”
Another classic from Farrell, this time venting his anger at the GAA’s slender reduction in ticket prices.
“The dressing rooms are terrible anyway!”
A razor sharp reply from Eoin Kelly when asked of his opinions on the Munster final venue of Pairc Ui Chaoimh.
“I'd like to personally apologise and on behalf of the team to all the people of Waterford who travelled to Cork today. Words can’t describe the feeling in the dressing room.”
Grief stricken John Mullane issues an apology to the Waterford followers on the Sunday Game after a seven goal Munster final trimming to Tipperary.
“All of them mysterious calls in the middle of the night I enjoy them, keep them coming! I’m not going into it, they are not worth even talking to. They can keep ringing, that’s all I’ll say to you.”
Davy Fitzgerald recovers from a troublesome fortnight following the Munster final as Waterford dispatch Galway in the All Ireland quarter final.
“You’ve the likes of Tony Considine, an ex-selector with us, and he’d be writing a lot of stuff. The funny thing is I actually laugh a lot about this one because Tony probably never played senior hurling with county or club and he’s never managed any team to do anything. When people say to me ‘Tony’s had a cut’ I just say ‘oh, alright’ I just have a good giggle.”
Davy once again, this time responding to criticism from a former mentor on RTE’s The Committee Room.
“We looked to get access to Croke Park to have a puck around for a half hour and that was denied to us. They would give us a ten minute tour of the pitch with no hurls but we were going to be playing hurling here what’s the point walking around?”
Waterford minor hurling boss Liam “Chuck” O’Connor voices his confusion after their All Ireland semi final exit as to why the team couldn’t train at the venue in the days beforehand.
“The monkey of Croke Park has been thrown off my back. Three times I have come up here personally; lost two and drew one. It was about time a Waterford team came up here and just did the business. I wonder at times did Biddy Early put the curse on Clare, did Biddy Early put the curse on Waterford? The girls proved it today they dug deep.”
An emotional Gráinne Kenneally sums up her feelings after Waterford’s camogie team finally taste All Ireland junior glory at GAA Headquarters.
“People have said that we can’t do it against Stradbally on a wet day. We proved that we can mix it on soft ground, on hard ground or on any sort of a ground. We’re Ballinacourty and we're here to stay.”
A defiant Gary Hurney after Ballinacourty overcame reigning champions Stradbally in a mudbath at Fraher Field.
“I just don’t think we have done enough, I’m not blaming anybody for that we just need to do a bit more. Maybe we lacked a bit of consistency. We have played some fantastic hurling over the years but we probably didn’t do it three or four games in a row.”
Newly installed Waterford hurling manager Michael Ryan aims to iron out the creases of the recent past for the 2012 season ahead.
“I found it funny to hear Michael Ryan saying Waterford need to be more consistent – the only way they can be any more consistent is if they win the All Ireland and best of luck to him with that.”
Davy Fitzgerald, in his new role as Clare boss, defends his record with the Déise and turns up the heat ahead of the Munster semi final next June.
