Down GAA Football Star to feature on new TV Show - 28/09/2002

Down and Ulster GAA football star Paddy Doherty is to appear in a new TV Show on TG4. Doherty was a member of the great Down All-Ireland winning sides of the 'sixties which included such top-class attackers as the peerless Sean O'Neill, James McCartan, Tony Hadden and Brian Morgan. Doherty was the quiet man of the team, but over that successful period he did his talking on the playing fields and is one of the most talented forwards ever to come out of the Northern Province.

The first of a ten-part series about "GAA Legends'' will commence tonight on TG4 (Saturday 28/09/02) at 9.30 p.m. with a one hour special on famed Kerryman, Mick O'Dwyer.

Another Ulstermen will also have a programme dedicated to them - Donegal's Martin McHugh on October 12th but who better to focus on in the opening programme than the legendary Mick O'Dwyer who has been to the forefront of the G.A.A. as a player and manager for many years.

O'Dwyer commenced his playing career for Kerry in 1956 and after 18 years of dedicated and loyal service to the Kingdom ended up winning 4 championships and 11 league medals. When he gave up playing he became manager of the county side and took them to the 1975 All-Ireland Final and a winning debut. The Waterville clubman went on to further glory with the Kerry side of the era winning eight All-Irelands in total with this side between 1975 and 1989.

His record of achievement will never be surpassed. He then took a break from GAA affairs until he was persuaded to become team-manager of the Kildare county side in 1991. This was to prove a very fruitful period in the Lily Whites football history, as he moulded a team that were competing for titles once again in league and championship, and he was denied another All-Ireland SFC success in 1998 when Kildare were defeated by Galway in the final of that year.

This brought the number of finals in which Micko participated in directly as player or manager to 21 in all. And the story doesn't end there as in recent weeks Mick has linked up with the Laois county side for a two year period, and with the talent at his disposal in the O'Moore county who is to say we won't see O'Dwyer back in Croke Park once again in the very near future.

The Ulstermen featured in forthcoming programmes Martin McHugh and Paddy Doherty are two of the most talented forwards ever to come out of the Northern Province. McHugh a player small in stature but big in ability and talent was a key member of the Brian McEniff Donegal All-Ireland winning side of the 'nineties.

Few will forget his All-Ireland winning performance against the Dubs, when he orchestrated his side to a famous success. He later went into team-management and took Cavan - the sleeping giants of Ulster football - to provincial honours in 1997. In recent times he is a very respected G.A.A. pundit with the BBC. Both men have interesting playing careers to chronicle, which should interest GAA followers not alone in their respective home counties but throughout the province of Ulster.

The full line-up of programmes is as follows:
Saturday, 28th of September - Mick O'Dwyer (Kerry/Kildare).
October 5th - The Connolly's - the hurling family from Galway.
October 12th - Martin McHugh (Donegal).
October 19th - John Doyle (Tipperary).
October 26 - The late Jack Lynch (Cork) former Taoiseach and dual hurling and football star.
November 2nd - Paddy Doherty (Down).
November 9th - Eddie Keher - Kilkenny hurling star.
November 19th - Dermot Earley (Roscommon).
November 29th - The Rackards - famous Wexford All-Ireland hurling family.
November 30th - Sean Boylan - Meath All-Ireland winning team-manager.

These programmes are sure to capture the imagination of G.A.A. followers throughout the country and TG4 are to be complimented on their foresight in putting such an attractive sporting package together in the coming months.




Site was Created and Designed by Diarmuid Cahill
© DOWNGAA.NET


Disclaimer: Any options expressed here may not be the views of
Down GAA, its committee and its members

Click her to Bookmark site
Please come back often to see new articles and updates