GAA Minor Moments

Our guest for Season 3 Episode 2 of the GAA Minor Moments podcast with Electric Ireland is former Tipperary camogie player and author, Eimear Ryan.Eimear chats with host Fergal O’Keefe about the early years of her camogie career and growing up playing her GAA in Moneygall with the boy’s team. They dive into these memories, which Eimear also shares in her award-winning book ‘The Grass Ceiling’.Reflecting back to her minor years, Eimear reminisces on the lifts to and from training being a real highlight. She offers the advice to young girls playing to enjoy it, get the most out of it and to be kind to yourself when things don’t go right. She touches on her break from camogie at the age of 20 and now with some hindsight, things she may have done differently.Every Tuesday well known Irish stars will share memories from their early sporting careers and reflect on the defining moments from playing Minor and how that shaped them both on and off the pitch.For more information on the Electric Ireland Camogie Minor Championships got to https://www.electricireland.ie/camogie-minor-championships.For more information on the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Championships go to https://www.electricireland.ie/gaa-minor-championships.Produced and hosted by Fergal O’Keefe at https://lume.ie#ThisIsMajor

Our guest for the first episode of Season 3 of the GAA Minor Moments podcast with Electric Ireland is Kilkenny Camogie legend, Ann Downey.Ann chats with host Fergal about her coaching career to date and where Camogie has brought her, including an Ashbourne Cup title with WIT in 2015 and an All-Ireland Senior Camogie title with Kilkenny Camogie in 2016, 22 years after Ann herself took home the 1994 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Title.Ann goes on to speak about her upbringing in a rural, GAA-mad household alongside her twin sister and fellow Kilkenny Camogie legend, Angela Downey. Both twins went on to win 12 All-Ireland Camogie medals with Kilkenny.Throughout the podcast, Downey speaks on the minor generation now and the importance of sponsors like Electric Ireland in highlighting awareness around the Minor Championships. She offers advice to upcoming players, coming through minor to listen to those leading you, keep learning and asking questions as you are never a ‘finished article’. Ann also delves into the development of the game over the last number of years.Every Tuesday well known Irish stars will share memories from their early sporting careers and reflect on the defining moments from playing Minor and how that shaped them both on and off the pitch.For more information on the Electric Ireland Camogie Minor Championships go to https://www.electricireland.ie/camogie-minor-championships.For more information on the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Championships go to https://www.electricireland.ie/gaa-minor-championships.Produced and hosted by Fergal O’Keeffe at https://lume.ie#ThisIsMajor

Our final guest for Season 2 is former Kerry football legend and current Armagh senior football coach, Kieran Donaghy. Kieran chats to host Fergal about his four-day Minor career, playing with an underage Colm Cooper, and the difficulties of having size thirteen feet. They also look ahead to the upcoming Minor football final and speak on the recent success of Ulster football. As a lifelong competitive basketball player, Donaghy also speaks about the transferability of skills between basketball and football, and how more Senior football teams are using a basketball playbook. To listen back to the previous episodes of Electric Ireland’s ‘GAA Minor Moments’ Podcast, go to: https://www.electricireland.ie/residential/helpful-links/our-sponsorships/gaa-minor-championships. For more information on the Electric Ireland Camogie Minor Championships got to https://www.electricireland.ie/camogie-minor-championships. For more information on the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Championships go to https://www.electricireland.ie/gaa-minor-championships. Produced and hosted by Fergal O’Keefe at https://lume.ie #ThisIsMajor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest this week is current Tipperary Minor football manager, John McNamara. John chats to host Fergal about how critical the Minor grade is for developing successful Senior teams, the importance of getting high-intensity championship minutes, and the difficulty with competing during the Covid-19 pandemic.  McNamara also outlines his own coaching philosophy which is centred around the player as a person, and creating an enjoyable atmosphere for young athletes so they can bring self-confidence through to every aspect of their lives.  Every Tuesday well known Irish stars will share memories from their early sporting careers and reflect on the defining moments from playing Minor and how that shaped them both on and off the pitch. For more information on the Electric Ireland Camogie Minor Championships got to https://www.electricireland.ie/camogie-minor-championships. For more information on the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Championships go to https://www.electricireland.ie/gaa-minor-championships. Produced and hosted by Fergal O’Keefe at https://lume.ie #ThisIsMajor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest is former Westmeath footballer and Leinster rugby player, current musician, podcaster, and producer; Niall (Bressie) Breslin. Niall chats to host Fergal about his childhood love of football, and how this progressed to a professional rugby contract, and later to a very successful career in the music industry.  Breslin also discusses at length the mental aspect of sport, how important it is for coaches to have empathy, and his long list of legendary coaches.  Every Tuesday well known Irish stars will share memories from their early sporting careers and reflect on the defining moments from playing Minor and how that shaped them both on and off the pitch. For more information on the Electric Ireland Camogie Minor Championships got to https://www.electricireland.ie/camogie-minor-championships. For more information on the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Championships go to https://www.electricireland.ie/gaa-minor-championships. Produced and hosted by Fergal O’Keefe at https://lume.ie #ThisIsMajor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest is former Donegal footballer, Michael Murphy. Michael chats to host Fergal about the tactics involved in the Donegal victory of 2012, defending and counter attacking in the modern game of football, and his own time as a Minor footballer.  Travelling to Australia and featuring in the International Rules also made up a part of Michael Murphy’s development as a player, where he experienced a high-risk style of offensive play and a culture focused around skill development.  Every Tuesday well known Irish stars will share memories from their early sporting careers and reflect on the defining moments from playing Minor and how that shaped them both on and off the pitch. For more information on the Electric Ireland Camogie Minor Championships got to https://www.electricireland.ie/camogie-minor-championships. For more information on the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Championships go to https://www.electricireland.ie/gaa-minor-championships. Produced and hosted by Fergal O’Keefe at https://lume.ie #ThisIsMajor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.