Week 1.
'The important thing...is not to win but to take part; the important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well. To spread these precepts is to build up a stronger and more valiant and, above all, more scrupulous and generous humanity.'--Baron Pierre de Coubertin, Founder of the modern Olympic Games
Week 3
Soccer and rugby mentors are obliged to keep a reasonable distance from the fray; seated if available. Surely inter-county players can manage to get through a match without being roared at like schoolchildren. It is even chaotic at club games where players are getting instruction from up to a half dozen different directions, and not all wisdom either might I add. The simple answer is to keep the entire sideline entourage seated except when making a substitution or switch. We know managers earn their keep, they don't have to show it by remonstrating on the sideline.
Week 2
Firstly, I'd give linesmen far more power. They should be allowed to award frees for technical fouls. The free taken out of the hand is also causing problems, in that frees are not being taken from the right places. And one thing I'd take from Aussie Rules: I'd let the defender stand where the foul occurred.
John Bannon, top football referee
Week 4.
'I'm always suspicious of games where you're the only ones that play it.'
Jack Charlton on hurling.
Week 5
Gaelic Football is for players, not Coaches or Management.
John Tobin, Connaught Teaching Development Officer
Week 6
The players always want to win the game, unfortunately there has been times the parents want to win it more.
John Tobin
Week 7
While we have seen over the years Irish soccer internationals like Gary Breen and many others qualify to play for Ireland through the parental rule, the GAAhas no rule to allow the children to play for the club of their parents origin
Week 8
Perhaps Micheál's most famous commentary was the 1947 All-Ireland Senior Football Final between Kerry and Cavan in the Polo Grounds in New York. Towards the end of the game when it appeared that the final moments might not be carried due to the loss of the telephone circuit, Micheál pleaded with the telephone company to keep the circuit to Ireland in operation for a few more minutes so that the Irish at home could hear the closing moments. Micheál's request was granted and thousands in Ireland, particularly the people of Cavan who won that famous final, could savour an historical sporting occasion. Micheál also covered the 1968 trip by the Meath senior footballers to Australia.
Comment on Micheal O'Hehir
Week 9
'The wheel fell off my mobile home'
Offaly's Eugene McGee explains why he was late for training.
Week 10
'When my friends were besotted with Jason Donovan, my heroes were Colm O'Rourke and Barney Rock'
Sue Ramsbottom (Laois Ladies Captain).
Week 11
'We're taking this match awful seriously.We're training three times a week now, and some of the boys are off the beer since Tuesday'
Offaly hurler quote in the week before a Leinster hurling final vs. Kilkenny
Week 12
'Ger Loughnane was fair, he treated us all the same during training-like dogs'
Anonymous Clare hurler
Week 13.
'Any chance of an autograph?
Its for the wife....she really hates you'
Tipp fan to Ger Loughnane
Week 14.
'You can't win derbies with donkeys'
Babs Keating before Tipp played Cork in 1990
Week 15.
'Sheep in a heap'
Babs Keating description of Offaly in 1998.
Week 16.
'Babs Keating 'resigned' as coach because of illness and fatigue. The players were sick and tired of him' Offaly fan in 1998
Week 17.
'And as for you. You're not even good enough to play for this shower of useless no-hopers'
Former Clare mentor to one of his subs after a heavy defeat
Week 18.
'Babs Keating was arrested in Nenagh for shaking a cigarette machine, but the gardai let him off when he said he only wanted to borrow twenty players' - Waterford fan after 2002 Munster final
Week 19.
'They have a forward line that couldn't punch holes in a paper bag'
Pat Spillane on the Cavan football team
Week 20.
'Meath players like to get their retaliation in first' Cork fan 1988
Week 21. 'Meath make football a colourful game-you get all black and blue'
Another Cork fan 1988
Week 22.
'Colin Corkery is deceptive.
He is slower than he looks'
Kerry fan
Week 23.
'Life isn't all beer and football...some of us haven't touched a football in months' -
Kerry player during league campaign 1980s
Week 24.
'I love Cork so much that if I caught one of their hurlers fooling with my missus, I'd tiptoe downstairs and make him a cup of tea'
Joe Lynch, actor.
Week 25.
'We've won one All-Ireland in a row'
Wexford Fan in 1996.
Week 26.
'The toughest match I ever heard off was the 1935 All-Ireland Semi-Final. After 6 minutes, the ball ricocheted off a post and went into the stand. The pulling continued relentlessly and it was 22 minutes before any of the players noticed the ball was missing'
Michael Smith., Minister
Week 27.
'Sylvie Linnane would start a riot in a graveyard'
Tipp fan
Week 28. 'I'm not giving away any secrets like that to Tipperary. If I had my way.
I wouldn't even tell them the time of the throw-in' -
Ger Loughnane.
Week 29.
'He's like Lazarus; but Lazarus didn't have such a sweet right boot'
Micheal O' Muircheartaigh on Colin Corkery.
Week 30.
'Whenever a team loses, there's always a row at half time but when they win, it's an inspirational speech' John O' Mahony.