THE NEW SEASON of Laochra Gael has been a hit with viewers so far and next week’s episode featuring Dublin legend Kieran Duff is set to be another cracking instalment of the series.
Duff became a controversial GAA figure during his career, and was hit with a 12-month suspension when he was sent off in the 1983 All-Ireland final for allegedly kicking Galway’s Pat O’Neill in the face.
The programme reviews an infamous moment in the Leinster final earlier that year when Dublin came up against reigning All-Ireland champions Offaly, who were seeking their fourth consecutive provincial title.
Dublin stunned the Midlanders that day, but Duff was the victim of a terrible two-footed tackle from Offaly defender Mick Fitzgerald towards the end of the tie.
“The ball was played out to Offaly’s wing-back so I go over to tackle him,” the All-Ireland winner explains in his Laochra Gael episode.
“All I see is two feet coming to my face and this fella launching a kamikaze… he poleaxed me basically.”
His wife Mags — who also features in the episode — was among the crowd in Croke Park that day.
She recalls one particular fan whose reaction to Fitzgerald’s foul prompted her to interfere and defend her husband, who she affectionately refers to as ‘Dully.’
“You know when you’re watching something and it’s like watching it in slow motion. Dully dropped like a stone, he didn’t get up and that frightened the life out of me.
“I was trying to see him and saying ‘get up Dully, get up.’
This fella in front of me was saying, I hope his head is gone, I hope he’s dead. I hope this, I hope that.’
“And I lost it. I grabbed him by the back of his jacket and I walloped him with my umbrella and said, ‘that’s my husband,”‘ she laughs.
The Laochra Gael episode subsequently shows footage from The Sunday Game programme at the time, where it was revealed that the incident was being investigated by Fitzgibbon Street Garda Station.
While Duff’s programme looks at the dark times in his football career, it also explores his family life and the caring aspect of his character.
His daughter Ciara has special needs but both Duff and his wife Mags have created a loving home for her.
“Ciara is amazing, she is our daughter,” says Mags.
“She was very hard got. We were 10 years married before I finally got pregnant. I had a difficult pregnancy and I was losing her from when I was 13 weeks and five days but she’s a little fighter.”
Duff goes onto explain how complications at birth left an impact on Ciara.
“I wouldn’t be an emotional sort of fella but certainly when we got word that day, tears did come to my eyes when you were told that she was going to have x, y and z.
“There’s a lot of things she cannot have in life and won’t ever do so the little things she does do and look for, we’d always make sure she gets it.
Her disability is obviously always going to be there and has its challenges. It has challenged us over the years but you’d go to the end of the earth for her.”
Kieran Duff – Don’t Judge Me will be aired next Wednesday 13 March on TG4 at 9.30pm.
Rena Buckley – The Best Person in the World? will hit TV screens this evening at 9.30pm.
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All 4 provinces now leading (atta boy Rory), long may it last….
Perfect timing I’m off work till six so have 3 hours to watch the pro12 plus most games are on free view yay silver lining and all
Watching Munster on channel 602 (virgin). Hope to God they brought more than this camera with them. Looks like a bad quality stream.
Can you get S4C?
It’s very sharp on saorview ref button
Tg4 Live player doing a second channel for Munster game http://www.tg4.ie/en/live/channel-2/
It’s the same picture as channel above… Like trying to shave in a steamy mirror, you get most bits, but what u miss annoys you for the day…
Thanks for the link Colm
PJ in for Ulster. He’s in outrageous form, hopefully that try will get Ulster back but the forwards and scrum just aren’t good enough. Think we’ll be depending on Munster to get a win
Connacht are really fired up for this game. Bundee Aki and Sean O’Brien seemed to be in every ruck in the first half. Great to have so much on the line on the last day of the regular season too.
Bonus point for Ulster in weird circumstances. Henry touched the ball after the scrum half rolled the ball onto the line with his boot from the back of a ruck. Henry stuck his hand on it – try. Good use of the rules, Ospreys are not happy
Connacht match on BBC Scotland HD as well can be tuned manually on sky.
Great day of rugby all round. Ulster look in great form, Munster finish off with a great win, Leinster do what they needed to and finished top, and Connacht held on for a great win. Both semis on Irish soil. Will Leinster-Ulster be at the Aviva? Could see this as the first away semi final win in this competition. Connacht can do the business again too. Ulster-Connacht would be a great final!!
What. A. Try.
Lovely stuff from Munster. Great to see it. Hopefully a sign of things to come for 16/17 season.
Frankie certainly looks like he is trying to impress someone.
Brilliant try by Trimble! A fair bit of luck with the bounce but he still has lots to do. Life in the old dog yet
Press the red button on tg4 on regular saorview and the Munster game should come on, steam wasn’t working for me so tried it for the craic and it worked
Comon the Munster, the brave
Latest scores?? “Galway 7 – Glasgow 7″ ???
14-7 now. Connacht try
Munster going through the motions, no pressure, don’t seem to care.