In the build up to the All-Ireland football final on 17 September, we’re taking a look at local GAA from the sponsor’s point of view and how it’s much more personal than a logo on a jersey.
KERRY AND DUBLIN is one of the great rivalries in Irish sport, even if Mayo emphatically denied fans the opportunity for this year’s All-Ireland senior football final to serve up the latest renewal.
And though Killorglin man Luke Moriarty — who played alongside John Evans — has called the capital his home for the past four decades, he still bleeds green and gold, even if he accepts that he may well be helping the next generation of Dubliners get one over on his beloved Kerry.
Moriarty, through his SuperValu stores, is one of the most prominent sponsors of local GAA clubs in Dublin.
In Skerries, for example, his commitment to developing new facilities allows the club to field 90 teams across all age groups.
That doesn’t mean he’s not excited about the future of Kerry football, however.
“My life is in Dublin, my business is in Dublin, so I can’t get involved at club level in Kerry,” he says.
But, that said, the fact that Kerry are going for four-in-a-row at minor level makes it intriguing — especially with what’s going on in Dublin — and I’m looking forward to a repeat of the 70s when Kerry came up and put it up to Dublin.
“I have great memories of the Dublin v Kerry clashes of the mid-70s to early 80s, and Kerry’s many great All Ireland wins.”
Though Moriarty has lived in Dublin for decades, he has kept strong links with his home county, thanks largely to his long-standing involvement with the GAA.
“I became involved in the Kerry Association in Dublin and was Chairman in the late 90s for a number of years. I was asked by Sean Kelly, now an MEP, who was Chairman of the Kerry County Board, to form a Kerry Supporters Club in Dublin.
“Sean of course went on to become President of the GAA and I am Chairman of the Supporters Club from that date until now, heavily involved in fundraising, social events and development areas where I have expertise.
“The GAA helps me maintain that strong connection between my life in Dublin and my home county of Kerry.”
That connection with the GAA is one that has seen Moriarty, through his ownership of SuperValu stores in Palmerstown, Balbriggan and Skerries, become a sponsor of several GAA clubs both in Dublin and Kildare.
On top of his work with Skerries, Moriarty is keen to ensure O’Dwyers GAA club in Balbriggan gets the most out of its centenary year in 2018.
“We are at a very advanced stage with O’Dwyers GAA club in Balbriggan to lodge a new planning application for much-needed facilities.
Balbriggan has the biggest percentage population of kids in Ireland; there are 6,000 children in total, with 4,000 under 12 years of age, so sporting and recreation facilities are incredibly important.
“We are also working closely with Fingal County Council, Dublin County Board and there is continued commitment to all of the local clubs and local GAA organisers to contribute financially and practically, wherever we can.”
But Moriarty is keen to point out that his involvement with the GAA never actually feels like work:
“GAA is my main hobby and has been an integral part of my youth and adult life, and that of my children.
“It brings great enjoyment, and is my way of relaxing, both in terms of watching and following the sport, and also the social side.
“As a Kerry person living and working in Dublin, GAA has been hugely important to me. It is a link to home and a connection to other GAA supporters in Dublin.
I have a genuine love and passion for the sport, and respect every individual I have ever met in the context of the GAA, from pitch sides to board rooms.
“When you are a passionate about something as I am about the GAA it will never be a chore or a burden to you, and will never feel like work.
“It is just an incredible organisation to be involved in and, in many ways, a privilege.”
SuperValu is a proud sponsor of the GAA All-Ireland senior football championship and local GAA clubs around the country and are set to donate 55,000 footballs to clubs across Ireland and deliver volunteer camps throughout the summer.
Shameful stuff today from guys who backed themselves into a corner with their “a shag the league it’s all about may 22nd” talk. No touch no pride and no balls. Yet again Kingston is silent post match. I wish tipp well but they beat nothing.
Is it not just a case of cork not having the hurlers
It’s a very worrying time to be a cork fan. We use to be a period dual county challenging for final and hurling honours every year. Now we will be lucky to get one day out in croke park a year. Before we know it we will be like Offaly reliving part glories
Problems stem from county board
Excuse me Offaly are on a winning streak!
County teams thrive when town teams go well. When the town clubs struggle the county struggles… Bar Dublin that’s the fact of the matter that the gaa needs to tackle
Cork reaping what they sow. They neglected underage structures, assuming that they would just find hurlers, like they have always done in the past. Have sorted it out underage now though, won a clean sweep of underage titles last year, u14,u15,u16 so the sleeping giant is waking up, might take 20 years to come through but then watch out.
Kingston read the first half of the book on sweepers. Extra man back, mop up ball ala DeBurca, other defenders just hold off Tipp forwards. But once the sweeper actually got the ball he was clueless. No idea how to utilise the possession up front. No idea how to pick out an out numbered forward. Hitting balls to team mates in the middle of the park, that were in 50/50 positions at best. Painful stuff to watch, Tipp never had to break a sweat and just picked off the easy points
Spot on and it’s destroyed club hurling as well.
Black mark also against Cork juvenile “supporters” for persistant jeering of Tipp freetakers. Where did that example come from?
It was a hard day to hurl with the wind and rain but having watched the game I think Tipp can go a long way this year .
Tipp on a dry day will be better
Shambolic. And I bet .. To add insult to injury Frank Murphy told them that they were only getting ham sandwiches no butter and to make their own way home..
The sweeper system work in that the didn’t concede a goal but my god how brain dead were they using a sweeper for our own puck outs. I would be surprised if we won any of our own puck outs.
I’m sure cork people aren’t interested in the opinions of a Kilkenny man, but here goes. Certain teams ( not just Cork) are applying these new tactics in hurling , sweeper system , flood the break down areas etc…..but it doesn’t get away from the fact the two most successful teams in the last number of years Tipp and KK still stick to the standard positions in Hurling . When Cork were last successful playing more of a running/ short passing game , it was still 15 on 15 , with each player in a battle with his opposite man with the belief that if you won the majority of the battles you won the match … And I think it still stands true today.
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it .
As a Cork man I am more than happy to hear your opinion. In fact I agree with you 100%. We have a suspect defence, and a very good forward line – until new players come into our defence to improve it I would much rather we try outscore teams and leak scores than deprive our forwards and play a muck brand of hurling. Sweeper systems may suit Clare, WFord etc, but I know Cork fans are horrified at the thought of us having it. And as you said, KK and Tipp don’t use them. I just hope we stop using it and start playing our own brand again.
Something seriously wrong with Cork GAS.
With this sweeper abomination hurling is danger of turning into that awful snore fest lacking basic skills that is Gaelic football
Cork GAA.
The rot starts with Murphy, Cork’s President-for-life.
How bloody boring is gaa. Every day on rte news they go through all the boring divisions of minor this and that. Has a disproportionate coverage.
Shock horror biggest sport in the country gets lions share of the coverage. Don’t turn on sky news for fear your head will explode
am i the only one who thinks it was a good idea for Cork to continue with the sweeper. The cork backline needed to be shored up and the more time William Egan gets in that role the better he’ll get, Cork would’ve been destroyed had they not used a sweeper. it’ll take time for this Cork team to fully acclimatise to the sweeper system but they’ll be better for it.
There are an amount of that Cork team not good enough for inter county hurling. Cork will not contest for major honours again for a very long time irrespective of the system they play.
Hurling needs Cork to play the old game and consign this negative ‘sweeper’ system to history. It’s just an admission of inferiority in the traditional skills and when Cork go down that road it’s fair to say that Hurling is in serious trouble.
I’m hoping that the big two, Tipp and Kilkenny beat the daylights out of the ‘sweeper’ counties, who are having great, but boring, games against one another and at least we’ll see some serious Hurling this year.
Same conditions for both teams but in saying that Cork are very poor.
This ‘sweeper’ fad is destroying open hurling.. If you can pick off points and take your frees you’ll win. Goals win games and create excitement. Obviously winning is everything for inter county teams but sacrificing excitement for results is ruining the game for spectators.
The better team will win the majority of the time but the fans want open, exciting and if possible goal fest hurling.. If this trend continues I can see more armchair spectators …
Well done to Tipp senior and intermediate teams. Having witnessed majestic Cork teams down through the years it’s sad to now see a Cork senior hurling team that’s afraid to play hurling.