A former Cavan goalkeeper, for Alan it was trying to fit in when he moved from Dublin as a child "Tractors or football." It turns out, he was pretty good at football and after playing Cavan minors and U21's, Alan found himself in Croke Park playing Kerry for a place in the All-Ireland semi-final. Life was good. It wasn't always that way. Struggling with depression, suicide felt like an option. Alan paved his way back from the brink. That road ultimately led him to the US. Working as a podcaster,...
Jun 25, 2024•59 min
It's packed, the All-Ireland minor final has been decided and the case for the All-Ireland quarter-finals to be played outside Croke Park
Jun 23, 2024•39 min
This was a lovely hour with former BBC Co-commentator Peter McGinnity. Winning Championship titles with his native Roslea and St John's Belfast, a player/ manager for Fermanagh and still coaching with Tyrone champions Trillick. Jody Gormley's team are aiming to become the first team since Carrickmore in 2006, to retain the senior championship. There's plenty of laughs, but 70 has rattled Peter, just a little. A fine man, a brilliant voice and another lovely podcast on the GAA Social
Jun 18, 2024•56 min
The real stuff has finally arrived...
Jun 16, 2024•34 min
Pete McGrath is a Gaelic football legend. He won Sam Maguire in 1991 & 1994 with his native Down. A lifetime coaching at the great Down/ Armagh nursery St Colman's College, he's coached some of the best players to wear the red and black- from the early days to their biggest. He's had an incredible life. Totally devoted to football, no family, just devotion to faith and Down. He wasn't in the top ten picks for the Down job in the late 80's- but he got the job, on his terms. Success followed. ...
Jun 11, 2024•1 hr
We know the quarter-finalists of the Tailteann Cup and we now know Limerick will win five All-Ireland titles in a row. Don’t we? They picked up a 6th consecutive Munster championship over the weekend, surely now the greatest of all time? Kilkenny may have something to say about that after comfortably picking up another Leinster title, beating Dublin. Th All-Ireland minor semi-finals have now been decided. Derry will play Kerry, while Aidan O’Rourke’s Armagh will play Mayo. Are we underselling th...
Jun 09, 2024•43 min
It was a tragedy that rocked the Co Armagh village of Madden. Still does. Three of their own, killed in a road accident returning in a taxi bus after a 40th birthday in Dundalk. 2002 All-Ireland winner Kevin McElvanna lost his wife Ciara and their four children are now without mum. A life changing moment. Kevin is a surgeon and broke his neck in the accident. He's continuing to recover. For the first time, Kevin explains what happened, how he's coped and what the future holds. It's a remarkable ...
Jun 04, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Is this Derry team at an end? How good are Armagh? Cork are back, Donegal will regroup and the Tailteann Cup prelim quarter-final draw
Jun 02, 2024•52 min
This weeks is the fourth anniversary of East Belfast GAA. It all started with a tweet and now the club has more playing members than any other in Ulster. It's a remarkable story. The path, has been challenging. Pipe bombs, graffiti, oil poured on playing surface, threats and just this weekend past, another security alert. The club has not just survived, but blossomed. With more than 1/4 of its players from a protestant background the club is challenging perceptions around the GAA. In a tradition...
May 28, 2024•59 min
Review of the games in hurling and football. Despite the amateur status of GAA- should the sport move to some Friday/ Monday games? Oisin McConville believes it should
May 26, 2024•33 min
This is the remarkable story of Ambrose Rogers. The quiet man of Down, but cut from GAA Royalty. Ambrose is 39. His father Ambrose snr, died when he was 39. That death left a 14 year-old child, the eldest of four, without a dad. A hole that cannot be filled. Life goes on and young Ambrose blossoms into a brilliant young man, a superb young footballer. He captains his county to an All-Ireland final in 2010- but he cannot take his place on the team. The cruciate. Ambrose shocked a nation when he l...
May 21, 2024•48 min
A brilliant sporting weekend reflected, plenty of football but Hurling still king
May 19, 2024•35 min
This is a magnificent podcast. Thomas & Oisin have wanted a referee for some time, and the GAA Social landed one of the best. Maurice Deegan uncut and answers all the questions around referees and reveals his new role at Croke Park. The Laois man has joined BBC coverage of Gaelic Games over the past 15 months and the feedback has been awesome. This is really, really good. The GAA Social with referee Maurice Deegan, a man Oisin has never really liked. Enjoy
May 14, 2024•1 hr
Louth smack a performance, nobody out side their camp predicted- but ultimately Dublin still win. An 18th title for Stephen Cluxton. We reflect on the most dramatic of days at Clones as Donegal come back, to win the Ulster championship. A truly remarkable occasion. What next for Armagh? Well, it's Tyrone!
May 12, 2024•29 min
Steven McDonnell is one of the greatest Gaelic footballers of his generation. A former player-of-the year, three-time All-star, All-Ireland winner and seven-time Ulster champion. Success was a familiar path, and it’s perhaps no surprise that he made David Clifford’s dream 7’s team. Some man. In this podcast, Oisin teams up with his old buddy to talk the good ole days, the constant challenge of Donegal and what we can expect in the 2024 Ulster final. The former Ireland player also calls on the GA...
May 07, 2024•1 hr 3 min
It's a provincial title for Kerry and Galway on two very different occasions. Clare can take great encouragement from their final defeat in Munster- but the same can't be said about Mayo. Oisin believes they might not even make it out of their group. Galway found something from within and the scenes at the final whistle suggest this was something big for the Tribesmen.
May 05, 2024•29 min
Colin Bell is one of those truly remarkable people you come across in life. Authentic, beautiful. Colin played with the great Sean & Kevin O'Neill for Newry Mitchel's. He also played for Down minors and U21's- he even played soccer for Newry Town. A teacher, married to the wonderful Eithne & a busy life with seven children under six years old. But life was good. Then his son Kevin was killed in a hit & run incident in New York. Life would never be the same again. From that devastatio...
Apr 30, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Ryan McHugh joins Thomas & Oisin on the GAA Social after Donegal qualify for the 2024 Ulster final. An insight into the Jim McGuinness world and a look ahead to the Ulster final against Armagh. But first, there's two very different semi-finals to reflect in Ulster and Leinster. Clare & Cork serve up a cracker and Antrim show they can do it- and do it well. Lee Chin is an unbelievable hurler. One last thing, and we know it's unlikely, but is it conceivable that Donegal could win an All-Ir...
Apr 28, 2024•33 min
This podcast is among the most powerful the GAA Social has ever recorded. We accept that's a big statement. you can judge for yourself. Liam Hinphey played for Ulster and Derry in Hurling. He played football for his county and was the key player when Derry beat All-Ireland champions Tyrone in Omagh in 2006. He marked Sean Cavanagh that day, got the better of him too. So the focus of this podcast, was supposed to be the upcoming Ulster semi-final between Derry and Tyrone. Jim McGuinness had other...
Apr 23, 2024•1 hr 10 min
Kerry and Galway win, Derry don't, Donegal do. Drama, epic entertainment and 17,000 talking points. Then, there's the clinker between Tyrone and Cavan. Cathal McShane joins Thomas & Oisin to reflect on the weekend, the GAA championship bursts into life
Apr 21, 2024•32 min
Seamus Kennedy was captain of Tipperary hurlers, 6 days later he was taking on the All-Ireland champions Limerick when disaster struck. Cruciate gone, season over. In his first interview since injury last month, the talented dual player brings us into the devastation of injury. There is perspective. Dillon Quirke died less than two yeas ago, Tipperary are still recovering, knowing they'll never truly get there. There is hunger within Tipperary to win Liam MacCarthy. To be better. 2023 was disapp...
Apr 16, 2024•57 min
Paddy Burns was brilliant against Fermanagh, in the running for man-of-the-match. He speaks brilliantly on this Podcast- it's utterly refreshing! Michael Murphy develops the players relationships with media and how that's changed. We reflect on the weekend action and start looking ahead to next weekend. So many big games, but there is one that stands out a little. Derry V Donegal. Mickey V Jim. Michael Murphy has his say and the podcast also reflects on an incredible run for Wicklow. Lost by one...
Apr 14, 2024•39 min
He’s the footballer everyone is talking about. It feels like Charlie Smyth has been everywhere over the past few weeks, but we haven’t heard a lot from him? In his first long form interview since signing for the New Orleans Saints, the former Down and Mayobridge GAA player, brings the GAA Social into his new world. An avid listener to the GAA Social podcast, Charlie explores his new world with Thomas and Oisin. A new sport, new life and a drive that’s within to make in in the NFL. It’s a remarka...
Apr 09, 2024•1 hr 11 min
We look ahead to this weekend, the games and review all the matches. Michael Murphy explains where the Provincial championships should sit- and what their prize should be.
Apr 07, 2024•32 min
When we stopped recording, videographer Tristan turned to Thomas and said 'I don't think there's many we've done as powerful as that?" We think he’s right. We've been trying to record this podcast for two years, today we finally can bring it to our listeners. It’s different and challenges a few boundaries. For a son to ask questions to his mother, on a podcast, around sensitive areas, is strange, but it’s powerful. We hope you can appreciate and enjoy one of the kindest, most generous and authen...
Apr 02, 2024•1 hr 10 min
Laois win division four, Westmeath win perhaps, the most important game of all, Donegal continue to blossom at Armagh expense and Derry v Dublin is setup for a rivalry that could define the next 24 months. We'll see. It's the GAA Social with Thomas Niblock & Oisin McConville
Apr 01, 2024•37 min
Garvan Jones scored 1-8 (1-7 from play) against Cavan over the weekend. It was a magnificent win for Fermanagh, but it couldn’t keep them in division two. The Allianz leagues can be cruel, but with Championship just over two weeks away, Garvan brings the podcast into the mind of a current inter-county footballer. With two older brothers playing Fermanagh, who’ve this year decided to step back- the time is right for Garvan to help lead. He’s had a brilliant 2024 personally, leading the attack, sc...
Mar 26, 2024•57 min
The podcast looks at all the big winners and losers from the Allianz Leagues 2024. What does it say for championship? Our Podcast winner of the week and there's a lot of love for Johnny McGrath of Galway. It's the GAA Social on a Monday
Mar 24, 2024•32 min
In one of the most enjoyable podcasts since the GAA Social started it's meandering journey- Diarmuid O'Sullivan stands out. Nothing is off limits. Passed over as Cork manager- why? Rows with Kilkenny and Limerick and embracing his iconic status. Then, there's the strikes. In the noughties Cork called a strike three times. It was hugely controversial and still causes debate. The fall-outs continue and there's a feeling more than 20 years on, Cork were not supported as they should. Diarmuid’s fath...
Mar 19, 2024•58 min
Thomas & Oisin reflect on a bumper weekend of Gaelic Games. Wicklow earn their first win, and now play Antrim in a massive game for survival for both counties. Because of the Down/ Westmeath draw- how big is the Down Clare game this weekend? A promotion play-off for a place in division two. Laois still look good for promotion from Division four- despite defeat from Leitrim. Tommy Conroy catches the eye- despite losing to Derry. A Monaghan -Tyrone classic, Galway still in trouble with Roscomm...
Mar 17, 2024•32 min
