MAYO, LIMERICK, CLARE, Monaghan, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Kerry, Offaly and Tyrone fans will all have a special interest in the new series of Laochra Gael on TG4.
The 13th season of the popular show is back for another series of documentaries/profiles of GAA legends.
Each of the ten new programmes will air on Tuesday nights, starting on 3 February and will be repeated on Sunday afternoons after GAA Beo.
Here are the stars who will feature this year.
1. Liam McHale (Mayo)
Broadcast – 3 February, 8pm
McHale was one of Ireland’s greatest ever basketball players but will also be remembered as a towering Mayo midfielder. Although the All Ireland title remained elusive, the Ballina Stephenites man collected six Connacht titles and an Allstar and was a selector with Mayo in 2004 and 2005. Liam gives an honest account of how he dealt with the ups and downs of Mayo football including his controversial sending off in the 1996 All Ireland final replay, a decision he still cannot fathom.
2. Ciarán Carey (Limerick)
Broadcast – 10 February, 8pm
Carey led the charge throughout Limerick’s campaigns in the 90′s to achieve All Ireland glory. The Patrickswell man recalls the heartbreak of losing both the 1994 and 1996 All Ireland finals but also the incredible last minute point he scored against Munster rivals Clare in 1996.
3. Jamesie O’Connor (Clare)
Broadcast – 17 February, 8pm
Clare’s most prolific scorer during their dominant period, O’Connor was key to their success in the All Ireland finals of 1995 and 1997. He also added three Munster titles, was Hurler of the Year in 1997, won four Allstars and claimed an All-Ireland club medal with St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield in 1999.
4. Niamh Kindlon (Monaghan)
Broadcast – 3 March, 8pm
Winning an All Ireland in her debut year with Monaghan in 1997, Kindlon has gone on to cement her status as one of the modern greats of Ladies Football. At times it’s been a tough road for Niamh, suffering cruciate injuries and losing the final on five occasions.
5. Fan and Philly Larkin (Kilkenny)
Broadcast – 10 March, 8pm
The Larkins of the James Stephens hold a unique distinction in hurling history as three generations of the same family have won All-Ireland senior medals with Kilkenny. Paddy won four in the 1930’s, his son Phil ‘Fan’ won five in the 1960′s and 70′s and his son Philly added three more with the Cats at the turn of the 21st century.
6. Brendan Cummins (Tipperary)
Broadcast – 17 March, 5.25pm
Considered one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Brendan Cummins guarded the net for the Tipperary hurlers for nearly two decades, winning two All-Ireland’s, five Allstars and making a record 73 championship appearances for the Premier county. He talks about the highs of winning two All-Ireland senior finals but also how he dealt with the shock and disappointment of been dropped by manager Babs Keating at the height of his career in 2007.
7. Barney Rock (Dublin)
Broadcast – 24 March, 8pm
The darling of Hill 16 throughout the eighties, the Ballymun Kickham’s sharpshooter Barney Rock captured Dublin hearts with his place-kicking and match-winning scores. He won three Allstar awards and was part of the 1983 All-Ireland senior winning team.
8. Ogie Moran (Kerry)
Broadcast – 31 March, 8pm
One of only five men to win eight senior football All Ireland medals Denis ‘Ogie’ Moran has the unique distinction of been the only player to win eight All Irelands in the same position. He lined out at centre half-forward and was the only player to play for the full duration of those eight victorious finals. Despite all his success Ogie found the Kerry public unforgiving when his management tenure in the early nineties failed to produce silverware.
9. Michael Duignan (Offaly)
Broadcast – 7 April, 8pm
For over a decade Duignan was a key member of the talented Offaly team that took the hurling world by storm in the nineties, winning two All-Ireland medals and five Leinster titles. Duignan looks back at the dramatic 1998 All-Ireland semi-final replay against Clare and also speaks of how the GAA community helped him through the loss of his wife Edel to cancer in 2009.
10. Ryan McMenamin (Tyrone)
Broadcast – 14 April, 8pm
A tenacious defender, McMenamin was vital to the success of Mickey Harte’s team, winning five Ulster titles and three All-Ireland senior football medals. A player who gained a reputation for playing on the edge and a ‘win at all costs’ attitude, Ryan opens up about the many incidents that gained him notoriety on the field of play.
