THE GAA IS under the microscope tonight as a new series kicks off on RTÉ.
And the man looking through the lens is Kerry great Dara Ó Cinnéide.
It’s been 14 years since he last donned the green and gold at senior inter-county level, bowing out as a three-time All-Ireland winner who captained the Kingdom to glory in 2004.
Since the An Ghaeltacht man hung up his boots in 2005, there have been many differences through the years. Gaelic games, across all codes, have changed significantly.
He explored that in GAA Nua — another RTÉ series which was also directed by former Galway footballer and renowned filmmaker Pat Comer — in 2017, as Ó Cinnéide looked at how sports science and technology, and their growing use, have changed GAA.
And off the back of that comes GAA Eile; a follow up, of sorts.
Ó Cinnéide delves deeper into the values of the Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, and how they are changing in every way, both at home and abroad.
In the four-part series — which starts tonight at 8.30pm — the All-Ireland winning captain follows players, managers, teams and sponsors to get an idea of where we stand at the minute, and more importantly, where the game is going.
“If there is an increasing commercial value to the games,” he asks, “how does this affect the intrinsic and traditional values of the GAA?”
Directed again by Comer, GAA Eile looks at the commercial elements involved, but also at the opportunities that are out there to showcase the game through that — particularly through the Irish community abroad.
While episode two, three and four look at hurling, ladies football and camogie, and the club scene respectively, men’s football is under the spotlight tonight.
We’ll witness Ó Cinnéide travel the length and breadth of the country during the 2018 All-Ireland football championship campaign. He actually starts out in New York and finishes up at the final between Dublin and Tyrone in Croke Park.
The three main case studies tonight are the GAA community abroad, the Carlow footballers’ dream summer and Dublin’s remarkable success in recent times. Éamonn Fitzmaurice, Eamon O’Shea and Turlough O’Brien are among the contributors.
Later in the series, we’ll hear from other former managers and players including 18-time All-Ireland winner Rena Buckley, Carnacon duo Fiona McHale and Cora Staunton, ex-Cork goalkeeper Dónal Óg Cusack and Dublin star and CEO of the GPA Paul Flynn.
GAA Eile begins tonight at 8.30pm on RTÉ One.
Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:
