LAST WEEK, THREE figures of renown in the GAA met in Páirc Uí Chaoimh to begin a new venture.
The setting was a familiar one: they had been at the Cork venue many times in a media capacity over the years. The company was familiar too and it didn’t long to find comfort in each other’s presence once again.
We know them as famous faces and voices from The Sunday Game. But that was in their former lives. Michael Lyster retired as presenter of the flagship GAA show at the end of 2018 after 35 years in the hot seat. Pat Spillane ended his 30-year association with the programme last year after a rich career in punditry. The third person that was summoned to Páirc Uí Chaoimh is also recognisable from his time on The Sunday Game.
Three-time All-Ireland winner Tomás Mulcahy was a contributor for 25 years before he stepped away in 2021.
Now the trio are ready to step back into the breach again. But they won’t be returning to the familiar confines of live TV. This time, they will be embracing the contemporary media format of podcasting.
Introducing their new offering ‘The Game On Sunday,’ presenter Michael Lyster tells The42 how this project came about.
“It was just one of those things that happened. At the beginning of the year, we were talking about all this kind of stuff. There’s a lot of views about the GAA. Everybody knows who Tomás and Pat are and we kind of said, ‘Why not?’
“It has taken off from there in terms of the interest. We’re also going to bring one or two other people as we go along.
“The guy behind it is Paul Byrnes who used to be the editor of the Sunday Game. He has a media company so they’re really the instigators in terms of the tech side of it.
“It’s different in the sense that we came through with just TV, but this is the modern world. You can either sit back and stay out of it or say, ‘These lads have something to offer.’ They might be gone from the Sunday Game but it doesn’t mean that don’t have their opinions. It doesn’t mean they don’t have profile because they do. They’re legends of the GAA.”
The title of the podcast obviously bears similarities with the name of the programme they were once integral members of. Lyster was initially a bit hesitant about that parallel, but the objective of the podcast is entirely different to that of The Sunday Game.
“We’re not showing any matches or on the air.
“What we’re doing is different and it’s kind of a play on the Sunday Game.
“Essentially, it’s going to be a bit of everything. Of course, there’s going to be previews of matches. It’s going to be reflecting on matches, talking about whatever issues are there. It’s open territory and what I like about it is because we’ve done the first one, a pilot last week, when you’re on TV, presenting the Sunday Game, you’re constricted timewise.
“What I have found so far with, you get a chance to let the conversation breathe. If they have a point to make, you can let it go. You couldn’t do that on The Sunday Game for the very simple reason that a match was about to restart.”
The Game On Sunday aims to release one episode per week, and the first one dropped on Wednesday. Among the topics covered by Lyster, Spillane and Mulcahy was the recent testy exchange between Donál Óg Cusack and Joanne Cantwell on The Sunday Game regarding his critical comments about the Tailteann Cup.
Lyster doesn’t see much of the show he once presented these days as he’s enjoying the freedom to physically attend matches as a fan. But this event was a major talking point and they couldn’t omit it from the material that they wanted to discuss.
“They were a bit critical of Donál,” says Lyster offering a glimpse into what listeners can expect from episode one.
“They thought he got a bit belligerent and trying to pressurise Joanne, which is not a good idea because she’s well able to stand up for herself.
“Personally, I thought he was kind of under pressure himself. He was after making a statement that he wasn’t really justifying. But anyway, that’s part of the discussion and we didn’t get too involved.
“What I don’t want is for the podcast to be a kind of commentary on The Sunday Game. But it was an issue in the previous week and we had to address it. There are bigger things in the GAA than all that craic.”
The five years that Lyster has spent away from working on television have been packed. Despite the transition, there’s never been an idle moment.
“I have plenty to do,” as Lyster puts it. “It’s more of a case of what I choose to do.”
There have been corporate events for him to attend. He still goes to rallies and is a lifetime member of the Galway Motor Club. More importantly, he’s still in good health after a major scare in 2015 which almost cost him his life. On that occasion, Lyster suffered a cardiac arrest which is a serious condition that affects the heart. His wife Ann played a major role in his survival as she administered CPR until the ambulance arrived, and Lyster subsequently made a full recovery before returning to work on The Sunday Game.
He’s still feeling fit enough to get back behind the microphone for a new media initiative that will have a more relaxed feel to it compared to his previous work. There’s no labour involved with this love.
And if people enjoy the 2023 episodes of ‘The Game On Sunday,’ the team might decide to come back for season two.
“I’m above ground looking down at the daisies rather than the other way round, so that’s always a help. I wouldn’t be doing any of this stuff if I wasn’t healthy and happy because I don’t need to do it. I’m doing this for the craic and for the fun.
“I retired at the end of 2018 and I was happy enough at that stage to walk away from everything. When you’ve done something for 35 years like I did, you’ve had enough of it. I was happy to take that break away from everything.
“And now, I’m that distance away from it that you get enthusiastic about it again. You get a second wind.”
For more information about subscribing to ‘The Game On Sunday,’ follow the link here.
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