PROGRAMME PLUS – VOL. 2, NUMBER 2, MARCH 3 rd , 2017

Hello readers, and welcome to the 14th edition of Programme Plus which comes to you in the midst of a very busy period for games in both codes. With the Allianz Leagues in full swing, not to mention second and third level colleges competitions drawing to a conclusion, there’s plenty of material out there for the enthusiast to get their hands on.

I’m going to start this month with a simple plea, and I would urge as many readers as possible to take heed. There’s only so much material I can generate on my own, and there’s a strong likelihood that after a certain period the well will run dry. A small number of collectors have been extremely helpful and supportive in terms of supplying material and general assistance, but I’d like many more to step up.

I love receiving contributions from elsewhere, because it keeps the content fresh. I don’t want to continue supplying 90% of the material because if this persists I will get fed up and spend the time it takes to put this bulletin together concentrating on my own collection instead. Believe you me, it need attention!

A case in point was the plea for help in compiling a database of club histories, made in the last edition following a suggestion from Tony Sheehan. Tony has done a lot of work on the Cork angle, and I’m also very grateful to Joe Lonergan and Patrick Donegan for their contributions on Tipperary and Offaly respectively. Wexford will be taken care of too, but that leaves a lot more counties to be tackled.

I’m holding off on publishing the first version of this database in the hope that some more collectors will lend assistance to the project. I know of several readers with extensive collections of club histories, so it would be nice to hear from them with information as it will help considerably in lightening the load.

In another attempt to increase participation levels, I’m hoping to introduce a regular feature which caught my eye in ‘Programme Monthly & Football Collectable’, the self-proclaimed ‘world’s greatest football programme & memorabilia magazine’. To be fair, I would concur with that view, and I read it from cover to cover when it arrives on the last Tuesday of every month.

The latest issue is number 432 and, even if you have no interest in soccer programmes, I would heartily recommend the magazine if only to be made aware of the great possibilities that exist for our hobby that haven’t been explored yet. Anyway, the regular feature on the inside cover is ‘My Favourite Things’, with collectors telling everyone about their favourite possessions every month.

Readers are asked four questions with three answers required for each, and a short explanation if necessary. It would be a big addition to get it off the ground here too, so without further ado here’s the questions/categories as per ‘Programme Monthly’:

• Three favourite programmes from my collection

• Three programmes I would most like to add to my collection

• My three favourite G.A.A. books • Things I would like to see improved in our hobby

If you would like to participate, simply send me the answers to the above and, if possible, illustrate them with a few photographs of those favourite programmes and/or books.

PICK UP A PROGRAMME: Thank God the Allianz Leagues are back, not just for the competitive matches to attend in both codes, but also for the improved quality of programmes after enduring a month of teamsheets.

Collector Keith Heffernan of Maynooth via Portlaoise came up with an excellent suggestion in my opinion a few days after the last edition was distributed. The ‘Pick Up A Programme’ idea was his brainchild, and it’s a simple and effective means of extending help to fellow collectors.

I’m sure you’re all aware of how it works by now, but here’s a re-cap: if you are attending a match, and are willing to get programmes for fellow collectors, please let me know before 12 noon every Friday. In turn I will send an e-mail to all subscribers with the full list. If something catches your eye, then please make direct contact with the collector in question.

Some might be happy to swap whatever you want with a programme from the game you’re attending yourself, whereas others may prefer a cash transaction. That’s entirely up to the two collectors concerned, but the bottom line is that the scheme has been put in place to assist everyone.

I get the impression that many collectors have no interest in National League programmes, so it might only grow in popularity later in the year when the championships are in full swing. Some collectors mightn’t like the hassle, or the extra expense, of buying additional programmes, but remember that you’re the boss and can limit it to whatever suits you.

For example, you could decide only to cater for the first five requests you get and then draw the line at that. As a matter of interest, the most individual requests I have received for any one programme has been three which certainly isn’t a lot. I feel that’s worth stressing for collectors who might be reluctant to get involved for fear of having to spend a small fortune on match day to keep others happy. Thanks to the collectors who have been willing to help thus far, and hopefully more will gradually come on board.

PROGRAMMES OF THE MONTH: I’m opting for a shared award this month, although both programmes come from the same source, edited by proud Tipperary man Ed Donnelly. In recent weeks Ed has compiled a 48-pager for €3 for the Dr. Harty Cup final featuring Our Lady’s (Templemore) and St. Colman’s (Fermoy), followed seven days later by the Corn Uí Mhuirí decider involving Kerry rivals St. Brendan’s (Killarney) and Tralee C.B.S. (36 pages for €3).

A great deal of care and devotion went into ensuring that these programmes were worthwhile souvenirs for two of the biggest days on the second level schools front. And with respect to the other provincial final offerings I have seen from elsewhere thus far, these two are out on their own. Having said that, I would expect to see the high standards maintained when the MacRory Cup final takes place in Ulster on St. Patrick’s Day. While the Harty programme is twelve pages bigger, in terms of visual attractiveness I prefer the Corn Uí Mhuirí. This comes back to a point I’ve made before in this bulletin regarding the printers used by the Munster Council. Others may disagree, but on a personal level I believe their Kerry printer is superior to its Limerick counterpart. Referees are often ignored in programmes or simply mentioned in passing, but that’s not the case here as Rory McGann and Fergal Horgan fill a page in a Q&A format in the Harty programme.

Paddy Ryan previews the final over two pages, and then there’s another spread on the Templemore C.B.S. victory of 1978 as seen through the eyes of Tipperary Star columnist Cúlbaire (John O’Grady). That includes a captioned colour photograph of the squad and mentors, and after the recent emphatic Our Lady’s victory this fine feat from nearly 40 years ago is no longer the one stand-out moment from the town’s Harty history.

After an address from Our Lady’s school principal Patricia Higgins, there’s a player profile of one of their key men, Tipperary All-Ireland Minor winner Paddy Cadell. John Costigan contributes two pages from the Templemore viewpoint, while Denis Hurley’s report from the semi-final win over Ardscoil Rís is re-produced.

The Templemore panel pic shows the squad in school uniform rather than playing gear and is fully captioned. In contrast, the Rice College () Senior ‘B’ finalists are photographed prior to a match. They met John the Baptist of Hospital in Limerick, with those line-outs immediately before the centrespread.

The Templemore player profiles are on 20 and 21, with name, date of birth, club, favourite player and thumbnail photograph for all panel members. The focus after the fold moves from Templemore to St. Colman’s, with the same features repeated. There’s a useful list of upcoming fixtures in the All- Ireland series, plus news on the launch of the new Munster Post-Primary Schools website and the live streaming of the finals in a welcome new departure.

The St. Colman’s panel picture isn’t captioned and that’s one small gripe, but the rest of the programme more than makes up for it. There’s fine coverage of the Fermoy school’s Harty final replay win over 2003 over St. Flannan’s, with Brendan Larkin’s report carried over a spread. The roll of honour page is brightened by a photograph of the cup, while the paths to both finals are on the inside back cover.

The corresponding football final programme follows a similar template in terms of items featured, with both captains profiled along with David Clifford who was on the victorious St. Brendan’s team of 2016 and has gone on to study in I.T. Tralee. There’s excellent biographical details on the backroom teams, and the slightly smaller size can be explained by the absence of a curtain-raiser and subsequent reduction in required pages.

Ed Donnelly is very helpful to collectors and will be happy to deal with queries from anyone interested in obtaining these programmes. His output has been remarkable long before this bulletin first saw the light of day in January of last year, and long may it last.

THE MONTH IN PROGRAMMES: Now it’s time to review the rest of the programmes I have seen since the last edition. It’s the usual mixed bag - some excellent and others very poor - and as a general rule you know what to expect quality-wise depending on the county of origin. For every one taking great pride in what they do and producing a readable programme, you will find another just going through the motions and supplying the general public and collectors with a sub-standard product.

AIB All-Ireland Club semi-final, Ballyea v. St. Thomas’, Thurles, February 4th (16 pages full colour for €3): Over-priced by €1 in my view given the four pages of ads, and there’s an absolute clanger in the list of semi-final results from 2000 to 2016. It’s repeated from the same stage last year, with Kilcormac-Killoughey credited with beating Toomevara in 2013 when their victims were in fact Thurles Sarsfields. Surely an error of that magnitude should be spotted? Clearly that’s not the case though.

The provincial championship scoreboard fills a page along with cut-outs of the three captains raising the cups, while there’s a page on how the Under-8s from both clubs will take centre stage at half- time. It would have been a lot more effective if the names and/or photographs of those excited children had been published. The team photographs are captioned, while Mártan O Ciardha contributes his regular feature ‘as Gaeilge’. Dermot Crowe is the journalist called upon to pen a scene-setter over two pages.

Allianz FL Division 3, Laois v. Louth, Portlaoise, February 4th (24 un-numbered pages full colour for €3): More than half of the programme is filled with ads/promos, and the font used by the printers is very basic and unattractive. In terms of interesting items to read, Pat O’Connell fills a page on the last league meeting in 2014, while Pat Delaney looks back even further to the clash of 1973 over one and a half pages.

The Laois league fixtures for both codes are outlined, while there’s team photographs of both teams, Laois captioned and Louth uncaptioned. Otherwise though it’s the usual mix of promotional material on coaching, grants and the development of the county’s training centre.

Allianz FL Division 1, Tyrone v. Roscommon, Omagh, February 5th (32 pages B5 full colour for €3): The ‘Red Hand View’ is a well-produced, magazine-style programme in the larger B5 format, with a design credit going to ‘LD2’ and the line-out pages done in similar fashion to the Ulster championship programmes.

A good designer with a keen eye for lay-out and fonts can make the world of difference in the area of programmes. There’s a vibrancy about this which jumps off the pages, with very effective use of colour and logos. The Chairperson’s welcome is on 3 before a two-page spread on Scór. Page 6 contains all of the Tyrone fixtures, not just for the footballers but for the hurlers, ladies’ footballers and under-age footballers too.

Tyrone, like the Ulster Council, place a huge emphasis on fully promoting G.A.A. initiatives in their programmes, so there’s a page next on the Healthy Club Provincial Roadshow. Two very interesting pages of history follow, looking back to G.A.A. activity in the county in 1917 in the aftermath of the Rising. This is a continuation of the fine material produced in last year’s programmes to mark the centenary celebrations, and it’s the stand-out feature of this particular publication.

A page headlined ‘How We Stand’ runs through Tyrone’s year thus far and carries interesting stats on Mickey Harte’s record in the Dr. McKenna Cup which was won for the sixth year on the trot, and also the overall figures for his long spell as manager. The appearances and scorers for all Tyrone players in 2017 are also listed.

Mickey himself writes the next page, in English soccer manager-style, headlined ‘From The Harte’. After the line-outs, Aodhán Harkin welcomes Roscommon and sets the scene for the game over two pages. Two pages of Club Tyrone promotional material follows, but it’s presented in an interesting and colourful manner that encourages the reader not to turn the page.

Two pages are devoted to ladies’ football, written by Paddy Hunter, with a page on coach education details followed by a look at hurling, again compiled by Paddy. The ‘View From The Rossie’ comes from Cian O’Connell of gaa.ie, and the summer camp details and mini-game participants are listed, but again in an eye-catching manner. One of the better programmes I’ve seen thus far, with nine pages of ads.

Allianz FL Division 2, v. Cork, Pearse Stadium, February 5th (32 pages full colour for €3): Anxious-looking managers Peadar Healy and Kevin Walsh are photographed on the cover, and there’s a two-page spread on the Galway football awards. The previous meetings are attractively tabulated, and Mártan O Ciardha looks back on their league meeting in Páirc Uí Chaoimh in 1992.

There’s good photographic coverage of Galway’s FBD League win, along with a fully-captioned shot of the Galway Minors at their Connacht medals presentation night (names and clubs included). Captains Gary O’Donnell and Paul Kerrigan are profiled, with an interesting and well-illustrated four- page feature by Jim Carney recalling memories of the counties’ clash in the 1956 All-Ireland final. There’s also an in-depth three-page preview of the Division 2 campaign from journalist Billy Coss, taking a close look at the prospects of all eight contenders.

Allianz FL Division 3, Tipperary v. Antrim, Thurles, February 5th (4 pages full colour for €1): With an Allianz ad on the back, match details on the front, the February page from the Tipperary calendar re- produced on page 2, and the line-outs squeezed into page 3, there’s not much to say about this other than posing the question: would it have been a neat P.R. gesture to give it out for free rather than looking for €1 from the very small crowd reported in the newspapers?

Allianz FL Division 4, Wexford v. Limerick, Innovate Wexford Park, February 5th (8 pages black and white for €2): I had hoped that a change of P.R.O. might improve the quality of programmes, but I was wrong, very wrong. The first criticism of this is the cover, which doesn’t carry the year of the game, or the price of the programme.

That’s because the compiler has taken the incredibly lazy decision to use the promotional flyer that Allianz are splashing across social media in the lead-up to all games this year. You’ve probably seen them in that guise, with STEP UP in large lettering on top, but they were never intended to be the cover of a match programme. In fact, it’s very misleading, because the bottom line of the cover states ‘Your tickets are waiting now at gaa.ie, selected SuperValu & Centra stores and usual outlets’. This completely ignores the fact that supporters had already entered through the turnstiles and purchased the programme inside.

The inside cover page is numbered 6 in error rather than 2, and it contains a Chairman’s message and Wexford’s league fixtures. Page 3 has a Wexford team photograph with four of the players’ names spelled incorrectly in the caption, with an image of the Limerick side standing shoulder-to- shoulder for Amhrán na bhFiann before the McGrath Cup final against Kerry below.

With the last two pages filled by ads, the conclusion of the sparse reading is on the correct page 6 - a look back to the sides’ game in 2014, and two paragraphs plus a photograph on the victory of St. Peter’s College in the Leinster Post-Primary Schools Senior football ‘A’ championship.

Allianz FL Division 4, Westmeath v. Carlow, Mullingar, February 5th (12 pages black and white apart from cover front and back covers for €2): The Chairman’s welcome fills four-fifths of page 3 with small blank space underneath, while 4 carries the clár an lae, a profile of the referee with photograph, and the words of our national anthem.

Page 5 is a report on the counties’ last meeting at TEG Cusack Park, in the championship of 2013, and the first item of interest after the line-out pages is the list of fixtures to come for both counties. This is important I feel, as several counties ignore the details for their opponents and seem to forget that visiting supporters might appreciate that information to plan their own schedules just as much as their home counterparts.

Local journalist Gerry Buckley is the man in the know as regards facts and figures related to Westmeath, and his contributions are always interesting. He lists the previous league meetings (only seven which is remarkable given the counties are in relatively close proximity), and they hadn’t played since 1993 when Westmeath won by two points in Moate. The line-outs for that game are included. Four and a half of the pages were ads/promos.

Bord na Móna hurling final, v. Galway, Nowlan Park, February 5th (8 pages full colour for €2): Two and a half pages of ads/promos, with messages from the sponsors and the new Leinster Council Chairman, Jim Bolger of Carlow, on 2 and 3. The line-outs are followed by a page listing both counties’ league fixtures below a half-page by Dermot Kavanagh looking back to the 1955 Walsh Cup final, Kilkenny’s first win in the competition, against Westmeath.

Allianz HL Division 1A, Kilkenny v. Waterford, Nowlan Park (24 pages full colour for €3): A decent programme is always guaranteed in Nowlan Park, with editor Damien O’Connell maintaining the usual high standards. The Glanbia sponsorship launch is on 2, beside Ned Quinn’s welcome and the list of match officials.

P.M. O’Sullivan contributes his regular musings on 5, with a photograph of the four Kilkenny All Stars on 6 and Enda McEvoy’s thoughts on 7. There’s a look back to the 1957 All-Ireland final clash next, before P.M. O’Sullivan pays tribute to retiring duo and . is profiled on 11, with a small amount of text alongside a large action photograph.

After the line-outs there’s a page on Waterford’s 1959 All-Ireland final victory taken from the archives of the ‘Kilkenny People’ beside a profile of Kevin Moran. Jim Fogarty contributes a page of Waterford snippets, while Dermot Kavanagh profiles past player Richie Power Snr. above a nice plug for ‘Programme Plus’, although I was shocked to turn the page and see my own ugly mug peering back at me! The usual coaching material is carried at the back, and seven and a half of the pages are ads/promos. Connacht Colleges Senior hurling final, St. Brigid’s (Loughrea) v. Presentation College (Athenry), Pearse Stadium, February 11th (8 almost full colour pages for €1): The first positive to note about this programme is the generous price, as it’s rare to see anything for less than €2 nowadays particularly when there’s full colour involved. The cover is nicely illustrated with the school crests, the crests of the five Connacht counties, the logo of competition sponsors NUI Galway, and a black and white action shot of the late John Ryan after whom the cup is named.

There’s Senior ‘B’ results and fixtures plus All-Ireland fixtures on 2, and a Chairman’s welcome plus details of the match officials with a head and shoulders shot of referee Joe Keane on 3. The line-outs are on the centrespread and include those boxes to tick off in the event of yellow, black and red cards below that are used in Connacht only. Somebody wasn’t thinking of course in this instance as, thanks be to God, the black card isn’t part of the game of hurling and hopefully never will be either.

Page 6 carries a tribute to the late John Ryan and details of his playing career, adorned with a fine black and white action photograph which is the same as the one on the cover, although showing more detail. Page 7 features all Senior ‘A’ results to date and the two group tables, while the back page contains information on sports scholarships to NUI Galway.

Allianz HL Division 1A, Dublin v. Tipperary, and Allianz FL Division 1, Dublin v. Tyrone, Croke Park, February 11th (48 pages in full colour for €3): I was interested to receive an extract from the piece written by Tipperary newspaper columnist ‘Westside’ after these games. He wrote: ‘I’m a collector of match programmes but Sunday’s (sic) offering at Croke Park won’t rate as a treasured one. In 47 (sic) pages the only nod they could give to the All Ireland hurling champions was a one-page Q & A with . Otherwise it was all football and Dublin without even a pretence at balance. Perhaps we’re spoiled in Thurles with the high quality of productions but this was an unworthy effort’.

Looking at it through neutral eyes, I think ‘Westside’ is being rather harsh when he describes the programme as ‘unworthy’. I can fully understand his desire to see more Tipperary content, although he must have missed the piece on last year’s league meeting in Thurles plus the photograph of the Premier county’s mentors.

He is accurate in stating that the programme concentrates for the most part on Dublin, but isn’t that an accusation that could be levelled at several host counties? I’ve referred elsewhere to the fact that a lot of programmes only contain the fixtures to come for the home team, conveniently forgetting that the visitors will have supporters at the game too.

The one thing I always like about the Dublin programmes is the strong factual content, such as the full list of Allianz League results and fixtures across all divisions. Dublin’s year to date in both codes contains all the relevant information on teams and scorers, and the full Leinster championship fixtures are also included. There’s a profile of Cuala’s David Treacy as part of a one-page preview of their All-Ireland Club hurling semi-final and, as well as Ronan Maher, Peter Harte and Michael Fitzsimons are also featured along with interviews with James McCarthy and Eoghan O’Donnell of Dublin.

To sum up, while some of the comments of ‘Westside’ may be valid, I’ve seen a lot, lot worse in terms of programmes produced thus far for the Allianz Leagues. There’s a set template to the Dublin home publications and I don’t expect it to change any time soon. Allianz HL Division 1, Cork v. Clare, Páirc Uí Rinn, February 11th (32 pages full colour for €3): The Crosshaven club continues to produce Cork’s home programmes, and exactly half of these pages are filled with ads/promos. Tom Morrison has a short piece on the league clash of 1977, while there’s a spread on the Cork G.A.A. awards banquet. Daniel Kearney and Cian Dillon are the players profiled, while Seamus Hayes of the ‘Clare Champion’ contributes a piece from the visitors. Another journalist, Eamonn Murphy, supplies the match preview.

Allianz FL Division 1, Roscommon v. Donegal, Dr. Hyde Park, February 12th (32 pages full colour for €3): There’s a white border around the cover of this programme which is quite effective, and the close-up action photograph of a Roscommon player, unfortunately not identified by name on page 3, is well chosen. This game marked the resumption of playing activities on the new-look Dr. Hyde Park surface, and I must say it looked fantastic on television. There’s a three-page history of the ground near the back of the programme, including a superb aerial photograph.

Fr. Liam Devine contributes an interesting page on Roscommon-Donegal links, while the Roscommon volunteer profiled over two pages is stadium announcer Gerry Kehoe. There’s a helpful and detailed full explanation on the ‘mark’, while the juniors aren’t forgotten with a crossword and wordsearch. Darragh Kelly contributes some of his memories of past meetings, while Eoghan Bán Gallagher of Donegal and Roscommon’s Colm Lavin are the players profiled.

Kevin McStay has a one-page manager’s message, while there’s a three-page look back at the clash between the counties in 2002. ‘Roscommon Herald’ sports editor Ian Cooney sums it all up in a piece headlined ‘Great to be back in the Hyde, but collecting league points is all that matters’. I have one gripe, and it’s becoming all too familiar: the line-outs are on pages 12 and 13 rather than the centrespread where they belong. When all things are considered though, this is a fine programme.

Allianz HL Division 1B, Wexford v. Limerick, Innovate Wexford Park, February 12th (12 pages black and white for €2): I had hoped for something better for our hurling games, but again I was disappointed. The same ridiculous poster cover, five pages of ads/promos, and two line-out pages leaves precious little else, despite the increase in size by four pages.

There’s the Chairman’s welcome and the home fixtures, a page of uncaptioned team photographs, a half-page filled with head and shoulders of the Wexford joint captains, Matthew O’Hanlon and , a page on their league clash in 2015, and a half-page wishing a departing member of the County Board’s coaching staff the best and listing the contact details of the other personnel.

In most other counties I think the arrival of a high-profile new manager would at the very least merit some form of profile or interview for his first league game in charge, and rightly so. It didn’t happen here though, and the poor quality of the programme merited the following comment from another local journalist: ‘Unfortunately, off the field the same professionalism is just not matching up. One is referring to the match day programmes so far which are of such poor standard that one would seriously question the input of the people responsible for P.R. Just black and white, the cover, which failed to contain even the year of the competition, is both flat and dull, while the inside content is non-existent. Certainly, it wasn't a collector's item even at €2 for what is basically a glorified teamsheet. Even the page list of Wexford G.A.A. sponsors has been confined to the scrap heap.’ My only hope now is that the County Board officers will be shamed into improving the quality after seeing the fine effort produced by Galway on our recent visit there (see below). I won’t hold my breath just yet though.

Allianz HL Division 1B, Offaly v. Galway, and Allianz FL Division 3, Offaly v. Antrim, Tullamore, February 12th (16 pages black and white for €2): Offaly place a keen emphasis on facts and figures in their programmes which is to be applauded. With four pages of ads and another four of line-outs, plus the cover, the remaining seven contain plenty of interesting information.

Pat Donegan profiles Tom Donohue who is the only man to play Senior championship hurling with both his native Galway and Offaly. The previous meetings fill the next two pages, with Offaly and Antrim not locking horns in football until December, 1985. They had met eleven times prior to this game, while it was the 39th hurling clash between Offaly and Galway. There’s a page on the most recent football clash in 2015, and the same for the hurling back in 2011, plus one page apiece with the results and fixtures for the respective divisions. If I was to offer some constructive criticism, I would say that the programme could have done with a few more photographs, as the only one was a head and shoulders of Tom Donohue. It’s fairly priced though, and with sufficient interesting content.

Allianz FL Division 4, Leitrim v. Wexford, Carrick-on-Shannon, February 12th (16 pages full colour for €2): As a matter of interest, this was Wexford’s first-ever competitive game in either code and at any level in Co. Leitrim. That wasn’t mentioned anywhere, although I doubt it would be common knowledge.

The Chairman’s welcome and the match officials are on 3, with a half-page from P.R.O. Declan Bohan on 4. There’s uncaptioned team photographs over 6 and 7, with the line-outs followed by a page from John Lynch of Shannonside FM headlined ‘Off to a good start’. The Division 4 fixtures are listed next, although a couple have been inadvertently clipped off the bottom of the page.

Next up is a two-page spread from the Leitrim G.A.A. awards, with presentations to individuals captioned but group photographs uncaptioned. The launch of the Leitrim Supporters’ Club in Croke Park on January 19th also gets the two-page treatment, with more than 20 uncaptioned photographs. Three of the pages were ads.

Allianz HL Division 1A, Cork v. Dublin, Páirc Uí Rinn, February 18th (32 pages full colour for €3): No change in format from the Clare game, with player profiles this time on Christopher Joyce and Chris Crummey respectively. The latter might be inclined to give the trip a miss when Dublin are fixed to play Cork in Páirc Uí Rinn next, having been sent-off on his last two visits! Tom Morrison’s short contribution this time is on the National League semi-final of 1953. These Cork programmes leave room for plenty of improvement to be honest, with a lot of filler promotional material and ads resulting in precious little reading material.

Allianz HL Division 1B, Laois v. Offaly, Portlaoise, February 18th (28 un-numbered pages full colour for €3): Roughly half of these pages contain ads and/or promotional material, but there is slightly more readable material than was the case in the Laois programmes last year. The previous league meetings run to one and one-third pages, and this was their 40th meeting, but it’s a bizarre state of affairs as those exact same details are repeated elsewhere and condensed into one page! I don’t know how a printer or proof-reader didn’t spot that, so I’d assume the services of the latter weren’t deployed.

Pat Delaney looks back at the counties’ drawn league clash from March, 1994, over four pages, and the team photographs used are taken from the Leinster championship semi-finals later that year. Apart from promotional stuff, the only item of interest is a page on P.J. Cuddy by Ciarán Muldowney headlined ‘Our Heroes’, which makes me think this could be part of a series to be run in home programmes although that isn’t stated.

The full colour may be the reason for the cover charge of €3. And while the many advertisers are no doubt pleased with that state of affairs, the readable material certainly doesn’t justify the cost.

Allianz HL Division 1A, Clare v. Kilkenny, Ennis, February 19th (12 pages full colour for €2): There’s a good action shot from a previous meeting on the cover, but it’s always a worthwhile idea to include a caption on page 3 to outline the players involved. The players are unidentified here. With four pages of ads, two for the line-outs plus the cover, that leaves five pages of reading material.

Page 3 has welcomes from the Chairman and P.R.O., details of match officials and Clare’s fixtures to come, and Amhrán na bhFiann. There’s a profile of Clare’s Cathal Malone on 5, and similar treatment for Kilkenny’s on 8. Pages 9 and 10 carry a look back at the sides’ league meeting of 2014, plus facts and stats from Pádraig Mac Mathúna. There’s also a piece on plans to develop hurling and camogie in west Clare.

Allianz HL Division 1B, Galway v. Wexford, Pearse Stadium, February 19th (36 pages full colour for €3): Given my home is in the south-east, I don’t get an opportunity to attend too many games in Galway. And more’s the pity, as I would love to be receiving a programme of this quality on a more regular basis.

A lot of counties have cottoned on to the fact that there’s more to hosting a game than simply opening the gates 90 minutes before throw-in and letting the public in. The G.A.A. is competing against various forms of alternative entertainment, so when 7,006 patrons decide to head for Salthill on a foggy and misty day in February, it’s nice to know that the Galway County Board recognise that they are entitled to buy a fine programme as part of the package.

KPW Print in Ballinasloe get the usual praise from these quarters for the quality of the product, with cut-outs of (Galway) and Aaron Maddock (Wexford) the centrepiece of an attractive cover. I like the way that programme editor Joe Keane takes the opportunity to fill pages on recent G.A.A. happenings within the county, without losing sight of the fact that the game on the day is the main object of attention. The mix is excellent, with a lot of space devoted to Wexford playing Galway as well as getting the message across that there’s so much general activity going on around the county.

There’s a look back over three pages of recent games involving the counties. They have been infrequent opponents, and this covers seven matches from the All-Ireland semi-final of 1996 up to the last league meeting in 2011. There’s a one-page photo montage from Galway’s win over Offaly, opposite a report on Kinvara’s recent victory in the Leinster Junior ‘B’ hurling final which was topical as their opponents were Craanford from Wexford. The Galway championship draws from Senior A down to Minor C are laid out attractively over a two-page spread that also includes a team picture from the Walsh Cup, plus eight smaller images of the cup presentations from last year’s club finals. The attention to detail here is very impressive.

The next three pages carry a preview of Division 1B by Billy Coss of the ‘Tuam Herald’, with a half- page devoted to all six participants and information outlined in four areas: management, last season, league programme, and key players.

The story of the week one games is featured above the league table and the list of the last ten league meetings between the counties which stretched from 1991 to 2011. For the record, Sunday’s win by Wexford was their first away to Galway in the league since a victory in Ballinasloe in October, 1983 (the 2007 quarter-final triumph was on neutral soil in Nowlan Park). It was also our first-ever league win in Pearse Stadium.

A profile of presidential candidate Frank Burke follows, before half-page profiles of and (spelled Aiden here but Aidan on the line-out pages - which is correct I wonder?). Those line-out pages make vibrant use of the county’s colours, with an image of the jersey with the number superimposed to the front above each name.

Wexford joint captains Matthew O’Hanlon and Lee Chin are profiled overleaf before a spread on the Connacht Post-Primary Schools Senior hurling ‘A’ and ‘C’ finals won by St. Brigid’s (Loughrea) and Holy Rosary (Mountbellew). There’s a page outlining the efforts to raise funds for Gerry Commins from Claregalway who was confined to a wheelchair after an accident last year, and a page with two photographs: one of the Galway Hurling Committee Chairman and the team doctor, and the other of 2016 All Stars Daithí Burke and David Burke whom a local radio commentator from Wexford described as ‘brothers’ at one stage during this game (I kid you not!).

A one-page tribute follows to well-known referee Mike Dolan who died suddenly in November, before another two-page spread on the Galway hurling club All-Stars complete with six photographs and text. The Senior and Intermediate football club draws are also carried above photographs from Galway’s FBD League triumph, while there’s two pages on Juvenile hurling matters before a page with four photos focusing on various local G.A.A. matters. Only six of the 36 pages carry ads, so this programme gets my vote every time. Well done to Joe Keane and Galway who are clearly determined to maintain the very high standards set in 2016.

Eirgrid Leinster Under-21 football championship first round, Wexford v. Carlow, Netwatch Cullen Park, February 22nd (single folded A5 sheet, black type on green paper, free): Your standard fare for this early stage of the competition, with the back page containing the fixtures schedule for the rest of the Leinster games which was unfortunately upset that very night when Wicklow versus Louth was postponed due to an unplayable pitch in Baltinglass.

Allianz Football League Division 2, Galway v. Clare, Pearse Stadium, February 26th (36 pages full colour for €3): This programme maintains the vibrancy and high standards we have come to expect from Galway in recent years. While Hurling Board P.R.O. Joe Keane looks after the home programmes in the small ball code, the responsibility for the big ball rests with county P.R.O. Seamus Finnerty.

The use of colour is particularly impressive, brightening up another dull February day for the paying public. The Galway football calendar on page 6 outlines the county’s full fixtures list from Senior down to Under-17, and the previous meeting details are on 7 along with the league table. There’s a page of uncaptioned action photographs from the Cork game on 9, and Peter O’Connell of the ‘Clare Champion’ gives a visiting view on 11.

Pages 12 and 13 features a tribute to Clare native and former Galway official Paddy Taylor who died in 1980. It’s written by Mártan O Ciardha, with the Irish version on 12 repeated in English on the facing page. Other items of interest include two pages on coaching and games development presented in a bright and breezy manner, while the recent TG4 documentary on the Cork colours prompted Jim Carney to contribute three pages on that very subject from a Galway viewpoint. It includes a black and white photograph of the Senior football champions of 1934, Galway’s first All- Ireland winners in maroon and white.

Billy Coss of ‘The Tuam Herald’ previews the game, while there’s uncaptioned photographs from Galway versus Fermanagh and the Supermacs sponsorship launch. The teams, substitutes and scorers from Galway’s and Clare’s first two games are on 33, with some uncaptioned shots of supporters at the away game in Enniskillen completing a programme full of reading material.

Allianz Football League Division 4, Wexford v. Waterford, Innovate Wexford Park, February 26th (12 pages black and white for €2): Another effort with that ‘poster’ cover alluded to above, and three pages of ads. The Chairman’s welcome and Wexford’s fixtures to come are on 3, while 4 has the league table below brief reports on Wexford’s wins over Limerick and Leitrim. It includes an action photograph of P.J. Banville with the caption stating it shows him in action against Leitrim, even though the ‘Sporting Limerick’ logo is crystal clear on his opponent’s jersey and Wexford Park can be seen in the background (Wexford played Leitrim in Carrick-on-Shannon).

Page 5 has a half-page with photograph congratulating Dunbrody Gaels (an amalgamation of Horeswood and St. James’) on winning the 50th Jim Byrne Cup, a local winter Minor football league. Below it is a plug for the Wexford v. Waterford hurling challenge in Kilmore later that day, encouraging supporters to make the short journey for more G.A.A. action. The Wexford club football championship draws are run over two and a half pages, with the bottom of page 10 filled out with head and shoulders photographs of county captain and vice-captain, Daithí Waters and Ben Brosnan respectively.

Senior hurling challenge, Wexford v. Waterford, Kilmore, February 26th (24 un-numbered pages for €2, with colour on cover only): This game marked the opening of Kilmore’s new clubrooms by president-elect John Horan on the same weekend as his landslide victory at Congress. There’s seven pages of ads, and the inside front and back covers are blank.

When you add in the cover and the line-outs on the centrespread, that leaves twelve pages with the following information: club Chairman’s address; club President’s address; uncaptioned photograph of the Kilmore Intermediate ‘A’ football champions of 2013; Kilmore camogie club profile with uncaptioned photograph of 2016 Junior champions; two pages on the Kilmore club history; a one- page roll of honour; page on ladies’ football in the club; two pages on the club’s development plan; page on the Hurling 365 primary schools initiative. The back page is in full colour and features an uncaptioned photograph of the Kilmore Junior ‘B’ hurling champions from 2014. To sum up, Waterford collectors may be interested to know that, apart from their line-out and crest on the cover, the remainder of the programme concentrates fully on the local club.

SOUTH TIPPERARY FAIR: Seán Nugent has been in contact with news of the latest ‘Fair Of Sporting Memorabilia’ taking place in the South Tipperary G.A.A. Centre on the Western Road in Clonmel, a venue celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

The event will take place on Saturday, March 18th, from 12 noon to 4 p.m., and there will be bar facilities, teas and coffees available. Collectors and sellers are cordially invited with sales positions, free of charge, to be booked prior to the event. Please contact Seán Nugent at 087-2669304 or e- mail [email protected]

Admission is €3 with accompanied children free of charge. The South Tipperary G.A.A. Centre adjoins Clonmel Sportsfield on the Western Road opposite South Tipperary General Hospital. All proceeds from the event will go to the Centre.

Seán is appealing to any collectors who might wish to off-load G.A.A. books and programmes that they no longer require. Donations to the fundraising fair would be much appreciated, and the organisers are willing to arrange collection. Alternatively, items may be brought to the fair on March 18th.

This will be the first organised gathering of collectors for 2017, so hopefully there will be a good attendance.

BADGE QUERY: Among the images attached in an accompanying e-mail, you will see a Mayo-related badge. The photograph was sent to me by Francis Heaney who is hoping that some of our Mayo readers might be able to accurately identify the name on the badge. Any background details would also be appreciated. Francis’ e-mail address is [email protected]

McNAMEE AWARDS: The McNamee award winners for 2016 were announced last month, with the following categories of particular interest to collectors -

Provincial Media Award - Kerry’s Eye ‘Sport & Revolution’: ‘The ‘Kerry GAA and the 1916 Rising’ supplement published by Kerry’s Eye, compiled by historian Dr. Richard McElligott, is an eight-page publication that explored the many links between the Rebels of 1916 and Kerry GAA. Well written and informative, it was a timely body of work to mark the 100 year anniversary of the Rising.’

Best Programme - Tyrone GAA football & replay: ‘These publications were compiled by people who are obviously very familiar with the content that is important to the end user: the supporter. Simple and effectively styled covers lead the reader into thoughtfully designed, easy-to-read and structured match programmes. The primacy of the content decided the design which was excellently planned and executed, while the hierarchy of each of the editorial elements is appeciated and appropriately positioned within the value-for-money publication.’

Best GAA Publication - Monaghan Official GAA Yearbook: ‘The Monaghan GAA Official Yearbook takes a thorough review of Monaghan’s 2016 season at all levels and at county and club levels. As a record of a defined season, told with the assistance of spectacular photographs, the book is second- to-none and will serve as a lasting record for future generations.’ Best GAA Club Publication - Sand in our Boots (Beale GAA club, Kerry): ‘Sand in our Boots’ charts the history not only of the Beale GAA club but also of its predecessors including the Ballybunion Corncrakes, Craughdarrig Emmets and Faha. Using a variety of sources including internal records, newspaper reports and the folk memory of the club, the authors have succeeded in successfully charting the history of the club and its place within the wider GAA organisation.’

YEARBOOK WATCH: I recently acquired the Wee County annual Louth yearbook thanks to the kind assistance of a fellow collector. To the best of my knowledge, that means I have got my hands on all of the yearbooks published for Christmas as I can confirm that Down didn’t do anything this time around.

Those I have seen, in alphabetical order, are: Clare, Cork, Donegal, Fermanagh, Galway, Kilkenny, Louth, Tipperary, Tyrone, Wicklow. The Meath and Cavan yearbooks, from the Hogan Stand stable, tend to be published at odd times of the year, not necessarily around the festive period. Does anyone know if they have been published in recent weeks?

LABOURS OF LOVE: Readers who enjoyed my ‘mini-tour of Ireland’ last month to obtain books missing from my collection may be interested to note that the Freemount history finally landed through my letterbox on February 2nd. Talk about being hard-earned! Anyway, it was with particularly great relish that I crossed it off my list, and if I ever need to visit Freemount in future at least I know exactly where it is and how to get to it!

I’ve a real gem to share with you for this section now, and that’s ‘Liatroim Fontenoys 1988-2013’ which was published just before Christmas. The Down club has good form in this area as the first version of their history was a McNamee award winner in 1990. I’ve been informed by my contact that it’s now completely out of print, so if you have that original in your collection, guard it with your life.

The first striking aspect of version two is its size as it’s a rarity for a history book given that it’s A5, or standard match programme size. With just over 700 pages, it goes without saying that it’s a sturdy hardback to keep it all together. The book is accompanied by a DVD featuring music from the locality plus a narration of that centenary history up to 1988. The club’s crest in green and gold adorns the top corner of every page, and there’s fantastic use of photographs throughout.

Given the success of the first book, the ten-strong history committee had the ideal template to follow, and this is a superb continuation of the work done nearly 30 years ago. P.J. McGee is the man to contact if you’d like to obtain a copy of this highly-recommended book ([email protected]).

FROM THE ARCHIVES: I’d like to see more ‘audience participation’ in this section too, so I’ve decided not to include anything from my own collection this month. Many of you have old and possibly rare items of interest, so please dig one out and sent me an image of the cover along with some text for future editions.

THE PROGRAMME TYPES (PART 1 OF 2) - BY JAMES A. LUNDON (LIMERICK VIA GALWAY)

‘All collectors accumulate programmes to some extent or another, at least all those I know do so. There may be a few special people out there who collect aspects of the G.A.A. “experience” while discarding all the programmes they come across but I don’t know any of them. Anything is possible though, I suppose!

‘Personally, I keep the programmes of games I attend in person separate to those I have collected through all other routes. This becomes more important as I get older and my memory starts to fray around the edges, as to league or club games I have or haven’t attended but which I have programmes from. This can get a bit confusing with much of the more modern stuff. It’s something I have spoken about before in this e-zine. Everyone is different but many of us have come to the same conclusion without conferring, so there must be some method to our madness.

‘Saying that, what I would like to (start to) talk about here are the various types of programmes available, a paragraph on each programme sub-type from a general collecting sense; something which might be useful to the beginner, but also the mid-ranking collector. It might also be of some little use to the long-time collector? I welcome any errors or omissions people note in my articles, which I will correct next month etc.

‘I’ll go through the main competitions first, and proceed onwards to the lesser programme sub- types in later parts. This may be a two- or three-parter, depending upon what I cover next month and what my esteemed editor will allow me to print in a single long article (NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: As much as you want James, be my guest!).

‘All-Ireland hurling finals: All years back to the mid-1940s are or have been available in my time collecting, with increasing rarity the further back you go. The ‘59 replay is a bit more difficult to obtain than the equivalent draw but not as much as it once was. All finals back to ‘45 have come onto the market multiple times in the last 20 years and serious collectors will have all the finals back to The Emergency. 1938, ’39 and ’40 have come up a number of times and most of the major players have these three. 1943 and ’44 likewise, neither being very rare. Everything from ’38 and before are like hen’s teeth and have almost never come up in any public auction since 2000. The market for old finals has collapsed since the Celtic Tiger growled its last. It has been most deeply felt in ’40s-‘60s All- Ireland finals. Buyer beware, if you are entering this market segment with a view to ‘investment opportunities’. The key programmes are ’41 and ‘42.

‘All-Ireland football finals: All years back to the mid-1940s are or have been available in my time collecting, again with increasing rarity as you go back into the past. 1944 has come up a number of times, as has the ’43 draw and replay. Anything before ’43 is hard won, not including the ’37 and ’38 draw and replay (both years saw replays!), all four of which have come up a number of times at auction in the last six to seven years. Everything before ’37 is extremely rare but not guaranteed to be substantially financially valuable as it’s almost too far back for most collectors to go, as has been proven at auction a number of times in the 2010s. No one should enter this market with a view to making a financial killing, similar to hurling finals from the same era. Collectors should never make that mistake but must know when the time is right to pay whatever is necessary to obtain that once- in-a-lifetime programme. Fingers can still be badly burnt but the programme may never be seen again in public; it’s only money after all! The key programmes are ’39 and 41.

‘All-Ireland hurling semi-finals: All years back to 1975 are relatively easily obtained, with the exception of the few years where the Ulster champions played outside Croke Park, in places like Armagh in ’85 and Dundalk in ’87 (the hurling semi-finals Wiki page is incorrect). Saying that, both these programmes have come up multiple times on eBay over the last ten years and all even half- serious collectors will have gotten them by now. All semi-finals back to ’75 (with three glorious exceptions) have been in Croke Park and are not worth much more than €10 in the open market. It gets a lot trickier between ’69 and ’74, with all those semi-finals being hard to source, the ’70 semi- final in Limerick between Cork and London being probably the rarest though others are almost as scarce. There was only one semi-final in ’69 as Galway were still in Munster, as was the case in ’73 and ’74 when the Intermediate champions were dropped. There were no hurling semi-finals between ’59 and ’68! The ‘50s semi-finals have all come up in one form or another in the modern era, with most serious collectors having a full run back to the very early-’50s. Hurling semi-finals in the ‘40s are all extremely rare and each is bitterly fought over when they pop up at auction. Galway were involved in all of them, unlike the ‘50s when they got straight byes into two finals, with the Munster and Leinster winners playing each other in the semi-finals of ’55 and ‘58. Different times! G.A.A. history is a lot more complex than some journalists (almost always with anti-G.A.A. agendas, even those who are supposedly G.A.A. correspondents) like to portray.

‘All-Ireland football semi-finals: All years back to the early-’60s are available with luck and a few quid to spend. I know one collector who has compiled a pretty full run of such semi-finals right back to ’60, having only been bitten by the collecting bug in the last five years. There is one key programme that is difficult to source, the ’69 Offaly-Kerry replay, which doubled up with an Under-21 final of some sort. It’s has a purple cover and always makes over €100 when it appears on eBay or at auction. Before that, the key programme going back to the mid-’50s is the ’57 game between Louth and Tyrone. All semi-finals before ’54 are usually hard fought over on the open market too, especially the few that have come up from the ‘40s, which are as rare as ‘Liam’ in Limerick is. I know of no collector who is clear back to the ‘40s, but a few are agonisingly close. Those pre-‘66 football semi- finals have an aesthetic appeal that is hard to beat, that austere one sheet beauty, relics of their era. They are quite uniform in look and feel as all were played in Croke Park, the further back the nicer in my opinion too.

‘All-Ireland hurling/football quarter-finals: Both are a relatively modern addition to the collector’s lists of wants, though there have been hurling quarter-finals since the early ‘70s. London beat Galway in a famous game in Ballinasloe, with the winners, London, playing Limerick the week after in Ennis. Guess the year? Hurling quarter-finals in the ‘70s and ‘80s are not massively collected, with some being very scarce while others are very common - none are particularly valuable. Football quarter-finals only sneaked onto the calendar with the advent of back-door qualifiers in 2001. Hurling had fitted in the back door a few years before, in 1997, when Clare won through the front one, all of TWENTY years ago this year. None of those programmes - either hurling or football - are remotely difficult to accumulate but will take some perseverance and luck to fully collect over a short period of time. There is one quarter-final that is still on many collectors’ wants list: the football replay between Armagh and Sligo in August, 2002, played in Navan. If you have that programme, hang tough for a very decent swap from your fellow collector as this is the single rarest and most collectible programme produced in the 2000s.’

COUNTY COLOURS: Seán Creedon’s look at the origin of county colours continues with another six here for your enjoyment and education -

LONGFORD: Green and white hooped jerseys were used by Longford up to 1918 when a royal blue jersey with a gold sash was adopted. Around 1930 the sash disappeared, but the gold trim was retained.

LOUTH: Louth have worn red since 1885. In 1957 when the Wee county last won the Sam Maguire Cup, a St. Brigid’s Cross was presented to the team and the crest was included on the jersey the following year. MAYO: Mayo’s jersey had a v-neck style until the fifties when a white collar and cuffs were added. The crest was introduced in 1961. In recent years Mayo have experimented with different designs, but haven’t veered too much away from the traditional ‘green above the red’ plus red socks.

MEATH: A green jersey with a gold sash was used by the Meath team from 1908. The sash eventually disappeared, being replaced by the all-green jersey with gold trim.

MONAGHAN: In Monaghan up to 1913 the colours of the county champions were worn. The white jersey then had a blue band added around 1920. A black and amber strip was used for a while in the mid-thirties, but in 1942 the original white with a blue trim was re-introduced.

OFFALY: The national colours were very popular with clubs and counties in the early days of the G.A.A. Offaly earned the right to use them in Leinster as a result of a special competition. Several variations of the colours have been worn in recent years.

QUALITY CALENDAR: Martin Gallagher from Letterkenny was kind enough to send me on his spectacular calendar of photographs taken from a drone of twelve Donegal G.A.A. grounds located on the Wild Atlantic Way. The clubs in question are Malin, Moville, Ardara, Buncrana, Killybegs, St. Michael’s, St. Patrick’s, Kilcar, Downings, Four Masters, Naomh Columba and Gaoth Dobhair.

As a general rule I don’t collect calendars, but I’m most definitely making an exception for this one because it’s visually stunning! The images are spectacular, and if you want to take a closer look, Martin’s website is www.theskyhighphotographer.com

WHO’S WHO ON THE P.R.O. FRONT: May thanks to Marty Birt for letting me know that Derry have a new P.R.O., Conor Nicholl. That’s the only change notified to me from the list supplied in the last edition, but I’d be delighted to hear from you if you spotted any more inaccuracies.

DIRECTORY OF COLLECTORS: The 14th edition of the directory of collectors is attached in a Microsoft Word document, with a small change to Patrick Donegan’s details but otherwise no new additions. Thanks to all those who took the time out to forward their details, and it’s not too late for others to follow suit. I intend to attach this directory every month, so any additions or amendments will be accommodated. Hopefully it will help collectors in their quest to establish new contacts or liaise with people with similar interests.

TALKING POINT: Is there some aspect of programme collecting that irritates you, that you feel could be improved, or that you would just like to get off your chest? If there is, this ‘talking point’ section is designed for you. I’d like to hear from collectors with any genuine grievances, and perhaps by outlining the situation and getting reaction from readers we can come up with solutions. Any topic to help us in pursuing the hobby we love will be considered, so don’t be shy!

I’m looking for help with this section and the alternative will be to shut it down; I offered two possible items for consideration in January but neither merited a response, and the last thing I want to do is talk to myself! ‘Talking Point’ will be no more therefore unless someone comes up with some bright ideas for the late March/early April edition.

ADVERTISING THIS BULLETIN: If you know your local programme compiler, please cut and paste the following and ask them if they would be kind enough to include it in their upcoming programmes: ‘PROGRAMME PLUS’ INFORMATION BULLETIN

'Programme Plus' is a monthly information bulletin for collectors of GAA match programmes, histories, yearbooks, magazines, photographs, etc. It is distributed via e-mail and is free of charge, with its sole aim being to highlight all aspects of collecting for enthusiasts. In order to be added to the mailing list, please forward your e-mail address to Alan Aherne who is compiling the information bulletin ([email protected]).

PAST EDITIONS: All past editions are available via the following link, with thanks to James Lundon for his efforts in making it happen: https://programmeplus.wordpress.com

CONCLUSION: That’s all folks for this month, I don’t know about you but I’ve games to attend, programmes to read, and a growing collection to sort out!

Once again I will repeat my request for help in compiling the bulletin. Fresh ideas and insights are always very welcome, and it should be a forum that everyone can benefit from, ranging from the veteran collectors to the newcomers who are trying to establish a foothold in the collecting game. Many hands make light work so please do your best to assist in 2017.

Mise le meas,

ALAN AHERNE