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SCANNAL: Newbridge or Nowhere

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Programme 4: Newbridge or Nowhere

On the field of play Kildare were having a disastrous 2018, they lost 7 league games in a row and then were beaten by Carlow in the Leinster Championship for the first time since 1953. They finally got their season back on track with 2 away wins against Derry and Longford in the All-Ireland Qualifiers and everything was set for the draw for Round 3 live on Morning Ireland on the morning of the 25th of June. Kildare were first out of the hat and were drawn against Mayo, who had been defeated in the two previous All-Ireland finals. It was the plum tie of the round and rules stated that the first team out of the hat had home advantage. However, it soon became clear that the GAA wanted the game shifted to Croke Park as part of a double-header the following Saturday. Kildare manager Cian O’Neill went on the Six One News programme that evening insisting that Kildare were not going to play the match in Croke Park – it was Newbridge or Nowhere. 

Both sides stood their ground with the GAA stating that Kildare would have to forfeit the game if they did not turn up to Croke Park while Kildare were adamant that they were not going to budge. Another day passed and there was still no resolution and it looked like the fixture would not take place as both sides defended their positions. Eventually Croke Park gave in, and the game was fixed for Newbridge and on a sweltering Saturday evening Kildare beat Mayo in what turned out to be one of the best occasions for Kildare supporters in years. 

This episode of Scannal looks back at those tumultuous days in June 2018 when a county was united in their battle to host a championship match and took on the might of Croke Park and got the decision they felt they deserved. Contributions come from Kildare manager at the time Cian O’Neill, former President of the GAA Seán Kelly, sports broadcasters Gráinne McElwain and Cuán Ó Flatharta as well as diehard Kildare GAA supporter Mark Durkan. 

Presenter / Reporter Garry Mac Donncha 

Producer / Director Dermot O’Hanlon 

“It was like David and Goliath when Kildare decided to stand up against the authorities in Croke Park”. Seán Kelly, Ex-President of the GAA 

“We never wanted it to be an ‘us’ v ‘them’ all we wanted was us as a county team who’d had a shockingly disappointed year up to the qualifiers, was to get what was just and right for us.” Cian O’Neill, Kildare manager in 2018 

“When it came to changing the narrative, Cian O’Neill took complete control of the situation by laying out Kildare’s point of view on the Six One News. “ Cuán Ó Flatharta, Sports Comentator 

“Cian O’Neill spoke so passionately about Kildare staging the game in St Conleth’s Park saying that they would rather give Mayo a walkover than travel to play them in Croke Park” Gráinne McElwain, Sports Broadcaster

SRAITH: SCANNAL 2021 

CLÁR 4: Newbridge or Nowhere 

TX: DÉ MÁIRT AN 14 NOLLAIG 2021 

Séasúr ab ea séasúr CGL na bliana 2018 nach ndéanfar dearmad air. Bhí formáidí nua ann i gcraobhchomórtais peile agus iománaíochta na bhfear ó tharla gur tugadh isteach céim ghrúpa ar ar tugadh na ‘Super 8s’ sa pheil, tráth a bunaíodh craobhchomórtas nua cúige san iománaíocht i gCúige Laighean agus i gCúige Mumhan, a imreofaí mar chomórtas ciorclach ina mbeadh grúpaí de chúig fhoireann, rud a d’fhágfadh go mbeadh níos mó cluichí i gceist do na rannpháirtithe uile. Anuas air sin, áfach, fanann séasúr 2018 den chraobhchomórtas i gcuimhne freisin mar gheall ar sheasamh Chill Dara diúltú a gcluiche mór i gcoinne Mhaigh Eo a bhogadh amach as Droichead Nua agus an dúshlán a thug siad do CLG sa scéal mór fada a tugadh ‘Droichead Nua nó Áit ar Bith’ air – Newbridge or Nowhere. 

B’uafásach ar fad an séasúr a bhí ag Cill Dara an bhliain sin, chaill siad 7 cluiche sraithe as a chéile agus ansin bhuail Ceatharlach iad den chéad uair ón mbliain 1953. Faoi dheireadh thiar thall, d’éirigh leo iad féin a chur ar a mboinn arís agus 2 bhua a fháil as baile i gcoinne Dhoire agus an Longfoirt i gCluichí Cáilithe na hÉireann agus gach rud réidh don tarraingt do Bhabhta 3 beo ar Morning Ireland ar maidin an 25 Meitheamh. Ba í foireann Chill Dara a tarraingíodh ar dtús agus tarraingíodh Maigh Eo le himirt ina haghaidh, foireann a buaileadh in dhá chluiche ceannais na hÉireann roimhe sin. Ba é ‘plum tie’ an bhabhta agus de réir na rialacha, bheadh buntáiste imirt sa bhaile ag an gcéad fhoireann a tharraingeofaí as an hata. Ní fada go raibh sé soiléir, áfach, go raibh CLG ag iarraidh an cluiche a bhogadh go Páirc an Chrócaigh mar chuid de dhá chluiche i ndiaidh a chéile an Satharn dár gcionn. Chuaigh bainisteoir Chill Dara, Cian O’Neill, ar an Six One News an tráthnóna sin agus é ag dearbhú nach n-imreodh Cill Dara an cluiche i bPáirc an Chrócaigh – Bíodh sé i nDroichead Nua nó ná bíodh sé ann ar chor ar bith, a dúirt sé. 

Níor ghéill ceachtar den dá thaobh – mhaígh CLG go mbeadh ar Chill Dara an cluiche a fhorghéilleadh mura dtiocfaidís i láthair i bPáirc an Chrócaigh agus d’áitigh Cill Dara go daingean nach dtiocfadh athrú intinne orthu faoi. Chuaigh lá eile thart agus ní raibh an cás réitithe fós acu agus bhí gach cosúlacht ar an scéal nach dtarlódh an cluiche ar chor ar bith agus an dá thaobh ag seasamh an fhóid. Ba í Páirc an Chrócaigh a ghéill sa deireadh, agus socraíodh go mbeadh an cluiche ar siúl i nDroichead Nua. Tráthnóna brothallach Sathairn, fuair Cill Dara an ceann is fearr ar Mhaigh Eo, agus mar a tharla sé, bhí sé ar cheann de na hócáidí ab fhearr a bhí ag lucht leanúna Chill Dara le blianta. 

San eipeasóid seo de Scannal, caithfear súil siar ar na laethanta achrannacha sin i mí Meithimh 2018 nuair a tháinig muintir contae le chéile ar mhaithe le cath a throid chun cluiche craobhchomórtais a óstáil, nuair a thug siad aghaidh ar Pháirc an Chrócaigh cumhachtach agus a d’éirigh leo an cinneadh a bhí tuillte acu a bhaint amach. Beidh Cian O’Neill a bhí ina bhainisteoir ar fhoireann Chill Dara ag an am, iarUachtarán CLG Seán Kelly, na craoltóirí spóirt Gráinne McElwain agus Cuán Ó Flatharta agus leantóir dílis diongbháilte CLG Chill Dara Mark Durkan páirteach sa chlár seo. 

Láithreoir / Tuairisceoir Garry Mac Donncha 

Léiritheoir / Stiúrthóir Dermot O’Hanlon 

“It was like David and Goliath when Kildare decided to stand up against the authorities in Croke Park”. Seán Kelly, iarUachtarán CLG 

“We never wanted it to be an ‘us’ v ‘them’ all we wanted was us as a county team who’d had a shockingly disappointed year up to the qualifiers, was to get what was just and right for us” Cian O’Neill, Bainisteoir Chill Dara i 2018 

“When it came to changing the narrative, Cian O’Neill took complete control of the situation by laying out Kildare’s point of view on the Six One News. ” Cuán Ó Flatharta, Tráchtaire Spóirt 

“Cian O’Neill spoke so passionately about Kildare staging the game in St Conleth’s Park saying that they would rather give Mayo a walkover than travel to play them in Croke Park” Gráinne McElwain, Craoltóir Spóirt