Correct
Link to it, please.
Never heard of it till now ā¦ looks mighty.
Imagine your man Seafoid is still going. I used to post on GAA board around 1999
Seafood has just thrown in a hand grenade on the Mayo v Dublin thread.
I hope those who found Johnny Irishman offensive donāt have an aneurysm if they read it.
Sky Sports GAA ambassador OāCallaghan launches new ā¬3m grass roots partnership
Press Release
Sky Sports GAA, September 22nd, 2017
Itās been an incredible year for Con OāCallaghan. Unknown to most outside Dublin GAA circles this time last year, the 21 year-old has exploded onto the national scene in 2017, playing a starring role in All-Ireland victories for Cuala hurlers, the Dublin under-21 footballers, and of course, last Sunday, the Dublin senior footballers as they claimed a fifth Sam Maguire cup in seven seasons.
Yesterday the young Dublin superstar took up a new role as a Sky Sports ambassador, as the stationās new ā¬3m GAA Grass Roots initiative, tying the GAA ever deeper into a deal with the devil which they can never get out of, was launched.
The triple All-Ireland winner is taking all the publicity very much in his stride, as Sky Sportsā Dave McIntosh found out.
Dave: Well, Con, itās been an incredible year for you. Three All-Ireland titles and an almost certain Young Footballer Of The Year award to come, you must pinch yourself and wonder if what has happened to you this year is actually real?
But before you answer that question, letās talk about Sky Sportsā brand new ā¬3m grass roots investment in the GAA. As a Sky ambassador, whatās it all about?
Con: Yeah itās a great initiative. Itās all about the grass roots and putting something back in, but more importantly itās all about Sky getting the GAA over a barrel and tying them into a deal from which thereās no way they can ever escape. By signing up players like myself to act as Sky ambassadors it gives it a human face and people will be āconnedā into thinking Skyās motives are sound ā itās very easy to use this type of soft focus public relations technique to get what you want ā just look at how the media are fawning all over me today and not asking any hard questions.
Dave: Yeah it definitely is a great initiative.
So, to return to my initial question, what about 2017? What a year itās been for you. Did you ever think you could possibly have as successful a year as this?
Con: Em, yeah, I suppose in one way Iām surprised but in another this was what I completely expected to happen. Iām just trying take it all in my stride, really, which has been very easy for me. It was great to win the three All-Irelands but theyāre gone now as far as Iām concerned and Iām looking ahead now to try and win some more.
Dave: Itās just four days since you followed up your stunning goal in the All-Ireland semi-final against Tyrone but scoring another contender for Goal Of The Year after less than a minute and a half of the final. Tell us about that goal.
Con: Yeah, I suppose I just got the ball and decided to run straight for the goal, and lucky enough it went in.
Dave: There was no emotion from you when you scored it, just like after your goal against Tyrone. Were you not tempted to celebrate in front of Hill 16?
Con: Not really. It was nice to score it but as soon as it went in I was just thinking about how to get in position for the next kickout and pointing at everybody else to mark up.
Dave: So you werenāt tempted to give it āthe big oneā in front of the Hill? You know itās the dream of every kid who has ever played Gaelic football in Dublin to score a goal like that and celebrate in front of the Hill?
Con: Not really, no. Iām a very level-headed, emotionless sort of lad so thatās not my style.
Dave: How did you celebrate the victory?
Con: We had a great celebration, but Monday was the first day of next season as far as weāre concerned so you canāt overdo it.
Dave: Were there a few drinks had?
Con: Yeah some of the lads had a few, the likes of Kevin, Diarmuid, James and Eoghan, but I donāt drink, myself, so I left that to them.
Dave: Jim Gavin has instilled an incredible work ethic in this Dublin team. That kind of discipline has obviously rubbed off on you.
Con: Yeah, Jim really pushes everybody to be the best they can be. I suppose heād be a big believer in the Sky corporate motto of āBelieve In Betterā and thatās the kind of philosophy this team lives by. Weāre always trying to bring the battle rhythm to whatever we do, weāre all team-mates but weāre also in competition. I mean if you slept in for an extra hour on a Saturday morning, you could easily find your place on the panel gone, so you have to keep pushing yourself.
Dave: Of course back in the spring you also won an All-Ireland club hurling title with Cuala before following it up with an All-Ireland under-21 football title with Dublin.
Con: Yeah, it was really nice to play hurling as I donāt get to do it that often, and it was nice to win that as I suppose everything always comes back to the club because thatās where you start off. They say hurling is cool in Dublin now and Cuala is a cool name. And then the 21s, yeah, it was nice to win that too.
Dave: Do you think thereās ever a chance you might play hurling for Dublin?
Con: No, not really. I wouldnāt have the time and if you want to play football for Dublin you have to dedicate yourself to it 100% and be professional. I knew that when myself and my parents mapped out my life plan at the age of six. Thatās just the way it is.
Dave: You seem to be one these lads that is good at everything he turns his hand to. I did a little bit of digging, and it turns out you have been an All-Ireland chess champion, Young Scientist of the Year twice, speak six languages fluently and were named āPerson Most Likely to be Taoiseachā by your sixth year school class. People must be wondering to themselves and thinking, āthis fella almost seems too perfect to be trueā.
Con: Ah, look, Iām definitely not perfect ā I only got 590 points in the Leaving. But yeah, I love the old chess, although I donāt get much time to play it these days.
Dave: Which languages are you fluent in?
Con: Irish, English, French, German, Spanish and Mandarin.
Dave: Youāre in college at the moment, at UCD.
Con: Yeah, itās nice to put something back in. Obviously I was one of the first players to emerge from the Dublin GAA cloning laboratory at UCD so Iām back there working part-time now and trying to help them perfect the techniques to breed another generation of even more perfect footballers than myself who will play for Dublin in 20 yearsā time or so. When you play for Dublin you have to remember that youāre only passing through and that the jersey will always have to be handed on to somebody else.
Dave: There must be a great camaraderie between the graduates of that cloning laboratory?
Con: Yeah ā thereās a good few of us who are or have played on Dublin teams ā Ciaran Kilkenny, Cormac Costello, Colm Cronin, Chris Crummey, Conor Clinton, Conor Connolly, my brother Cian OāCallaghan, then there are others who are still too young but will be great players like Caolan Carthy, Conor OāCarroll and Cathal Conlon.
Dave: Is it a coincidence that your names nearly all begin with the letter C?
Con: No, of course not ā thatās how the guys at the laboratory keep track of who we are and how weāre developing.
Dave: As well as your work at the lab youāre doing an internship with Grant Thornton. You must find it difficult to juggle all that?
Con: Not really. Itās all about time management. I just take it all in my stride. Itās only an internship and the bosses are very understanding. Theyāve asked me to run the firm from 2019 on so itās all good preparation.
Dave: And what does the immediate future hold on the playing front for Con OāCallaghan? The club hurling championship resumes this weekend with your Dublin, Leinster and All-Ireland titles on the line? Will you be playing?
Con: Yeah, I will, although I havenāt picked up a hurl since last March. But Iām sure it wonāt be too difficult.
Dave: And whatās the future for Con OāCallaghan with the Dublin footballers?
Con: Hopefully to win as many All-Irelands as possible. But to be honest Iād be more worried about actually keeping my place on the Dublin team as there are new cloned perfect players being brought in every year and itās very competitive.
Dave: Thanks, Con.
Con: No problem, Dave.
Dave: OK lads, unplug him.
Production staff member: He runs on a lithium battery, Dave - check the back of his head and youāll find where itās fitted and be able to remove it. I have the charger here and his carrier box is back in the cloak room.
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Just saw this, fuck sake Sid.
You fucking gobshite, could you not have just ignored it like the rest of us?
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You can mute it ā¦ iām just about to.
Brilliant
Pure poetry, I wept.
Sidney is the Pat Ingoldsby of this shithole. Glasagusban is the shithole of Pat Ingoldsby.
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Iāve been trying to ignore you and yet you keep replying to my posts and tagging me you attention starved little weirdo.
If you keep doing stupid things, expect to be called out on it you fat fucking thundering gobshite.
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Fat? Please. 
Great stuff Sid
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Here mate, any chance you could go on a rant about a āWheelie Binā like you so often do? Itās really witty and amusing when you do that.
Whelan, āWheelie Binā, my word, absolute genius.
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