The GAA Social BBC Radio Ulster

Review of the games in hurling and football. Despite the amateur status of GAA- should the sport move to some Friday/ Monday games? Oisin McConville believes it should

This is the remarkable story of Ambrose Rogers. The quiet man of Down, but cut from GAA Royalty. Ambrose is 39. His father Ambrose snr, died when he was 39. That death left a 14 year-old child, the eldest of four, without a dad. A hole that cannot be filled. Life goes on and young Ambrose blossoms into a brilliant young man, a superb young footballer. He captains his county to an All-Ireland final in 2010- but he cannot take his place on the team. The cruciate. Ambrose shocked a nation when he lined out that day- but the call didn't come and Down lost by a point. It's just one of a number of insights into this Down legend.
The podcast explores coaching, this current Down team and Ambrose reveals he would love to manage his native county, some day, but not yet.
Recorded in front of a studio audience at the Saint Patrick centre in Downpatrick, this is Ambrose Rogers.

A brilliant sporting weekend reflected, plenty of football but Hurling still king

This is a magnificent podcast. Thomas & Oisin have wanted a referee for some time, and the GAA Social landed one of the best. Maurice Deegan uncut and answers all the questions around referees and reveals his new role at Croke Park. The Laois man has joined BBC coverage of Gaelic Games over the past 15 months and the feedback has been awesome.
This is really, really good. The GAA Social with referee Maurice Deegan, a man Oisin has never really liked. Enjoy

Louth smack a performance, nobody out side their camp predicted- but ultimately Dublin still win. An 18th title for Stephen Cluxton. We reflect on the most dramatic of days at Clones as Donegal come back, to win the Ulster championship. A truly remarkable occasion. What next for Armagh? Well, it's Tyrone!

Steven McDonnell is one of the greatest Gaelic footballers of his generation. A former player-of-the year, three-time All-star, All-Ireland winner and seven-time Ulster champion. Success was a familiar path, and it’s perhaps no surprise that he made David Clifford’s dream 7’s team. Some man.
In this podcast, Oisin teams up with his old buddy to talk the good ole days, the constant challenge of Donegal and what we can expect in the 2024 Ulster final. The former Ireland player also calls on the GAA to reinstate the International rules series and has a plan how it can flourish.
Behind the talented footballer is also a man who cared for his mum as she died from Alzheimer’s. It’s a cruel disease “We lost our mum before she died.”
The illness paused his managerial ambitions but not his love of the sport and why he thinks most forwards are failing.
Steven tries a Kieran Donaghy accent, reveals his ‘extensive’ weights programme and provides a brilliant insight on the famous Conor Gormley block in the 2003 All-Ireland final against Tyrone.
The podcast also reflects on last week’s Colin Bell Podcast, someone McDonnell knows well and the day the Armagh legend tricked Stephen Cluxton into a red card.
Stevie from Killeavy- the footballing icon, the finest of men. Our guest this week, on the GAA Social Podcast.