Give them a microphone and let them sing, sing, sing.
Club games are the bedrock of the GAA. Club players are the lads that give us entertainment in the cold winter months when we’ve nothing else to do. They’re the lads that give their parish people a topic of conversation and debate year after year. They’re the lads that sustain a community. The lads that set a shining example for the youngsters around them. The lads that give them something to aspire to be.
They’re the lads that run ten laps of a GAA pitch on a rainy Friday night. The lads that play challenge matches of a cold Sunday morning in January. The lads that can’t take holidays for fear the GAA will happen and they’ll have a championship game fixed at a week’s notice.
The lads that play four games in a week. The lads that play their county finals in December. The lads that are second-class citizens to the county teams. The lads that bust out of work to make it to training. The lads that give out but never forget.
What a feeling!! County Champions! @FulhamIrish @owen_mulligan 🖤💚🏆 pic.twitter.com/QMcBLHdUde
— Michael Murphy (@MichaelMurphy85) October 22, 2017
The lads that ignore all of that because they love it. They love the purpose. They love the people around them, their classmates, their work colleagues, childhood friends, parents and coaches. They love the GAA and they’d do anything for it.
Just like the Fulham Irish lads, a team full of Irish players based in and around London. A team with players just like Conor Hyde from Fermanagh who travels 50 minutes on the Tube to each training session and then walks to their pitch in London.
This is a team that won London SFC in 2017 and now take on Corofin in Sunday’s All-Ireland quarter-final in McGovern Park Ruislip.
What is it they say about a picture and a thousand words…? @owen_mulligan 🖤💚 pic.twitter.com/Xydn4g9flo
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) October 22, 2017
This is a club that appreciates their player’s efforts and wants to let these unsung heroes sing their song. A club that values their supporters and wants to give them something back.
Over the last few weeks, they have introduced a host of their players over Twitter. They have done so in a humorous manner. They said Tyrone man Owen Mulligan wasn’t fond of the headlines. They asked their players a few questions about themselves.
Their supporters got a chance to learn more about their players. Their players had their voices heard and their personalities discovered.
It must have meant a lot to them and to their families. It showed the good things they are doing in London to their home counties and home clubs.
Some of their answers were class.
Team captain Michael Murphy from Tyrone was the first introduced.
He travels 75 minutes to every training session. If he could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, it’d be the Ballyragget senior hurling team.
What better way to start the Q&A than with our captain fantastic, @GalballyPearses and @TyroneGAALive man @MichaelMurphy85 . 🖤💚 pic.twitter.com/FIFvnHyTUC
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) November 8, 2017
Jonathan Tavey, Monaghan.
He wonders how he can have as good a testimonial as Colm Cooper had.
Next up is one of only 3 men to play every minute in our SFC campaign. @InniskeenGaa & @monaghangaa native, Senior net-minder @jtavey . 💚🖤 pic.twitter.com/hkhG2Qdja7
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) November 9, 2017
Conor Hyde, Fermanagh.
Today we have the only @FermanaghGAA man in the squad – @BridgeGFC 's loss has been our gain. Senior full back @Conor_Hyde 🖤💚 pic.twitter.com/N6vtKY8d1j
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) November 10, 2017
Connor Murphy, Down.
Next up is 1 of 3 @Saval_GAC & 1 of 9 @OfficialDownGAA men in the squad. @paddypower employee and SFC winning corner back Connor Murphy. 🖤💚 pic.twitter.com/Psoe3X6H1B
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) November 13, 2017
Roger Morgan, Down.
It wasn't just the @OfficialDownGAA SFC won by @KilcooGAC men this year… @stroge6 became the third Magpie to win a Senior medal with us after @GaryOhare6 & Conor McClean in 2011. Roger Morgan – Fulham stalwart and SFC winning corner back 💚🖤 pic.twitter.com/tG1NO01RGA
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) November 14, 2017
Chris Foley, Tyrone.
Next up is another @TyroneGAALive lad. Hit with injury trouble following a storming 60mins in our championship victory Vs St Kiernan's. The @gilbertashnews man is one of two @DgnClarkeGFC natives in the squad along with @paul23mc. The one and only @chrisfoley89 . pic.twitter.com/vyXSp70ASh
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) November 15, 2017
Benny Martin, Tyrone.
Yet another @TyroneGAALive man up next. The medal greedy @Eireog club man had already bagged SFC wins in Tyrone & in Antrim with @naomhgall before scoring 2 game-changing points in last month's London final. The Carrickmore man of Mystery, Benny Martin. #CBAA 🖤💚 pic.twitter.com/RDAPxhUOEu
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) November 16, 2017
John Gilfedder, Down.
Next up, lawyer by trade, he doubles up as Mr Motivator and fancies himself as the next Warren Buffett. A product of @burrengaa , he has played in every SFC game for the club for 5 years (2013-2017). It's our no. 5 @johngilfedder . 🖤💚 pic.twitter.com/5kfM1oW8i5
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) November 17, 2017
Aidan Savage, Antrim.
Next up is the only @AontroimGAA man and longest serving member of our panel, first donning the green & black in 2008. In the words of David Connolly, he's ageing like a fine wine and the only man to start in both the 2011 & 2017 SFC finals. It's our #7 @aidansavage pic.twitter.com/ND6uX9guMi
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) November 20, 2017
David O’Connor, Leitrim.
Next we have a @BornacoolaGAA man who has been with the club since 2014 when he captained the team to the SFC final. Mr Reliable, his inter-county experience with @LeitrimGAA is evident from his powerful midfield displays. It's our SFC winning #9 @DromodDoc . #cbaa 🖤💚 pic.twitter.com/SAYGek53mB
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) November 21, 2017
Club treasurer, John Doyle, Carlow.
Next up we move from players to the club treasurer, a Carlow man & one of the Co-Founders back in 2006. A top referee in London, he says he often has a tougher job keeping Liam Barry calm on the sidelines during our own games. It's Myshall GAC man John Doyle 🖤💚 #cbaa pic.twitter.com/kbISOWfCYw
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) November 22, 2017
Liam Staunton, Mayo.
Next up on our Q&A is a man who will no doubt be keen for a rattle at @CorofinGAA . An All-Ireland winner with @westportgaa last year, he has been one of the best 'finds' in the history of our club. The scorer of 5 SFC final points, it's 'Tanto' aka @LiamStaunton1 . #cbaa 🖤💚 pic.twitter.com/ZqTrbZqryG
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) November 27, 2017
Seán O’Sullivan, Kerry.
Next up we have a @ValentiaGAA native & the only current player in the squad from The Kingdom, after Alan Hickey's move home. Quiet off the field, he saves his energy for fine fielding and lung-busting runs in training & matches. It's @Kerry_Official man @seanvalentia 🖤💚 #cbaa pic.twitter.com/efkFWllv78
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) November 28, 2017
Paul McGirr, Tyrone.
Next up is another @DgnClarkeGFC club man who bagged a SFC medal only 5 months after arriving in the big smoke. Accountant by day, we needed a calculator to work out how much he scored in a recent challenge Vs London. It's another @TyroneGAALive native @paul23mc . #Cbaa 🖤💚 pic.twitter.com/8XqcvX618h
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) November 29, 2017
Rowan Turley, Down.
He was the 3rd @Saval_GAC native to join for this year and what an impact on (and off) the field. He says the only thing more accurate than his shooting is his bricklaying. The 2nd Turley brother and youngest panel member, another @OfficialDownGAA man @rturley532 🖤💚#cbaa pic.twitter.com/Tp6Wjgaxtr
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) November 30, 2017
Alex Kellaher, Cork.
Next is a latecomer to the squad but what an impact he has had. The @NemoRangersGAA man's fielding & fitness led him to two c'ship medals in October. So elated was he that he (presumably) mistakenly wore a vest to the next day's celebrations. It's Cork native @theberriesno9 🖤💚 pic.twitter.com/tUZsmyUIlh
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) December 1, 2017
Ruaidhrí Mulligan, Longford.
Next up we have the 1st @OfficialLDGAA man to play for Fulham since @SeamusHannon back in 2014. A powerhouse, he has been known to knock men ( @Johngilfedder ) into mid-next week. Hasn't missed session – training or pints – since he joined. It's @TheLaurelsM man @Ruaidhri101 🖤💚 pic.twitter.com/adhXKVZ3cf
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) December 2, 2017
Hurl Dockry, Cork.
Now we have the 2nd of our 3 Rebels. The @carrigoon man has been established firmly in the club since he joined in 2014, when he scored a key championship goal from 30+ yards #intentional . A hard-hitting @corkgaa native, he lined out at 6 in our SFC win. It's @HurlDockry 🖤💚. pic.twitter.com/6Mywt8MDIr
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) December 4, 2017
Shea Quinn, Derry.
Next we have a man that has come from South Derry to South London for his first SFC victory. A produce of @doiregaa titans @BellaghyGAC , he has started his own construction business whilst continuing to wriggle away from defenders to take classy scores. It's Shea Quinn 🖤💚 pic.twitter.com/lCN7NfHLYm
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) December 5, 2017
Marty Hughes, Tyrone.
Our penultimate @TyroneGAALive club man hails from the @killeeshilpro23 and has been a FI stalwart for many years.A powerful runner & superb finisher on both sides – that's just his elbows! A building empire & young family didn't stop him being our SFC #14. It's Marty Hughes 🖤💚 pic.twitter.com/h3LTTf3vwb
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) December 6, 2017
Owen ‘Mugsy’ Mulligan, Tyrone.
Not fond of the headlines, he kicked our SFC winning point, his 5th of the day. 3 x Celtic Crosses, All Star, tabloid stories, 'that' hair, 'that' goal, he is 1 of the most unassuming & hard-working players we've ever seen.A true GAA & @TyroneGAALive legend – @owen_mulligan 🖤💚 pic.twitter.com/FGzZgixBIp
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) December 7, 2017
Greg McCartan, manager, Down.
An All star, 2 All-Irelands & 2 45s in the same game off different feet. He has been known to give Braveheart-esque speeches before a simple hand-passing drill. One of the most passionate gaels we've ever seen. Manager, Leader, @OfficialDownGAA Legend. It's @maceyebrow 🖤💚#cbaa pic.twitter.com/efzdqUqiVs
— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) December 8, 2017
One united club.
4 provinces
14 counties
27 clubs
1 Fulham Irish
1 County champion pic.twitter.com/mGuqK5i2cs— Fulham Irish GAA (@FulhamIrish) October 23, 2017
