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GAA

21st Jan 2016

Kerry, Waterford, Galway and Kilkenny legends all feature in new series of Laochra Gael

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Kevin McGillicuddy

If you got them all on the one team you would have some craic.

We have a major soft spot for TG4 and their sports coverage going back to the days when they were the only place in Ireland you could watch highlights of late 1990s La Liga matches free-to-air.

The station has grown hugely since then, and they may have left coverage of life at the Nou Camp and the Mestalla behind, but there’s little doubt they have moved on to bigger and better things.

Ahead of the new GAA season proper getting underway later this month, they have confirmed 10 new episodes in their long running ‘Laochra Gael’ series.

This will be the 14th season of the highly successful and uber nostalgic series, and will delve into the lives of some of the best known and most loved GAA stars of the recent past and beyond.

Things kick off on 21 February with Kilkenny’s JJ Delaney, and that is followed by Waterford legend Ken McGrath the week after.

Football fans will be well served as former Kerry captain Declan O’Sullivan is put to task by various former team-mates and journalists, while Armagh’s demi-god Steven McDonnell, and his famous five o’clock shadow, are also part of the new series.

Former Limerick hurler and manager Richie Bennis is also profiled, while recently retired Eoin Kelly represents Tipperary, with All-Ireland winning manager John Allen holding up the Cork end.

Trevor Giles and his short sleeved  heroics on the Meath team of the 1990s and 2000s is scheduled for broadcast in April, while the sole female profiled this year is the legendary Annette Clarke from Galway.

The final episode of the series is unusual as a set of brothers are profiled, and continuing the Galway theme, it is the Meehans – Declan, Tomas, Noel and Michael – who receive the special TG4 treatment.

The show will be broadcast on TG4 each Sunday evening at 5.55pm with a repeat showing on Monday nights at 8pm and the opening episode airs next month.

The full running order is:

JJ Delaney, Sunday 21 February
Ken McGrath, Sunday 28 February
Declan O’Sullivan, Sunday 6 March
Richie Bennis, Sunday 13 March
Steven McDonnell, Sunday 20 March
Eoin Kelly, Sunday 27 March
John Allen, Sunday 3 April
Trevor Giles, Sunday 10 April
Annette Clarke, Sunday 17 April
The Meehans, Sunday 24 April

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