The 7 biggest sacrifices made by young GAA players as Mayo rookie plays night before exam

Niall McIntyre

It’s exam season, but it’s also Connacht FBD League season.

Mayo’s newcomer corner forward, Ciaran Treacy, lined out for Stephen Rochford’s side against Leitrim on Wednesday night, despite having a final year college exam taking place the next morning.

Some of these lads showing some commitment to make the Mayo Panel. Ciaran Treacy travelled from college today to play this evening with a final exam tomorrow.Very best wishes to him & all. #commitment #mayogaa

— Diane O'Hora (@ohora0013) January 10, 2018

The St. Pat’s Drumcondra student is highly rated in the Yew County ranks, and the youngster did his reputation no harm in MacHale Park on Wednesday night, kicking three points and earning himself a second start in Sunday’s clash with Roscommon.

The Ballina Stephenites club man isn’t the first, or won’t be the last player to make a big personal sacrifice to save their GAA team. As the saying goes, ‘you can repeat the exams but you can’t repeat the minor championship.’

The essence of that statement actually holds true. Though we will often give out about the commitment we’re required to make for our GAA team, we will regularly stretch to crazy lengths, when it comes down to it, to play for them and to play for our teammates.

Two Mayo forwards earned the plaudits https://t.co/fE3Noj21Z2

— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) January 10, 2018

There’s something about the GAA where we just don’t want to let our club’s down. Something beautiful.

And here are the seven most likely facets of life to be offered up as a sacrifice by young GAA players for the love of the game.

1. Exams

Many players have performed similar heroics to Treacy in the name of the GAA. Shane Bennett represented the Waterford under-21s in a Munster championship game the day of, and night before his respective Leaving Cert exams.

He went on to win the man-of-the match award that same day.

We’re always warned off training and games in the case of a broken bone in the build-up to these exams, but GAA players are so tunnel-visioned that they regularly take the risk.

Shane Bennett is some sort of bionic man if he can do a LC exam and win a man of the match award in the space of a few hours 👌 #flatout

— Seán S (@SeanSmyth_1) June 17, 2015

Managers will tell these lads to stay at home and study, but they just can’t be stopped, can they?

2. Holidays

How many GAA players put off booking holidays every year in order to be available for selection on game day?

How many GAA players fly home from Spain at the 11th hour to make it back in the nick of time for a big championship clash?

How many GAA players are collected by their parents/managers from the Gaeltacht during the summer to make it back for that crucial under-14 group game?

How many players put the J1 to one side because of a potential senior game being played in the meantime?

Absolutely loads of them.

3. Honeymoons

Oh we’ve heard the stories.

We’ve heard of a senior hurler in Tipperary leaving his new bride on her own in Florida in order to come home for a senior hurling game.

They lost the match and he then flew back out to reconvene the proceedings.

You don't want to fall victim of these https://t.co/jJezfV3ope

— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) January 12, 2018

Nothing gets in the way of some players’ commitment to their GAA clubs. Luckily, the player in question’s wife understood that.

4. Cows milked early

The farmers, sure they don’t get anywhere near the credit they deserve, do they? These boys are flat to the mat all summer and then the GAA have the cheek to arrange a fixture for 5.30 of a Saturday evening – peak time for a farmer.

The cows get short-shrift and are milked at ungodly hours of the morning, so they can perform the second milking at 3.00 in the middle of the day.

The neighbours don’t have a clue what’s going on.

We suspect Westmeath’s John Heslin knows the feeling all too well.

2017 review of the @teagasc Derrypatrick Herd https://t.co/GVzMMRj5ud #Sucklers #beef #Agriculture

— John Heslin (@jheslin14) January 1, 2018

5. Aggravating injuries

Jackie Tyrrell told a story of the legendary Tommy Walsh playing a game for Kilkenny, despite the Tullaroan man not being able to lift his arm before the game, in his book, ‘The Warrior’s Code.’

“Tommy went into training one evening,” wrote Tyrrell.

“The doctor and physios were trying to drag some feedback out of him about the injury.

“When they asked Tommy if he had any pain, he said he hadn’t, he clearly had. When they pushed him, he said he felt a little soreness when he hit the ball off his right side. ‘But sure that’s still grand,’ he said. ‘I’ll just hit everything off my left side when the match starts.’

“Dr Tadhg Crowley asked Tommy to lift his arm over his head. Tommy shot it straight up in the air.

“‘Your injured arm, Tommy,’ Tadhg said.

“He made some attempt but it was like trying to lift a steel beam with his index finger. His arm was nearly hanging off with the pain. That was Tommy in a nutshell.”

Tommy Walsh was as hard as nails. He’s not the only GAA player to have hid injuries from his manager, for fear of losing his place on the team, or for fear of just missing out on the magic.

It’ll take a hard knock to sideline the toughest of GAA players.

6. Dodging the column in work

If you’re being interviewed for a job, you’re probably best off not mentioning your involvement with a GAA team, because more-often-than-not, they know you’ll be chancing your arm to get off early once you settle in.

Then you’ll start looking to book off days for trainings and championship games.

Boys boot it out the door down the road and into the GAA pitch at any half chance.

7. Dogging the team mates by missing a night out

Last but not least, inter-county players mightn’t make it into the town for a whole year, due to their commitments to their county. Club players have to postpone the pints for a few weeks when championship rolls around. Junior players might skip nights out the night before games.

The non GAA crew won’t be happy.