Tag by hurling

Injury Prevention & Recovery Guide for The GAA Championship: Part 2 – Treatment & Recovery

Well here we are, it’s not the third Sunday in September but it still has all the feel of an All Ireland weekend. Preparations have been made, lines drawn, pitches put in pristine condition, team talks given and players ready to burst on sheer anticipation alone. The first year of the Super 8s have come under scrutiny from many, but there is still a sense that a change was well overdue. For a competition that’s 130 year’s old, an overhaul to the system was always going to take a few hits in the firing line. The GAA, is and always will be a beautiful thing though, how one cup drives […]

Injury Prevention & Recovery Guide for The GAA Championship: Part 1 – Player Preparation

In Gaelic football, Hurling, Ladies Gaelic football and Camogie, injuries can and will occur. Just like any other sport, the injuries that can be sustained in the GAA will vary. All four are very physical sports and they carry their own unique dangers. There are lots of demands on these players despite the fact they are amateur sports, thereby increasing the element of pressure in the game. Science in the GAA The approach regarding preparation in training and matches in all aspects of the GAA has become very scientific. Especially in the last 18 years with the introduction of gym work, strength and conditioning and devices to track players performances. […]

Injury Avoidance in Rugby: Part 1 – Preparation for Players, Clubs & Coaches

There is a misconception that Rugby is a dangerous game. It is of course a physical game, but when the right skills are used properly, it is safe. With that in mind, like any other sport most players are at different stages, be it Underage, Junior, Professional, Club or International level. However, one common factor is that the vast majority will get injured at some point in their career. As a Sports Injuries Therapist, I worked with a local Rugby team in Bristol and treated various injuries when working for the club. We are going to take a detailed look at the best methods of preparation, before and after a […]

How to Enjoy a Sober St. Patrick’s Day

It’s the day everyone around the world celebrates being Irish, without seeing the irony of that situation whatsoever. People everywhere suddenly have a family tree at the ready to explain how a distant relative from eight generations ago was actually a friend of the cousin of a girl from Ireland, and that totally makes sense. They then shout ‘top o’ the morning to ya’ in an accent that Saturday Night Live would be proud of. All of this before skulling a rake of Guinness in your best oversized green hat. Sounds a bit mad doesn’t it. In the furore of St. Patrick’s Day, drink seems to have become the number […]

All-Ireland Hurling Semi-Final Preview – Cork vs. Waterford

Before the championship even began this year, the Cork hurlers were written off as a team who were going nowhere fast. After a poor 2016 season, where they were knocked out in the second round of the qualifiers to Wexford, everyone seemingly forgot that this is Cork hurling we are talking about and it would only be a matter of time before the Cork hurlers were back firing on all cylinders once again. Waterford on the other hand were expected to at least get to the semi-final stage again this year after the heartbreak of losing to Kilkenny in a replay at this stage last year. Derek McGrath’s side haven’t […]

2017 Leinster SHC Final Preview – Wexford v Galway

Nobody who knows anything about hurling would have predicted that Wexford, who have flattered to deceive over the past couple of years, would reach this year’s Leinster Senior Hurling Championship final. However, thanks to the appointment of Davy Fitzgerald as manager, Wexford have reached their first Leinster final since 2008. Facing off against Davy Fitz and his team of yellow bellies are the men from West Leinster, Galway. Michéal Donoghue’s men have had a great 2017 season so far, and will come into this final as heavy favourites after their demolition job of Dublin and Offaly in the previous rounds of the Leinster SHC. But can Galway claim a second […]

The Best GAA Podcasts Out There

With the evenings getting longer and the sun even making the odd appearance, there’s only one thing left that signals the beginning of summer. the GAA Football and Hurling Championships have begun. Will Dublin be able to claim three in a row, are Kilkenny a spent force and will the #Mayo4Sam Brigade ever break “The Curse of ’51”? The traditionalists amongst us will consume The Sunday Game and take in the opinions of Spillane, Loughnane and Brolly and that’s it. Thankfully with the advent of on-demand audio, we’re now able to get more opinions and discussion points from former players than ever before. So, if you are sick of seeing Joe […]