There are some things that will never change about the GAA. Local rivalries will always be bitter. Club managers will always be cracked and you have to go on a parade through the town if you win a final.
But now we have an added dimension to our indigenous sports - social media. The arrival of social media has brought the GAA to even greater prominence in society. It's a promotional tool, a platform for communication between team mates and a place where glory days are stored forever.
And here are seven ways that social media has changed the GAA:
The Dressing Room Selfie
#Hontheport pic.twitter.com/N3l2IdgGNf
— Joe Canning (@JoeyCan88) March 17, 2014
Nothing beats winning alongside people you've grown up with. And what better way to mark that than with a dressing room selfie. This involves one player standing up on a bench holding their phone in their outstretched arm. Meanwhile the rest of the players huddle together with the cup in the middle as the player on the bench takes a photo of everyone.
Facebook/Viber/WhatsApp Groups
Gone are the days when the only way to get the details on the next training session was via a personal call from the manager only to forget everything he said seconds after putting down the receiver. The introduction of social media has taken all that away meaning that all the information you need is just a click away. And there's also the option of making it a 'Closed Group' to keep spies from rival clubs out of the loop.
The Motivational Speaker
You've spent your whole life with all these motivational phrases simmering in your brain. And now you have the perfect instrument to share them with the world. Facebook has made an inspiring speaker out of all of us at one point or another, but some people are extracting the urine with the sheer constancy with which they post motivational videos and images.
Pre-match Selfie
Players normally use Mass time as an opportunity to rock up to the local church donning the club gear and sit up the front. And while the priest is talking about the Lamb of God, they take this opportunity to whip out the phone for a quick snap of the lads to share on Snapchat.
One of the best Snapchats ever... pic.twitter.com/6dI27tQwPp — Patrick Bourke (@PBmenswear) September 2, 2015
Documenting The Post Match Session
Let's be honest, whether you win or lose you're going on the beer. And you have to document the night.
So if you're on the winning team, here are some image examples for you.
Picture 1:'Winner Winner Chicken Dinner' - The Cup, 2-3 players holding a pint.
Picture 2:'Hon the Lads' - Refer to above '
Picture 3: (Insert club name) Abu - Refer to above You can also throw in a few video ideas such as 'Singing the Sunday Game Tune' or the 'Yaya Toure dance.'
Conversely if you lose, here are few image ideas to get you through the grieving process.
Picture 1:'Depression' - 2-3 players holding a pint with sad expressions
Picture 2:'Feck it... on the beer' - (Refer to above)
Picture 3:'(Insert club name) abu' - (Refer to above)
Whadda Ya Think A That
Rt@ballsdotie: Brolly, what do you think of that? http://t.co/l6IDneju26 pic.twitter.com/kUY7eVmP0x wudnt see that on motd #gaa
— john cremin (@cremin_j) September 21, 2014
We all got a chill down the spine when Kieran Donaghy stared down Joe Brolly through the camera lens and roared these immortal words after winning the All-Ireland Final. But it stirred a lasting reaction in some club players who have since upheld the tradition of calling out Joe Brolly on Twitter with the same message after they win the County Final. So Brolly what DO you think of that?
@TheSundayGame @JoeBrolly1993 @oloughlingaels Kilkenny in Division 6 Football feile final. What do you think of that Joe Brolly? — Nigel Leydon (@NigelLeydon) June 28, 2015
Tagging Players In Online Posts
Mate-taggers. You know who you are and you're okay with that. We're not sure what it is about GAA players in particular which means they have a tendency to throw in a mate-tag under a post but it's a fact of life. When there's something remotely funny to do with GAA players on Facebook, you're guaranteed to see the a few tags underneath. And that's okay. Sure only for social media, those players might never get that chance to see their characters reflected on an online forum.
