Former Offaly manager to feature on Laochra Gael
Former Offaly hurling manager Michael Bond - who guided the Faithful men to All-Ireland senior glory in 1998 - is to feature in the new Laochra Gael series on TG4.
Participants in the programme include Michael Bond himself, Gerard Bond, Vincent Hogan, Michael Duignan, Pat Fleury, Seán Bán Breathnach, Jamesie O’Connor, Jim Wall, Liam Ó Ríordáin and David Burke.
The new Laochra Gael season will air on TG4 at 9.30pm on Thursday evenings, starting on January 23, when Tipperary's Pádraic Maher will be featured. The programme on Michael Bond is due to air on Thursday, February 20.
The 1990s was a glorious, romantic era for hurling and the Offaly hurlers were central to this revolutionary period. However, by 1998 the establishment was beginning to fight back and Offaly players were without a manager following the resignation of Michael 'Babs' Keating. They surprised everyone when they took a chance on a total stranger, Michael Bond.
The Galway man led Offaly through the remainder of a challenging championship, including a controversial semi-final against Clare that featured a premature final whistle and a historic protest, followed by a replay victory.
He pulled off a great victory when his side won the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny. It was a decider which saw Offaly overturn the result of that year's Leinster final, paving the way for Hubert Rigney to lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup as the midlanders became the first All-Ireland champions through the 'back door'.
Bond left a lasting impact on Offaly hurling, creating lifelong friendships and being remembered for his leadership, humility, and the dramatic success of the 1998 championship.
Laochra Gael's hour-long format has proved a huge success, bringing the personal stories of players and other GAA personalities to the screen. Over the years the series has revealed deeper, fresh and sometimes unexpected insights into the lives of these icons. While their sporting careers continue to provide the backdrop to the story, the series travels well beyond the four white lines with gripping personal storylines.
The series is produced by NemetonTV, the independent production company from An Rinn in the Waterford Gaeltacht which has produced much of TG4’s acclaimed sports coverage.
Marc Ó Sé (Kerry), Ursula Jacob (Wexford), Ronan Clarke (Armagh), Bríd Stack (Cork), Ben & Jerry O’Connor (the twin brothers from Cork) and Eamon McGee (Donegal) will also be featured in the upcoming series.
Ahead of the new Laochra Gael series, GAA President Jarlath Burns said: “I warmly welcome the announcement of yet another series of Laochra Gael showcasing as it does some of the greatest players from the wider Gaelic games family. TG4 and Nemeton’s support of our games has been one of the hallmarks of its success story and it is something we value highly. Away from their innovative live match day coverage, Laochra Gael adds greatly to their offering promoting both the language and our games and all through the prism of great scéalta and great storytelling.
"The celebration of a 23rd series speaks for itself in terms of longevity, and I look forward to seeing the latest hour-long offerings. Well done to all involved in this latest project.”
TG4 Ard Ard-Stiúirthóir Alan Esslemont said: “Laochra Gael has become something of an institution capturing as it does some of the great exponents of our games, year-in, year-out. It is must-see television successfully capturing the excellence of so many stars of the games while reminding us of all their exquisite skills and the fantastic matches they played in.
“Its success is a further indication of the strong relationship TG4 has with Gaelic games promoting both our games and the language and I look forward to many more programmes in this long-running series,” he added.
Laochra Gael upcoming series
Programme 1: Pádraic Maher (Tipperary), 9.30pm, Thursday, 23rd January.
Programme 2: Marc Ó Sé (Kerry), 9.30pm, Thursday, 30th January.
Programme 3: Ursula Jacob (Wexford), 9.30pm, Thursday, 6th February.
Programme 4: Ronan Clarke (Armagh), 9.30pm, Thursday 13th February.
Programme 5: Michael Bond (Galway), 9.30pm, Thursday,, 20th February.
Programme 6: Bríd Stack (Cork), 9.30pm, Thursday, 27th February.
Programme 7: Ben & Jerry O’Connor (Cork), 9.30pm, Thursday, 6th March.
Programme 8: Eamon McGee (Donegal), 9.30pm, Thursday, 13th March.