Mick Clifford recalls first Croke Park visit as a childhood “Disneyland”

Mick Clifford’s new book, There I Long to Be: Life Through a GAA Lens, reflects on the central role Gaelic football has played in his life as a Kerryman.

Clifford, who was born in Galway but identifies as a Kerryman, told Pat Kenny on The Pat Kenny Show that his first trip to Croke Park at age seven – to watch the 1972 All‑Ireland Football Final replay – felt “like a young fella going to Disneyland”.

Challenges facing the GAA

The book also examines the growing difficulty of fielding Gaelic football teams, citing population shifts, emigration and the lure of the AFL. Clifford notes that by 2025, players in their 40s and even an under‑age participant were appearing in matches, underscoring the shortage of players.

He argues that urbanisation and economic changes have reduced the pool of players in rural areas such as South Kerry, where about ten clubs exist. Clifford warns that amalgamated clubs, already seen at under‑age level, risk eroding local identity, and says the GAA is seeking corporate‑style solutions to the problem.

There I Long to Be: Life Through a GAA Lens is now available.

Source: Newstalk. Photo: Selim Karadayı / Pexels.