{"id":74518,"date":"2018-02-09T16:05:23","date_gmt":"2018-02-09T16:05:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.tg4.ie\/?page_id=74518"},"modified":"2019-07-01T09:40:31","modified_gmt":"2019-07-01T08:40:31","slug":"gaa-president-launches-new-laochra-gael-series-profiling-legendary-players","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dev.tg4.ie\/en\/information\/press\/press-releases\/2018-2\/gaa-president-launches-new-laochra-gael-series-profiling-legendary-players\/","title":{"rendered":"GAA President launches new Laochra Gael series profiling legendary players"},"content":{"rendered":"

Understanding Lar Corbett<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Lar Corbett\u2019s legacy includes some of the greatest hurling moments to grace the modern game. But in <\/span>sport and even in everyday life people have found it deceptively difficult to zone into him. Sporting great, colourful storyteller and born again business entrepreneur the first episode in the series explores the immensely entertaining enigma that is Lar Corbett.<\/p>\n

The Real Graham Geraghty<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Talented, unorthodox, volatile, and photo-friendly Graham Geraghty proved a larger than life gift to the emerging tabloid culture of the 1990s and noughties. From controversial and outrageously gifted footballer to social worker helping young people to repair their fractured lives – Graham\u2019s journey has been a roller coaster ride of incident and anecdote.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ashling Thompson \u2013 Warrior Woman<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

All Star camogie player, All Ireland winning captain and one of only four Irish Red Bull sponsored athletes – model, mental health advocate and darling of the media – but there was a time when Ashling\u2019s future looked so bleak she wasn\u2019t even sure she had one. This episode traces Ashling\u2019s heroic struggle to the apex of Camogie – overcoming career threatening injury and her crippling slump into darkness and depression. <\/span><\/p>\n

Henry Shefflin \u2013 King of the Cats<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Henry Shefflin\u2019s slow but painstaking apprenticeship in the sorcery of the sliotar finally saw him emerge as perhaps the greatest hurler of all time – with a matchless record of 10 All Ireland medals, and a galaxy of All Star awards. But Henry was more than the king of hurling and this episode reveals an intensely human side to this superman of the hurling field.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mickey Harte \u2013 Unquenchable Spirit <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

In many ways the father of contemporary football with a historic reign as one of football\u2019s most effective mangers, a personal life scarred by loss and his daughter\u2019s horrific murder. Mickey Harte has ploughed his own furrow with the occasional controversial consequence but his spirit and passion for life and the GAA remain unquenched. <\/span><\/p>\n

The series comprises of five\u00a0 very different hours and five very different personalities. But emotion, insight, entertainment and drama are guaranteed in each. The ambition of the series is to retain the core following that the Laochra Gael series has built up over the years while broadening its appeal to a new and wider audience. <\/span><\/p>\n

GAA President Aog\u00e1n \u00d3 Fearghail said today \u201cI\u2019m delighted to welcome another series of TG4\u2019s ever-popular Laochra Gael and I look forward to seeing the exploits and achievements of some of the greatest players and managers of recent years from right across the Gaelic games family.<\/em> All of those who feature in the latest series should be justifiably proud that they have been singled out for inclusion in recognition of their contribution to our games, and by extension, Cumann L\u00fathchleas Gael as a whole.\u00a0 Their respective roles deserve commendation of the highest order\u201d.<\/em>\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d also like to thank TG4 for their ongoing support of Gaelic games in so many ways, not least through the broadcast of our games in addition to high quality programming such as this\u201d. <\/em>\u201dThese programmes are enjoyed by so many and they have survived the test of time preserving as they do some incredible memories and stand out moments, not just for the players, but for those of us who enjoyed their skills from the sidelines.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Speaking at today\u2019s launch, outgoing TG4\u00a0 Leascheannasa\u00ed, P\u00e1dhraic\u00a0 \u00d3 Ciardha\u00a0 said\u00a0 that the channel continues to be proud of its year-round and wide-ranging Gaelic games output.\u00a0 \u201cSeries such as this one have copper-fastened our status as the\u00a0 TV home of Gaelic games<\/em>,\u201d he said. \u201cThe\u00a0 new extended hour-long format for <\/em>Laochra Gael enables us not just to profile these legendary figures but to provide our viewers with real insights as to\u00a0 how their individual personality shaped\u00a0 their ability to achieve the greatness we have seen from them<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Executive Producer and Nemeton TV CEO, Irial Mac Murch\u00fa added: “We are very proud of the achievements of the Laochra Gael production team that has created a stunning 156 episodes in this epic series. This season, we delve deeper into the characters and the personalities behind the heroic highlights of their playing careers”<\/em><\/p>\n

The new Laochra Gael season will air on TG4 at 9:30pm <\/strong>on Wednesday evenings starting February 28th<\/sup>.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Media Contact<\/em><\/strong>: R\u00f3n\u00e1n \u00d3 Coisdealbha, Sp\u00f3rt TG4\u00a0 \u00a0(087) 2472841\u00a0 \u00a0E-mail: sport@dev.tg4.ie<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Laochra Gael Series:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n