Is this the same Anthony Tohill that came to Australia to try and play Aussie Rules with Melbourne? There is an Irish kid out here now called Tadgh Kennelly who is doing really well at Sydney.
The classic structure of the GAA is parish based, and all players belong to a club that is either parish or more likely for the better players, town based. Above that level is the league, which is organized by county and plays during the winter. Each team selects the best players from clubs within the county. This has a standard league style structure with promotion/relegation and the winner being the one with the most points at the end of the season. Most importantly though is the summer time All-Irelands, which is a knockout tournament between counties, although in recent years, teams knocked out in early stages now have get a chance to re-enter. Amazingly, players are amateur, although the GAA makes plenty of cash from this structure. The All-Irelands are the primary competition, with the league attracting much smaller crowrds and the clubs which number in the hundreds, of course, are pretty local.
BTW, Shah, if you're interested in the rules of the sport, I belive Milwaukee has a 7-a-side Gaelic league and a small hurling team. Best to ask around at the nearest Irish pub. Also, in the All-Irelands, 34 teams compete, the extra two being London and New York (made up of the best immigrant players in those two areas). This a rather recent development and one that was pretty lopsided until this summer, when the New York board actually got two teams from Ireland (Sligo for football and Antrim (?) for hurling) to travel to the Bronx to play, versus what always happened in previous years. In football, the New Yorkers actually played Sligo quite close, which is impressive considering that Sligo is one of the last eight left in the football championship.
Small point of order Jim....... 33 teams compete in the All-Ireland. Kilkenny no longer field a senior football team in the Championship. And yes, Tadhg Kennelly does play in Sydney, and he's been named on the Irish panel for the upcoming International Rules matches against Australia in Dublin.
Right, and in the All-Ireland Hurling championship, only 21 teams compete, as only Galway in Connaught and Antrim, Down and Derry from Ulster compete. Neither does Kerry from Munster and some of the smaller counties in Leinster. Interstingly London and New Yrok do compete here also, but in Ulster.
Re: Tohill Yes Tohill did have a trial with Ipswich, but he didn't make the grade - which was strange considering the feeble players that were at the club at that time.
Maybe feeble, Len, but perhaps they didn't persistently jump eight feet into the air and grab the ball with both hands all the time! Tadgh Kennelly's father played on the successful, brilliant, wonderful, excellent, dashing, good looking Kerry team of the 70's and 80's. And Darragh O'Se didn't do nuffink. He's being framed.