GAA players and photographers gathered together in the Westin Hotel, Dublin, to celebrate their joint achievement this week. A book of images, entitled A Season of Sundays 2002, comprises photographic highlights of this year's hurling and Gaelic football games.
First published in 1997, the annual record of the games by Sportsfile photographers is now a much sought-after item. The Sportsfile agency was set up by Ray McManus 25 years ago.
Photographer Terry Thorp came with his son, Conor Thorp (17), who hurls with the Clann na nGael Club in Dublin at right full forward, to get a copy of the book and some autographs from heroes such as Kieran McGeeney, captain of Armagh's All-Ireland-winning Senior Football team.
The victorious Armagh team, who won the title for the county for the first time in the GAA's 118-year history, is off to Mauritius for a holiday in the New Year, said McGeeney, who works with the Irish Sports Council when he's not training.
This book "will be a staple for us", said Tim Carey, historian and curator of the GAA Museum, which had 45,000 visitors this year, up by 20 per cent on last year due mainly to the new stadium tours. Carey starts a new job as heritage officer for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in January.
Jimmy Magee, the radio and television broadcaster with 46 years' experience behind him, chatted to Joe Kernan, manager of the Armagh team, who launched the book in the company of Sean McCague, president of the GAA.
McCague will step down in March at the association's annual congress in Belfast, after three years in office. He welcomed the book, which captures the passion and emotion of the games, he said. As two of his favourite images, he picked out a photograph of Chloe Magill, a little girl from Armagh who was having her face painted, and another of a six-year old boy, Matthew Broderick, who was making his début as a member of the Castelyons Pipe Band. "As a teacher you appreciate the facial expressions of a child," said McCague, who will return to work as principal of St Mary's Boys National School in Monaghan next year.
Barrister Mark O'Connell, who doesn't smoke, drive or play golf, he said, loves the GAA with a passion - especially when cheering on Waterford and Kerry. This year he bought himself a 10-year GAA ticket. Greater love hath no man.