Paul Flynn

Most players and teams work on some version of self-talk and visualisation exercises these days but, before your first final, there is a fine line between visualisation and dreaming.

Gaelic football existed for over a hundred years with few tactical developments until Jim McGuinness came along. In his second stint as Donegal manager, his innovating ways have hit new heights.

As I approached 30, I began to wonder about all I was missing out on. I had to invest in my career, I wanted to have a family. I wanted to be defined by other things as well. Even as we approached four-in-a-row in 2018 I was thinking about it. My mind was creaking.

Two months ago, after that National League victory, I was enthralled with Mickey Harte’s work at Derry. Since then, the Derry project has imploded, an unravelling of monumental proportions. Just what happened?

In Dublin, we saw the provincials as a way of charting our journey. One more step towards the All-Ireland but they were steps for ourselves in preparing for the epic games to come. By the end, the provincial final in Leinster had no other meaning. 

Since becoming Derry manager, Micky Harte has roused the team to new heights and All-Ireland aspirations. The team’s success and style of play should energise other counties to dream big too.

The latest president of the GAA comes to the role with a reforming agenda. His plans are progressive and transformative and include change at all levels. Whether he succeeds or not, it will be noteworthy.

Selling the naming rights to Páirc Uí Chaoimh makes functional sense but doesn’t compute emotionally. It also begs the question: Why do we keep building stadiums when we’re not sure how to fill them?

This week, GAA people have been talking about the club that issued a players’ charter with a string of demands. It is a nonsense. There are ways to test and build character amongst groups without creating an environment built on fear. 

In a club match this year, I fractured my skull, eye socket, and nose. The doctors said it was like something they would see from a road accident. But it also made me realise that I was wrong to criticise the GAA for splitting the season. The club is the centre of it all.