Over The Bar

On 19 July 1972, the most famous sportsman on the planet stepped into a boxing ring in the middle of Croke Park. Muhammad Ali’s fight against Al ‘Blue’ Lewis has become one of the most remarkable nights in the history of the stadium — a world heavyweight superstar fighting at the headquarters of the GAA in a bout that almost seems impossible in hindsight.

But how did Muhammad Ali end up fighting in Croke Park? Who brought him to Dublin? What was Ireland like during Ali’s visit, and what actually happened on the night itself? We’re joined by Dave Hannigan, author of The Big Fight: When Ali Conquered Ireland, to tell the extraordinary story of the people who made the fight happen, Ali’s time in Ireland and the night Croke Park swapped Gaelic Games for big time boxing.
For those who want more Gaelic Games History, you can join our Cairde Club for less than the price of a match programme for month - where you'll get exclusive episodes, bonus content, ad free and early release versions of the main podcast. Just visit www.overthebar.club today to sign up.
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In the latest edition of Week That Was we're casting our eyes back to an All Ireland Semi Final on Leeside, an All Munster Semi Final in the the last four of the football championship and establishing why only one Provincial final was played in 1921.
For those who want more Gaelic Games History, you can join our Cairde Club for less than the price of a match programme for month - where you'll get exclusive episodes, bonus content, ad free and early release versions of the main podcast. Just visit www.overthebar.club today to sign up.
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Radio was still in its infancy in Ireland when, in August 1926, the GAA took its first tentative step into the world of live broadcasting. In this episode we tell the story of the first live broadcast from a GAA match. Done with a primitive microphone, a makeshift commentary position and equipment powered by ship's batteries, it was a world away from the sports broadcasting operation we know today. We look at how the historic experiment came about, what listeners actually heard, the technology required to get Croke Park on the air and how quickly live GAA broadcasting developed afterwards.
For those who want more Gaelic Games History, you can join our Cairde Club for less than the price of a match programme for month - where you'll get exclusive episodes, bonus content, ad free and early release versions of the main podcast. Just visit www.overthebar.club today to sign up.
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Episode 2 of Week That Was takes us back to some remarkable moments from this week in GAA history. We look at two major championship games that didn’t make it to regulation length, and the very different circumstances that brought them to an early conclusion. There’s also the story of how Kerry tamed an Ulster uprising, as the Kingdom faced a new challenge from the rapidly emerging northern counties. And we revisit Fermanagh’s extraordinary run to their first-ever All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final — a journey that took a county with no provincial title to within touching distance of the biggest day of all.
For those who want more Gaelic Games History, you can join our Cairde Club for less than the price of a match programme for month - where you'll get exclusive episodes, bonus content, ad free and early release versions of the main podcast. Just visit www.overthebar.club today to sign up.
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Why do Longford wear blue and gold — and what does the county jersey tell us about the turbulent early history of the GAA in Longford? In this episode of Over The Bar, we explore the origins of the Longford jersey against the backdrop of a county where Gaelic games struggled to establish themselves.
Political divisions, competing loyalties and splits within the nationalist movement all played their part in disrupting the early development of the Association in Longford. Yet, out of those difficult beginnings, a county identity gradually emerged — and with it the colours that would eventually become synonymous with Longford football.
For those who want more Gaelic Games History, you can join our Cairde Club for less than the price of a match programme for month - where you'll get exclusive episodes, bonus content, ad free and early release versions of the main podcast. Just visit www.overthebar.club today to sign up.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.