GAA nicknames and their origins

brokenbad · 23-01-2023 3:52pm #1

Right lads - who can explain the origins behind some of these nicknames in the GAA?

"Pillar" - Paul Caffrey

"Cheddar" - Seamus Plunkett

"Cake" - Shane Curran

"Sid" - Brian Whelahan

"Star" - Kieran Donaghy

There's load more out there past and present......

hayrabit · 23-01-2023 4:05pm

ya forgot "Banty" - Seamus McEnaney :pac:

evolvingtipperary101 · 23-01-2023 5:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058280893/gaa-nicknames-and-their-origins

This poster wants people to do their googling for them!

evolvingtipperary101 · 23-01-2023 5:45pm

I think one of the best nicknames is The Rock O'Sullivan's brother's nickname. He's called Pebbles. He's smaller.

brokenbad · 23-01-2023 6:40pm

"Sambo" Terence McNaughton

"Nudie" Eugene Hughes

"Babs" Keating

"Brick" Walsh

brokenbad · 23-01-2023 6:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120147367#Comment_120147367

Easy find nicknames on google but not all origins are explained....

supernova5 · 23-01-2023 6:46pm

The Shane Curran one is easy

when the fruit currant is pronounced [kind of silent t] so it usually sounds like curran

hence Cake

simples......

French Toast · 23-01-2023 6:50pm

PJ "Fingers" O'Connell, one of the greatest GAA nicknames of all time.

keeponhurling · 23-01-2023 6:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120147611#Comment_120147611

Just checking my well-thumbed copy of Shane’s autobiography…

Wishbone Ash · 23-01-2023 6:53pm

I'm surprised 'The Gooch' Cooper hasn't got a mention yet.

keeponhurling · 23-01-2023 6:57pm

9 Inter-County GAA Player Nicknames And Their Origins | Balls.ie

Some of the best GAA nicknames and where they came from (aib.ie)

Why is Colm Cooper Called The Gooch? | Balls.ie

These links includes the Gooch and Cheddar. My favorite nickname is of course the Leper

hayrabit · 23-01-2023 6:57pm

"Sparrow" - Ger O'Loughlin : reckon it was cos he was skinny 🤣

dxhound2005 · 23-01-2023 7:04pm

Phil "The Gunner" Brady, All Ireland (football) winner with Cavan.

I copied this from Hogan Stand:

A young lad was playing his first game as wing forward for some junior team in Cork. Everytime he got on the ball his team mates called out 'Chilli', 'Chilli, pass the ball!'

A few lads were on the sideline and one asked the other "Who's that Chilli fella?'

The other replied 'That's Con Kearney's young lad!'

gigantic09 · 26-01-2023 7:42am

The bomber Liston,is in reference to the German soccer player gehard Muller who Liston loved as a kid and who was also called the bomber .

Asdfgh2020 · 26-01-2023 8:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120147654#Comment_120147654

Do skinny lads typically not get called the awful/moronic/insulting name ‘gortha’…?

marty is the man for all the ‘Knick-names’……he may have been a bit of a ‘fingers’ himself as in has had them in plenty of ‘pies’…’good hands’ as he might say himself 🤣🤣

Asdfgh2020 · 26-01-2023 10:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058280893/gaa-nicknames-and-their-origins

Pillar caffery - has it got something to do with him having a resemblance to Brendan behan of borstal boy et.

cheddar plunkett - cheese addict maybe

Sid - he loved the carry on films as a youth particularly ‘sid James’…..?

star - no idea with this one some say it was his own invention….has to be worse nickname of all time😡

‘Bungalow’ - is another one I heard years ago quite cruel but it was a joke about the players intellect….ie he didn’t have anything upstairs.

‘the clock’ - a player who had one arm slightly longer Than the other

’carrots and parsnips’ - given to two brothers…..one had blonde hair and the other was a ginger/Red/orange head🤣🤣

evolvingtipperary101 · 26-01-2023 10:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120159153#Comment_120159153

Likewise, Bonnar loved Packie Bonnar as a kid.

brokenbad · 27-01-2023 9:16am

Eugene "Nudie" Hughes anyone? Had he a fondness for running around in the nip....

GAA nicknames and their origins

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