The latest edition of Laochra Gael is coming back to our screens this January on TG4 amid much anticipation.
The hugely popular and acclaimed show delves into the playing career of some of the most renowned inter-county GAA stars, as well as offering a unique perspective into their personal lives.
In keeping with its usual format the series will feature 8 hour long episodes, with each installment centering around one laochra. Previous iterations of the show have included huge names such as Lar Corbett, John Mullane, and Joe Canning with this season once providing some brilliant characters and intriguing stories.
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Lineup announced for latest season of Laochra Gael
The new season of Laochra Gael will begin on Thursday January 25th at 9:30pm on TG4. The first episode features former Kilkenny hurler and multiple All-Ireland winner Richie Power. The episode will look at the Carrickshock man’s great successes along with the tough times he’s endured in his personal life.
The big names will continue throughout the show's 8 week run. The names include: Tony Scullion, Lindsay Peat, Tony Griffin, Alan Kerins, Pat Critchley, Ciara Gaynor, Kevin Hughes.
Here is the full schedule below.
- Programme 1: Richie Power, 9.30pm, Thursday 25th January
- Programme 2: Tony Scullion, 9.30pm, Thursday 1st February
- Programme 3: Lindsay Peat, 9.30pm, Thursday 8th February
- Programme 4: Tony Griffin, 9.30pm, Thursday 15th February
- Programme 5: Alan Kerins, 9.30pm, Thursday 22rd February
- Programme 6: Pat Critchley, 9.30pm, Thursday 29th February
- Programme 7: Ciara Gaynor, 9.30pm, Thursday 7th March
- Programme 8: Kevin Hughes, 9.30pm, Thursday 14th March
It is sure to be an exciting few months of television on TG4, below is the individual summary of all eight episodes.
15 January 2024; Former Clare hurler Tony Griffin with his children Jesse, age 3, and Jerome, age 8, at the launch of TG4's award-winning Laochra Gael series at the Light House Cinema in Dublin as the Gaelic sport biography series returns for another season. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Laochra Gael Lineup 2024
Richie Power
Laochra Gael returns for its 22nd Series and it starts with the story of Kilkenny hurler, Richie Power. Richie was destined for success from a young age, gathering inspiration from his father Richie Snr who played for Kilkenny in the eighties. Richie, One of the most skilful forwards to ever play for Kilkenny, with 8 All-Ireland medals in his collection. Plagued by knee injuries, Richie spent a lot of his playing career rehabbing those injuries to get back time and time again. With the whole community focusing on his playing career, no one knew that Richie was going through an upheaval in his personal life, and he felt separated from his fellow players. But after speaking openly with his family about his struggles with a gambling addiction, Richie begins the road to recovery.
Tony Scullion
Growing up in a rural area of Derry, football was always at the heart of Tony's life. Despite the beauty of the area around them, the Scullions had a hard life and it was often difficult to keep hunger at bay. As a young teenager Tony's dream was to play football for his county and in 1987 Tony Scullion won his first Ulster championship. He also earned his first All-Star award and by this time Tony was a cornerstone of the Derry football team. By 1993 Derry were one of the best teams in the country, but disaster struck when Tony broke his ankle in a league game. With the team steadily improving Tony was focused on winning back his place on a team that was destined for glory, and that he did so when he won his All Ireland medal in 1993.
Lindsay Peat
Lindsay Peat is one of the most versatile sports stars Ireland has ever seen. She reached elite levels in four different sports representing her country in soccer, basketball and rugby all the while playing intercounty football with Dublin. Her footballing success culminated in winning an All-Ireland title with Dublin 2010, the first ever for the county’s women. Having retired from intercounty football in 2014, Peat turned to a new sport, rugby, and saw herself line out for Ireland in multiple Six Nations campaigns as well as the Rugby World Cup in 2017. Peat’s unwavering determination to constantly better herself in a sporting capacity helped mask underlying personal struggles with her sexuality and self-doubt which she eventually overcame and embraced in time.
Tony Griffin
Laochra Gael continues with the story of Clare hurler Tony Griffin. In 2002 Tony Griffin joined the Clare hurling team, a team full of experience but in need of new players, and this young lad from Ballyea was just what they needed. But at the peak of his powers, Tony made the decision to leave hurling and travel across Canada and raise money for cancer care and also to honour his late father Jerome. Tonys cycle helped raised over 1 million euro for Cancer charities. Since retiring from hurling Tony has continued to help others and in 2012 he founded Soar, an organization that supports and helps teenagers across Ireland to achieve their dreams.
Alan Kerins
Alan Kerins played both senior hurling and football for Galway, picking up an All-Ireland Medal in the latter. Alan Kerins’ introduction to Gaelic Football at intercounty level was not without controversy back in 2001. Already an established intercounty hurler, he was catapulted into the football set-up despite not even playing club championship with Salthill. However his commitments paid off, as within the year he walked up the steps in Croke Park to collect the Sam Maguire. He holds the unique distinction of having won All-Ireland Club medals in both hurling and football and is the only man to ever do so with different clubs. But his greatest impact is surely The Alan Kerins Projects which the Galway man founded in 2005 and has since raised over €5 million directly for many vital and life-saving projects and programmes for communities all over the world. Alan now devotes his life to others and It was this sense of community, his spirituality, family and friends that sustained him and his wife when their son Ruadhán was critical ill.
Pat Critchley
Pat Critchley was a mainstay of the Laois GAA hurling team of the 1980s. He is often referred to as “Laois’s only hurling All Star”, which is some distinction, picked up when he was a mop-haired midfielder when Laois made it to the Leinster final in 1985. During his playing days, coaching captured Critchley’s imagination. Critchley has given thousands an opportunity to develop and flourish on pitches and courts throughout Ireland – in football, hurling, basketball and ladies football at club and county level. Sport was an obvious outlet. But music was and remains a huge part of his life. For a while, he was part of The Mere Mortals, the Laois rock band managed by his friend and former Laois team-mate Séamus Cheddar Plunkett. A major part of his life is notably the tragic death of Paul Mulhare in 1985, the year of his All-Star, following a league match between Dublin and Laois. Mulhare suffered an accidental blow to the head from Critchley's hurl, and later died in hospital. Critchley treats it sensitively and with tremendous humanity and care. There is a sense that writing offers him some helpful expression and an attempt to make sense of what were almost surreal experiences.
Ciara Gaynor
Between 1999 and 2005, Ciara Gaynor was a cornerstone of Tipperary's formidable defensive unit, one of the best camogie teams of all time. A player who won five All-Ireland medals and the player of the year award in 2003, Ciara and her team inspired a generation of young Tipperary girls to follow their dreams. The years of her youth, led by her father Len, stood with Ciara and at nineteen years old she already had her first All-Ireland senior medal. But after winning the 3rd Final in a row, an incident that occurred in her professional life as a Guard put the prospect of her fourth championship in a row in jeopardy. After the match in 2005, with 5 Finals under her belt, Ciara announced her retirement. She focused her newfound energy on family life and her lifelong love of horses. Today Ciara's competitive spirit is embedded in one of the most demanding global sporting events - IRONMAN. Not surprisingly, she qualified for the 2023 World Championships in Hawaii.
Kevin Hughes
For the Series Finale of Laochra Gael comes the story of Tyrone's midfielder, Kevin Hughes. Along with his team mates, Kevin was naturally euphoric after magnificently bringing home the coveted Sam Maguire football trophy in 2003. But the success and celebrations masked a deep and painful sorrow for Kevin and his family. He lost his brother Paul Hughes (22) and his sister Helen Hughes (24) tragically in two separate car accidents on the same stretch of road in 1997 & 2001. Subject to huge tragedy and loss both on and off the field that particular group of Tyrone players share an unbreakable bond.
