I'm convinced that the bravest person at Montrose is Evanne Ní Chuilinn, of RTE Sport. It takes a certain kind of courage to be the female face of the nation's GAA coverage (on top of reading sports bulletins). Our calendars might say 2011, but Gael culture still staggers behind in a rosier, less-complicated, cheese sandwiches past. RTE has never been entirely sure how to imagine contemporary GAA culture, and aimlessly juggles nostalgia (the re-introduction of the Sunday Game theme) and futurism (the terrible UFO 'Sunday Game' set). After so many summers of Marty, summers of Lyster and summers of Spillane, RTE, and in turn, the GAA, became comfortably modern almost instantly simply by adding a young female sideline reporter. Ní Chuilinn has done well at RTE not just because she is attractive and passionate about Gaelic games, but because she has an unthreatening unfussiness that would assure an invitation into any home in rural Ireland for a cup of tea.
Being the muse and siren of the contemporary GAA nation must have its perks (no queueing at Flannery's, I'd reckon), but it must get annoying. Case in point, Ní Chuilinn received a makeover this week, an event which RTE documented for an entertainment story on their website. A quick glance at the pervy, desperate comments will give you better appreciation for the difficulty of her job.
