What’s the point in sporting victory if you can’t celebrate it?

EVERY team sets out at the start of the year with lofty ambitions of silverware but only one reigns supreme in each competition and success is something to be savoured given the immense sacrifices it takes to climb the pinnacle in any sport. GAA is no different. Clubs up and down the country have resumed rigorous training regimes in recent weeks with optimism high that this could be the season when the hard yards finally pay off.

Many will meet collectively more than 100 times throughout the year as they fine-tune skills and seek to find the competitive edge that might help tip the scales in their favour.

There are over 2,000 GAA clubs in Ire- land and the majority will suffer long winters dreaming of what might have been. The missed chance, the sending-off, the managerial mistake that cost them dearly.

For the lucky few which get to climb the steps to collect silverware, pandemonium ensues with the hours and days after the final whistle creating memories that will last a lifetime.

It’s the greatest type of madness as young and old come together.

GAA clubs and pubs have long been the focal point of many Irish communities so it’s natural that celebrations often wind up there.

The rare few go too far – as with Ballyragget’s celebrations following their Kilkenny intermediate hurling triumph two years ago – but those special times together will be fondly recalled on death beds.

Not for the alcohol consumed, but the craic that was had together. The sense of euphoria that something has been achieved which has brought the community to its knees with sheer joy.

Gaoth Dobhair soaked in every ounce of their first Ulster SFC club title win last December, with Donegal veterans Kevin Cassidy and Eamon McGee doing something they scarcely thought possible again.

Some harmless videos did the rounds in the aftermath and, 78 days later, they went down valiantly by four points to reigning All-Ireland club champions Corofin – one of the greatest club sides of all time.

Given the heartache suffered in the weeks before the game with the death of team-mate Mícheál Roarty, it was a courageous display and the reaction of former Mayo footballer David Brady certainly struck the wrong chord.

“They will when the dust settles & time passes in a quiet moment ask did they pass up the opportunity of a lifetime..Was there anything they could have done extra..Posting Multiple p**s ups won’t win you All Ire & that’s not what winning is about,” Brady tweeted.

From nearly 600 responses, you could count the number which echo Brady’s sentiments on one hand – actually you wouldn’t need a hand at all, with Owen Mulligan, Daithí Regan and Tom Kenny among the chorus of boos.

Brady’s 248 characters were met with derision and here’s why.

I don’t drink, but I do recognise the importance of toasting victory and spending time with those for whom blood has been spilled.

I don’t condone drinking to excess but I do promote having a good time with friends and celebrating an incredible voyage. Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination.

After devoting yourself to your craft for the guts of a year and living a monkish lifestyle, if you can’t let your hair down and soak in the fruits of your labour among friends and your GAA family, then you may as well throw your hat at it.

Longford champions Mullinalaghta appeared on the ‘Late Late Show’ five days after their famous Leinster success. Did that affect them in their semi-final defeat to Dr Crokes last weekend? No, they were beaten by a better side, much like Gaoth Dobhair.

Half the craic of being part of a GAA team is enjoying the nights when the hard work pays off.

Long may it continue.

For the lucky few who get to climb the steps...it’s the greatest type of madness as young and old come together