You know it’s summer when the Championship is in full swing.
The Leaving Cert, the smell of cut grass and the return of the Sunday Game to our screens are sure signs that summer in Ireland has arrived.
With no Olympics and no World Cup (until the Rugby version in September) to act as a distraction, GAA will command centre stage in the eyes of sports fans for the next few months.
Unlike football, for example, wearing a jersey belonging to another county isn’t really frowned upon in GAA circles.
In fact, it’s nearly seen as a badge of honour, especially if you managed to swap a jersey while in inter-county action yourself, even if it’s a number 27 you found lying around in the dressing room after a match.
From now until the end of September, inter-county jerseys will become more fashionable than skinny jeans, blazers and hipster beards put together and here are the efforts that we think stand out above the rest.
Roscommon jersey, €62
Confidence is very much on the rise in Roscommon after back to back promotions in the National League, but how could any player not be confident when strutting their stuff in this number?
The skinny pin stripe is a drastically under-used design in sporting fashion circles but the Rossies have it off to a tee here, beautifully complemented by the round neck at the collar.
Top marks.
Tipperary jersey, €62
Maybe we have a thing for any combination of blue and yellow, but much like the Rossies, Tipp have got it spot on here.
Having InterSport as the main sponsor evokes memories of Marseille jerseys of lore and we have a lot of time for the slightly frazzled, as opposed to the neat and tidy, yellow hoop around the middle.
It suggests that Tipp aren’t all business, but are afraid to have some fun too, although say that to Paudie Maher during the white heat of a Championship match at your peril.
Carlow jersey, €62
Jersey manufacturers for Carlow have always had the hardest of tasks over the years. Unless it’s on a LGBT flag or a rainbow, red, yellow and green don’t exactly mix well together and with all due respect to O’Neill’s, there have been some forgettable efforts over the years.
We love what they’ve done this time around, however; it’s just a pity it’s likely to be kept in cold storage until the National League comes around again in 2016.
Monaghan jersey, €62
GAA jerseys used to have a tendency to be over-complicated, with more stripes on show than the Strypes playing a benefit gig for an audience full of zebras at a zoo.
Thankfully, manufacturers have now realised that simpler is better and Monaghan’s jersey is the epitome of the new trend.
The chess board print and slight hint of green around the shoulders is a nice touch on a jersey that is ideal for a summer’s day out in Clones, but not exactly suitable for wearing while eating a plate of spaghetti bolognese.
New York jersey, €62
Everything about New York is big, bold and brash, but this New York jersey is very much business at the front, party at the back.
Viewed from the front, it appears a very tidy effort with a nice, neat and tidy blend of the American colours.
Just to make it stand out above the rest (much like the city New York itself), it comes with a huge faded crest at the back, with the Statue of Liberty running all the way from the shoulders right down to the arse.
Much like Carlow, it’s a pity we won’t be seeing more of it during the summer.
If you like these, check out the official ranking of every county’s jersey from our brothers at SportsJOE here.
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