Championship is coming.
That grand stretch you’re seeing in the evenings means that two of our favourite things are nearly upon us: the return of Game of Thrones for a fifth season and the return of the GAA Football Championship.
Combining our love for GAA with our positively nerdy passion for the literary and visual versions of Game of Thrones, we’ve assigned each county with a house that would reflect their status if the GAA was transported to Westeros, where the fields are often bleaker than Fraher Field, Dungarvan on a wet November day.
What houses will emerge from the Kingdom of Munster come the height of the summer?
By Paul ‘Sword of The Morning’ Moore and Conor ‘The Kingslayer’ Heneghan
The Kingdom of Munster
Cork – House Tyrell
Book Motto: “Growing Strong”
County Motto: None
Hailing from the South of Westeros, this is a family that consider their home of Highgarden the land’s true cultural hub – a real capital after King’s Landing.
The Knight of Flowers, Ser Loras Tyrell, is a young, deadly, fearless warrior (much more so in the books that the TV show), which brings to mind Alan Cadogan.
Kerry – House TullyÂ
Motto: Family, duty, honour
County Motto:Â Comhar, Cabhair, Cairdeas
One of the oldest and most admired houses in the four kingdoms, tradition has always been paramount in House Tully, whose members would always play down their importance with frequent use of the word ‘yerra’.
The tactics employed by other houses may soon force House Tully to realise that tradition will only get them so far, but Lord Fitzmaurice is proving a more than capable leader to date.
Tipperary – House Baelish
Book Motto: No motto
County Motto: None
Used to being overshadowed by greater houses around them, House Baelish are slowly, surely and quietly starting to threaten the pre-eminence of the two power-houses in the south.
These players have been starved of success but perhaps the big-time isn’t that far away, particularly after their young knights enjoyed a famous victory over House Cork in the Munster U-21 final this week.
Limerick – House Tarth
Motto: No motto
County Motto:Â Cuimhnigh ar Luimneach
Proud, combative but most importantly, independently-minded, the Tarth’s are a shrewd judge of character who once refused to pay homage to the slightly unhinged Stannis Baratheon.
Just try to tell a footballer (or hurler) from Limerick that they should fall in line and accept a position of subservience in the realm of Munster.
You would get your ass kicked like The Hound when he crossed Brienne.
Clare – House ThorneÂ
Book Motto: None
County Motto:Â DÃlis d’ar nOidreacht
This house is tough, really tough.
We can’t help but draw comparisons between Ser Podge Collins and the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, Ser Alliser Thorne.
Both men have served under two regimes and in two armies. For Collins  it’s Clare hurlers and now Clare footballers; for Lord Commander Thorne, the Targaryens and now The Night’s Watch.
House Reed – Waterford
Book Motto: None
County Motto: Déisi oc Declán co Bráth
Having never won an All-Ireland football title, Waterford are less powerful Munster house, subservient (in football anyway) to the bigger houses and regimes.
House Reed are descendants of the Crannógmen (yep, there’s some Gaelige in GoT!) who are come from the Riverlands, a good fit for the Waterford men.
They boast magical powers and House Waterford will need something like that to land their first Munster title since 1898.
If you liked this check out our Leinster AND Connacht GAAme of Thrones Houses with Ulster coming soon.
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