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What's this lads name? I've never seen a minor with a leap anything like it, amazing.


http://www.connachtgaa.ie/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=2148

http://www.connachtgaa.ie/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=2146

Taken from today's Irish independent, anyone got any solution's or are there any teachers here who can fill us in on the situation on the ground as they see it?


By COLM KEYS

Wednesday January 21 2009

Colleges GAA could be about to crumble under the weight of recent Department of Education cuts that have slashed the spending on substitute teachers across the board.

Schools in Munster, Leinster and Connacht have already fallen by the wayside for this year's competitions which are already under way.

But, by next September, provincial councils in all three provinces expect the attrition rate to be much higher, with sports teams the most likely sacrifice in preference to curricular activities that have also lost cover.

In Leinster, three schools, including the once-mighty St Finian's in Mullingar, will not be participating in any GAA competitions in 2009, according to the Leinster Council, because of the cuts announced by Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe.

Kells Community Schools and Tullow have also withdrawn.

In Connacht, Abbey Community College in Boyle and St Joseph's in Foxford have pulled out with immediate effect while, in Munster, Youghal's Pobalscoil na Trionaide have pulled their Gaelic games involvement.

Schools and provincial council officials in all three provinces fear, however, that this may just be the tip of the iceberg and that when the new school year recommences next September, servicing Gaelic games teams on an ongoing basis may have slipped further down the pecking order.

Even the €2.7m released by the Department before Christmas to ease the burden on schools has not averted the problem.

Leinster Council official Michael Reynolds says all school activities have been hit badly and the effects are only showing now.

"So far only three schools have pulled but we're lucky in that many competitions are up and running and well advanced and in that regard most, if not all, have given a commitment to finish out," he said.

"The GAA have a problem but when curricular activities like field trips in geography or drama trips are being affected then there is an obvious scale.

"It looks like sport is just going to suffer."

The Leinster Council have received letters from schools pledging to finish competitions but warning that if the current situation remains the outlook for the future is bleak.

Several schools have already indicated to Leinster that they will not be fielding teams in the coming school year.

In Munster, a recent colleges council meeting heard the same tale of woe, with even a teacher from St Brendan's in Killarney outlining that they may not be immune from the cuts. Like Leinster, most colleges are intent on finishing out what they have started but Munster have heard appeals from schools to return to competition on a straight knock out basis.

Connacht Council secretary, John Prenty, said the next few months would "tell the story" in the west but, at the moment, he said schools are just operating on a day-to-day basis.

"A match could be fixed for a particular day but that morning the school could have teachers out sick and their cover for football is gone.

"In that event, the game is cancelled but we can't wait forever for them.

"We'll see what happens," said Prenty.

"Our 'A' competition should be okay because that is predominantly played at weekends but we can't play all our games at weekends because of the availability of pitches, referees and the time factor with teachers," he added.

Interest in colleges Gaelic games has built up steadily over the last decade, giving the GAA a stronger base at secondary level than it has ever had.

Erosion

But the erosion, on the back of the cuts, is evident and getting progressively worse, something that may prompt some action from the association itself.

The former Meath footballer and current GAA columnist Colm O'Rourke, who is principal at St Patrick's Classical School in Navan, winners of three Hogan Cup titles this decade, says Gaelic games is really going to lose out over the next 12 months.

"The problem doesn't affect rugby as much because most rugby schools are fee-paying and they can provide cover.

"There is no doubt the effects of these cuts are disastrous,"he said.

"We'll be finishing all our commitments to competition but we'll be scaling back across a whole host of sports in September, including Gaelic games.

"Sport provides a great outlet for pupils and we shouldn't lose sight of that even if there are most important items on the curriculum affected by the cuts," said O'Rourke.

"In our schools, we had the facility for eight hours of cover last week but between activities and uncertified sickness we required 31. That's a big shortfall," he pointed out.

Don't know if this has ever been posted before but I came across it tonight and thought it was very funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5z4Vs26-TI&feature=related

Lads I was wondering if anyone could tell me how websites make money if they don't sell anything or ask for a memebership fee to join? I have been doing a bit of web surfing and some sites ask for nothing but provide a lot of information and other stuff. Surely these sites make money for the people who set them up but I don't see how, I'd appreciate any information posters involved in the computer industry can furnish as it is something I want to look into.

The Fleet foxes, I've never heard of them but came across them surfin the web and i think they are brilliant, check out these links.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=DrQRS40OKNE&feature=channel

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=brZTvGIzeGg&feature=related

I've just heard Paul Newman has passed away can anyone confirm this?

Came across this site today and some of the jerseys are class, anyone any info on the quality before I take the plunge?

I recently got this book by Galway manager Liam Sammon and I must say it is pretty good, while the drills and games are more suited to a U16 to U21 level teams, some of them are very good and could be easily used at senior level. Anyway for anyone interested in coaching teams you can get this book from the Elvery's website (price €15) and all proceeds go to charity (can't remember which one).

Surprised nobody has mentioned this already but feile kicks off today in Cavan, this is truely one of the best competitions in the GAA and should be a great weekend for all of those involved. Does anyone know if Setanta are showing the games again this year?

Rd. 2

Galway V Laois

Waterford V Antrim

Rd. 3

Cork V Dublin

Limerick V Offaly

Home draws for all the big teams. Looks like things will be straight forward enough.

TV3's Championship Throw in starts tonight in 10 minutes, hopefully it will be good and it will give us our first taste of what we can expect from TV3's live broadcasts. Whatever about the quality it is a welcome addition to GAA programming and is long overdue.

We all give our opinions on the games played each week and it'll go into overdrive during the championship but how many of us 'experts' actually coach teams ourselves and do any of you have ambitions to coach at IC level? If not why not, if you are as much an expert as your posts indicate surely you'd want to put it to good use. I'll start you off, I coach my clubs senior football team and I do have ambitions to coach at senior IC level. Have we a bunch of hurlers on the ditch or actual lads who put their money where their mouth is on this site?

Lads is there anyone who could give me a bit of information on what I might charge businesses to advertise on a club website, is it generally an annual thing or what? And while I'm at it how do I go about getting businesses to sign up to it, any tricks of the trade or types of businesses that I should target? Any help would be realy appreciated, thanks.

Taken from today's Sunday Independent


By Colm O'Rourke
Sunday March 09 2008


IT WAS tempting to think of the GAA in terms of the Laurel and Hardy Show last week. It was a definite case of getting themselves into another fine mess.


The first sketch was the Sigerson Cup.

To the great unwashed this competition has little relevance and if it was measured by attendance or media coverage then that would be certainly correct. In fact, when those of us who were involved in the burn-out committee brought forward a raft of proposals which had, among them, the amalgamation of U21 and minor into an U19 competition, the opponents of change argued that it was third level where the problem lay and we had left that sector largely untouched. Some would go so far as to abolish the Sigerson long before the U21.

I am not going to try to fight that war again, but playing at third level helps GAA players to cope with the pressures of college, it gives them a social outlet and an opportunity to make a lot of new friends in an environment where there is little sense of belonging. It is also a high standard of football. In short, it is a players' championship where winning is very difficult and the sense of achievement is huge.

Last week, Carlow IT -- who host the finals weekend this year -- got a right kick where it hurts most with the objection by Cork IT to the Garda College, who beat them during the week. This came after an objection by -- coincidentally -- Carlow IT as to the eligibility of one of the Garda players, which was overturned on appeal. All of this, in effect, threw the Sigerson weekend out the window. Friday should have been semi-final day, followed by the final yesterday, but all that bit the dust as the rule book was chewed up by those who are charged with promoting games at this level. More than a little irony there.

All the time Carlow, the hosts, who have worked hard to make the whole weekend a success and give a big boost to football in the college are left high and dry. Teams who were to play have had to cancel arrangements and no matter when it is played now it is absolutely certain to clash with some important fixture at U21 or senior level.

When the smell of manure settles on this latest mess the finger will point very firmly in the direction of the Central Appeals Committee (CAC), who overturned a decision by the third level authority, Comhairle Ardoideachais, the CAO.

I know most people get completely turned off by these GAA committees, but some of the decisions made by the CAC over the last year have completely undermined some other GAA bodies which are supposed to be fighting out of the same corner.

In this case it would be reasonable to assume that if the body in charge of higher education football threw the Gardai out, then they should know best. As happened on so many other occasions recently, the CAC upstaged them, allowed the Gardai back in, and when they beat Cork IT, Cork decided to try their hand in the boardroom.

At this stage it does not really matter that much who is right or wrong. To the general GAA public, there is frustration and anger that, from within, a mentality of object and appeal has taken over which is largely related to daft decisions by some of the GAA's own bodies. There is no exact science in relation to the rule book, but where the CAC effectively undermines other bodies there is something seriously wrong. There are rules, interpretations of rules and the right thing to do. That has become lost with some people who seem to think that expertise in the rule book is of great importance -- it's not.

Our next sketch stars the fixtures making body of the GAA, the CCCC. It was hard not to feel sorry for Antrim, whose simple request to have a slightly earlier start to today's hurling league match in Waterford was refused. No ulterior motive in the request, just a desire to get players home in time for work on Monday morning. But rules is rules -- except of course when they're not.

The mess that was made of the Cork situation shows a complete lack of will to do the right thing. The decision was very simple: either Cork were in or they were out -- and if they were in then they played all their games. If that took a bit of negotiation then they should have got on their bikes and sorted it. The full stupidity and total unfairness of the existing decision to award points will only become apparent in another few weeks.

The choice of fixtures to start the League showed absolutely no imagination either and the response from the watching public has reflected that.

But, my favourite sketch last week involved our old friends, the DRA.

It seems they have given a hearing to the group (who call themselves Of One Belief) leading the campaign against the government grants to players.

What this is doing is legitimising a small number who have no official standing in the GAA. If this group wanted to object they could have gone through the usual channels, in other words their clubs. These same clubs, many of whom are in Ulster, are paying very large sums of money to managers, so it takes some nerve and blatant hypocrisy to bring this case to the DRA. They must have all the glass broken in their glass houses.

Worse still, instead of telling them to take a running jump, the DRA listened to this rubbish. This coming at a time when Congress are preparing to have the normal debate on these grants as they have on all other major issues. Who is running the show anymore? If this is the carry-on then any group with something up their nose can form a committee and attempt to undermine decisions which are democratically reached. From this it appears that anything which is not liked can be challenged by anyone outside the normal process.

It is long past time to go back to a situation where there is one body to make decisions with one appeal after that. And if that does not suit, then there is the High Court, but unelected groups should not be given a hearing in any forum. The laudable attempt by the GAA to keep things out of court has spectacularly backfired. There were very few of these cases anyway, but a monster in the shape of various committees has been created instead. It is like a pig eating its own.

And after years of trying to get the Government to recognise the special place of Gaelic games we have our own trying their best to scuttle it with some help from official bodies. (I say this while having some reservations about the different amounts which will be handed out to various counties. It might be better if everyone got the same, but I have no time for the crusaders who think they are whiter than white and want to stop the grants -- the total of which might pay for a modest holiday.)

And don't start me on the principles involved in amateurism. That has become a moveable feast for everyone except the entertainers. It helps for all of us to be a bit mad in this organisation, but it is time to take back control of the asylum.

We GAA folk often take smug satisfaction out of the calamitous behaviour of the FAI. But at this stage our own beloved GAA must be looking over its shoulder at the soccer boys, as we leave them in our dust in the race for worst run sports organisation in Ireland. We seem to lurch from one farcical situation to another without learning even the most basic of lessons. And I'm just not referring to Nicky Brennan here, though he is overseeing much of it, I'm talking about the majority of people involved in the running of the GAA. Colm O'Rourke highlights some of the national issues but there are numerous local ones each year all around the country. Am I over-reacting here do others feel the same?

Congratulations to the boys at Tg4, tonights All Ireland gold was the 1998 All Ireland between Galway and Kildare followed by 'Sam' a very good show on Sam Maguire the man and the trophy. Heart warming stuff and very entertaining viewing.

Anyone else find that the commentary on tonight's game between Cavan and Dublin is a few seconds behind? Very irritating.

Lads I'm currently trying to put together a training plan for my club team for the upcoming season. But the CB doesn't do any fixture lists, so I don't know when our championship games are scheduled for. I always knew our lot brought incompetence to previously unknown heights but surely this is a dereliction of their basic duties. Am I wrong? Do other counties follow a similarly relaxed attitude to club fixtures?

Taken from www.rte.ie

RTÉ secures new GAA rights package
Tuesday, 19 February 2008 13:08
The GAA today announced that RTÉ has secured the rights for comprehensive GAA Championship coverage across television, radio and RTÉ.ie for the next three seasons, guaranteeing free-to-air coverage up to and including 2010.

Today's announcement ensures that the public will enjoy quality coverage of our national games across all of RTÉ's media platforms.

RTÉ has secured:
- four live television packages for the GAA Championships
- the Sunday night television highlights package
- all available live national radio rights in both the English and Irish language
- rights to simulcast televised matches on RTÉ.ie throughout the island of Ireland. 

RTÉ partnered BBC Northern Ireland to ensure that viewers throughout the island of Ireland will have free-to-air coverage of the Ulster Championships.

Today's announcement means that the RTÉ audience will, over the next three years, have access to:
- 120 live Championship games on RTÉ Television
- Highlights of every Championship game each week on RTÉ Television's The Sunday Game
- Live and exclusive Championship coverage on RTÉ Radio 1 and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
- Extensive RTÉ News coverage on RTÉ One and RTÉ Two television, RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2 fm, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, RTÉ.ie and RTÉ Aertel
- All televised Championship matches, highlights and video clips on demand on RTÉ.ie throughout the island of Ireland.

Cathal Goan, Director-General, RTÉ, said: 'In a highly competitive media marketplace, it is of vital importance that the GAA Championship rights, a central part of Irish cultural life, have been retained by Ireland's Public Service Broadcaster. RTÉ made a significant investment to secure these rights and ensure that the public will continue to enjoy high quality coverage of our national games across all RTÉ services. The provision of such comprehensive GAA coverage across all of RTÉ's media platforms is public service in its essence. This new agreement further builds on the proud shared history between RTÉ and the GAA and we look forward to continuing to develop our partnership into the future.'

Glen Killane, Group Head of Sport, RTÉ, added: 'The awarding of these rights to RTÉ is testament to our commitment to ensure that Gaelic Games are showcased to the best possible standard across RTÉ television, radio and RTÉ.ie. We are passionate about what we do and our dedication to delivering quality Gaelic Games coverage is unstinting. In a new development, I'm particularly delighted that RTÉ's partnership with the BBC has ensured that fans throughout the island of Ireland will enjoy Ulster Championship games free-to-air. The awarding of these new rights to RTÉ enables us to continue to deliver and enhance our Championship coverage for the next three years for the public throughout the island of Ireland to engage with and enjoy."

Nickey Brennan, President of the GAA, stated that he was very pleased that the negotiations in regard to Television and Radio Rights had now concluded. The President said that the GAA's relationship with RTÉ went back many decades and that he was very happy that the national broadcaster continues to be the Association's primary media partner. 

The President added: 'RTÉ Radio and Television coverage of Gaelic Games has been part of the fabric of Irish society for generations and I look forward to this relationship being maintained with quality coverage over the next three years.'

There are numerous topics about fellas favourite score on this site, well how about lads  posting memories of their own favourite score. My own was a county minor final, I was only 16 and I hit a beaut with the outside of the boot from about 25m (though it's getting longer each year). I'll probably come baqck with others but man that was special. Anyone else willing to relive their glory years?

Lads I need a bit of help, I got the Fun Do Pack today and I can't forward, rewind, fix the picture size or escape out of pages. If any of you have it or know anything about this type of thing advice would be much appreciated. As for the product itself it seems pretty good but I'll get very frustrated if I can't navigate in and out of screens as I see fit.

Edit: Sorry forgot to metion I'm talking about the DVD-ROM