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What I originally read when I glanced at the soldering thread title 🤦�♂️

Out of interest, any first hand experiences of playing on at adult/senior level into mid-late 30s/40s, for how long and what reasons e.g.

- club was struggling and needed experience among a young group
- that elusive medal
- addicted to the game/love of the jersey
- one more dig at the parish rivals
- deluded
- fear of retirement
- finally landed the bear in the square/impact sub FF role
- dropped back to GK and got a buzz off it
- avoid coaching / committee roles
- playing with sons daughters brothers sisters nieces nephews cousins
- A list player in the club or opposition you wanted to play alongside/test yourself against
- runout at new club / county facilities
- promotion goals / relegation risks
- group with potential for a provincial/A-I run

And how did things work out - downer, moderate success, big wins, lasting memories?

Words of advice to others hanging in there?

4th February 2025, the day 4 were selected above all others and announced as brand ambassadors for Solgar UK & Ireland, the new vitamin partners of the GAA/GPA and title sponsors of the GAA museum.

Honest to God make it stop

Talk of accents on another thread brought this back into my head

Hard evidence that the Armagh accent ranks very high

A lot of enjoyable videos on the 60 symbols channel with Prof Moriarty featuring heavily

Could take or leave large parts of the coverage. Presenters, guests, commentators, etc. can be like marmite. But here's the thing...

Something has changed, someone has expertly influenced the BBC to put the hurling final on BBC2 and therefore into homes across Britain. This is not normal. Barriers have been broken down, executives have been enlightened. Its very refreshing and we should enjoy the moment, it might not last.

A huge congratulations to whoever set out to achieve this, and I expect it took a few well placed Gaels in various roles inside and outside the BBC to get this over the line.

Now lets all hope Armagh can win on Sunday so we get to hear Tommy Nibs wordsmith a pitch invasion!

Why is it that Sligo, Offaly, Laois, Westmeath, Waterford, Clare, Wicklow, Wexford, Tipp, Meath and Cork can't get their arse in gear in terms of putting up a challenge to the hegemony of Dublin and Kerry in Leinster and Munster?

Each of these counties has a population greater than Monaghan and Roscommon, who more than hold their own within their province and nationally.

Are these counties lacking in the top 6 inches, or is it minerals they require?

I saw an article out of Cork recently bemoaning their removal from the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship, this sums up the mentality of a once proud county who can't help but roll over for the annual belly ticking in the Munster Championship against their old rivals from Kerry.

I'm beginning to think at a deeper level there is just an apathy towards the GAA in the south, or at least an apathy towards rolling the sleeves up and becoming competitive, something that certainly can't be said of counties in the north, with the possible exception of Down.

With a league win that has already gone down in the annals of Armagh football, a definite Christmas DVD top seller and ideal stocking filler for all the young orchard fans

But what of the following

Ticket arrangements - surely a sell out predicted here, tickets via clubs only or expect online availability?

Coverage - anything to be said for a petition to have Jimmy Smyth on comms?

Geezer - is this Kieran McGeeney's last stand, lose and perhaps he passes the baton on?

Just picking up from the locked TG4 thread discussion. A couple of points to add to:

1. Its a surprise Kerry clubs haven't wont the Intermediate and Junior All-Irelands more often given their gerrymandering of the provincial championships - what you'll notice is that in addition to the disproportionate number of titles they have won at these grades they have actually narrowly lost quite a number of finals, they are butchering the Munster intermediate and junior club scene not to mention the latter stages of the All-Ireland.

2. Regarding the novice grade in Kerry - this shouldn't exist. Senior, Intermediate and Junior thats the playing field. They are bookending the championship structure with a top light Senior Championship (only 8 teams for a county with 70+ clubs) and a makey uppey grade at the bottom therefore shoehorning the vast majority into Intermediate and Junior hence the outcomes of disproportionately strong teams coming out of those competitions. When I say disproportionate I mean in respect to a 70+ club county - the competition structure isn't representative of the size of the county.

[Name:Flag:Religion:Parliament:Special dispensation:]

A lot of talk of the 2 jurisductions known as Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland being united. Seems rational enough to me then that if that should happen the new jurisdiction would be called Ireland. Or am I wrong, will it be called the Republic of Ireland? And what else of its makeup? Flag, religion, parliamentary system, anthem, language, Rockall? Surely everything has to be on the table in order to truely break free from centuries of external interference and internal conflict. A penny for your thoughts, add all the categories you want.

Name:
Flag:
Religion:
Parliament:
Special dispensation:

A thread to streamline the discussion taking place on the Man Utd and Liverpool threads.

First leg - who chanted what?
First leg - where was it reported?
First leg - did the fans have chance to voice their concerns in the media in the aftermath?
First leg - AOB

Second leg - who chanted what?
Second leg - where was it reported?
Second leg - did the fans have chance to voice their concerns in the media in the aftermath?
Second leg - AOB

Thinking of taking a dabble into the stock market.

Does anyone have experience of trading online and what would the best sites be to use?

I've been able to find out what fees are charged per purchase but not as clear about the comission/taxes paid when selling.

Hey, a non-story about some mug of an English MP but all the same, where is the perspective, common sense and backbone to these people? I think Russell Brand has it right, its time for revolutionary politics. Darwinism and survival of the fittest does not apply to politics, these people are not the cream of society but bottom feeders leeching off big business, pound signs, crooks and spooferism, the majority are promoted to the level of their incompetence and would probably struggle to do a proper days work in the real world.

Probably better that this excuse of an MP packed her bags. She offered her resignation to David Milliband on their second conversation...! I'd say most people I know would fancy themselves in a disagreement with David Milliband. She really needs to get a grip and dig those heels in, take a leaf out of our wans book and refuse to apologise or feck all... The Unionists in the occupied 6 think their British culture is being eroded, there is an even bigger crisis of confidence on the "mainland" and it isn't going away any time soon.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-30148768

One of the great GAA phrases, its a wonder there aren't rules to govern the giving and receiving of lifts within the Association rule book. We all know the men and women who would never refuse the chance to give a lift from A to B to a fellow Gael, in a way they live to give a good lift, relish it, you never know it might just make the difference come the end of the year.

Then there's the ones asking for lifts, generally the young, those not yet ready to drive, stood at the side of the road getting pished on, or those in their 20's too idle to learn to drive, or those who drive but detest the burden.

Lest we forget those ready willing and able to give a lift but every man and their dog knows person A has a shite sence of direction, they couldn't give a lift away.

What's your best lift memories/stories, any controversial lift stories, puke lifts, lifts of the decade? AAAAAwwwwww, wat.