Messages

It's been happening for years. I was at a wedding party a few weeks ago across the bann, one of the oul timers there was talking about it and how his brother got paid 40 years ago in turf and sticks for the winter from a club! Also he got his dinner in a house close to the pitch before "Training"

Personally I don't agree with paying huge amount of money to lads but it's a part of the game now.

Sean Kelly has been held back by the county and I know this for a fact. There is plenty of other things he'd like to do but has been hampered by the powers that be.

Another senior title for Cargin and Damien Cassidy. Went exactly as I expected...not much at all between two evenly matched teams. Creggan had 13 wides versus Cargins 5, so that's not a good stat from Creggans point of view.

Reinforces my view that Antrim football is wide open between four or five clubs....as I said at the start of the year! Nothing has changed in that regard.

Well done Cargin. Some great players today. Mick the best player on the pitch, Justy solid, Jamie Gribben well done, Marty Kane made a noticeable difference, Ciaran Bradley superb and the TS express keeps rolling on. The Mc Namee cup is in Toome, enjoy, we will be there to support you against Gweedore, but if you're going to have any kind of crack at Ulster you'll need to be better than today.

Bannside I have to correct your stat Kickams hit 12 wides to Cargins 7 - a lot of wides down to poor shot selection and not judging the conditions, Creggan played with fear of losing and cargin were very happy just to keep ball. Creggan are a good footballing team with pace in abundance -  with a big pitch like ahoghills I felt they could have opened cargin up, very naïve but I have no doubt about it therday will come - I would also expect KM to be at the helm next year again.  As you can tell I am very disappointed by kickams performance think there is a lot more football in them.

Any updates on the manager merry-go-round?

First things first, congrats to CB, I think, while a close game, Cargin deserved to win it. The Creggan lads are disappointed. Think there was a combination of factors that hurt the performance, most notably was Cargin. They did a great job disrupting Creggans running game with a great defensive performance. Think at the end of the day, Creggan were missing an old head up front (Mark Dougan's Absence in terms of free taking and winning frees was a big loss). Very young team, 4 of the forwards were U20, and should learn from this experience)

Well done Cargin and enjoy the well earned celebrations

Fair play Kickham..

I think I'm showing my age but had to unfollow the Antrim GAA social media accounts. Worse than my wee brother and sister on a night out.

Yeah I know some people think your man Sean Murray is some sort of social media guru but the twitter feed is a pain in the hole. I'm not on Facebook but Bannside reckons the Facebook page is the best in Ireland 

They dont seem to realise sometimes less is more

At least have the respect to get his name right. It's Sean Kelly

Aye that's what I meant to type, don't shite yourself. Didn't realise he was royalty

He's doing a decent job, fair play to him. Maybe you should take a leaf out of his book and be a bit nicer to people.

I think I'm showing my age but had to unfollow the Antrim GAA social media accounts. Worse than my wee brother and sister on a night out.

Yeah I know some people think your man Sean Murray is some sort of social media guru but the twitter feed is a pain in the hole. I'm not on Facebook but Bannside reckons the Facebook page is the best in Ireland 

They dont seem to realise sometimes less is more

At least have the respect to get his name right. It's Sean Kelly

Wasn't that long a go that a well known GAA manager wanted to poach players from other teams for his own club...

more details required if u want a debate....

No debate required.

Those without sin cast the first stone and all that jazz.

Wasn't that long a go that a well known GAA manager wanted to poach players from other teams for his own club...

well done mark o neill in the senior game.lived up to all his expectations and his predecessors.james mclean take a bow.

What did Mark do wrong? Got all the big calls correct and I wonder if he will report Brian McFall for the verbal abuse after the game?  St Johns will be kicking themselves tonight. Is McManus the only free taker in Cushendall? Also why play Paddy Burke, who in my opinion is the best CHB in the county at FB? Makes for a decent final! Shamrocks surely favourites. Also fair play to St Galls & Cushendun today.

Let's not ref bash. The man does his best when others don't bother

Dunloy winning 8 to 4 ht in Minor final

Bother in the crowd again?

Clearing up a wee job around the coast this morning and was in Ballycastle for a fry. Hasn't stopped raining all morning.

Wanting to bring my kid to see a senior championship game in Belfast without having to drive 80 mile round trip journeys is now called having an agenda.

Wind your neck in, angry boy.

I agree with what you are saying, but it's a reality of where we are at as a county.

It's embarrassing.

My post wasn't designed to have a pop at Belfast clubs, as DR said, heading up the M2 to Casement was something I loved to do with my Oul fella god rest him. Its a sad reality that there isn't a ground in the city capable of holding the expected crowd.

My understanding is that St Johns asked for the replay to be in Dunloy.

The IHC final & Minor B were in Lamh Dhearg so they've held finals in the city along with the IFC in Corrigan next week.

Literally dont know where to start on replying to a couple of the comments above so maybe just best to bow out at this stage. 

Thought that myself!

Corrigan.
Lamh Dhearg

St Johns play at Corrigan ffs.. Lamh Dhearg? No chance.

Simple fact is that the venues are outside Belfast due to parking.

Plenty of parking in Lamh Dhearg. Good routes in and out. When they've been tested they've done well. Last few times I've been to Creggan or Ahoghill I've had to park half way up some mucky road and hoof it on foot. Dunloy and Ballycastle good venues indeed tried and tested but hardly fair on St John's to travel two years in a row.

Dunloy is OK but do you not think for a second that there is a duty on the GAA to push a few Belfast's way, you know Ireland's second city where hurling is struggling a bit?

Its not the clubs in NA or SW Antrims fault that hurling in the city is struggling? Why is it struggling? Its been mismanaged for years and I honestly believe it isn't the clubs fault in SA.Why do you think St Endas and Rossa went to NA to improve? Or why have Kevin Lynches or Burt came to NA? Its organised and people at the top showed an interest in the future of game in that area.

In my opinion the blame lies firmly with the previous county boards and regimes. It's an age old argument that has likely been played to death before on here and more than likely will be again. Of course there is a duty to promote it.