Messages

As shown by this thread the big driver to the Tailteann Cup is that it's open for so many to get a run at it. Most of the counties in it could have a say if they get a bit of luck and a run going. We've had Wicklow, Laois, Antrim, Fermanagh, Down, Sligo, Kildare all tipped. If marketed right, this has potential. Makes a big difference from the AI run in! 

Potential for a very competitive competition. But it won't be promoted. Will get 2 minutes on the Sunday game and we will only see it  at semi final stage. The GAA don't do promotion unless it's the Munster hurling championship. The 3 games for 30 euro is a good deal. But if your Down a trip to London should maybe be taken out and a 2 games at a tenner each offered.
 

yep only munster hurling is promoted, and they still whine about it.  Not been in it this year I must say I'm looking forward to this competition more than Dublin run to another all ire

Munster hurling is filling out stadiums right, left and centre, why wouldn't you promote it?


I think Donal Óg's gurning about Cork always being on GAAGO, behind a paywall but up to a few years ago none of this would be available to view anywhere at all.

There is a point here, given that this game is tomorrow evening then it could have been covered, TG4 would have obliged. I'd watch it, but I'm not sure that I would fork out on GAAGo for it. I think that covering one hurling game each weekend is not an unreasonable ask.

Taoiseach, Tánaiste and a Senator Lombard in full flow on the anti GAAgo campaign.
Must  be an election soon?

How many games were they at in the last year?

I have this bad feeling in my stomach that this is going to be packed defenses and 15 men behind the ball with cross field passing until we're gonna pull our own hairs out. If this happens Armagh can do one, if i've to go back up that road again losing another close game thru defensive football I swear to f**k i'll crack. If we're gonna lose i'd rather have a go at them and play an entertaining  and enjoyable game of football. Take the shackles off and have a rattle at them!.

Probably 99% of Armagh supporters would agree.

Free the Armagh 15.
Fermanagh and Down were just another day at the office, but Sunday is the day to put all the training and work to good use, let's hope they do.

[Reminds me of Derry in 1993, when Tohill ploughed through the muck]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2024/0508/1448043-mcguinness-looms-but-time-for-armagh-to-deliver/

Another "it's their time", "greater need" analysis.

Which I think is fair enough, but it's pressure.

Reminds me of Derry in 1993, when Tohill ploughed through the muck and the Donegal backs to drag them to the title and AI shot they felt they'd fail to grab the previous year, which is why I am a little worried about men like Rian O'Neill being particularly driven!

Will never know how big Tohill stayed on his feet throughout the game, men bouncing off him while all around him, both Derry and Donegal men were sliding and slipping all around him. Still the best individual performance I've ever seen.
Philly McMahon would have given the MotM to someone else if he was Co commentator 

There shouldn't be muck on Sunday though, it will be dry before Sunday and while there will be some showers on Sunday it shouldn't be flooded (except around the back of the jacks).

No tickets on general sale. The last Ulster final between Armagh and Donegal in Croke Park had 50,000 odd, while the one before that had 67,000. In 2002, there were tickets on general sale.

Amazon.ie to start next year.
This will be handy, although cue people who are using it complaining about the lack of shops in their village

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2024/0509/1448097-amazon-ireland/

Both Tesco and M&S in Newry selling bottles with the logo but not the deposit, so bottle smuggling is the new thing.

I don't know. I just have visions of Rian O'Neill giving a Tohillesque tour de force, driving Armagh on to win through sheer force of will.
?
Pundits leaning Armagh from what I've heard so far. "It's their time!" seems to be the consensus.

tá ár lá anseo?

But they've done nothing in recent years to show they have the nerve to win a big game - I think they are just short a few players and need to focus on the football and not the physical antics they often get themselves involved in. If they focus on playing their own game and I think they'll do better than trying to out-tactic Donegal.

What physical antics? Have they been giving away more frees than the opposition? Have they had more cards?

League and championship this year 10 games each.

Donegal have scored on average 18 points per match and conceded 13

Armagh have scored on average 18 points per match and conceded 12

Armagh didn't concede goals during the bulk of the league, but have done less well in recent games. If you do not concede more than one goal then you have a good chance of outscoring the opposition.

The GAA just doesn't do marketing.
Tailteann tickets should be €10 with kids free.
Make an occasion out of each Counties home game,  kids meet the players afterwards, every kid gets a free flag etc.
The 3 big Company sponsors could be asked to do the publicity stuff seeing as the GAA marketing Dept. seems to be in that dusty room with the Carlsberg complaints phone.

Kildare, previously the home of Newbridge or nowhere, are holding their game in venue with a capacity of 1500. There aren't going to be many kids getting into that one.
https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2024/0508/1447949-kildare-aim-to-bounce-back-in-front-of-just-1-200-fans/

Derry away to Galway at 5:30 on a Saturday, taking the piss, that's some spin to come up the road again on the same nite.

It could be worse. One problem now is that accommodation is expensive and hard to get. The Ulster winners are away to Cork on the June bank holiday weekend when there isn't an hotel room left in the place. It a fair oul drive from Armagh and a serious one from Donegal. The Ulster runners up get to go to Derry which might be a hard game but is less travel time for fans from DOnegal or Armagh.

That Cork game is badly planned. Think someone was saying theres a few different events etc on in Cork that weekend so everywhere is booked out or extortionate.

Thee wasn't even a whole lot of accommodation in Cork at the league game in March, which was the weekend between Paddy's day and Easter and probably not the peak of the year.

Derry away to Galway at 5:30 on a Saturday, taking the piss, that's some spin to come up the road again on the same nite.

It could be worse. One problem now is that accommodation is expensive and hard to get. The Ulster winners are away to Cork on the June bank holiday weekend when there isn't an hotel room left in the place. It a fair oul drive from Armagh and a serious one from Donegal. The Ulster runners up get to go to Derry which might be a hard game but is less travel time for fans from DOnegal or Armagh.

May the best team win. It would be weird to have Galway, Armagh and Westmeath in the same group again.

Armagh fans expect Armagh to do their utmost to avoid this scenario.

A lot of people owe the Galway goalie Gleeson an apology. His frees into the wind at the end won them that game. I remember he got a lot of stick over the past few years, notably from his own countymen.

Do they really? He was a calamity against Armagh goalkeeping more inclined with junior b than an all ireland quarter final.  He did well with his frees at weekend yes, but criticism after the Armagh game was fully warranted. 

If Donegal win the Ulster Final , Armagh will meet Galway again.

The best of three! 

Thoughts on the very large protest versus the very small counter protest in Dublin today? The Shinners didn't seem to be popular with the majority of protesters.

On RTÉ news there the coverage seemed to be filmed on a mobile phone while an anti abortion protest also mentioned was filmed with a proper TV camera.

The Irish are the biggest hypocrites on the planet with regard to immigration. The Irish government were lobbying the Biden administration recently regarding undocumented Irish in the US. Currently estimated at about 50K in number. (probably all unvetted military age males as well, shock horror)

Absolute hypocrites, they should simply state that if the US throws them out that they'll be allowed come home.