Messages

Is Michelle Smith included in lists of the greatest Irish Olympians?
Is Lance Armstrong on the list of greatest cyclists?
Is Ben Johnson up there with the greatest sprinters?

No Dublin player should be included in lists such as this if they played in the doping years. Basically anyone who played this century.

Ah. There he is. Missed these ramblings

[What's your point? Professional or not, if you get caught doping you should get a ban from all levels of the game]

If banned at county level should definitely be banned at club level. Can't have someone who enhanced themselves illegally going round laying it on lads in club games thereafter. Obviously in an ideal world the club lads would be tested too and I'm sure a fair few are also cheating with use of substances, but they're not being grant funded, the county lads can suck it up and should take severe punishment if caught.

If the GAA were serious about it they'd make it a stipulation that all grant funded players are tested annually and all new grant funded players are tested before they are given the coin, no point lads using the dope to get on the county panel, getting coin sitting on the bench all year, then going back to the club juiced up for club champ... its a minefield, at a base level its cheating and unethical, more importantly often its damaging to the health of these lads doing it.

The GAA has (had) the coin and should front up and take the lead, put the "Pro" sports to shame with a leading programme and transparency.

Got to agree with this. Let's say it was an international rugby player. You couldn't ban him (or her) from playing for Ireland but allow them to play for their province

Rugby players are professional. Gaelic Footballers or Hurlers are not.

What's your point? Professional or not, if you get caught doping you should get a ban from all levels of the game

What type of testing are you proposing?
Who pays for the tests on a club player?
Who tests club players that travel home for games only?
What standards is he/she held to?
Do they get banned if they are working and miss training the night of a proposed test?
Who keeps a track of the club player movements if subject to random testing?
Is it urine or IV testing?

Simply not feasible.

Testing of club players is quite clearly not feasible. Just like testing an amateur runner who competes at a national level is not feasible.
However, testing of county players is. The argument is that a county player who tests positive should be banned from all levels. This is consistent with athletics. An international class runner who is banned for doping can't just turn up at an AAI sanctioned 5km road race and run. He's banned from that too.

I never argued that point, I agree with that. It was the testing of club players that I had an issue with.

I took up the argument when an International Rugby player was compared to a GAA player which in my view was incomparable in a sporting sense. But yes, if you fail a GAA Doping test, you should be banned at all levels. Banned from Coaching....I'm less on board with but I wouldn't feel the need to go to war about it.

I wasn't comparing them in a sporting sense in that case. More about how a ban should be applied

[What's your point? Professional or not, if you get caught doping you should get a ban from all levels of the game]

If banned at county level should definitely be banned at club level. Can't have someone who enhanced themselves illegally going round laying it on lads in club games thereafter. Obviously in an ideal world the club lads would be tested too and I'm sure a fair few are also cheating with use of substances, but they're not being grant funded, the county lads can suck it up and should take severe punishment if caught.

If the GAA were serious about it they'd make it a stipulation that all grant funded players are tested annually and all new grant funded players are tested before they are given the coin, no point lads using the dope to get on the county panel, getting coin sitting on the bench all year, then going back to the club juiced up for club champ... its a minefield, at a base level its cheating and unethical, more importantly often its damaging to the health of these lads doing it.

The GAA has (had) the coin and should front up and take the lead, put the "Pro" sports to shame with a leading programme and transparency.

Got to agree with this. Let's say it was an international rugby player. You couldn't ban him (or her) from playing for Ireland but allow them to play for their province

Rugby players are professional. Gaelic Footballers or Hurlers are not.

What's your point? Professional or not, if you get caught doping you should get a ban from all levels of the game

What type of testing are you proposing?
Who pays for the tests on a club player?
Who tests club players that travel home for games only?
What standards is he/she held to?
Do they get banned if they are working and miss training the night of a proposed test?
Who keeps a track of the club player movements if subject to random testing?
Is it urine or IV testing?

Simply not feasible.

I didn't say anything about testing club players. I said if a guy gets a ban it should be at all levels. If he is caught while on county duty then the ban should cover club games also

I probably could have made what I was agreeing with clearer  in fairness

If banned at county level should definitely be banned at club level. Can't have someone who enhanced themselves illegally going round laying it on lads in club games thereafter. Obviously in an ideal world the club lads would be tested too and I'm sure a fair few are also cheating with use of substances, but they're not being grant funded, the county lads can suck it up and should take severe punishment if caught.

If the GAA were serious about it they'd make it a stipulation that all grant funded players are tested annually and all new grant funded players are tested before they are given the coin, no point lads using the dope to get on the county panel, getting coin sitting on the bench all year, then going back to the club juiced up for club champ... its a minefield, at a base level its cheating and unethical, more importantly often its damaging to the health of these lads doing it.

The GAA has (had) the coin and should front up and take the lead, put the "Pro" sports to shame with a leading programme and transparency.

Got to agree with this. Let's say it was an international rugby player. You couldn't ban him (or her) from playing for Ireland but allow them to play for their province

Rugby players are professional. Gaelic Footballers or Hurlers are not.

What's your point? Professional or not, if you get caught doping you should get a ban from all levels of the game

If banned at county level should definitely be banned at club level. Can't have someone who enhanced themselves illegally going round laying it on lads in club games thereafter. Obviously in an ideal world the club lads would be tested too and I'm sure a fair few are also cheating with use of substances, but they're not being grant funded, the county lads can suck it up and should take severe punishment if caught.

If the GAA were serious about it they'd make it a stipulation that all grant funded players are tested annually and all new grant funded players are tested before they are given the coin, no point lads using the dope to get on the county panel, getting coin sitting on the bench all year, then going back to the club juiced up for club champ... its a minefield, at a base level its cheating and unethical, more importantly often its damaging to the health of these lads doing it.

The GAA has (had) the coin and should front up and take the lead, put the "Pro" sports to shame with a leading programme and transparency.

Got to agree with this. Let's say it was an international rugby player. You couldn't ban him (or her) from playing for Ireland but allow them to play for their province

Boris moved to ICU. Not looking great for him.

Where are you hearing this

So all this staying in has had me going through my music. I feel like I've just discovered oasis having not listened to them in years. What a band. Anybody else rediscovering bands they had forgotten them liked

We buried my granny on Friday. It was strange. People wanted to hug you or give you a handshake but couldn't. We kept the funeral mass to family and close friends only so it was small. There was no sign of the peace but they did do communion

Was communion not a risk?

Pallbearers? Opening chapel doors etc?

What about small chapels where even small crowds pose a problem with distancing?

I didn't go for communion. I wouldn't have anyway. My mum sister and brother didn't go and they would normally have. We had the same 4 pall bearers tho we didn't do much of a walk. I had wipes with me. Didn't notice who opened the doors. St Peters in Lurgan is a big chapel spy social distancing was easy done. Would be harder in a smaller chapel

We buried my granny on Friday. It was strange. People wanted to hug you or give you a handshake but couldn't. We kept the funeral mass to family and close friends only so it was small. There was no sign of the peace but they did do communion

Does lenny go with 2 strikers against the huns? went to st mirren game on sat comfortable win,im not convinced with taylor and would prefered ntcham to start against them for physical battle but hes only back in training this week.Celtic have spent alot of money on shved,bayo,klimala,soro,kouassi,12 mill i think poor judgement whos to blame for these signings.

Are you writing off Kimlala and Soro already?

Anyone know what the deal is with getting refunds for the games which didn't go ahead last weekend

GAA fixtures at the weekend and the McRory final will be played behind closed doors or a limit to 1000 people. Irish race goers at cheltenham should be advised to  self isolate when they return, as should any holiday makers.

Where did ye hear this

That was as bad as I have witnessed.
Absolutely dreadful.
Armagh full value.

TBH i was expecting a tight game with a point or two here or there splitting the teams...

Were Armagh good or was Fermanagh that bad?

A bit of both. Buy as FG said, that was a poor poor fermanagh team tonight.

Danny Quinn, Peter Canavan, Oisin McConville and Eamon McGee recently came up with an Ulster XV to beat Dublin.

They agreed on the following side:

1. Morgan (Tyrone)
2. R Wylie (Monaghan)
3. R McNamee (Tyrone)
4. C Cullen (Fermanagh)
5. E Ban Gallagher (Donegal)
6. C McKaigue (Derry)
7. K O'Connell (Monaghan)
8. J Og Burns (Armagh)
9. N Kearns (Monaghan)
10. R O'Neill (Armagh)
11. M Murphy (Donegal)
12. R McHugh (Donegal)
13. P McBrearty (Donegal)
14. C McShane (Tyrone)
15. C McManus (Monaghan)

4 Donegal and Monaghan
3 Tyrone
2 Armagh
1 Fermanagh and Derry

I'd go with the following

1. Morgan (Tyrone)
2. Hampsey (Tyrone)
3. McNamee (Tyrone)
4. Ban Gallagher (Donegal)
5. McHugh (Donegal)
6. McKaigue (Derry)
7. Mooney (Down)
8. McFadden (Donegal)
9. McKiernan (Cavan)
10. Donnelly (Tyrone)
11. Murphy (Donegal)
12. Campbell (Armagh)
13. McGuigan (Derry)
14. McShane (Tyrone)
15. McManus (Monaghan)

5 Tyrone
4 Donegal
2 Derry
1 Armagh, Cavan, Down and Monaghan

Personally think any team picked has to include Rian O'Neill.

O'Neill is a fantastic talent but I think his decision making has to develop a bit yet, he is still a bit too indulgent and you could question his discipline. His talent is unquestionable though.

I thought Armagh's best forward last year was Campbell, O'Neill would have got a lot of the plaudits with his scoring return but I thought Campbell was immense, particular in the Mayo game where he was the best player on the pitch, he's well able to kick a score and has a superb engine.

What's the story with Murnin this year? Is he currently injured or has he dropped off the panel. He's another excellent forward and one who could really thrive on the advanced mark rule.

ONeill needs to be in it but you have a point about his decision making.
Campbell is a fantastic player. Murnin is still injured. I see him in the gym from time to time tho so hopefully not too far of being back

It was a clear push IMO and should have been a foul.  If Gomez decided not to stay on his feet as he stumbled then it would have been given. England still continues to make a balls of VAR when the rest of Europe seems to do it ok.

Agree on all points. Was a clear foul