Messages

Great that a few here know the area.
Have found a hotel with an indoor pool in St Jean de Luz - for people who like to be within walking distance of restaurants and bars, and with nice coastal walks suitable for a double buggy, is it a good enough spot? Have read good things about it. Hoping we would then be handy to both Biarritz and San Sebastián. Not expecting good weather as we'd be going off season, but is St Jean de Luz the kind of place that becomes sleepy after the summer season?

Very interested to hear a response se to this!

This camogie ref here  here  Derry 5 catches the balls and gets absolutely flattened - free to Meath.

Thought the penalty changed the game,...... Wouldn't have been given to the team well ahead

Thanks for all the info and knowledge,  much appreciated men. I'm not there till the 26th.

Apparently a big Pilota final is a must see but tickets hard to come by!

Ended up cancelling my trip to Sicily and am now going to San Sebastián on Sunday. Any one been, any tips/recommendations?

Eat. A lot.

I'm heading at end of the month. Flying to Biarritz and gonna stay with family at least some of the time in Donostia/San Sebastian.....by the way my uncle told me calling it San Sebastian is like calling Derry Londonderry

I'll stay in Donostia at least a few days but might do a few nights in Bilbao and then the same in Biarritz to finish....anyone been or think that's a good idea or should I stay in Donostia the whole time? Going with my wife just

Worked there 4 yrs, lived off Portland Row, D1

Can't tell ya the amount of stories I have. Walking to work 1 day up Eean McDermott Street towards O connell Street (runs up the side of the Gresham and walked upon a man lying holding his recently stabbed stomach (at 730am). Called an ambulance and the Guards.....no idea if he lived, I highly doubt it.

Hated sunny days as it brought more heroin addicts out on the street, shooting up on doorsteps etc.

I could go on but can't be bothered

Castle Street in Belfast not much better, if at all,  ashithole. Its only a matter of time before a tourist/worker/shopper is stabbed to death by some junkie there

Clann Rois here on the TdF route. Some of the "fans" are completely nuts in real life, long before the bikes come through. And not a beer (or at least not many) in sight.

I'd say its great craic. Are you catching a few stages?
    Talking about fans another accident today caused by a fan and another moto incident. There is not much mofe can be done i suppose given the nature of the event

Those fans are nutjobs. Like how do they feel after causing that accident....needs policed as that was just madness

9 hours a week in UUJ I did. Lecturer reading off PowerPoint , learned nothing, a pile of absolute and utter shite. All the work for exams was done by reading yourself. UUJ was horrible and soulless (especially at night with no car) in that part timers did the course and 2 nights a week we had lectures to like 730pm.....literally half of the 9 week contact time to 730pm, f**king up football etc and part time jobs. The bus out there (2 buses or 2 trains) was horrifically grim. A seminar at say 1030 to 1130am then a lecture from 530 to 730pm...f**k me

Self important Creepy lecturers who'd never worked a day in the actual field talking shite and chasing students, madness, its a racket

Got a job in that area but only because I had the qualification, I knew NOTHING. I had to learn on the job. Good craic drinking in the Holylands but weekend drinking would have done rightly in hindsight, as would a trade but our school was mad for degrees, going into them blind with not a notion

20yrs later just paid off student loan. Wouldn't do it again

O Hanlon definitely lifted it off the ground. Monaghan lost due to running out of steam with 10 to go while Dublin were bringing on top class players as subs. Tough to take but zero to do with the ref.

Ball was off the ground.

Absolutely changed the game in a game so tight.

Thanks DK, and fair play to Creggan for staying around and respecting the occasion. Great club.

I can tell you our club makes no apology in saying we partied hard tonight, massive night in and around our social club. We completely understand this dosent necessarily translate into championship success, but PG1 will mark this down as a considerable step on our journey from division three to the top of division one.

Maith sibh

No luck for Cavendish today, jumpy gears look to have denied him #35. That could be his last chance as it just opened up for him perfectly today, but he looks in good form,  hope he gets it.

Same. Gutted for him there

Upwards of a third of the current starting team won't be there in 2025, so a significant rebuild really is in the post for Armagh. That's the project for the next management team.

I think honest discussion is required between all stakeholders over the next few months. If Grugan, Campbell, etc., decide on one last dance in 2024 then it makes the most sense to keep McGeeney in place. I don't think new management would have the time to turn the bus in a new direction before those lads start getting off - it'll take a while to move on from 9+ years of McGeeneyism.

But if those older boys decide they've had their fill, then it's as good a time as any to bite the bullet and see what someone else can do in the hotseat.

Were Armagh ever to ditch McGeeney, I think the time to do it was probably in and around 2020/21. That would have allowed different management with different ideas a good 3/4 seasons with the current group. We'll never know how that might have turned out - but for me, we're as likely to have bombed to Division 3 again as anything else. It's very difficult to separate out the effect of McGeeney from the credentials of the current panel. Few of those involved have played much county football under anyone else - for better or worse, McGeeney has been central to the development of all of them.

Derry will probably improve again next year, and so might Tyrone under new management, but if Armagh keep the band together they won't be far away from an Ulster title in 2024 - an AI is miles out of reach while either of Dublin or Kerry have their shit together.

The football under McGeeney this last year or so was mostly dreadful to watch, but it did leave Armagh competitive in every game against every opposition. They've lost one of the last 11 championship games within the regulation 70 minutes - and that one game was played with a numerical disadvantage for the most part. It's been 17 league games, all against Division 1 opposition, since Armagh lost by more than a single score. There's a very solid base there.

There are also some very talented players to return from long term injury, like Oisin O'Neill, Ciaron O'Hanlon and Tiernan Kelly. These are all big, powerful, mobile footballers - built for the way the game is played these days. Fit and flying versions of each would add enormous impetus to any challenge in 2024. A couple of tweaks in approach, maybe some more conviction when in winning positions, and the summit can be reached.

Of course, the last few paragraphs are an admittedly optimistic take on things - but Armagh's next steps probably depend on how much this sort of optimism resonates with the men from the class of 2009.

Aidan Nugent to come back too

A huge attacking loss this year

f**k anyone who was on the Tyrone supporters bus and launched a full tin of beer out of the bus from 5he inside lane towards us coming from behind in the overtaking lane at 70mph at about 930pm near the toll

Went under our car but when it was first in the air as we drove towards It I thought we were dead

Tyrone wife and fans in my car wanted the bus pulled over. Driver of small mini bus apologeticly waved and Tyrone fans were young and appeared full drunk or sleeping on their bus

So it wasn't all Armagh but f**k me, dangerous

What's the point of the likes of them being near a game

Wankers

Certainly been a great year and massive strides forward

We all single players out who should/shouldn't be getting game time etc i find it strange Eastwood has played very little championship football. Certainly on the smaller side but to me he's one of those players when on the ball you feel like something is happening

Agree, find it strange as he offers more from play than others

But a great year and I wouldn't question Andy too much!

3rd quarter killed us but we died with our boots on

Thanks to Andy and the team for the effort this year, massive positivity going into next year

He was excellent today

Does anyone else get the distinct feeling that some posters  will be all over this discussion thread like a bad rash the minute Antrim get beaten. A couple of good recent wins just dosent suit their agenda.

Andy came onboard when this squad was in absolute rags and is doing a very solid job about rebuilding it. Personally I couldn't give one toss what club a player is from, when he is honoured to be invited into the squad, puts in the sheer hard work, and takes pride in the jersey strongly enough to be a valuable member of the squad,  we should support them.

Yes it's a discussion board and all about opinions...but try and stay classy.

I've had a pop at plenty of management teams and will be consistent in that regard if and when our current set up goes stale/dressing room becomes lost, but in the interests of balance let's be able to give genuine credit when it is deserved.

And CB, please note that the vast majority on here don't give a fiddlers toss about how many medals people have. If they are along the line they will only be judged on results and even more important in any coaches book, performances.

Absolutely they are busting to,  dying to see Antrim lose to say i told you so.

To call a spade a spade Cargin were extremely lucky to get anything out of the Naomh Conall game last year. They just about stayed in it and then got lucky with the goal and won on pens. They were TURGID against Glen. No shot from play in 1st half, set up not to get hammered. You could argue "we only got beat by" but to any of us we know it may as well ha e been 30points, it was a non event

They've beat other teams in Antrim when the county is at a low ebb, that's it. Haven't made a mark in Ulster bar that penalty win last year. Cannot be compared in the same stratosphere as the St Galls team who went toe to toe with anyone and everyone.

I wish Cargin did win Ulster, i wish they improved our Countys standing, i wish they would throw off the shackles and have a real go in Ulster but fear age has caught up with their better players, the time for that was 5 or more years ago. Just because you win Antrim  when Antrim were at a low ebb does not guarantee all your players start for the County. Shivers can take a point but doesn't move....we  ALL need him to work on that to I prove our County's fare

Compared to the like of a Tomas McCann (who was an absolutely and utterly exceptional footballer for us and a certain starter) he doesn't compare. I'm disappointed he walked away but I appreciate he's young and it's balls not playing any football

The hyper sensitivity re the ex management is bizarre