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Kieran 'Jap' Finlay, former Monaghan GAA star and Father of current Monaghan player Paul died today after an illness.

He was a stylish forward in same mould as his son. In 1979 the Monaghan team won the Ulster championship for the first time in 41 years with a defeat of Donegal. In the final Kieran Finlay scored 1-09, which was a record in an Ulster final for 20 years.

Paul's man of the match performance on Sunday was one any father would be proud of. RIP Jap.

nice respectful post. RIP

A great family man who gave them great support and was an inspiration for Paul. Never smoked and was mindful of his diet, fought the good fight but went before his time. A good guy, who loved a song and was fond of a game of golf. I sincerely don't think anyone was expecting him to go so quickly.

His performance in the 79 Ulster final was his crowning glory and something I know he was very proud of. A performance that puts him in the company of Frank Mc Guigan and Oisin Mc Conville, nothing shabby about that now!

My deepest sympathy to all the Finlay family. RIP Kieran "Jap" Finlay

Scored against An Cabhan at Kingspan Brefni Park, might have been Brennan's first league game, it came at the death and won the game, as Louth went on to win the Division 2 title... Enjoy 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HazvpSZw_iE

That troublesome wee county, will they never learn 
Know your place and do what you're told for fecks sake!!

http://www.hoganstand.com/louth/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=148557

[What is it?]

This competition should most certainly appeal to at least a few of you. As far as we are aware, we are the only club in the country running such a GAA competition, some of you might be familiar the concept from soccer clubs and bookies running it on the premiership. We ran it last year on a small scale and it was a success. This year we are opening it up to all, the more that enter the higher the prize fund.

What is it?
We have taken Divisions 1 and 3 of the league, this gives eight matches each weekend. From this round of fixtures you must pick a winning team. If your team wins you go through to the next round, if they don't you are out. Each week you need to keep picking a winner to stay in. A very important rule though is that once you pick a team once you can't pick them again! Each week entrants drop off until there is a winner(s)

It only costs €10 to enter, this is paid at the start (you pay only once at the start, not each week). You can pay online using laser or credit card through the website. You can enter more than once if you wish!

Full details, rules, fixtures etc. can be found on the link below
http://www.thejoesgfc.com/newsArticle.php?id=174

So Lads and Lassies which of you fancy that you are good enough to win it and stand to the end??

Well the fixture has been made (or remade I should say). Should we curse the Leinster council, curse the return of Glennon, Dolan & Keane. Or praise Louth on a mighty performance the last day?

I don't think that there is any such thread in place already, so I thought that it might be no harm in starting one! Insurance is such a big issue in the running of the club these days, any club with any kind of facilities (and even those that don't) should have an insurance officer appointed. There has to be a lot of questions out there in relation to club insurance issues and the collective knowledge on this board could be helpful to others.

The latest issue that I have come across in our own club is the huge (nearly 300%) increase in our public liability premium for 2010. If others wouldn't mind sharing I would like to know their experiences?

To give you background to our situation. We have one pitch, modern dressing rooms, community centre, bar and function room. We are a rural club, open the bar Thurs-Sunday and hold functions also. Community centre is used in the main by other community organisations.
2009 insurance bill came in totalling €,735, split €150 hirers insurance, €1,125 public liability, €2,460 property insurance. This year we have received in a bill of €2,750 for the property element (fair enough), but the PL cost has shot up to €3,000 (I am going to seek clarification, but I assume that this now includes the hirer cost). Last year the renewal was sent out collectively by the county board, it was very transparent, you could see what each club in the county was paying and this was fair enough, with the facilities we have there were only two clubs in the county paying a higher insurance premium than us (one in Dundalk and the other in Drogheda). However, this year the invoice was sent on its own, we have no idea what other clubs are paying and despite never having had a PL claim paid out in the 49 years of the clubs history we are facing a huge increase in premium.

What is the experience on this issue with other clubs around the country??

Throwing this out there for the rules experts....

They brought it up on the evening show of the Sunday Game about the Peadar Gardener free, where he hopped the ball three times trying to get control of it and was blown for a free out. My understanding of this was that if you hadn't taken full control of the ball that you could essentially hop it as many times as you like, once you only used the same hand.

Am I wrong, what are the practicalities of the rule, have there been changes in recent times??

http://www.gaelicplayers.com/index.php/gpa-jobs-and-education

Are you an out of work intercounty player, well don't worry, Dessie has kept himself in a job by setting up a new website for you all to get a job. You can be a self employed mortgage broker starting from scratch (now there is a growth industry!!). Or you could be a Dublin taxi driver!! Picture a load of lads from Kells out on the batter in big smoke on a Friday night and who turns up to drive the car but one of the Dublin senior players!!

I probably shouldn't be flipant, as I agree with idea and have no problem with it (just remember that if you are an out of work club player or ordinary gaa member you are not Dessies problem). He was on newstalk this evening and his complete inability to sell the service correctly meant that all the feedback for the service was negative.

Dessie used the poor mouth approach, rather selling the benefits of the players. Most of us are facing tough times as are perspective employers, so he should be trying to put forward the unique selling points of hiring an intercounty player.
- High Profile
- Possible college education or skill tradesman
- Proven ability to work as part of a team
- High Achiever

This is a genuine problem for intercounty teams, my own county probably more so than most, the service is a good idea, but Farrell's complete inability to market it correctly is going to be another own goal, not just with the wider GAA community, but I fear that it will reflect poorly on the GAA as a whole from those looking in at us!

Went to see this guy's previous shows in Draiocht and the Helix and they were class, now he has got an 18 night run in the Olympia and Riverdream producing the show. I would highly, highly recommend this show, very funny and gorey.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ioyC7GNMY

[Swedish politician slams Ryanair for sexy ad]

Swedish politician slams Ryanair for sexy ad
Sunday, October 19, 2008 By Isabel Conway in Karlstad, Sweden

A war of words has broken out between Irish low-cost airline Ryanair and a leading Swedish politician over the Irish carrier's alleged ''cavalier'' response to a recent reprimand from a Swedish watchdog.

The controversy, dismissed as a ''storm in a D cup'' by Ryanair, came after the airline which operates European routes from airports all over Sweden, was rapped on the knuckles for advertising the ''hottest back to school prices''.

The campaign showed a blonde posing in a girl's skimpy mini school uniform, with open blouse and bare midriff, as she suggestively pointed at a blackboard. Sweden's Trade Ethical Council against Sexism in Advertising (ERK) slammed the ad on the grounds that the scantily clad woman in the school uniform was used ''to catch the eye in a sexual manner that is offensive to women in general''.

The ERK has existed in Sweden since 1988 and is the country's leading self regulating advertising watchdog. Ryanair's response has angered one of Sweden's best known feminist politicians Birgitta Ohlsson, a member of Parliament for the Liberal People's Party. She suggested a consumer boycott of the Irish airline to punish Ryanair for its cavalier attitude towards the ERK finding.

Ohlsson said: ''It's my duty as a feminist politician to name and shame companies like this." She dismissed Ryanair's claim that the advertisement was in line with Swedish liberal values. ''It was neither funny nor liberal, it was old-fashioned and conservative," she said.

Ryanair said the airline would be sending free tickets ''to boring Birgitta so that she can take a nice relaxing break''.

http://www.thepost.ie/ezineSBP/story.asp?storyid=36827

The Picture in Question!

http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2008/pc/pod-v-170708-3m49s-liamhoran.mp3

From Liam Horan's championship column, well worth a listen, you might recognise yourself or some of the other members in there 

[50 Questions, total your number of Yes answers and multiple by 2 to get what percentage of bogtastic you are]

50 Questions, total your number of Yes answers and multiple by 2 to get what percentage of bogtastic you are

I was disappointed with only getting 54% bogtastic, must have been all those years living with the Jackeens 


Are any of your family called "Mick" "Paddy" or "Ned"
Have you seen "Ear to the Ground" more than 3 times?
Have you ever heard the death notices on radio?
Would you have Bacon and Cabbage at least once a week?
Have you ever used the phrases "Jaysus" "By god" or "Oh Lord"?
Have you ever had a "half-litre" or a "medium" of Guinness?
Should Blackie Connors have got an oscar?
Have you ever used the phrase "It's a soft day"?
Have you went to Quinns on the 'big match day'?
Have you played football/hurling with at least two cousins on the team as well?
Can you name more than 3 manufacturers of tractors?
Have either Big Tom, Mick Flavin, Philomena Begley or Margo played a concert within 10 miles of your house?
At any stage during the summer can you step out your door & get the smell of freshly spread slurry?
Do you know how to foot turf?
Have you ever been at a "25 drive"?
Have you ever been at a "dinner dance"?
Have you ever reared or eaten any home grown produce?
Does your water supply come from a well?
Are you currently in possession of a pair of Wellington boots?
Have you ever heard anyone refer to the smell of freshly spread slurry as "a grand healthy smell"
Do you have a cattle grid or other style gate to keep wandering animals out of your front lawn / flower garden?
Have you ever taken fresh eggs from under a hen?
Can you or have you ever driven a tractor?
Is hurling the most entertaining of these activities? Soccer, Rugby or Hurling?
Is there a lack of or no street-lights in your locality?
Do you only have RTE1, NET2, TV3 & TG4 or less on your television?
Do you know the difference between Hay & Silage?
Have you ever milked a cow or goat?
If by choice you could marry a local would you do so?
Would it be desirable that he/she was an only child to a wealthy farmer?
Do you bath less than 4 times a week?
Are you in possession of a tweed cap?
Have you ever thought that a toblerone was exotic?
Have you ever drank a wee one and a chaser?
Do you know who Miley is?
Is the parish priest one of the most powerfull men in your community?
Have you ever 'traveled to the big smoke' on the 8th December?
At any stage in your life, was your chat up line ever, "are you dancing"?
Do you ever look up in the sky when you hear a helicopter?
Is your local shop more than a mile from your door?
Have you ever referred to a city person as a townie?
Is a neighbour within 5 houses on either side of you a farmer
Have you ever referred to some woman down the road who's name you can't remember as Julia
Have you been to a disco chaperoned by a local priest
Do you ever add "een" to the end of a word in reference to its diminutive dimensions?
Have you ever had to climb over walls or hedges to get anywhere
Have you ever been misunderstood because of your accent
Have you ever baked soda bread?
Are you currently in possession of a flask?
Have you ever gone into a pub and asked if they "do a big bottle of mineral"?

Can anyone give me a guide as to how much it would cost to get a Jersey framed??

Is it just wishfull thinking or will this be a genuinely competitive championship??

- The Dubs are odds on, but that is ridiculous stuff, the bookies never give decent odds on the Jacks and how anyone in their right mind could back them at odds on is hard to fathom! One thing that was blatantly obvious to me at the game last night was that the players who have come in to the team did not cut it. If Louth really step up to the plate there is the outside chance that the Dubs could fall at the first hurdle.
- Meath also have the problems of the suspensions for the Carlow game and Wexford game should they get through! They also have some serious injury and form worries, assuming they do have enough to beat Carlow I couldn't see them being a good bet against Wexford.
- Laois and Kildare both had poor leagues and got relegated from Div 1, but seeing as there were no tv cameras sent to any of their games I couldn't offer an opinion on either.
- Wexford and more so Westmeath should have some genuine hope of having a real cut at this year after a good weekend for both
- Louth and Offaly have very small outside chances
- Longford, Wicklow and Carlow, sorry lads, can't see it.

[Parking restrictions enforced around Croker]

Parking restrictions enforced around Croker
18 April 2008

GAA supporters attending big games at Croke Park this summer are facing 2km-plus walks following Dublin City Council's decision to enforce a parking exclusion zone around the stadium.

New bye-laws will mean patrons won't be allowed to park within a 2km zone from all of Dublin's major stadia and entertainment venues, including the new Lansdowne Road, The Point the RDS.

Only residential permit holders will be allowed to park their cars in the vicinity of Croke Park during specific hours around match or event times. The new bye-laws will come into effect later this summer for international matches, concerts and the latter stages of the All-Ireland championship.

Croke Park stadium director Peter McKenna feels the new parking arrangement is especially unfair to the elderly and to supporters travelling long distances to attend games at Croker.

"The economy of Dublin benefits enormously from events and matches in Croke Park and other venues," he said.

"It seems a very harsh way to penalise the people who are actually fuelling the economy."

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=93263


I am surprised that nobody has posted this already, I think we should discuss this injustice and non sensical decision to impose it on us patrons of Pairc an Crocaigh, particular older patrons and those who have mobility difficulties.

[One-quarter of all A&E cases are alcohol-related]

One-quarter of all A&E cases are alcohol-related
Monday April 21 2008

More than one-quarter of all injuries dealt with in Irish accident and emergency departments last year were alcohol-related.

The figure is disclosed in a new study by the HSE into the effects of alcohol consumption.

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/onequarter-of-all-ae-cases-are-alcoholrelated-1354232.html


Having sat in an A&E with a loved one for over 13 hours and leaving because no treatment was forthcoming (for non drink related incident), while drunks were carted in and back out again within a couple of hours, this is an issue that is close to my heart. Enda Kenny previously put forward the idea of a drink tank, where the intoxicated that come into A&E are kindly shoved into a room and dealt with when the ordinary decent citzens have been looked after first. He didn't get enough support from his own party, never mind the rest of the country for it to be any kind of a runner, but when you see figures like that, then why not?? Would it not cure alot the problems with out A&E depts in one go??

I want to convert some DVD into MPEG format and have never done it before. A quick google searcfh of "DVD to MPEG" threw up a list of sites with free downloads, but I don't know which ones are any good or trustworthy. If anyone out there could recommend a site I would appreciate it.

I was just listening to a bit of Prince there and it occurred to me, there are an awful amount of songs with a good old female moan in them 

Prince- Peach
GnR - Rocket Queen
Fleetwood Mac - Big Love

Any others??