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Messages - nearlymad

#1
Down / Re: Down Club Hurling & Football
February 14, 2024, 01:16:25 PM
Quote from: snoopdog on February 14, 2024, 12:36:47 PMI see Juveniles need tickets for corrigan pk.
Surely you should know that by now :'( .Do the Juveniles get into your beloved Old Tarfford for free? ;D  ;D
#2
Down / Re: Down Club Hurling & Football
August 18, 2023, 05:10:05 PM
Quote from: Splash on August 18, 2023, 03:24:59 PM
Intermediate and Junior Hurling Championships start tomorrow.

Carryduff take on Clonduff and Ballela host Warrenpoint in the Intermediate.

Hard to see past Carryduff winning the whole thing. The club  is seriously growing as a hurling outfit and Senior Championship is definitely where they want to be.

Clonduff probably the closest to Carryduff if they're firing on their day and have a full squad, but hard to see them coming away with the win. Seems a lot of lads have focused solely on the football, but if they do put out a full force team, there's potential to give Carryduff a bit of a bloody nose. Also see Clonduff have a transfer from Carryduff in their ranks, so I'm sure that'll be interesting.

Could be a bad, bad year for Ballela. Only two years ago they won back to back junior championships, and now this year they have come seriously close to folding. Absolutely disastrous league campaign; couldn't field half the time and conceded a lot of goals every match before finishing bottom of the table. That was against Div 2 and Junior Championship standard teams- Intermediate may be a different storm altogether.  In  saying that, if there was a team they would fancy the chances against it would probably be the Point at home. If Ballela have all available lads fit, they could stand up for themselves. a very physical team with a couple great hurlers.

Hope the club pulls through this hard time, they've been an important team in South Down for a long time now, and see they have some good stuff at underage joined up with Ballyvarley. You have to wonder what the future would hold for the two clubs- an amalgamated Ballyvarley/Ballela team could be a dangerous outfit, but there would surely be a lot of objection from lads in each club.

Warrenpoint will be relishing the opportunity of Intermediate Hurling, and will fancy their chances of reaching a final. They'll have no fear of Ballela, beat Clonduff well in the league, and would love a chance to show up Newry Shamrocks in a semi final. Some serious good forwards at their disposal, and you would fancy them to stay up in the intermediate. Beat Castlewellen a few weeks ago, so clearly haven't regressed since the junior final last year. Would be great to see hurling growing in Warrenpoint, a decent sized down with a catchment area that would have some great athletes- really would expect them to be flying over the coming years.

The Junior Championship is unbelievably open- perhaps one of the most open championships in Ireland.

First game of the championship is perhaps the most interesting- Ballyvarley head out to take on Castlewellen. Castlewellen will be favourites to win the whole thing. An incredible league campaign where they marched through everybody in front of them, including Ballyvarley. Some lads with great skill, and a team that seem to be very well oiled. Dangerous forward, too, in the form of Croskery.
Probably have the best support outside the Ards, seem to bring a crowd anywhere they go and with it being at home, imagine the support will be huge. The strongest team in the county at underage, so it doesn't seem like the good times will end any time soon, either. Great to see and hopefully they can bring a lot to the County Scene in years to come.

Despite all this, Ballyvarley seriously fancying their chances. Last time these teams played, Castelwellen scored a last minute goal to come away with a 1 point win. That will have a left a very bad taste in the mouth. Ballyvarley have been absolutely flying, a great league (which they could have won), and have been on a terrific run of form lately beating some strong teams such as Carrcikmacross and NCC. Potentially the most physical team in the Junior Championship, which won't suit Castelwellen. Danny Magee strong contender for best player in the junior championship, and if they rattle home a few goals in the first few minutes as they seem to have made a habit of doing recently, Castlewellen may begin to sweat. Key difference for me is Castlewellen seem to have gone hammer and tongs at the first leg of the league and potentially peaked, seeing as the second leg of the league and pre championship games haven't been on par, whereas Ballyvarley seem to have been quietly going from strength to strength. Ballyvarley seem to have good stuff going through like Ballela at underage with the O'Rahilly's and Saint Pat's. Again, you'd wonder how they'd get on amalgamated with Ballela at senior level.
Castlewellen favourites for tomorrow, but Ballyvarley will want to rattle them. Don't be surprised to see both teams face each other in October in the County Final.

Kilclief v East Belfast will be interesting. Kilclief will seriously fancy their chances at winning the whole thing after managing to stay up in Div 1, and East Belfast at home in the first round is a great draw for them. Probably the club that will suffer the most from strains placed on dual players. Will love to get off to a flying start, tomorrow, and won't fear anyone in the JHC.

East Belfast could be the surprise of the championship. Had a great league, although, like Castlewellen, the second half didn't live up to the first. New management team seems to be doing a very good job with them. The folding of Henry Joys also seems to have added a couple decent players. Were never that far off Castlewellen this year, goals separating teams, etc.
Potentially the best goal keeper in the championship, so could be interesting when they host Castlewellen.
Beat Ballyvarley in the first game of the year, although Ballyvarley were far too strong for them the second time they met. Despite this, East Belfast will see it as winnable game, especially since it's the last round robin match and may be fore a place in the final.
Great players all over the pitch, although the team definitely doesn't have age on their side and don't have that natural bond that comes with fellas playing together for years.
The sheer depth of their squad will no doubt be a great aid to them.
If Ryan McMullan is available he's probably their most dangerous hurler, and you'd back him to score a goal or two.
Definitely seems the forwards are stronger than their backs, so will be interesting to see if East Belfast manage to keep the scoreboard ticking over, or will they be chasing Kilclief.
Great to see they seem to be getting established now, especially with their new pitch a few weeks ago. Hopefully a great asset for Down Hurling to tap into that massive population in Belfast in the future.

    Where is the new pitch?
#3
Antrim / Re: Antrim Football Thread
February 15, 2023, 05:04:46 PM
  Too many Solicitors amongst all of this.
#4
Antrim / Re: Antrim Football Thread
February 15, 2023, 04:25:35 PM
A Chairde,

The club has informed all members that legal proceedings have been issued against it. The proceedings have been issued by my niece Orlaith Murray and her team mates Ellie Murphy & Molly McAuley. The Irish News have this evening published this fact and it will be in its daily printed version tomorrow. Some of you may have been told a self-serving false account of what these ladies were alleged to have done. The truth is they have done nothing.  They have been brave enough to stand up for themselves and have the benefit of supportive immediate and extended families who have stood with them and will continue to do so.

St Enda's is a great club with great people. I've been a member for over 40 years. As some of you know, my late uncle, Sean Hayes, was a founding member in 1956. He and my aunt Kathleen were one of two families to put their home up as collateral towards the first club. I was here in those very dark days, unlike some of those involved in this shameful episode.  I've represented this club at every level in both codes. I've coached at every level in the club. To say that the actions of a few members have brought such shame on St Enda's is nothing short of disgraceful.

At every turn, those involved in pursuing Orlaith, Molly, and Ellie for the alleged offence of forgery sought to obfuscate and conceal the fact that they had not one shred of evidence against these girls. When the girls asked for the evidence against them, those involved point blank refused to give it. The girls would only find out via the LGFA Appeal process that there was no evidence against them. The club filed redacted documents at the Appeal to conceal various matters.  Despite the club's wish to conceal their paperwork, through the good fortune that the girls are tech-savvy, they were able to remove the clubs redactions and were then in a position to prove that they had not forged anyone's name to any letter.

Think about the actions of these members. Firstly, refusing to provide evidence to support the allegations brought by the club against the girls, and then redacting crucial evidence which, when revealed, helped the girls to clear their names. This is nothing short of apalling behaviour.

It's a very true saying that a little power is a dangerous thing. When we, as club member's, permit people to lead our club, we do so on the basis that they will exercise their power on our behalf, fairly and judiciously. Those involved in what has happened here have fallen far short of these basic standards.

The girls rightly won their appeal, having presented a detailed, robust, evidence based, and cogent defence. Another forum will now examine and pour over the case the club had both at the date of the production of its Disciplinary Sub-Committee report in early March 2022 and the case it presented to the LGFA Appeal Panel in April 2022. Suffice to say,  it did not convince an independent panel of 3 people appointed by Antrim LGFA County Board who said "that having heard both parties' oral evidence and having read both parties' written submissions it preferred the evidence of the appellants".

This should have been the point where our club representatives gracefully accepted that they had lost and did so because they were unable to present any evidence that the 3 girls had forged anyone's name to any letter. However,  those involved, fixed with no capacity to reverse, refused to back off. Instead,  they went full tilt in the oppposite direction and continued to assert that the girls were forgers right up to spending £1000 of members' money to lodge an appeal to the DRA against Antrim LGFA which they haven't pursued in 10 months because they haven't got a leg to stand on - it can only assumed that like all good GAA Appeals they were hoping that a technicality would materialise to get those involved off the hook for such appalling behaviour.
For the luxury of this fool's errand the club have engaged the services of a barrister. It is us as members who will pick up the tab for this additional expense.


I want to be clear and "For the avoidance of doubt" (to steal a phrase from a certain local representative's letter which he submitted anonymously to the LGFA Appeal panel!) Orlaith, Molly & Ellie did absolutely nothing wrong other than ask for a new manager along with numerous other senior ladies. For this, these 3 girls were singled out, pursued relentlessly, and hounded out of this club. A club which they have been members of and proudly represented since they were 5 years of age, a lot longer than some of those who had a hand in forcing them out of it.

Notably, the Secretaries Report to the 2022 AGM glossed over what happened in Ladies football in 2022 by euphemistically saying, "It's been a difficult year." In truth, the treatment of these 3 ladies, and the fallout from a manager refusing to step down when the intial group of 14 senior Ladies respectfully requested that he do so in November 2021, has lead to a significant number of ladies leaving the team or the club, setting senior ladies football back 5 - 6 years. This is not something that our club should be proud of.

By contrast, St Paul's and Wolfe Tones might well be able to say its been a good year for them as they have significantly benefited from the exodous. It has also impacted our camogie senior ladies with the loss of two of our best camog's in Ellie Murphy and my other niece Mairead Murray (Orlaith Murray's sister), who also transferred to St. Paul's after the appalling treatment of her sister.

Likewise, the annual report made no mention of the girl's solicitor having issued letters of claim to our club in August 2022. Surely, as members, we all have a right to know that our club was likely to be sued as a result of the actions of some of our members.

If this is the "Naomh Éanna Way", that is now so often spoken of, by those at the head of this club, then we are going the wrong 'Way'. There has been a serious failure of leadership at Executive Committee level of the club for this to have happened.

Recently, the talk from those involved has changed to "oh, it was badly handled, it should never have happened like this." As if those involved in creating and perpetuating this mess did not anticipate the consequences of their actions in wrongly accusing and pursuing these 3 ladies who, in response, had the strength and means to robustly defend themselves.   In truth, (sadly a virtue in short supply) what they mean is that when the girls were each sent a letter in February 2022 accusing them of forgery, the club simply expected the girls to roll over and not challenge an allegation of such magnitude, one which has serious implications for their reputations and futures.

The club response to being challenged to provide proof to support their allegation was to pursue the girls at speed with a pack like mentality of 'us against them'   But the  'them' were 3 of our young female members.  All the while, our Executive Committee sat docile, some entirely deprived of knowledge of what was happening, while others were knowingly compliant. Either way, this is no way to run our club.

As a club, we should now be asking why we are leaving the resolution of this mess in the hands of the very people who caused it?

Interestingly, or perhaps shamefully, when the LGFA HQ in Dublin became aware of this case, they said they have never heard of a club accusing it's own players of forgery. So, as a club, we now hold the unique and wholly ignominious title of being the first club in LGFA history to do so and, in turn, be sued as a result. Is there space in the trophy cabinet for such an award?

It gives me no pleasure to write such a critique about a club that I love and take pride in being a member of but I am sick of the talk on corners, the lies and half truths that have been spread about my niece and her teammates over the last year both within the club and far beyond its gates. The true story will now be told in significant detail before a Belfast Court, much to the shame of this club.

Finally, I see that whoever engaged with the Irish News on behalf of our club has stated that the club will "robustly defend its position."  The swift acquisition of some humility and the capacity to say we are sorry, we got his wrong might suit those involved much better. Certainly, before the courts lift up your skirts to peer at your filthy undercarriage!

As a club, we can't defend the indefensible!

Sin é

Is mise,

Declan
#5
Antrim / Re: Antrim Football Thread
October 20, 2022, 02:52:34 PM
 UU is a Magnet alright.Not too many Sigerson lately to show for this class that has been at their disposal.
#6
GAA Discussion / Re: Laochra Gael TG4 (New Series)
February 18, 2022, 12:50:06 AM
Quote from: Saffrongael on February 17, 2022, 10:40:02 PM
Didn't realise McGurk stole as much money as that  :o

Wise up!
Served his time.Moving on with his life now.Great show as they all have been in the current series.
#7
GAA Discussion / Re: East Belfast GAA
July 22, 2020, 02:33:25 PM
Quote from: Dinny Breen on July 22, 2020, 02:25:19 PM
Watching East Belfast coming into existence begs the question why aren't the GAA setting up more clubs in Dublin?
Why? 
Because it's local people in an area who see a need and then set about forming one with the County Board of that area.
#8
GAA Discussion / Re: East Belfast GAA
July 01, 2020, 11:05:46 PM
East Belfast's first fixture:
Div 4 Round 1 Friday 17th July at 7.30pm
St Michael's v East Belfast
#9
GAA Discussion / Re: East Belfast GAA
June 23, 2020, 09:51:57 PM
East Belfast v Castlewellan in the 1st Rc of the JHC
East Belfast v.Dundrum in the 1st Rd of the JFC
#10
GAA Discussion / Re: East Belfast GAA
June 23, 2020, 04:55:54 PM
  More tripe not related to the Topic this was originally started for. >:( >:(
Down Championship are on this evening.
#11
GAA Discussion / Re: East Belfast GAA
June 18, 2020, 02:20:39 PM
Quote from: redhandefender on June 18, 2020, 01:48:37 PM
It should not be a case of "if we do this, will they do this anyway"

If we want to take steps towards a new united Ireland in the future we have to bring the unionist community along and start to break down the mistrust and barriers. We should lead by example and take the first steps. Whatever your views the tricolour and anthem will be intimidating and unwelcoming to most of the unionist community who don't full understand it. I think it would be a great step for clubs in the north.

Obviously the floodgates won't open and bring a stampede of unionists to play gaelic but it will slowly start to build and bring them on board. I understand however people want to keep it as is and that is just my own view!
Can you move this chat to non-GAA please and give this new entity a chance to get up and running without all this?
#12
GAA Discussion / Re: East Belfast GAA
June 18, 2020, 12:20:24 AM
 Got word today from a friend who is joining up with East Belfast GAA,they have been accepted as an Official Down Club.The 48th.Best of luck to all concerned.
    I have a vested interest in that I would hope now to bring my children there in the future (too young at the minute)instead of across town and County border to my Club where I am still involved but not to the extent as I was when playing.
#13
GAA Discussion / Re: East Belfast GAA
June 10, 2020, 11:54:50 PM
  IN THE NAME OF SWEET JE-US,CAN WE GET BACK ON THIS TOPIC AS I ONLY STARTED THIS IS TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE EB GAA CLUB NOT THIS PAGE UPON PAGE OF DRIBLE AND POLITICS?
   PERSONALLY SPEAKING THIS HAS DIGRESSED DUE TO THE INTRODUCTION OF MS.ERVINE.
                                 Ps Sorry for shouting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#14
GAA Discussion / Re: East Belfast GAA
June 04, 2020, 11:05:13 PM
Ps. Remember Jarlath Burns and his National Anthem/Flag rant that quickly disappeared.
#15
GAA Discussion / Re: East Belfast GAA
June 04, 2020, 11:03:16 PM
Quote from: hardstation on June 04, 2020, 10:55:32 PM
I think those who heard her on the radio did listen to her. They decided they didn't want what she was asking for. Which is fair enough, I think.
The wannabe types from our side don't go asking Ulster Rugby to change their traditions to suit us.They just go along and pretend they are like them.Linda Ervine either joins up under our traditions or else just keep getting the coin for what is her admirable work in the promotion of the Irish language.We are what we are!