Messages

Hopefully it gives them a chance to regroup, a tough outfit.

A few other Div 1 clubs would do well to lobby for a smaller Div 1, being outside the top division might prompt that to look at what they are doing in player development from top to bottom.

Presume CCC need to opine on the handbags and gladrags match before fixtures are set for Div 1 knockout (sponsored by Donegal Holiday parks)

Big Finbar had it right the whole time with the rugby boots and a toe-hoke as high and far as humanly possible

Casement Park 1999 stands out for me - Mickey McVeigh and Finbar tried the whole game to hit each other with a kick out - absolute boomers straight down the middle for the whole game.

The more things change!


https://amp.rte.ie/amp/1059993/

The answer and it's the unpopular answer to solve most of the issues within West Belfast is to reduce the number of clubs

5 West Belfast teams would be enough

One serving the whiterock down

One between mid falls and Kennedy way

Kennedy way to Shaws

Shaws to Suffolk

Suffolk to Lisburn

You'd have huge numbers under age, better quality coaching, greater use of limited facilities,  better resource management/development etc etc
There's little to no logic to having as many clubs beyond what can only be considered historical ties/ego

West Belfast will be lucky to see another senior hurling championship for a generation  and the days of football being a city dominated game is well and truly gone never to return to West Belfast again. Might win the odd one here and there, that's all

If Belfast Gael's wanted to develop and make the city a GAA hot bed.... They need to change

The Dublin super club model has happened organically and largely as a result
Of the price of land and has its own problems.

The counter to it is tha Ballyboden Wanderers continue to exist in the shadow of Boden Endas, Naomh Olaf's crack on next door to Kilmacud and Ballymun seem happy enough despite being only a 10th of the size of na Fianna etc.

Clubs have heritage and that should be cherished, success comes from quality coaching, culture and environment (letting reserves play in the main leagues!).

Forgot about mcalpines fusiliers!

Weile Waila

A great pick too. A gruesome Irish childrens street song from the 1800s sang with great humour by The Dubliners. Often wondered where the River Saile was. The most convincing explanation I've found is that it's a corruption of either saileach (willow) or salach (dirty)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Poddle

Meanwhile across the Lagan, in the leafy suburbs known as Carryduff they had 7 teams at P4, all with 7 kids on each team and that was in hurling at the last Down primary school blitz.

I'd hate to see what they have at the football...

Huge catchment for Carryduff at least 1600 primary school kids, no other clubs in the parish.


Similarities with Bredagh, Brigids and Endas in that regard although Carryduff has the biggest playing pool to draw from.

What they have done brilliantly is build facilities to ensure they can cater for them:

Down county board also helps, all games up to and including u12 on the weekend (no battling through city rush hour for primary school parents) and u14 games at reasonable times (Antrim schedule 6pm throw in's ffs, a nightmare).

Mobility (lack of transport, traffic) I would say is a serious contributor to drop off and cancellations, as is quality of coaching.

A single club/school connectivity also has a much greater chance of building a Gaa culture and identity affiliated with the club.

Sarsfields I think are making progress on this with St John Baptist (sending coaches in etc) , until clubs in the west have that singular relationship with a school then the core kid relationships of playing with your mates won't be there , playing for your DA's club isn't enough to prevent drop off.

Black Velvet Band
Raglan Road
Weile Waila


Significant mention for Scorn Not His Simplicity which for a lot of families in a very different era of public attitudes spoke to them that someone in public life knew them.

Why not- rather than talk about teams under age coming together to field and play- address the real issue?

West Belfast has far too many GAA clubs?

Remove at at least 6 clubs need combined and reduced to 3

I don't think there is, if anything there is not enough and in particular a chronic shortage of facilities putting a cap on playing numbers. Lot of house building going on and guts of 20,000 kids under age of 16.

West of Sarsfields  I think it's an underserved playing population where soccer is currently dominant. Colin Gaels are doing some good work but haven't made the leap to a senior team.

Different if you are talking about players competing at highest level and for that the Kerry divisional model beckons.

Lulu is looking and sounding good for 76 years old.

Ah jaysus, Lulu never  sounded good! Migraine-inducing  voice

It's a pity Glastonbury didn't get the legend Neil Diamond to close out tonight's show.

Rarely performs now, managing Parkinson's.

Neil young put in a good shift for man of 79, plainly continues not to give 2 hoots with the same uncompromising message.

Decent show and he played towards the paying punters! (I saw him at Nolan park and he played 3/4 of the gig with back to crowd)

I know Glastonbury has something for everyone (Neil young and Charlie xcx on same night) , it is though a bit of a thing that folks in their advancing middle age (in the crowd) won't get off the stage/park to let young ones have their day out.

Tyrone are fcukin brain dead.

f**king carrying it into challenges. What's the obsession with that. Move the f**king ball on. How many times is that. Dublin are rubbish too. We don't deserve it

At least a dozen times in this game, brutal.

Surely a foul on McCurry.

Nice to see on if the half a dozen touches on the ground finally blown.

was that really a foul for the lineball in lead up to donegal goal?
didn't see replay but didn't thunk there was a foul, wouldn't have been given in open play

Don't know if it's a thing but seems more frequent across a lot of matches to give free's if men sent over sideline with anything other than a shoulder, I thought it was soft enough.

Donegal energy here is serious.

The Glasto thread high water mark was for Bruce in 2009. What a show and this thing was heaving.

We learned more from a three-minute record, baby. Than we ever learned in school!


https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/bruce-springsteen/2009/pyramid-stage-worthy-farm-pilton-england-33d67021.html

Coma Girl as an opener was a masterpiece.