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The problem with ulster teams is there so few of them ,what's in Derry 10? Should be 20. Tyrone got what 5/6? Should be the same. The problem is there's nobody in clubs with hurling bck grounds to successfully start a club hurling team up and keep it going.

Tyrone and Donegal have more hurling clubs than Derry I'd say.

Especially at underage.

'Craigavon' 

The scoreline exaggerates the difference between the sides. Dublin did ok if a lot of parts of the game. Conceding goals every few minutes punctures a team's morale and eventually they lose the will to keep chasing.

Cork isolated the Dublin full back line and rained down a lot of quick and early ball in there. The interplay of the Cork FF was excellent too. Maybe Dublin should have got a sweeper back there earlier to shore up the FB line, but no team expects to concede 7 in an AISF and then suddenly it happens.

In fairness to Ó'Ceallacháin and the Dublin management, they went for it. Didn't go with sweeper so fair play to them. They knew the ball over top in front of that Cork ff line would create goal chances....and it certainly did!

But I admire Dublin for that - easiest thing would be to park the bus and sit back etc. Dublin actually played well. Cork were just different class today. Goals win matches. Ferghal Whiteley hit the bar at a crucial stage in first half but then Cork pushed on until half-time. Would have been interesting to see what would have happened if that shot had had hit the net.

It's all on the day. Like Dublin today, after coming off a high of the Limerick game in Croke Park, Cork will be in the same boat V Tipp/KK in 2 weeks.

Looking forward to see Tipp V KK. Hopefully be a cracker. 

Lol. He's done it again.

Johnny Murphy humping Dublin here.

Hoggie clearly holding hurl and corner back gets yellow.

Dick Clerkin: It's my ambition to be Monaghan manager some day and win an All-Ireland.

Punditry is all well and good for now, but in time I will look forward to answering the call and hopefully serve my county from the front line, as opposed to the back pages.

And if I ever get the chance, I'll be doing everything I can to win the county's first All-Ireland title, if Gabriel Bannigan hasn't got us over the line before then.

For counties our size, chances like that don't come around too often. When we look around at our Ulster peers, it's hard not to feel we've let more than one opportunity slip over the years.
If that opportunity ever does come, I'll be looking to conjure up my own inner Ice Cube and find a few haters to nudge us up that proverbial mountain. Because the truth is, Monaghan haven't had enough of them, either from within or outside the county, to push us that extra mile.

Is he a bit of a David Brady?
Writing that kind of stuff in a national newspaper isn't a qualification for the county job.
Go out and get experience, and when the opportunity arises, go for it.
What's the point in writing that in the indo when the position isn't available?

Give him the job at the next opportunity.

All true. You would imagine that if he is as good as he is meant to be, West Ham are hardly going to tear up the contract if he plays the game

Would you jeopardise a million pound career if there was any risk? As great as it would be to play in an AI final, imagine getting so close to every kids dream just to miss out at the last second.

Good luck to the lad but the chances of a lucrative deal are remote....99% of academy/ youth players are released before hitting the big time.
He will likely return to play irish league football in two years time...wishing he had played in the final.

I think any of us in that position would do what that lad has the chance to do at his age. Fair play to him.

Go and try it, like AFL or NFL. Live it and enjoy it for a year or two and see how it goes. If it doesn't work out after a year or two, come home and keep going at sport.

Depending how he goes, I don't think he'll be saying to himself in a year or two, ahh, I wish I had played in that minor final. That begrudgery at it's finest. He'll have banked a lot more life experiences that that.

Need to sort defence now.  2 X quality centre backs required asap. Scales and Trusty poor.

I see Nawrocki now going out on loan for a season. From his short game time, he's twice the player as Scales and Trusty.

At Croke Park etc. on match days. Just wondering do the young programme sellers etc. get paid?

I presume the stewards are all volunteers? Or do they get paid also.

Security are an outside company?

Just after reading a piece from Waterford gaa Chairman he stated that Waterford had dropped the ball at underage level for a lot of years until those with the interest of Waterford hurling was brought to the table we can all mow see the results . I WONDER is there anyone on our fair county capable of picking up the ball or will we continue as is
All we can do is live in hope
 

Was that in a newspaper?

How much game time did Blaine Hughes get this year?

I feel that the fortuitous change in GK last year had a huge bearing on Armagh's A-I win, especially in the latter stages - Croke

It gets to the point where you need specialists in all roles, hoping that someone can wing it usually doesn't end well, was disappointed to see Hughes dropped back to backup GK for Championship this year

Hughes played in the league game in Kerry this year and Kerry destroyed his kickouts too.

Hard for any keeper under that pressure Kerry put on Armagh kickout on Sunday and the lads aren't the field aren't giving Rafferty much of a digout. Rafferty contributes heavily out the field and can step out and play as extra defender also.  With his threat from two points I am glad he was the keeper this year.  Galway showed that chopping and changing the keeper can cause its own problems. 

Would have picked Hughes last year in the old game over Rafferty not know though. Rafferty will have been training as a goalkeeper for quite sometime now so think we are abit past the trying to "wing it" stage with him. 

Keepers get a lot of abuse but it's really a 50/50 process.

1. Their kick must be accurate and 2. The movement of the player out the field must be good.

From what I can see at games, the movement of the players isn't great at imes. It's more of a case of if I don't run here well, the keeper will kick it long and that's easier for me.

Goalkeepers getting bad press with the kickouts.

Look forward to the multi arrests and court cases for persons unknown putting up flags of illegal organisations.

Had the "pleasure" of driving through Moygashel last week - UVF flags galore.
I saw in the news one night there some new development in Derry has had flags put up by a gang of masked men and a load of graffiti saying things like "flags stay" and "loyalist area". Its a mixed development is my understanding.

 

Flags can't stop demographics.

With the shortage of houses everywhere, things change quickly.

Could the GAA not just set up a version of Ticketmaster or am I being too simplistic?

Just for GAA matches, courses and events etc.

[Don't know what Chelsea's strategy is though, they're just signing players for the sake of it it seems]

I see Kepa Arizabalaga has signed for Arsenal for 5 million. He originally cost Chelsea 71 million. What a mess. Mendy was much better for Chelsea.

Was solid for Bournemouth last season, very good deal for just £5m.

Don't know what Chelsea's strategy is though, they're just signing players for the sake of it it seems

Just signed Pedro and recently signed Delap.  Does Jackson now leave? Nkunku is a cert to go surely.

And the lad Mudryk is banned.

World Cup next year will be some mess unless they get the air-con in every stadium.