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Re the minor.... Galway playing Mayo on Friday. It's already decided they play each other again the following week in the semi final.
I assume the team that finishes second gets home advantage for the semi?

Regardless of the result on Fri evening, the semi final is already fixed for Castlebar the following week I believe.

When I was a very young impressionable lad, Kerry were THE team and he was THE manager of the time.  They had an aura of invincibility about them and he was some man to keep them all motivated for as long as he did.  With a small bit of luck, they could have done 9 in a row!! A loveable rogue and one of the iconic personalities of the GAA that will be forever remembered long after we are all gone.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis

An interesting selection from a Galway perspective.  Considering how the U19 championship played out in Galway last year, its somewhat surprising that Oranmore have no one capable of making that team.  McGlinchey is a huge loss and looks like he will be out for an extended period of time as I believe his injury is quite serious. Best of luck to Derek and the lads.

Dublin deserved winners.  Our shooting was atrocious despite hitting the woodwork on a number of occasions.  A decent runout for a few of the extended but a couple of them are not up to this level.  Hopefully none of the niggles picked up by a few lads are not too serious. 

Under the old rules Dublin and Derry would have been 7 and 8 points down. Derry would have won the game and Dublin would have drawn.

Two pointers proving a big difference and will they be kept for the championship after this trial run?

I think 2 pointers from play should be kept but I'd get rid of them for frees etc. Will probably be a few minor tweaks prior to the championship but it's a positive narrative around football at the moment so don't expect a whole pile to change really.  Championship will be the real acid test though. 

Such sad news.  Came across as a great guy on that Gaa Social interview from a few weeks backs. RIP

A little more perspective on the recent coaching appointments in Galway.  Delighted to see Dave Morris finally involved with a Galway senior team.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-41503094.html

I see young Caolan Finnegan has passed away. RIP

Terribly sad news.  Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Very sad news this morning on the passing of former Galway, Mayo & Leitrim manager, John O'Mahoney.  He brought a lot of great days for all 3 counties and will always be held in high esteem here in Galway.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Disappointing performance from Ireland but England thoroughly deserved to win that match yesterday.  Ireland did awful well to put themselves into a winning position late on but a couple of poor decisions cost them dearly.  Not sure O'Mahoney is captain material either, doesn't impress in that role at all.

One positive out of it is that a couple of Irish journalists and pundits will be eating large helpings of humble pie this morning.  Their bravado at times would sicken most people. 

A hard watch but an important win in terms of trying to stay in Div 1. 
Some terrible turnovers late on that could have been very costly but got away with them.  A poor enough day from placed balls also.  Great to have Kelly back but more of the frontline lads will be required in the next few weeks.

Now in mitigation Galway are down a lot of good players at the moment and given the teams selected I expected Mayo to win that game. However I have absolutely zero idea what the Galway management were trying to achieve there today.

Comer out before the game so they replace him with Niall Daly, a midfielder, and tell him to play up front. Through no fault of his own he doesn't play well up there so they sub him off again after 20 minutes. They have another midfielder, Cein Darcy, playing at wing forward marking one of the fastest wing-backs in the country in McLaughlin. To nobody's surprise he can't run with him but they leave him there anyway. Dylan McHugh a natural half back is playing in midfield and Sean Mulkerrin is playing at wing-back where I don't think I've ever seen him play. Cathal Sweeney a wing-back continues to be picked at corner-forward. Tierney came off the bench despite not being fully fit either and barely touched the ball. They just looked a disorganised mess. And I don't think they'll be getting any of the injured players back soon bar maybe Comer.

About the only bright spots is that the young lads O'Conghaile and O'Curraoin look like they are well able to kick scores when they get some service.  But they probably won't be picked anyway as they'll want someone who can run around the the half back line instead.

Out thought, out played, out everything today.  Will be a long league campaign unless some of the injured lads are back soon.  Very few positives in that today from a Galway perspective, Mayo very comfortably the better team.

We are in the preliminary QFs on merit!  That was a shambles of a performance there today.  Our inability to convert good goal chances has been a serious problem all year and it reared its ugly head again today.  Missed a few kickable frees also.  Regardless of the draw, we will have our hands full with whoever we get for next weekend and that will be made a hell of a lot tougher if neither Kelly or Comer are available.  It will be a serious test of our so called squad depth!  Hard to see us make late July after today unfortunately.

Best of luck to Armagh for the remainder of the championship.

Brilliant to see Mulkerrin back in the match day panel.  It's been a long and very tough road back for that lad.

Dublin are a real mystery. They didn't replace the Harlem Globetrotters
. Neither did Barcelona.  Neither did Man U.

Not any mystery. U21 grade was good to Dublin with All Ireland titles won in 2010,2012,2014 and 2017 players that came out of those teams was R O'Carroll, J Cooper, J McCarthy, D Rock.J McCaffrey, D Byrne, C Kilkenny, P Mannion,J Small, B Fenton, E Lowndes; P Mannion, C Costello, N Scully,E Murchan,B Howard,C O'Callaghan,P Small.

Their last three U20 teams lost Leinster finals they'll do well to get a handful of established seniors out of those teams and keep them in place as a strong contender for Sam in the years ahead

Is Ciaran Archer still around the Dublin panel?