Paddy Heaney of the irish news!

[Muzz]

Was a good read alright - Jim Gavin's response to the questions versus the evidence is quite amusing mind you.

[lynchbhoy]

I don't know why people deny 'men behind the ball' tactics. It's a staple for all top teams.

Despite Dublin having superb forwards - even they still need to temper their structure with strong def formation spring boarding fast attacks.


Interestingly top two threads here now are 'about ' two Derry men - brolly and Heaney.

Pity we hadn't as much positive news to relate to about our senior county side ( yet..... Hopefully !!)

[BennyCake]

It suits the southern media to say that it's them northern hoors that are ruining the game. The aristocrats cannot play their beautiful silky, slick game because of them.

Sure Kerry copied Donegal's style last year, but yet they don't play like the rest of the peasants (to quote Paddy).

[Zulu]

This the same Paddy Heaney who wrote the article below looking for rule changes?

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/columnists/paddy-heaney/paddy-heaney-gaelic-football-isnt-dead-but-badly-needs-change-of-direction-321800.html

What was the gist of his other article? Are the poor Ulster boys getting picked on by the big bad southern media? The issue has gone far beyond who uses mass defending and onto where it's bringing the game.

[Main Street]

This the same Paddy Heaney who wrote the article below looking for rule changes?

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/columnists/paddy-heaney/paddy-heaney-gaelic-football-isnt-dead-but-badly-needs-change-of-direction-321800.html

What was the gist of his other article? Are the poor Ulster boys getting picked on by the big bad southern media? The issue has gone far beyond who uses mass defending and onto where it's bringing the game.

Seeing as Paddy sagely wrote last week, "It needs to be stressed that pointing the finger of blame at certain teams will achieve nothing. Appealing to managers to think of the greater good of the game is an even bigger waste of time."

unlike your tone, his recent poke at the Dubs has a humorous edge to it

[AZOffaly]

This the same Paddy Heaney who wrote the article below looking for rule changes?

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/columnists/paddy-heaney/paddy-heaney-gaelic-football-isnt-dead-but-badly-needs-change-of-direction-321800.html

What was the gist of his other article? Are the poor Ulster boys getting picked on by the big bad southern media? The issue has gone far beyond who uses mass defending and onto where it's bringing the game.

I agree. The better exponents of it (i.e. the better teams) tend to be from Ulster, but I was at a game in Tullamore a few years ago for Offaly against Westmeath in the Championship, and it was an absolutely puke exhibition. Offaly set up with 11 or 12 in their own half, and Westmeath did the same. What ensued was 70 minutes that felt like 170 minutes, and the only difference between the teams was that Westmeath's one class forward, Dessie Dolan, got more joy than Offaly's Niall McNamee. Talk about a war of attrition.

And this is why I think this debate is not an attack on ulster, or anything like it. It's a debate around the increasing number of teams who use this, the increasing number who will get more proficient and better at it, and what that means for the game as a spectacle. If we focus on that aspect we can decide whether we need to do anything or let it sort itself out. People using emotive language, or picking on individual teams or managers, actually do the debate a disservice, as it encourages a siege mentality from those who are being labelled, and inhibits any sort of rational debate about it.

[imtommygunn]

I see he has quit the irish news. Anyone know what he's doing next? Still a journalist?

[skeog]

running his own gym

[screenexile]

I see he has quit the irish news. Anyone know what he's doing next? Still a journalist?

Yeah if you read the article he explains he's a fitness guru now and hasn't the appetite for the aul journalism.

He wasn't everyone's cup of tea but I thoroughly enjoyed my 10 oclock tea every Tuesday to read Against the Breeze some of his columns were exceptional with my particular favourite being the craic at Glen Club over Christmas which was written probably around 10 years ago.

By all accounts the new gym is going well so best of luck to him!!

Thanks Paddy!

[JoG2]

I see he has quit the irish news. Anyone know what he's doing next? Still a journalist?

Yeah if you read the article he explains he's a fitness guru now and hasn't the appetite for the aul journalism.

He wasn't everyone's cup of tea but I thoroughly enjoyed my 10 oclock tea every Tuesday to read Against the Breeze some of his columns were exceptional with my particular favourite being the craic at Glen Club over Christmas which was written probably around 10 years ago.

By all accounts the new gym is going well so best of luck to him!!

Thanks Paddy!

i enjoyed his columns too (most of them). Still doing a bit freelance on the side I hear

[ExiledGael]

I will miss it. Always worth a read and one of the few things to make you go out and actually buy a paper these days. Papers have less and less to separate themselves from their competitors - when it comes to sport anyway.
Is there an archive of his columns available anywhere?

[lenny]

I will miss it. Always worth a read and one of the few things to make you go out and actually buy a paper these days. Papers have less and less to separate themselves from their competitors - when it comes to sport anyway.
Is there an archive of his columns available anywhere?

Totally agree. Looked forward to reading against the breeze on tuesdays. Some of those columns were absolute classics and would have you in stitches. Good luck to him but I have a feeling he will probably pick up the column again in a few years.

[bannside]

Must confess that "Against the Breeze" was my my favourite read of the week. He really did just get it...the country ways and all that. But he knew the way football men thought and spoke and was a good judge himself. Rarely found much to disagree with and particularly liked his week in Kerry leading up to a final and seeing it from their perspective. Hopefully he won't lose the skill of his trade. It's in the blood as they say!

[WT4E]

Heaney was brilliant - compare this to boring drivel Mickey Harte contributes!

I think my favourite came a good few years ago it was the piece about the young boy in a classroom explaining to a teacher he wanted to be a GAA manager when he was older!

[BennyCake]

Mickey Harte's column was pure dung.

Paddys I really enjoyed though. A lot of the time it was more about country life than sport, but still very enjoyable. Didn't know Seamus Heaney was his uncle.