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Messages - Derry Optimist

#1
To all Unionists,Nationalists,Catholics,Protestants and Dissenters alike; sports -people and non sports - people on the island of Ireland and beyond. To  UEFA, NI Executive, British and Irish Governments. Take note why Casement Park deserves its new stadium to be developed at once. Ignore the begrudgers and biased key board warriors.
Tomorrow, February 27th, everyone of you should go out and get a copy of The Irish News and turn immediately to the greatest article ever written on how the GAA HAS AND IS CONTRIBUTING  so massively and continually to the betterment of Irish society. Take the journalistic plaudits of all right - thinking people, one Cathair O'Kane, for you have really and accurately pinpointed how the GAA needs and has earned the inalienable right for Casement Park's new stadium  to be built immediately.

 Cathair has summarised what the GAA has done on its own initiatives, how thousands of volunteers have built up successful clubs in every county, engaged so many young people in healthy pastimes and travelled hundreds of miles over the years in every town, city and parish in our country to fundraise so that future generations and communities would have a happy and healthy society.

Well done Cathair.You have done your own club,county and country proud.I have no doubt that our new GAA President, Jarlath Burns, will concur and give us all an extra push and incentive to get the dreams of all Ulster Gaels attained sooner rather than later.
#2
Derry / Re: Derry Club Football & Hurling original
February 26, 2024, 12:16:13 PM
To answer tbrick's query re Oisin McWilliams. He definitely, apparently, is very much part of the current panel and was rehabbing very well until he had another injury set back and had a further  operation two weeks ago.

 The rehab for this latest procedure will certainly rule him out of any participation in this year's league games at least. It is a pity because he has great potential as was evidenced as to how well he played when he came on against Dublin in last year's league game at Celtic Park.

 Further panellists still rehabbing are Enda and Matthew Downey both of whom have long term injury problems. With McKinless and Conor Doherty also injured Derry's attacking half back line are considerably weakened. On the plus side I thought Donncha Gilmore was very impressive when he came on yesterday. Hopefully Cormac Murphy and Odhran Lynch will soon be fit again. Presumably if Conor Doherty and McKinless are  out for the Dublin game it will be Gilmore,Niall Toner, Lachlan Murray or Shea Downey to come into a rearranged team.
#3
Derry / Re: Derry Club Football & Hurling original
February 14, 2024, 12:17:53 PM
To the best of my knowledge Paul McNeill did not return to the current Derry panel for this year.
#4
Derry / Re: Derry Club Football & Hurling original
February 12, 2024, 09:14:28 PM
If all the Glen players and the injured trio of Eoin McEvoy,Odhran Lynch and Gareth McKinless were unavailable for the Monaghan game, it would create an interesting selection dilemma for team management but a welcome opportunity for others to get welcome game time. In that unlikely scenario the following would probably be the selected team.
                        Ryan Scullion
Conor McCluskey         Chrissy McKaigue        Diarmuid Baker
Shea  Downey            Padraig McGrogan        Conor Doherty
                  Dan Higgins        Brendan Rogers
Niall Toner             Cormac Murphy           Paul Cassidy
Niall Loughlin          Shane McGuigan          Lachlan Murray.
   
#5
Derry / Re: Derry Club Football & Hurling original
February 07, 2024, 06:59:51 PM
I must say that it is great to see so many young people and not so young now attending Derry games. Last Sunday's performance was another thoroughly  enjoyable experience, despite the team not being more clinical  in putting away goal opportunities.However, their general team play and ability to support the man on the ball was first class.

 All of the team were good and as usual Conor Doherty, Padraig McGrogan, Conor Glass and Shane McGuigan stood out. I was particularly pleased that the phenomenal work rate of Niall Loughlin is at last being recognised. His ability to track back, tackle, dispossess opponents and assist selflessly his fellow forwards when they attack was really impressive.Likewise, Niall Toner who played equally well when he came on. The brightest light of all was Cormac Murphy who has the natural ability to win his own ball, break the tackle and then head directly goal wards, showing electrifying pace. His ability to score readily from such situations has really added anew and exciting dimension to his team. One must wonder why he was not selected during the last few years as he was on the minor county panel of 2017 but lost out playing minor in 2018 as the age limit was lowered that year.

If  all or some of the Glen players are absent for the Monaghan game and if Odhran Lynch, Gareth McKinless and Eoin McEvoy are not recovered, that would mean that Derry would be short  a possible six  of their regulars.It would be interesting to see which substitutes would take their places.
#6
Derry / Derry Football and Hurling
January 29, 2024, 08:48:54 PM
No matter which way you look at Saturday night's game against Kerry one must commend Derry for both the quality and intensity of their play. Unlike many Derry teams of the past they also have the resilience and determination to come back immediately after conceding a score and score themselves.

 Now that they have set high standards for themselves I feel that they lack a consistent long distance free taker. Presumably management is aware of this and it is difficult to see any of the current starters successfully taking over this role. Over the past few years Niall Loughlin,Conor Doherty and now Conor Glass have been tried in this role with varying degrees of success.Perhaps posters have some ideas on how this area of the team's development could be improved. Perhaps Odhran Lynch and Ciaran McFaul are secretly training g to improve their long distance accuracy!! 

 Looking forward to another good performance against Tyrone. It would be nice if Eoin McEvoy and his clubmate, Cormac Murphy, would both be available to start and that Oisin McWilliams and Enda Downey would be able to take their places on the bench.
#7
Derry / Re: Derry Club Football & Hurling
January 07, 2024, 01:28:01 PM
Re Derry's current panel strength, the numbers are severely restricted because of a large injury list. The good news would appear that Conor McCluskey is nearing full fitness. Also it is hoped that Odhran Lynch and Oisin McWilliams will soon be able to participate in full training. However, Shea, Enda and Matthew Downey are all still, unfortunately, on the long - term injury list. That plus the fact that Padraig Cassidy has left the panel to go travelling makes it difficult for management to have 15 a side match training sessions which Mickey Harte has always favoured. Furthermore, Lachlan Murray, Niall O'Donnell and Paul McNeill have not featured in the McKenna Cup squads but I do not know if they are injured or not.The need for a much larger panel than last year certainly becomes a priority as there are no easy games in Division One of the league. Hopefully, some extra Glen players and others will be invited to join the panel.
#8
Derry / Re: Derry Club Football & Hurling
January 03, 2024, 12:17:23 PM
To answer tbrick's query,I presume Lachlan Murray,Paul McNeill,Padraig Cassidy,Conor McCluskey and the Downey cousins will be getting game time in the Down game. Perhaps some of our injured players like Gareth McKinless and Oisin McWilliams may be available also for that match.
#9
Derry / Re: Derry Club Football & Hurling
December 30, 2023, 03:04:02 PM
I would also agree with much of what Wildweasel 74 has said about the team which won the 2020 All Ireland minor title in 2021. Six of that side were selected on the minor team of the year ie Kian McGonigle,Lee Brady, Eoin McEvoy, Mark Doherty, Matthew Downey and Lachlan Murray.
 One could also have made a very strong case for Dan Higgins and Donncha Gilmore to be included also. McEvoy has certainly come through and Murray has to be a serious candidate for a first team place in 2024.

One would expect Matthew Downey, Mark Doherty and Dan Higgins to be real challengers for being selected on match day squads in the coming league. I just do not know enough about the progress of Lee Brady and Donncha Gilmore to make a judgment call on them.I do know that Eunan Mulholland, when available, will surely be another panel option for a match day squad.
#10
Derry / Re: Derry Club Football & Hurling
December 30, 2023, 02:42:14 PM
I agree with Red 10 that the McKenna Cup should be used to blood new or existing players who up to now have not got an opportunity to get meaningful  game time. By the same token, if new players are to get a fair opportunity to play well at least half of the selected team should be regular key players.That is the only sensible way for new players to be introduced. Playing a second string side or a team of ten or more newcomers will not have the desired effect of developing young or inexperienced players.

 Re Matthew and Enda Downey both should definitely be on the Derry panel. Matthew got a serious injury playing for the Derry u20 team last year and likewise Enda was out for even longer because of injury. However, both did serious rehab work and were able to play for St Brigid's in the Antrim SFC. According to reports in the local press, both of them played key roles along with Shea Downey as St Brigid's improved considerably game on game to reach the Antrim semi final before bowing out to eventual winners Cargin last September. Along with Lachlan Murray and Niall O'Donnell, Derry badly need other scoring options in the forward line. I  believe, if fully fit, the Downey cousins would be a huge boost in this regard
#11
Derry / Re: Derry Club Football & Hurling
December 22, 2023, 01:13:56 PM
With the absence of the Glen players and the possible unavailability of the not fully recovered Odhran Lynch, Padraig McGrogan and Gareth McKinless from long term injuries, it will be interesting to see what Mickey Harte's first Derry selection for the McKenna Cup opener will be against Cavan on January 3rd. Perhaps it could be along the following lines.
                       Ryan Scullion
Paul McNeill           Chrissy McKaigue           Conor McCluskey
Shea Downey            Eoin McEvoy                Conor Doherty
               Dan Higgins       Brendan Rogers
Niall Toner            Lorcan Murray              Paul Cassidy
Enda Downey            Shane McGuigan             Niall Loughlin

Subs: Peter Stuart,Marty Bradley,Diarmuid Baker, Padraig Cassidy, Declan Cassidy,Mark Doherty, Oisin McWilliams(if fit), Ben McCarron, Matthew Downey, Cahir McMonagle, Niall O'Donnell
#12
Derry / Re: Derry Club Football & Hurling
December 12, 2023, 06:36:51 PM
 As we wait on Glen, hopefully, to continue on their winning ways in the All - Ireland Club championship in the New Year, it will be interesting to see when new  u20 manager Chris Collins announces his panel for the forthcoming season.

 This is an age group where Derry have failed to realise their full potential  for the last five years. The unavailability of players who were on the Senior panel, injuries to some of the best players and the drop out of others were three  of the main reasons for this. Unfortunately, if most teams are to compete at the highest level, they always require a full hand to select from. This has not been the case with several Derry u20 panels.

On a wider drop out issue, does anyone know what happened to top class underage players like Aidan McCluskey, Iarlaith Donaghy and Eunan McElhennon? McCluskey, I felt, was a superb talent just like his older brother. Speaking of injuries one would hope that the  Downey cousins, Enda and Matthew, would have better luck in this area and be be fully fit for the Senior County panel for 2024.
#13
GAA Discussion / Re: Retirements
December 01, 2023, 06:11:11 PM
Always enjoyed the skillsets of Fermanagh's Seamus and Sean Quigley. They always reminded me of their talented namesake, Felix Quigley, who played for Down in the mid sixties.As far as I know he was a native of Roslea but qualified to play for Down when he moved to Dromara! Was Felix related to Seamus and Sean?
#14
Derry / Re: Derry Club Football & Hurling
October 17, 2023, 07:00:07 PM
Now that we have reached the finals of  the Derry Senior,Intermediate and Junior championships,it would nice for posters who saw many games  to get the opportunity to nominate their  five best players that they saw during the separate championship campaigns. For those supporters, like myself, who were unable to view few, if any games, it would be an ideal chance to learn how Derry football is progressing at club level.
#15
Derry / Re: Derry Club Football & Hurling
September 07, 2023, 12:41:30 PM
Cathair O'Kane is undoubtedly one of our best GAA journalists who is always thinking about the game and how it can be improved. He has always something worthwhile to say on a variety of issues. His player and game analysis on major games are  nearly always accurate,definitely insightful and very honest. The fact that he admitted that he got the square ball decision initially wrong in the Lavey/Ballinascreen game  and went to the trouble of double checking it,  is further proof of a journalist of the utmost integrity.