Topics

Look we don't really have a hope in Eurovision, no matter who we send, Do we? So is it better to just ignore the annual gig and send nobody? Should we look to the old formulas that did the business in the past? Personally I think that we have disrespected the competition for the last 20(ish) years sending moderate to poor songs and performers. And then complaining about block voting. If the Song is good enough it will get votes.

Where did this Nicky Byrne idea come from? Seems like a bit of a quango for a new boys club in RTE.

Looking forward to seeing how Mayo and Connacht champions Ardnaree get on in this competition. Monaghan champions Rockcorry are the Ulster representatives. Pat Spillane's Club Templenoe cruised to a junior Munster title. St Brigid's Killashee are in action against Curraha (Meath) in the Leinster Club Junior Football Championship Final.


Is there any dates/venues set for semi final games? Anyone know who is representing the UK?

France getting nothing from Referee in Rugby WC final.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuIuXrwPCcc


Roy Jones Jr robbed in 1988 Olympics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMa4nGf9hSY


Louth robbed of a rare Leinster at the death.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1khn0OxDLA

Spain and Italy robbed in 2002 WC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4lG2RYalS8

Any takers on Holmes and Connelly? Tomás Ó Flatharta? Jason Ryan? Jack Sheedy?

Just wondering is there a way of taking League Semi-finals, League Finals, All games up to Leinster final, last 12 games and All Ireland Quarter Finals out of Croke Park? Most of these would be better served played in a Provincial venue. It's seems that the corporate boxes and Dublin rule the roost.

Apart from the now unbelievable advantage that Dublin players and supporters have of playing all their Competitive knockout games in Dublin. There's also the economic considerations for towns around the country. Spread the wealth.

You'd have to wonder how much damage the various hammerings teams are suffering will do to attendances and viewership on TV. There are quite a few games I have stopped watching over the last couple of years as they were over after a quarter of an hour. As a supporter both fan and neutral crowds are going to collapse at this rate. Kildare who always have a good following have been humiliated twice this year. Any fans not affected by the first loss to Dublin must surely be rocked by todays performance. I know the break over the winter can clear the head, but there will be a lot of Kildare badly burned and not willing to spend their euros following the team next year.

I was just wondering if anybody can confirm (in some sort of stone) the times for the Mayo games? I'v heard the Junior final is at 2pm. Monaghan game is at 4pm and the Mayo match is at 6pm? I'm working on a tight schedule that day and will just about make the 6pm game!

Brolly is looking for a second tier competition. And was calling for it to be called the Paudi O'Se Cup. Not sure if a trophy should be called after a former Player/Manager? Any good names?

[International Rules]

International Rules Pure rubbish
Railway Cup Lost in the quad mire of Club, county and Int rules commitments!
McKenna/McGrath/FBD/O'Byrne Cups Start the national League a fraction earlier and feck this away
Connacht/Munster/Leinster Junior Championships Dublin and Ulster don't bother why should the rest? The only reason I could see for retaining this championship would be for weak counties like Carlow and Kilkenny to put their senior teams into and have competitive games.
Minor and Under 21 Championship Time to merge these to into an under 20 championship. 21 year olds are old enough for senior commitments alone.

Allot of talk of travel and inconvenience this weekend. Just wondering how much other posters would spend in general going to a game in Croker. This includes Match ticket, travel, food, beer and accommodation in some cases. I find there is not much change out of €150 and that's a conservative day. €30-€40 for ticket, €45 for train ticket, €5 Program, €15 Pints, €12 Breakfast, €20 for food in Croker. I'm in serious trouble when the kids get older and begin to want to go to Big Matches!

Well the young one wants a Mayo Jersey! A Ladies one. No not the Pink we don't know where you are from one, but the Mayo Ladies Jersey. No bother i thought ......  She likes the present Jersey the Mayo Ladies were wearing in the quarter final v Cork! But they don't seem to exist. Not when it come to purchasing them. Any clues where i could get one?

It Looks like this

Anybody on this board heading over, already over there or been over for this fixture?

One lad from Ballyvary (Mayo) my home village on the NY Panel. Parke would have been his home club.

Do we have it in any other sport? Can you imagine Man Utd with such an advantage? Bayern Munich? Munster (in rugby)? God even Celtic with a whole season of home games in the league and Cup, they'd be unbackable? On top of all this there is economics and convenience for the fans. Is there a work around? Not really. The authorities that be are naturally concerned about making money and making as much as possible. So the chasing bunch will have to just work around this disadvantage each year?

Jez, Big Sams side took a Hammering today. Good to see Andy Reid doing his stuff!

[Shane Curran proposes new stadium that would be shared between Roscommon and Westmeath]

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2013/1217/493494-curran-proposes-new-shared-stadium/

Shane Curran proposes new stadium that would be shared between Roscommon and Westmeath



Former Roscommon goalkeeper Shane Curran has proposed a new stadium in Athlone to stage home matches for Westmeath and Roscommon that would include state of the art facilities to boost Gaelic Games in the region.
The project would incorporate a centre of excellence for use by both counties as well as underage structures to increase the number of children involved in the sports.
He made the suggestion in his column in the Westmeath Independent and told RTÉ's Drivetime this afternoon: "The key objective to what I'm proposing is the likes of Roscommon and Westmeath would come together to produce a plan that would give the people of the midlands and west region a creditable centre of excellent and a creditable stadium in which to play the game.
"When something like this is put out into the public domain, it is an emotive question because there is a lot of historical differences in the GAA through part-ownership.
"What we have to establish is whether there is a want for it, whether there is a need for it and a sober analysis of whether we can afford it or not."

Jez, must have been the worst game of anything I've watched in years....and a final. Best laugh was Cyril Farrell talking the game up at the end.

A bitta Trivia! Who was the last (and probably only) Captain to lift Sam upside down when accepting it after the final?

Well there you go. Well done to London. Hard to see past my native County! Should be a novel occasion.

[KIDS TOLD TO STAND DOWN FROM PLAYING G.A.A.]

Shared on Facebook by Darren Mulleady

KIDS TOLD TO STAND DOWN FROM PLAYING G.A.A.

This is a picture of my son Sean taken while playing wing back for Tang at schools final in Mullingar. Sean has always enjoyed playing football with his school and his club Maryland/Tang.
Sean has played U6,U8,U10,U12 and U14 with his club Maryland/Tang and was always proud to ware the jersey. Tang parish is in two counties,Longford and Westmeath. I married a girl from Tang and built our house in Tang parish. I got involved in the community of Tang, were I was always made welcomed. I was a member of Tang Muintir na Tire,Tang Folk Group and Tang G.A.A.
Eilish, Sean's mother was a Tang woman through and through, she was a member of Tang piped band,Tang G.A.A,Tang Folk Group,Tang St. Patrick's day committee. All she ever wanted was for her children to be happy. Sadly Eilish is no longer with us, she passed away in 2009.
I vowed that my kids would never go through something as cruel as that again and here I am now fighting for my son to play football for his club and his friends which he loves. Sean and other team mates has been playing football with Maryland/Tang club for the passed 7YEARS and never once was the broder issue ever raised to me.
Ballymahon club has never contacted me in any shape or form to see would Sean play with them.
The first time I heard of the border issue was back in January. We decided as a club to meet Ballymahon G.A.A along with parents of the children in question.
Tang's proposal to Ballymahon club stated, CHILDREN LIVING IN TANG PARISH FROM COUNY LONGFORD GOING TO TANG NATIONAL SCHOOL SHOULD HAVE THE CHOICE TO PLAY WITH TANG OR BALLYMAHON G.A.A CLUBS. Parents spoke their minds, told Ballymahon G.A.A. that their kids wanted to play with their friends in Mary/Tang.
I spoke for my son Sean, I told Ballymahon that I would not force my son Sean to play with Ballymahon G.A.A. I told Ballymahon that Sean is very sporty, he already plays soccer and has a Lenister silver medal for tag rugby. He has expressed interest in playing rugby, its now looking like an option, as Sean will NEVER play football for Ballymahon G.A.A club.
Tang's proposal I thought was a very fair proposal, it gave the children the choice to choose the club they wanted to play for.
This proposal was rejected by Ballymahon G.A.A.
The two County Boards of Longford and Westmeath meet last week to try and come to an agreement. A letter from the parents of the children in question was given to both county boards giving them the background of the situation and asking them to let our kids play football with their friends in Mary/Tang. No agreement was made so now its gone to the next stage Lenister Council. I hope that they can let the lads play football with the club of their choice. Children have rights, IT'S NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILDREN. TO ISOLATE THEM AND DENY THEM FROM PLAYING FOOTBALL. We are talking about children here for god sake. I'm appealing to Ballymahon G.A.A and officials in Croke Park to do right by the children. They should thank God that kids choose G.A.A over a lot of other sports. AS A FATHER I'M ASKING BALLYMAHON TO GIVE THE CHILDREN THE CHOICE AND NOT TO BULLY THEM INTO BALLYMAHON.
PLEASE CROKE PARK LIFT THE BAN AND LET THE KIDS PLAY FOOTBALL FOR THEIR CLUB THAT THEY LOVE SO MUCH WHICH IS MARYLAND/TANG.

[from Hogan stand]

Not often you get to put a English born Soccer player into the GAA discussion side.

from Hogan stand

''Sympathies to the family and friends of former Irish soccer international Tony Grealish. London-born, Tony was capped 45 times for his country and captained Brighton in the 1983 FA Cup final. But his first love was gaelic games and Tony played both GAA and soccer on the famous Wembley turf. His father Packie hailed from Athenry and was a founder-member of the St. Gabriels club. Gabriels won the London SHC in 2012 and, ironically, it took a late goal from John Grealish (a cousin of Tony's) to clinch the title. Tony's brother Brian played senior football for London. A tough, tackling midfielder, Tony died of cancer.''

Ar dheis De go raibh a anam