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I'm looking for lads with season tickets that aren't going to the match Sunday to pass on ur tickets, save the family a few quid
Cheers

How is there nothing on this already? The man is facing a 12 week ban for pushing a ref and theres not a word about it.

The two lads on the Sunday Game with to town on him last nite, was very surprised Jimbo Gavin hadn't managed to get Ciaran Whelan and some other lackie on to tell us that the bould Connolly was just moving a fly that was resting on the linesman top. Dessie did his level best to suggest that there was nothing in it but he needs to go back to Jim's PR classes because Spillane in particular made bits of his flimsy defence.

So how will the Dubs get out of this one? Maybe draft in Brolly?

https://www.sportsjoe.ie/gaa/watch-diarmuid-connollys-infamous-temper-gets-better-125750

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/watch-diarmuid-connolly-could-face-lengthy-ban-for-incident-with-linesman-35785327.html

Anyone know the process for the next dail? Each party nominates a Taoiseach but unless FF vote for Enda then there's no majority, how does a minority government come about?

Anyone else listen to this? Addictive stuff.

I think there's two many holes in his story, the phone records back up Jays story in the main. I also don't buy that he wouldn't remember what happened the day his ex girlfriend went missing and the cops rang him

Probably the best written piece in print at the minute, always spot on.
This week its the Armagh - Tyrone melee

The authorities must condemn them. Managers can't condone them. The media has to tut-tut away and decide that they're the worst thing to happen since the last worst thing. But really and truly, if everybody's honest about it, a melee on a football pitch isn't that big a deal. In fact, most people enjoy one every now and then.

Okay, they don't look great but they're almost never that serious and it's very rare that anyone gets hurt. They happen so quickly and they're over within a few seconds so there's no time to do any damage. Or have any damage done to you, for that matter. So it's pointless making out that anyone's ever in big physical danger.

The point of a melee is never to go and hurt someone. It's much more about mindset and purpose and getting the upper hand mentally. It's about making a stand, sending out a message. We're not going to be bullied here today.

It isn't all aimed at the opposition either. A bit of a melee early on gets your own players pumped. It gets the blood flowing. It tells fellas that this is a day for everybody to get involved. We'll all play football in a while but this is what we're doing now. Join in and don't be slow about it.

The breakdown of a melee is always worth looking out for. You see a lot of the same characters playing a lot of the same roles. Any melee usually starts with two fellas wrestling on the ground. One has the other in a headlock and down they go. No punch is thrown yet because the two boys are isolated. Throw a punch at that point and the linesman might decide to make a name for himself. You don't want that.

The next bit is all about who joins in. Fellas come from miles around. Some of them are nearly out of breath by the time they get there. The odd lad will be thinking of giving it a miss but once his marker heads off in that direction, he know he'll be in trouble later on with his own team-mates if he doesn't go as well. He's often the fella seen sprinting in, not because he's out for blood but because he was slow off the mark in the first place.

For others, it will be time for a surgical strike. Very few melees come without a bit of history attached. It could go back years but, like the saying goes, you know not the day nor the hour. All of a sudden when a row starts, a couple of fellas will be craning their necks to see where certain members of the opposition are.

Good distance
If you watch the Armagh-Tyrone row from Sunday, Ciarán McKeever lined up Seán Cavanagh from a good distance away. Most lads were pushing and pulling out of whoever was nearest to them and moving on to different fellas over the course of the few seconds it lasted. McKeever saw Cavanagh pulling two Armagh jerseys off the pile and came straight for him and only him.

Watch it to the end – it takes a few lads from either side to make him let go of Cavanagh's shirt. That wouldn't be Seán Cavanagh's scene at all. He's the talisman, he doesn't need the hassle of getting caught up in that kind of thing early in a game. McKeever knew he'd get full value out of the skirmish because in that sort of scenario you're hiding in plain sight.

Then you'll have the peacemakers. There are two kinds of peacemakers. The first is the lad who genuinely thinks this is all a waste of time and just wants to get on with the game. He'll be rolling his eyes and pulling his men away and trying to send everyone back to their corners.

The other kind of peacemaker is the one who's trying to lick up to the referee. He's probably spent the game leaving in a few late tackles, crying for frees every couple of minutes, living on the edge. But he sees this as his chance to show the ref what a good, solid citizen he is. "Ah come now lads, enough's enough. Let's play football lads, let's play football." All shouted good and loud so the referee can hear him, so that the next tackle he puts in, the ref might think twice about booking him.

Quiet psychopath
The one fella you have to keep an eye out for is the quiet psychopath. Some fellas will be shaping, some fellas will be getting involved just to be part of it or out of duty. Not this man. He's a serious operator and he's going to get value for money here. He won't throw a big punch and get himself sent off but when there's wrestling going on on the ground, he's the one with his arm pressed down on a fella's neck. It might only be for a few seconds but he'll go back to his position with his point made.

The International Rules games were notorious for melees. You always knew going into them that somewhere along the way, this was going to erupt. The year they went after Graham Geraghty, I remember Paul Galvin saying to me afterwards that he was certain something was going to happen even as we were just walking in the parade.

Bad manners
The Aussies were roaring over at Geraghty and he was giving plenty of bad manners back. Meanwhile Paul was walking behind him going: "Christ, this fella's going to get us killed!"

Now Paul would be well fit for it and well-conditioned but it's one thing getting into a scrap that breaks out spontaneously. It's another walking around in the parade knowing that it was Queensbury Rules stuff that was on the cards.

One year I ended up marking Barry Hall for a while. We were playing down in front of Stephen Cluxton and big Barry ran into Cluxton at one stage and the two boys had words. Nothing to do with me – or so I thought. But Cluxton wouldn't shut up. He kept at him, kept mouthing away.

Now, if I was out the middle of the field away from all this, I'd have been thinking: 'Good man Clucko, give him yards of it". But I was standing beside all 6ft 5in of Barry Hall who I remembered reading somewhere was a trained boxer.

I looked at Barry and could see that his nose had been through a boxer's life. Not good. I turned to Cluxton and told him very politely to pipe down. I don't mind taking a hiding but at least let it be for something I've done myself!

In the end, a bit of intimidation is far more of a mental thing than a physical thing. Most teams are the physical match of each other, most of them are conditioned to be able to take and give hits.

But on a certain level, it's about cranking up the intensity to the point where you throw the other side off their game. This is your plan, not their plan. And as soon as you start a melee, the other side can't just walk away from it. They have to front up to it. Just like that, the game is being played on your terms.

That stuff on Sunday suited Armagh down to the ground. Once upon a time, it would have been like poking a bear trying that against Tyrone but not these days. Conor Gormley wasn't on the pitch at the start of the game, Joe McMahon wasn't around either. This was Armagh's chance to set the tone and bully a team with a load of young lads on it.

They took it and it worked a treat. It won't work every day but it was perfect for this game. We can wag our fingers all we want but that's the reality of it.

Be bullied
Of course, it's all very macho. But it doesn't always work out the way you plan it. I remember an International Rules game in Croke Park where we talked in the dressing room about the old Willie John McBride 99 call. It was half-time and things were getting a bit tasty and Kieran McGeeney said: "Look, we're not going to be bullied by these fellas." If it was going to start, it was going to be one-in, all-in.

Lo and behold, Brendan Jer O'Sullivan from Cork found himself being set upon by two Aussies underneath the Cusack Stand in the second half. But none of us saw it, we were all following the play. Poor Brendan Jer was giving as good as he was getting against these two lads and in his head he was counting the seconds until the all-in part of the plan kicked into action.

And he waited. And he waited. No posse. No 99 call. He came into the dressing room afterwards going – "so much for the cavalry, lads". And most of us looked at him with blank faces. Half of us didn't know anything had even happened.

Armagh weren't leaving that to chance on Sunday, just as they didn't leave it to chance against Cavan. The idea wasn't to take anybody out, it was more about drawing a line in the sand and setting a tone for the day. We're here, we're mad for action and ye lads better start asking yourselves how much of this ye can take. Cavan didn't want a whole pile to do with it, Tyrone didn't either.

It's obviously rehearsed. There has obviously been a discussion about it beforehand. Maybe we're supposed to believe it's a coincidence that in four Armagh games so far this summer, two have started with an all-in melee. If you believe that . . .

Both times
But I don't think it's anything to be overly ashamed of either. It worked both times. They beat Cavan, they beat Tyrone. Their supporters – who haven't been all that gone on the Armagh team for the past few years – got behind them because, rightly or wrongly, a good row at the start of a game makes people believe these players are prepared to go to war. Even if it's only pulling and dragging, it looks like fellas putting their bodies on the line and it gets people riled up.

Saw this in the times today, cant say its a rule I've ever heard of and hard to see how its enforced
E.g. if you fall and the ball rolls out of your hands are you still allowed palm it to the goal?
How long do you have? If you are fisting it presumably you have to take both hands off it.


We hardly need to say it, but touching the football on the ground with the hand is a foul in Gaelic football.

There are, however, two exceptions: one for the goalkeeper when they are inside the small square (or rectangle to be exact.

The second exception is Rule 1.2(ii): Any player who falls or is knocked to the ground while in possession of the ball may fist or palm the ball away on the ground, and may score by doing so."

How come then, whenever a player falls to the ground with the football and touches it off the ground, the immediately referee blows for a free?

Every referee does it.

It happened in yesterday's Connacht decider.

It happens every week.

WTF?? 

From the Irish Times


Yoga putting 'souls in jeopardy', Donegal priest warns

Fr Padraig O'Baoill also cautions parishioners over 'contemptible' tai chi and Reiki

A parish priest in Co Donegal has described yoga and other disciplines such as tai chi and Reiki as "contemptible".

Fr Padraig O'Baoill made his comments in the latest issue of the Gaoth Dobhair parish newsletter.

"As followers of Jesus Christ we should not partake in deeds that go against our religion," he wrote.

Mindfulness: Buddhism without the spiritual bits
Stretching in popularity
New age rubbish posing as an accessible alternative to old-school religion

"Accordingly, you should do not take part in yoga, thai chai or Reiki...Do not put your soul in jeopardy for the sake of these contemptible things."

A local yoga teacher said Fr O'Baoill's stance and advice to his parishioners was "ignorant.'

Sean O'Tuathalain, who runs the Yoga Centre in Letterkenny, said he would love to meet Fr O'Baoill to try to understand why he was urging people not to take part in yoga.

"I have to say that this advice appears to me to be coming from a position of ignorance," he said.

"However, I think priests in general are skeptical of yoga and Reiki. I can understand where they are coming from but I think they need to find out more about these subjects."

Mr O'Tuathalain suggested that many people in Ireland turned to yoga after the scandal of clerical sexual abuse emerged.

"I know priests such as Fr O'Baoill may feel that yoga may have Hindu connections. But people in Ireland do not practice yoga for religious reasons. They practice it to find inner strength and inner peace and many people have done so," he said.

Fr O'Baoill, who is currently in Lourdes, has said he will give reasons for his writings in the parish newsletter when he returns.

Wondering who this new lad is?
Clearly an existing poster who is obsessed with Syferus and the rubbish he spouts

Is done as a rossie but refers to them as "ye".
My money is on larryin89

Good article on off the ball about this where they had the ref on where he said there was f**k all fighting and he sent off the four lads he saw striking. He went on to say he received a death threat from "the Laois Trio", which he read out, said he'd get the same thing as the lads in the north, the bullet and not to travel alone, them seemed to have a particular fixation on his car.
Then they had on Kevin O'Brien who said he saw nothing and some Laois lad who basically claimed Laois did nothing wrong and was very bitter, he was the real comedy of the piece. Well worth a listen, its on the off the ball gaa podcast

Sad story from 2012 seems to have come to a sad close. Its hard to say how many of us wouldnt do the same thing if we made the initial mistake of driving off, you'd hope you'd have the guts to own up but without ever being in the situation you can never say for sure.
By the sounds of it he was coming home from a nite out, over the limit possibly and paniked.

Hopefully it'll give some manner of closure to his family
RIP


http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/in-brief-man-held-over-death-30005379.html
In brief: Man held over death

13 February 2014

A MAN has appeared in a London court in connection with the death of a father of four in an alleged hit-and-run in Kerry almost two years ago.

Shane Fitzgerald (21), originally from Co Cork, was arrested by UK police at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday and is being held in London pending his extradition. Paud O'Leary (42), Leamyglissane, Gneeveguilla, Co Kerry, was killed at Scrahanfadda after an alleged hit-and-run near his home as he trained for a charity cycle in 2012.



http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/cyclist-paudie-oleary-was-killed-by-grey-4x4-26871977.html

Cyclist Paudie O'Leary was killed by grey 4x4

Majella O'Sullivan– 04 July 2012

GARDAI are satisfied that a cyclist who was killed in a hit- and-run collision on Sunday morning had been struck by a grey Toyota 4x4.
However, the identity of the driver remains unknown.

The remains of Paud O'Leary (42) were removed from his home in Bridgeview, Leam, Gneeveguilla last night to the Church of the Holy Rosary in the east Kerry village, where his funeral will take place today.

The father of four had been out cycling on Sunday morning in training for a charity cycle.

The accident happened some time between 8am and 10am.

Last night gardai in Kanturk, Co Cork, investigating the accident confirmed that they were now satisfied as to the make and colour of the vehicle that was driven away from the scene after the accident at Scrahanfadda, Gneeveguilla on the Killarney road.

"We still don't have any idea of the registration of the vehicle or the year but we would be delighted to hear from the owner or anyone who might know someone with a jeep that matches this description that has some damage to the front of it," said Garda Inspector Gerry Lacey, who is heading the investigation.

Inspector Lacey added that the front of the vehicle would have been significantly damaged on impact and he appealed to garage owners to be vigilant.

Last night members of a local GAA club formed a guard of honour as the cyclist's body was brought to the church.

Mr O'Leary is survived by his wife Maggie, children Shannon, Antoinette, Paudie and Ross, parents and brothers and sisters.


http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/gardai-release-detail-of-hit-and-run-vehicle-199957.html

Gardaí release detail of hit-and-run vehicle

Saturday, July 07, 2012

By Eoin English

Gardaí investigating a fatal hit-and-run in Co Kerry are closing in on the driver after identifying the exact type of vehicle involved.
They appealed last night for anyone with information about a charcoal grey Toyota Land Cruiser, with a registration year between 2002 and 2010 and with unexplained damage to the front right side, to contact them.

They also renewed their appeal for the driver of the vehicle involved in last Sunday's incident to come forward. "We are very anxious to speak to the driver of the vehicle," said Insp Gerry Lacey.

"If this is a person who left the scene in a panic, then it is still not too late for them to come forward to us."

Father of four Paud O'Leary, 42, died after being knocked down as he cycled from Killarney to Gneeveguilla between 8am and 10am on Sunday, in the townland of Scrahanfadda.

From Leamyglissane, Gneeveguilla, Mr O'Leary was from a well-known family with strong GAA connections. He played with Gneeveguilla and was trainer of the Gneeveguilla/Rathmore ladies team.

He was in training for this weekend's Ring of Kerry charity cycle.

Insp Lacey said detectives belive the vehicle involved would have sustained damage to the front right-hand side, with damage visible to its bumper, lights, or right wing.

He appealed for anyone who saw such a vehicle on the road from Killarney to Gneeveguilla in the early hours of last Sunday or people in the motor trade who may have been approached for parts or repairs on such a vehicle in recent days, to contact Kanturk Garda Station on 029 20680.

Anyone know how to copy a photo from Flickr?

I was also looking to copy a photo from an album where there is no option to save as a jpeg, rather a blank gif, any ideas?

A win here, and that's what I'd expect, should mean definitely status retained and probably a semi final.
This was an entertaining match last year but without Clarke down don't look the same team, Donegal beating cork has really screwed them in their relegation battle.

Would like to see AOS and Barry Moran given another go, Doc moved into the FF line, prob for Conor based on last Saturday nite. Would also like to see Keane moved into full back for a game, he'll be there for the Dublin match and a bit of experience there would do no harm. Having said that Caff should be ideal for Benny C, if he's playing FF

Unsubstantiated rumour going around Ballotelli has paid all outstanding fines at Manchester Uni's library. Here's a few of his best

-Survived a usually fatal disease at birth• £10,000 in parking fines.
• Car has been impounded 27 times.
• £300,000 fine for throwing darts at the youth team.
• Won £25,000 in a casino, gave £1,000 to a tr**p outside the casino.
• Threw tomatoes at a Serie A manager.
• Threw Water Balloons at a Serie A disciplinary hearing.
• Started a fight with 4 bouncers after breaking the "no touching" rule at a strip club.
• The "bib" saga.
• Had a £120,000 Audi imported, wrote it off within a week.
• Had his friend approached girls in a nightclub and say "Balotelli will see you now"
• Sent to the shops by his mother to buy essentials for the house, came back with a giant trampoline and a Vespa and a Scalectrix.
• Has started fights at training with Kompany, Boateng, Tevez and Richards.
• Was frequently seen at the AC Milan superstore while playing for Inter Milan
.• Went on TV wearing an AC Milan shirt with his name on the back while playing for Inter.
• Whilst playing for Italy under 21's, he is fouled, he sits on the pitch for 3-4 minutes ignoring the opposition, his team mates and the referee
.• He is then offended when he gets sent off and protests about it.
• Winks at Ferdinand after FA cup semi final and celebrates in front of the United fans
.• After the cup final on live TV, he says " I have been sh*t this season, am I allowed say sh*t on TV?
• Was stopped by police going around his hometown of Hulme with £ 25,000 cash in the passenger seat. When asked why he replied " because I'm rich"
• Had to be physically hauled away by Zanetti for refusing to let Samuel Eto'o take a penalty that he had earned.
• Once broke up with a girlfriend via text whilst she was presenting a live show
.• Slept with an Italian model while his girlfriend was downstairs
.• Drove his car into a women's prison because he wanted to "look around"
• Has connections with the Italian mafia, he has testified in court at a Mafia trial
.• Brought his Ipad on to the bench for Italy's international against the Faroe Islands because he wanted to play games on it
.• Was seen in a Manchester shopping centre "hi-fiving" city fans the day after City had beaten United 6-1
.• Became the face of a firework safety campaign a few days after setting his house on fire from letting off fireworks indoors.
• Hands £50 notes to strangers when out shopping in Manchester
.• Chanted "Rooney, Rooney" at the prostitute who claimed to have slept with Wayne Rooney.
• Italy had just brought out a brand new home kit, at the start of the second half for their first match wearing the new kit, Balotelli came out in the old kit, claiming he didn't like the new one. Nobody else had changed.
• Turned the landscaped back garden of his house into a Quad bike track
• Went to a local school with a young lad and his mother to confront a bully after seeing the lad looking for an autograph after training on a school day

You know what I'm talking about, no music, a snug, no metal fittings, wooden floor and when you ask for a pint they either know you or assume its a pint of guinness you're looking for, a pub pub as I call it, where you go in with a few lads for a chat and you just arrange to see them there but no specified time.

Ballina: Doherty's down by the bridge, a lovely pint and nice and quiet.

Dublin: Cassidys beside the bleeding horse, the long hall on George's st, Slatterys Rathmines and to a lesser extent Kehoes, O'Donohue's baggot st, Nearys.

Cork: some great pubs but the Hi-B, mutton lane inn, castle bar/inn and the oval all in town and the south county and O'Sullivan's in Douglas.

Same as the others.

1 The national - terrible love
2 Stone Roses - I am the resurrection
3 arcade Fire - intervention
4 Lana Del Rey - video games
5 Snow Patrol - this isn't everything you are

Billy feel free to take control or I can do it if you want.
Same as the films, 1st gets 5 points then on down

Either way my top 5

1 The National - high violet
2 Stones Roses- Stone roses
3 Arcade Fire- Neon bible
4 U2 - Actung Baby
5 Johnny Cash - Live at Folsom

So greatstufftv.com is gone, any suggestions for a good place to watch tv shows?

Anyone watching this?
Early doors it looks
Like your man from Louth, they had to warn him that professionals weren't allowed. Blonde bird the first nite looked handy as well. Was surprised that only about 50% of the contestants seemed to be originally from Ireland.
Thought your man in the cook off the first nite, Pearce, seemed hard done by, looked like he was through for sure

Anyone know enough about the WBF title to tell me how it rates against Irelands other world champions?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v86C9LZHBI4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Jason Statham goes to town on a couple of lads with a camann