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I think you're missing the point a wee bit there in terms of the comparisons with Belfast and Dublin. You need to make a comparison between Belfast now and Dublin 10 years ago. 10 years ago Antrim were better than Dublin. In fact 10 years ago Derry were beating Dublin. Over a lengthy period of time in excess of 9 million euro has been pumped into Dublin Hurling. Yes...just Hurling. The increase in playing figures for Hurling could be tracked beside this investment and very very clearly Dublin's rise to the top of the Hurling world (or to the top table at least) can be attributed to this investment (along with a great deal of hard work). It wasn't club money that was put into developing Hurling in Dublin it was GAA money. Club membership fees therefore aren't really the thing that made the difference although i do agree that they wouldn't do any harm!

Judging by the problems that are apparent in Antrim there are similar trends throughout the province and as such this thread should really be titled 'Ulster Hurling'.

It's in a bad shape at the minute in terms of advancement. With the exception of Armagh, has any county in Ulster actually improved over the past 5 years? Antrim have stayed at pretty much the same level and have reached that dreaded glass ceiling. Something needs to be done to break that obstacle.

The Urban Games development that is being pushed by the GAA at the minute has picked out Belfast and Derry as two of the cities in need of development. I'm not sure what effect it is having in Belfast but I can tell you that recently two more coaches were emploed in Derry city to make a number of 10 ( ithink) full time coaches in the city council area. 9 are in football and the other works as a dual coach...don't really need to say more than that.

haha...those pints weren't a good idea before posting!!

somebody call the thread police...

please explain your comment?

Lads, I watched the fight there on Sat night and was pretty gutted at the resul. The worst ting is that Kahn is being a complete bollocks about the whole thing. He seems to be going on with the attitude that he outclassed Dudey. Any one that watched the fight would've seen that Kahn never troubled him apart from maybe one short period in the 4th. Even at that Dudey cam back no bother to him and the decision to stop the fight was a joke. Kahn maintains that Duedy wanted it stopped and even worse the BBC report on the fight said that Kahn was a bit embarrassed being presented the title. He doesn't look embarrassed in this pic (i wouldn't be one to use the Mail for anyting but i thought this pic said it all):

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1377700/Amir-Khan-beats-Paul-McCloskey-Manchester.html

How Kahn reckons Dudey wanted it stopped is beyond me. The man was ragin!

As soon as the doctor got in the ring Kahn ran over to the corner to get his gloves off. I would not contest that Kahn was winning on points whatsoever. He landed the most shots but that was only because Dudey's game plan wasn't to go for a points win.

I'm I being biased here or was it a very harsh call to stop the fight?

[I don't see why anyone would refer to them as a 'free stater' or anything when they can just say he's from Mayo, Cork etc etc.]

Can we still call the chocolate free state chocolate?? It is the only way to distinguish between the two dairy milks!

In all serious though, I have heard people referring to people from the 26 as 'free-staters' in a positive and negative way, if they don't like it don't use it. God knows we have many things we don't like being called and people should take the same attitude. To be honest though if someone was giving me a bit of shit about being 'british' and all that sort of craic and they were from the 26 (and it has happened), in order to fcuk them off i'd call them a 'west brit'...and rightly so if they have the cheek to undermine my Irishness.

With the people from the 26 i simply refer to them by whatever county they'd come from. I don't see why anyone would refer to them as a 'free stater' or anything when they can just say he's from Mayo, Cork etc etc.

Really? You can't think of any situation where you couldn't start listing the counties the people you are talking about are from?

No

Can we still call the chocolate free state chocolate?? It is the only way to distinguish between the two dairy milks!

In all serious though, I have heard people referring to people from the 26 as 'free-staters' in a positive and negative way, if they don't like it don't use it. God knows we have many things we don't like being called and people should take the same attitude. To be honest though if someone was giving me a bit of shit about being 'british' and all that sort of craic and they were from the 26 (and it has happened), in order to fcuk them off i'd call them a 'west brit'...and rightly so if they have the cheek to undermine my Irishness.

With the people from the 26 i simply refer to them by whatever county they'd come from. I don't see why anyone would refer to them as a 'free stater' or anything when they can just say he's from Mayo, Cork etc etc.

fcukin hell what an article. I know it's the Daily Mail but surely someone must have thought we can't print that..........hold on.....yeah.....its the daily mail........why does anyone in Ireland buy it (or its rather offensively entitled 'Irish Daily Mail'? oh yeah...the free CD..........that rags my shite!!!

There is very little buzz about the election at the minute. As was said there the DUP will try and reduce the influence of SF while the SDLP will continue to pick holes in SF to try and get their votes back.

I see the SDLP have already made a few moves in Derry. They have made 10 million available through the Dept of Social Development (led by SDLP minister attwood) and have also transferred jobs to Derry from the DSD office in Belfast.

It will only get interesting if peopel like Eamonn McCann can get elected. Then we'd have a bit of a shake up.

But other than that it is pretty mundane- you either vote SDLP or SF if a nationalist and vote unionist from a selection if unionist and of course you ahve the middle of the road option in the alliance. Maybe this is one of the reasons why us in the 6 counties have taking such a keen interest in the 26 county elections. They are proper elections with proper debates and all that goes with it. And of course SF are in them 

Classy move.

Well I dont really understand them young fella. Can you make sense of them?

I'm no great shakes with deciphering codes but they seem to be aiming the accusation that you'are a bit of a gobshite...i may be wrong...

I agree with the 3 tier system from earlier. Down and Tyrone are a class above the rest in my opinion. It is difficult to assess the others to be honest as they are pretty much all in transition. Down and Tyrone are the only two with a settled team. Armagh can't be judged without the Cross lads. Derry have so many lads out injured and Donegal are a young side but i think out of the second tier they have shown the most potential so far and look more capable of challenging for Ulster come the summer.

I don't really see how the Banty factor diminishes Monaghan's chances to be honest. He hardly won much with them. In championship he won nothing.

Antrim are better than Cavan and Fermanagh, but still don't think they are capable of getting a win in c'ship over the other 6.

Kerry Mike...Gerry Adams will take the average industrial wage in the 26 and the rest will go to the party. All SF reps do this.

Yes but we still have to pay them the full wage, would it not be better PR for SF to take the minimum wage which is a great idea and leave the rest in the coffers of the cash strapped country.

It isn't the minimum wage, it is the average industrial wage. As far as I'm aware one of SF's policies is to reduce the salaries of TDs, ministers and the Taoiseach significantly to free up some money for the public finances. Pearse Doherty debated about it on one of the election programmes but didn't get a huge amount of support from the other parties (mainly FF and FG). The argument against reducing the wage by too much is that you will find it difficult to attract the high fliers to the job. The way SF works though is that all paid employees of the party get the same wage. So they money that Adams etc. gives to the party comes back out in wages for people like drivers etc. So theoretically the driver of a SF rep is paid the same as the President of the party. The rest of the money would go to publicity and election campaigns etc.

Ok, found out. They would sell the rivets in a motor factors. They are 3/16 pop rivets. An you need a rivetor to put them in.

[rashins]

my auld boy told me about when he was young and the war rashins were still in place, every sunday of life they would drive to the point and get the boat to carlingford and stock up, as soon as they landed back in the point, customs were waiting for them, his aul doll told him and the 4 siblings to run in different directions with the merchandise.

Fully grown men caught wearing 5 pairs of tights and a pound of butter rammed down there for good measure 

Is this some form of special bacon ration? 

Kerry Mike...Gerry Adams will take the average industrial wage in the 26 and the rest will go to the party. All SF reps do this.

The Orange Orders rules highleights it as specifically sectarian. There would be no point in inclusion as you simply cannot become a member if you are a Catholic or are married to a Catholic. I'm sure they would be open to all other non-catholic ethnic minorities...

The GAA is aiming for inclusivity. I would like to see it where the level of acceptance of Rugby within nationalist communities could be replicated in unionist communities for the GAA. It is great to see the use of the traditional 'Ulster' flag (with the de Burgh cross) in greater numbers as opposed to simpkly the 'northern Irish provincial' flag.

That is not the Northern Irish provincial flag but the Unofficial Flag of the old Northern Ireland Parliament before it was prorogued in 1972. It has no constitutional basis but has been adopted by Loyalists.

Did you not see the inverted commas???