Messages

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GAA Discussion / Re: Sam Maguire Group 2 - Galway, Armagh, Tyrone, Westmeath

« on: June 05, 2023, 11:41:32 PM »

Why? With the attendances to date in this round robin anything that can hold over 10k should be in play, you'd get 11,500 in Mullingar, a likely sell out and a venue that's equidistant between the counties. 
Breffni is far more advantageous for Armagh, I wouldn't dream of proposing the Hyde as it would be so unfair on Armagh but why should Galway have to take their medicine on pitch location?

I'm not objecting to Mullingar, who exactly is?

You just said it was too small?!

If the capacity really is 11500, then it will do, but grounds nowadays often turn out to have less capacity than we thought they had.

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GAA Discussion / Re: Sam Maguire Group 2 - Galway, Armagh, Tyrone, Westmeath

« on: June 05, 2023, 11:18:13 PM »

Why? With the attendances to date in this round robin anything that can hold over 10k should be in play, you'd get 11,500 in Mullingar, a likely sell out and a venue that's equidistant between the counties. 
Breffni is far more advantageous for Armagh, I wouldn't dream of proposing the Hyde as it would be so unfair on Armagh but why should Galway have to take their medicine on pitch location?

I'm not objecting to Mullingar, who exactly is?

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GAA Discussion / Re: Sam Maguire Group 2 - Galway, Armagh, Tyrone, Westmeath

« on: June 05, 2023, 10:46:27 PM »

Wouldn’t be happy with Breffni as a venue, a joke for Galway really given the travel distance compared to the opposition. Anywhere in South Armagh about an hour away, it’s two hours from Tuam and as for travelling from West Galway forget it. I don’t want to hear about the size of the Galway support base and how many might travel either way, this is an advantage that shouldn’t be given in terms of venue access to Armagh.

What do you propose? Having it in the Hyde, that would advantage Galway just as much? Longford and Mullingar simply are too small.

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GAA Discussion / Re: Sam Maguire Group 2 - Galway, Armagh, Tyrone, Westmeath

« on: June 05, 2023, 10:31:35 PM »

Croke Park for a dead rubber? Doubt it. I think Armagh have accepted our fate as a 3rd seed (if all goes well), and as much as Armagh fans love a jolly, a CP fixture at this stage might feel like getting squeezed for the coin

Playing devils advocate, it takes 15 minutes longer to drive to Dublin than Cavan from both Galway and Armagh cities. Then there are trains and buses and the like, whereas Cavan hasn't had a train from Armagh since 30 September 1957. The admission fee may not be any different, but the quality of the seat will be better. The atmosphere wouldn't be the best though.

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General discussion / Re: UK pensions

« on: June 05, 2023, 09:58:52 PM »

I'd echo that. I did six years in London. With an investment of 1500 now I'll get about 107 sterling a week compliments of the Crown. I'm happy with that return

How so little?  It's telling me I have to pay £800 odd per year - not sure the sums add up at that rate.  What is the minimum pension, based on achieving the bare 10 years?

There are two categories, one pays around £300 the the other £900. If you were working and then left the UK you get to pay the lower amount, which is a complete no brainer. If you have to pay the £900 it is a good deal, if you live long, but not quite brilliant, as many Irish people with the cash in hand will end up paying 40% tax on this.

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General discussion / Re: Working on a bank holiday

« on: June 05, 2023, 02:19:45 PM »

Another reason for a UI. As long as we don't lose the existing bank holidays...

The 12th of July will be moved to the 19th of November.

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GAA Discussion / Re: What do you think of the new championship structure so far ?

« on: June 05, 2023, 01:35:57 PM »

3 provincial finalists and Westmeath prop up the tables after 2 rounds

https://www.rte.ie/sport/results/gaa/2023/6342/tables/

You'd expect previous year Tailteann winners to be around the bottom. The others reflect dysfunctional provinces, although Kildare are especially disgraceful given the size of the county.

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GAA Discussion / Re: What do you think of the new championship structure so far ?

« on: June 04, 2023, 11:57:08 PM »

This country has an obsession with going to the beach when its above 12 degrees and sunny so that might play a factor in atteandances this weekend.

Some of the pitches had more sand than many Irish beaches.

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GAA Discussion / Re: What do you think of the new championship structure so far ?

« on: June 04, 2023, 05:06:21 PM »

Attendances have been shocking across the board of the warmest week of the year.

An 8000 attendance at Derry v Donegal is poor. Where are all those hustling for Ulster final tickets now?

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GAA Discussion / Re: Sam Maguire Group 1 - Kerry, Louth, Mayo, Cork

« on: June 04, 2023, 05:03:23 PM »

Totally agree , I don’t get where it’s coming from , we are a pale shadow of the 13-17 team .

Recent SAM winners like Kerry, Dublin and Tyrone have shown no form either, all are a shadow on the 13-17 team.

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GAA Discussion / Re: Sam Maguire Group 2 - Galway, Armagh, Tyrone, Westmeath

« on: June 04, 2023, 03:16:48 PM »

Not a fan of the non knock out system. To me the game had the feeling of a dead rubber with each team taking notions at times.

That may reflect the uselessness of the teams as much as anything. It seems to me that a home preliminary QF is worth some effort.

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GAA Discussion / Re: What do you think of the new championship structure so far ?

« on: June 04, 2023, 03:12:22 PM »

Difficult to get too excited about any of it.

We all know what we currently have is temporary. We all know it’s just another intermediate phase on the road to where we inevitably end up.

Eventually, we’ll land on a three-tiered system, with full integration of League and Championship, and the compete depreciation of the provincial championship. This will be a roaring success and we’ll all wonder why it took so long.

It’s just a shame we have to spend these years pissing about to prove concepts and bring enough traditionalists onboard.

But what will be different in this new system? Will there only a league? Or will there be a league and something like what we have now and how will that be better than what we have this year?

In the present system 3 teams may go through, but getting though to the QF seems a worthwhile prize for topping the group and a home game seems a worthy objective for aiming for second place. THere is a significant difference between having Cork or Kildare at home rather than Kerry away.

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GAA Discussion / Re: Tyrone vs Armagh - 3rd June 7pm - Healy Park, Omagh.

« on: June 04, 2023, 03:02:34 PM »

Nothing wrong with a county that had no All Irelands at the turn of this century, marking their 4 in 20 odd years on their jersey. Little to be worried about in the GAA if that’s the ‘most ridiculous thing’ in it. Meath have also done it in the past.

Quite. Probably the last county to get their name on Sam that will ever win it.

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GAA Discussion / Re: Sam Maguire Group 1 - Kerry, Louth, Mayo, Cork

« on: June 04, 2023, 03:00:41 PM »

McHale park pitch in poor shape. What's the story there?

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GAA Discussion / Re: Sam Maguire Group 1 - Kerry, Louth, Mayo, Cork

« on: June 03, 2023, 04:22:25 PM »

The very small attendance shows that the GAA needs to price these games much lower to encourage higher attendance

It is question of competition, look at the hurling crowds. If competition is good then the price is no object.