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 And Ger Loughnane thought the Clare County Board were bad. Welcome to real cowboy country Ger

 Are Tipp and Sligo not playing this year?

Watch Galway v Derry and those nice nice odds...hmmm beeer.

 SS firstly I know nothing of the real story and  seeondly am a fan of Humphries but that doesn't mean I always agree with him.

That article reads very well and I wouldn't get the impression that the problem was easily solved reading it. More that the main players would rather have a nervous joke about the whole thing and be happy to move on. That story probably needs a thesis to cover all the angles while Humphries was given maybe 1,500 words.

I said:

I have seen it at Bord nA nOg level for years where potentially great footballers have left GAA to pursue other sports.

Muppet said:

The O'Byrne cup today had 7,000 at it. Mayo v Sligo IT had 3,000 at it. That's the warm up competitions for the warm up competition. The paranoia is astonishing.

Its not paranoia muppet. Im my early 20's. When I was U-10 we got to a Connaught Semi final community games and we had over 25 players on the panel. Today just two players are left from that whole panel that are playing either senior of junior for our club.

How can you say its paranoia when the reason for the dropout of players is because they went playing soccer?

The paranoia is astonishing? More like you ignorance. Dont try and tell me that im paranoid when im speaking from experience.

If you think that any sport will carry U-10 squad numbers of 25 all the way to senior then maybe you are the one who is ignorant. The vast majority of kids will try their hands at sports so you will always get high numbers at that age. I serious doubt if all your 24 fellow U-10s are playing serious soccer now. Are you talking about indoor which hardly counts?

Do you think you are the only experienced person here at the age of 25? I'm in my late 30's so please don't patronise me with your experience.   

At the end of the day the main problem and fear is that the FAI and the IRFU will see the opening up of Croke Park as a more triumphant occasion for them rather than it being a good gesture on the GAAs behalf.

Is that seriously the main problem? Though they come homeless and paying lots of money that they might not be grateful enough is the main problem? Imagine if they enjoy it, heaven forbid!

Like it or lump it we are in competition with them for players. I have seen it at Bord nA nOg level for years where potentially great footballers have left GAA to pursue other sports.

The O'Byrne cup today had 7,000 at it. Mayo v Sligo IT had 3,000 at it. That's the warm up competitions for the warm up competition. The paranoia is astonishing.

The Gaa has never been stronger and there are many reasons for that. The vision of those who went ahead with developing Croker in the first place. Allowing TV coverage of provincial games, then of all games. It seems hard to believe now but there were high ranking officials who said it would kill attendances. As long as the Gaa keeps moving forward and doesn't get stuck in some idealogical rut it will remain by far the premier sporting organisation in this country.

Aside from the usual vitriol and accusations of backwoodsmen and liberal bigots ( that's a new one on me surely it is an oxymoron? ) let's have a quick look at Mr. Grennan's argument.

" The Gaa has sold out on it's principles by opening Croke Park ". Fair enough allegation given the highly emotive issue at stake but how does Mr. Grennan elaborate on this position.

He goes on to say that the motion passed is not being adhered to. That is not established as a fact, it is merely a matter of opinion and he finds himself at odds with the opinions of those responsible for interpreting the motion.

"If I have nothing better to do, I might - it all depends on the day. I have no particular interest in rugby. People who don't see fit to play our national anthem at all times do nothing for me"

His lack of interest in rugby is of no consequence however the National Anthem statement is beyond absurd. Even allowing for the fact that the sentence was not exactly what he meant to say as spotted by AZOffaly it is still idiotic. Do Irish people have to play the National Anthem everytime it is perceived that they are representing their country or is it only in sport?

" People are beginning to see now that not only have we been sold a pup, we have been sold a whole litter. The motion (regarding opening Croke Park) as passed by 2005 Congress is not being adhered to. Work has not started on Lansdowne Road, yet, we're opening Croke Park for rugby and soccer ". The pup being of course that they won't bother developing it now that Croker is available.

" We're giving away our best asset to other people to generate money to either help pay their share of the Lansdowne Road redevelopment or promote their sports. " What Lansdowne Road development? Wasn't that the pup. As for promoting their own sports they don't need Gaa help as been pointed out by other posters, this deal will probably cost them money particularly if the fortunes of the soccer team continue in freefall. Croker could be very expensive with a small crowd. 

" I believe we should be promoting our games, not those of our rivals. By opening Croke Park, we're promoting their sports and raising finance for them to do so. The GAA will make money from opening Croke Park but rugby and soccer will make five times as much. There no point making a pound for yourself and five or six for the other fella. "

" Nobody in business is doing that so why are we " . This is complete rubbish. Venues are rented time and time again without the owners trying to put the tenants out of business or vice versa.

Then he changes tack completely and comes out with the following:

" It's just a question of where they're being played. Anybody who plays Gaelic Games should have a prospect of playing in Croke Park. At the moment they don't, yet we're allowing other sports in. If you play soccer for the 26 counties - not for Ireland because it's a partitionist situation - you'll get into Croke Park but not all GAA players can. We should be looking after our own first. "

This really makes me angry. The U-21 finals and Hogan Cup finals are no longer held in Croker. The Ros - Kerry replay wasn't held in Croker, why? Because it costs too much to open it. Grennan is completely misrepresenting this argument about the poor Gaa players not getting in because of rugby or soccer. All Gaa players don't play in Croker because the Gaa don't let them, end of story. He is right we should be looking after our own and those games should have been played in Croker, but is the fault of people like the Ulster Council chairman Michael Greenan, who is also a vice-president of the GAA and a member of the GAA's high-powered Management Committee that they aren't.

  "How many training sessions do All-Ireland final teams get in Croke Park? One if they're lucky and even then they are restricted in what they can do but the Irish rugby team has five sessions. Was that the motion we passed? They get five sessions and our own people get one and in many cases none at all. Where are we going? Are we being fair to our own? No, is the answer."

The Mayo County Board parted company with their most successful ever hurling manager amid rumours that he had too many training sessions. When the Mayo minor team lost the Connacht final last year it was considered amazing that they had no 'official' friendlies before their All-Ireland quarter final game with Kerry. More rumours. The IRFU and the FAI will pay handsomely for Croker. Whinging on one hand about the poor Gaa players not getting their chance while shafting them on the other hand just doesn't stand up as an argument.

" The net effect is that the Government is going to build a stadium for non-GAA sports. "

"They gave a few pounds to the GAA and both they and we were criticised for it. The Government are effectively building a stadium for the two biggest professional sporting organisations in the country and in the meantime the GAA has to accommodate them "

A few pounds? I'd love if Grennan gave me a few pounds like that. Actually can I have a few tickets as well?
By accepting the 'few pounds' the Gaa were left with nowhere to go.

I have tried hard to see what principles of the Gaa Grennan identified as being sold. If it is that Gaa players should have more access to Croker then he has a point but no-one is more responsible than people like himself, certainly not the IRFU or the FAI as he tries to argue.

Is is that the Gaa should be against the redevelopment of Lansdowne thereby scuppering the plans of a rival. While I'm sure that would be popular it will not happen. No government, court or EU body would allow it. Is it that now we are for the redevelopment of Lansdowne but as long as it suits us and we could play there even though we don't ever want to?

The only valid point is the one about promoting rival sports. We've had that out before on this site and while there is a real concern on this issue the two main sides will just have to agree to disagree about this. Only time will tell but personally I think the League of Ireland is a permanently lame duck while Rugby looks good only on the surface, Serge Blanco has exposed some serious problems with the foundations. However like the Gaa both will be around for a long time and we should get used to co-existing.

Where is barney?

In a statement earlier today new Mayo County Board spokesman Mr. D. Rumsfeld announced that Barney had been arrested and taken to Blacksod Bay Detainment Camp for questioning. He has been classified as an 'enemy combatant' by the CB and is being held without trial in Camp X-Ray. Witnesses describe Barney as being calm but most heard him shout 'you can't handle the truth' numerous times before being taken away.

Trevor Brennan will be quoted by the Irish province of Ulster following the incident having opposed the Toulouse one to an adversary at the time of the match of Cut of Europe Sunday. "We will deposit a complaint against Trevor Brennan for what it did to our player, the second line Justin Harrison, explained the trainer Mark McCall. We have much chance that Justin does not have anything low register ".

The two players fought with the 55e minute and received a yellow paperboard. But Ulster rejects the fault on the Toulouse one, and also hopes to raise of the blows that Brennan would have carried to supporters of the Irish club. Shown trampling, Brennan had already appeared before the commission of discipline of the ERC before November, but it had been bleached.

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Good moaning, thank you for the much great postings.

We have much chance that Justin does not have anything low register

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I big suggest he go to the Dictor to have check out his register.

 Brennan is clearly way out of order.

Saying that think of Cantona and to a lesser extent Zidane. There is usually a little fire involved. Shouting ' your poetry is crap' or ' you're a has been' wasn't what set off the first two.

Ulster fans claim the chant was 'who are you'. That seems unlikely given that Alfie Thomas had to be restrained by officials from going into the same crowd.   

VanPersie breaks 5th metatarsal

 Let us all give thanks and praise:

Praise them

There are club championships and there are 3rd level Championships. It makes no sense to mix them.

On one hand we have people giving out about burn-out, Compromise Rules affecting club fixtures, the back door affecting Club Championships and on the other hand you have the best young players having to play in 2 club championships and the added fixtures involved from having the colleges playing as clubs..

The 'it's up to the player' argument is a non-runner also as we all know some of the types involved will bully the young lads into 'playing with your schoolmates/clubmates' .

Neilthemac if you want to play in the Dublin Championship join a Dublin club.

a rule stops Sigerson Cup colleges entering would be better - would allow Trinity, St Pats, Marino, Law College, Mater Dei etc to enter teams in the Dublin championship - they are all Trench Cup and below teams

This makes even less sense. Only allow in the cannon fodder. Neil how about allowing the clubs into the Sigerson or Trench Cups?

 Go h-íontach. 

 Don't stay at the airport, too far.

Get a bus or licensed taxi ( get the fare quoted before you get in ) to town. Plenty of reasonable hotels. Try to stay near old town square, new town square or Wenceslas square. The underground system doesn't go to the sirport but does go everywhere else and is cheap and easy to use. Be careful not to wander too far from the tourist areas at night but it's no worse than Dublin or any other cities.

Shop around for restaurants. Don't pay Dublin prices keep looking and you should pay less than half of what you normally would. Local beer is great but also try the local wines. Unknown in this part of Europe but cheap and very nice.

Go to Rocky O'Rielys Irish pub

If you like stag nights as far as the eye can see, if you like the aroma of stale male sweat and even staler beer and the wonder combination of Cockney rhyming slang mixed with Tallaghfornication then Rocky O'Reilly's is the place for you.

There are magnificent bars and restaurants in Prague WTF would you go to somewhere like Rocky O'Reilly's?