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U-21 Championship Semi- Final

Errigal 2-5 Coalisland 1-7

Moortown also slipped up in Div 2 tonight beaten 1-9 to 0-9 by Strabane. Might hit they're playoff chances

any result from the Clann na Gael - Greencastle match?

Intermediate League Cup Result

Greencastle 1-13 Clann na Gael 0-08

What Greencastle would have done for this result in the league last weekend!

If reports are to be believed Derrylaughan have got a bit of a boost ahead of their championship game with Cookstown. Raymond Mulgrew received a straight red card yesterday in their league game with Killeshil. Is there anyone that confirm this?

Junior Championship tonight

Brockagh 0-14   -    Castlederg 0-06
Brackaville 1-9   -     Dungannon   0-14

Good wins for Dungannon and Brockagh tonight. Both will fancy their chances of going all the way.

[organised attempt at infiltration of the GAA in the North and hijacking of its place in the community by SF, that's causing some concern in GAA circles down here]

On the subject of the thread, I haven't an opinion on the rights or wrongs of the issue because it's not clear who organised what and whether or not rules were broken. On the surface, it looks like just another example of what is seen by many as an organised attempt at infiltration of the GAA in the North and hijacking of its place in the community by SF, that's causing some concern in GAA circles down here (and, I think, up there as well). But I'm happy to await the outcome of the GAA investigation

However, I find the abuse Maguire got for raising it to be disgusting, but revealing. Of course it's a legitimate subject for discussion on a GAA board. As somebody mentioned, the abuse illustrates what would confront any club member who tried to argue against the wishes of the vociferous cabal who will tolerate no vision of the GAA other than their own. These people seem determined to undermine the GAA's position as a broadly-based community organization. They take advantage of the commitment of all other members to leave their politics outside the door and take every opportunity to try to turn the GAA into some kind of propaganda machine for a particular political ideology.

Sinn Féin members are not trying to 'infiltrate' the GAA in the north, they have been part and parcel of it for years in many areas of the north. In areas like Tyrone and south Armagh many GAA clubs have members who are the members of both the GAA and Sinn Féín.

As for infiltrating and hi-jacking the GAA, both Fianna Fáíl and Fine Gael have been shameless in their attempts to attract former and current GAA player and managers to run for office. Think Graham Gearghty, John O'Mahony, John O'Leary, Jimmy Deenihan and more recently at the last local elections Brian Whelahan. I could go on. Sinn Féin's position as regards GAA is no different to other parties.

[a means of consolidating our Irish identity. The games to them are more than games - they have a national significance - and the promotion of native pastimes becomes a part of the full national ideal, which envisages the speaking of our own language, music and dances.]

The notion that the GAA is not a political organisation is a little flawed.

As has been noted in a number of other places, the preface to the GAA's constitution includes the following;

"Those who play its games, those who organise its activities and those who control its destinies see in the G.A.A.a means of consolidating our Irish identity. The games to them are more than games - they have a national significance - and the promotion of native pastimes becomes a part of the full national ideal, which envisages the speaking of our own language, music and dances. The primary purpose of the G.A.A. is the organisation of native pastimes and the promotion of athletic fitness as a means to create a disciplined, self- reliant, national-minded manhood. The overall result is the expression of a people's preference for native ways as opposed to imported ones."

"Since she has no control over all the national territory, Ireland's claim to nationhood is impaired. It would be still more impaired if she were to lose her language, if she failed to provide a decent livelihood for her people at home, or if she were to forsake her own games and customs in favour of the games and customs of another nation. If pride in the attributes of nationhood dies, something good and distinctive in our race dies with it. Each national quality that is lost makes us so much poorer as a Nation. Today, the native games take on a new significance when it is realised that they have been a part, and still are a part, of the Nation's desire to live her own life, to govern her own affairs."


This is hardly the preface to an organisation that has no political inclination, whether that be party political or not. The GAA is a nationalistic body. Furthermore we already have clubs and grounds named after patriots, so lets stop the nonsense, the GAA is a nationalist organisation. While I understand some people have genuine concerns (not Nelson however),  the usual suspects (I'm a long time reader, first time poster) have appeared to continue with the usual Sinn Féin bashing that can usually be found in the non- GAA discussion.