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Whatever about the more recent tragedies and they're efforts to link there, this taunting about the recent death of the guard from Swinford is beyond the Pale:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJllMXyyRP0&feature=related

What an ignorant idiot.

I initially had great sympathy for the Shell to Sea campaign but clowns like this really aren't doing their image any good.

Anyone see no. 2 in the 6.10 at Leicester 

That's gas, noticed it myself this morning.

Sizing Europe is making his chasing debut at Punchestown this evening. I know he's turned into a bit of a hound but even on the worst of his hurdles form this year he wouldn't need to come off the bridle to win against this lot surely? Might be worth the double with Deutschland in the first.

[1. Corley]

When Willie Heffernan stares into the sun, the sun flinches! 

Only one more week to go now till we're all heading down to Queen's County. The closer this game gets the more nervous I'm getting from a Kildare point of view. We seem to be a lot of pundits 'dark horse' for the season and there's a lot of confidence and optimism around the county. That worries me because the Biffos won't fear us one bit. Why should they either because our recent record in Leinster is abysmal and league form is about as reliable come championship time, as Cheltenham form is at Aintree. Cribben will know a lot of the Kildare team like the back of his hand as well. I reckon we should have enough in the locker to beat them by a few points but memories of Wicklow last year temper my confidence. The game being away from Croke Park is a positive for us though.

Team I reckon will start:

1. Corley (Tight call with McCormack but probably shades it after his performance in Navan)
2. McGrillen (Excellent debut season so far apart from the Armagh game when Clarke gave him a bit of a roasting. His future will lie further out the field but his height and pace are a great asset to the full back line)
3. Foley (Has been tried here in the recent challenges. It's a bit of a concern to be going in with a novice full back but he's the type of guy that you feel could play in any position. O'Neill can't get back soon enough though)
4. MacLochlainn (This position looks up for grabs. For me, Flats is better out the field and has never really looked confident in the corner. Mac's experience over Deccie Brennan I think will win out. Could be the guy to pick up McNamee but he needs to be disciplined and not be giving away silly frees)
5. Scanlon (Chalky is apparently flying in training but McGeeney is a huge fan of this lad and I can see him getting the nod. Great man to hoover up the breaks around the middle)
6. Flanagan (One of Kildare's best players in the league. Certain starter)
7. Conway (He's going to be a key player for us this campaign. If he's on song and we get enough ball through him he has the ability to deliver the type of diagonal ball into the forward line that is impossible to defend. I reckon he's the best distributor of the ball we've had since Nuxer. If we're losing out around the middle though and he's ran at we could have a problem. His defending looked suspect at times during the league)
8. Earley (Vital he's on song for us. If he can dominate midfield than we could be in for a good day)
9. Flynn (Another position that's up for grabs. Kelly made good progress after a shaky start against Armagh but he's not a ball winner and his future will probably lie in the forward line. Flynn's probably on his last chance with the management and he needs to keep the head)
10. Kavanagh (Has started to finally fulfill his potential at senior level. He's a confidence player and it's good that he's coming off the back of a solid league. Needs to be chipping in with his 3 or 4 points a game for us to make an impact this year)
11. Paudie (I think the fact that this game is away from Croke Park is going to suit him more than most. He seems to lack the mobility to be as effective at Croker as he is at the tighter provincial grounds. Has the ability to kick long range points that could be badly needed)
12. Leper (He's been messed around over the past few years by being played in almost every position on the pitch. Has benefitted from being left in the forwards and he needs to keep up the sort of scoring he was doing during the league)
13. Smith (Hasn't hit the heights of last year this time around just yet but he was on the go all year with the u21s, the seniors and the sash in the county championship. If he's fully refreshed the hard ground should bring out the best in him. A real goal threat that we've lacked since Fennin at his peak)
14. Roli (Donnelly is apparently only 50/50 after having some work done on the knee. Roli looked a man reborn in the league and he offers a real ball winning presence in at full forward. I feel that games sometimes pass him by out in the half forward line and we're better off deploying him inside)
15. JD (The main man up front for us. If he's held or god forbid, injured, than we are shagged)

Jaysus that Ben lad is some tool alright.

He's not alone in that regard in this series though. Kate looks by far the most competant of the lot of them but she's hardly got much competition. I've given better presentations in college than the lad who was pitching for the losing team last night.

I agree Muppet, this notion that 'southerners' or the 'southern press' don't give Tyrone the credit they deserve is bizzare IMO. I would safely say that all the Ulster All Ireland winning teams were universally popular winners, now Tyrone have since added a second and third so naturally neutrals would prefer a different winner but everybody that I know has given Tyrone and the other recent Ulster winners the credit they undoubtedly deserve. I find it funny that almost to a man Ulster folk dismiss Munster as a cake walk while making out Ulster to a complete minefield, when in fact neither is true. In the prediction thread some lads have gone for Down to win Ulster yet Tipperary beat Down only a few weeks ago so that must mean if Tipp would have a decent chance of winning Ulster if they were up there this year. While I agree some southern media pundits would be well served giving more credit to Ulster teams a number of Ulster scribes could do worse than give the rest of us a bit of credit too.

Well said. I've never heard any or read any of the 'southern meeejia' running down Tyrone's achievements or their footballing abililty since 2003. Some pundits and journalists may have questioned their style or their tactics on occasion but usually this isn't done without some justification. I think everyone is in agreement that they're a damn good team though.

Why Mr Heaney feels the need to run down the Munster Championship, I don't know. I certainly wouldn't describe Cork as "a good but limited side". They looked far from limited against Monaghan a few weeks ago and are genuine All-Ireland contenders. I personally think that if Kerry had been in either the Leinster, Ulster or Connacht Championships for the past century the honour roll wouldn't look all that different to the way it is now. Maybe that's just me being blinkered by the 'southern meejia' and their indulgence of Kerry though.  

I'm sure Mickey couldn't give a fiddlers what people think of his column but I just don't think it is appropriate for team managers to have such columns.

I remember Micko had one a few years ago in the Examiner but he just came out with the usual raméis and Kerry cute hoorism that you'd expect from him. Harte seems like more of a rent-a-quote on a whole range of topics from the International Rules to video evidence and I don't think it will do his popularity any good outside Tyrone. I certainly can't see it being well received by GAA hq.

Btw, I've never bought a copy of the Irish News in my life!

Two reasons.....
Money
Ego

True 

But I don't see how this is going to benefit either Tyrone or Harte himself in the long term. I don't think the column has reflected well on him and it could come back to bite him on the arse in the future.

I don't know why people who are involved closely with teams take up writing these newspaper columns.

They're hardly going to reveal any team 'secrets' or anything like that.

Having read a few of Harte's articles, he's just coming across as a right moaner as far as I'm concerned.

Anyone got any fancy for the Derby now after most of the trials have taken place?

I was most impressed by Fame And Glory at Leopardstown myself this weekend. I've heard though that Freemantle is Ballydoyle's great hope for Epsom this year even though he's only one an ordinary maiden at Tipp. Think he's running in the Dante at York on Thursday. Might take a price on him for the Derby before then.

I still think the 2000 Guineas was the best trial run so far and I'd expect both Sea The Stars and Gan Amhras to take the world of beating.

Flower of Scotland at Murrayfield before a big rugby international is amazing.

Better than that Phil Coulter dirge anyway.

You can usually tell by the name. Sean, Seamus, Eileen, Bernadette etc taig, Heather, Mervyn, Walter etc prod. If the christian name doesn't do it then the surname usually does

"Stephen Ferris" would not be a daily communicant or own rosary beads I would safely say

Eh.....Martin Ferris??

Him of IRA and Sinn Féin fame.

Good result to round off a great week for Kildare hurling.
The u21s won the Leinster-A Championship against Carlow on Wednesday night.
Nice to see some progress being made with the small ball in the county.