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Let's get this started.  An interesting one following this weekend's results - both teams have something to play for. Westmeath need a win, Monaghan can go through with a draw - not that they'd be playing for a draw i'm sure.

Home advantage could mean a lot here - i'd expect a massive crowd in Clones for this. 

Would really be a disaster for Monaghan not to get promotion at this stage.  3rd or 4th in Division 2 may have sounded good at the start of the year, where survival was the primary aim, but with the good run to date, it would be a nightmare to fall at the final hurdle.  For Westmeath, they too would have been more than happy at the start of the year if they thought they'd still be in contention for promotion on the final day - many would have thought of them as relegation candidates, but they've proved themselves with good wins over decent teams.

[GAA must 'reach out' to unionism]

From BBC online and relevant to a lot of discussion on here:

GAA must 'reach out' to unionism  

Fermanagh GAA player and journalist Colm Bradley has said further steps should be taken to encourage unionists to play gaelic games.

The Ulster GAA Council started an initiative two years ago to entice more unionist participation in the sport but Bradley believes more can be done.

"I don't believe those documents go far enough," Bradley told the BBC.

Bradley added that "certain political language" within the GAA's rulebook should be removed.

"There are good things in the documents but more can be done," said Bradley, who is currently taking a break from intercounty football.

"First of all to educate unionists that they can be involved in the GAA and two, we have to look at some aspects of our own rules, which may need to be changed to become more accommodating.

"I should also point out that you don't have to dilute the Irishness or to dilute the gaelic culture. Some rules can be changed quite simply."

Bradley believes that the GAA should consider changing the text of its Rule 2, to the wording used prior to 1971.

"Rule Two states:'The association is a national organisation which has a basic aim of the strengthening of the national identity of a 32-county Ireland through the presentation of gaelic games and pastimes'.

"That phrase 'through the strengthening of the national identity of a 32-county Ireland' does rankle with unionism. That came in in 1971.

"Before that, the Rule (merely) talked about the 'preservation of Ireland's games and pastimes'.

"That is a lot less political but it is the exact same thing (in practical terms). You are preserving the games and pastimes which are indigenous to this island.

"I don't see how any unionist could have a problem with that - nor could anybody who has the GAA at heart could say they have a problem with that."


Bradley acknowledged that certain members of the unionist community "will never accept the GAA".

"You are never going to convert them no matter what you do.

"But I do believe (more can be done to entice others) and I'm talking about people who I know, who are of my age, who would call themselves unionist, who would also call themselves Irish.

"That is the way society is going and I think the GAA could do a little bit more to entice these people to play our games."

A regular unionist criticism of the GAA is the fact that a number of clubs and grounds have been named after former members of the IRA and other republican and nationalist figures.


There is a gaelic culture in the GAA and you don't want to remove that

Trevor Ringland

Bradley believes that clubs "shouldn't be forced" to change their names.

"Part of the problem is that people can pick an isolated case and use it as a rod to beat the GAA's back.

"Conversely, the GAA can take an isolated case of cross-community work and say:'We're doing enough'.

"Instead, there needs to be a much bigger picture looked at here."


Former Ireland rugby international Trevor Ringland said that he "welcomed" Bradley's contribution to the "ongoing debate" within the GAA.

Ringland, who has been a strong proponent of cross-community ventures in Northern Ireland for many years, said that the GAA has changed for the better in recent years.

"The opening up of Croke Park, the removal of Rule 21...those changes have had an impact and have resonated in the unionist community as well.

"There is a gaelic culture in the GAA and you don't want to remove that from the sport because that's very much at the heart of it.

"But what you maybe don't want is to have to buy into a political philosophy or a religious philosophy."

Monaghan on a roll and Cork needing to respond to their shock result at Cavan this weekend - they can't qualify for the final/promotion (am i right?  i know it's unlikely, but i haven't worked out whether it is theoretically possible), yet unlikely to be in relegation trouble, so only pride at stake.  The fact that Cork have home advantage should be a big factor - with the distance involved, the travelling support is likely to be limited.  Are the Nemo players due to be back for this?

Somebody didn't read the script and now the Crossmaglen contingent will be back with the County a couple of weeks earlier than expected.  Given recent form, i would have considered Monaghan to be favourites.  Not sure if this development changes things - are Armagh now favourites?  Can Crossmaglen's early exit see Armagh challenging for Division 2 now as well?

From today's Irish News:

Unionist paper resumes coverage of Gaelic games By Rebecca Black
28/01/08

The News Letter has resumed its coverage of Gaelic games following the first appearance of a senior DUP politician at a GAA match.

Around four years ago the Belfast-based unionist title halted all coverage of the biggest spectator sport in Northern Ireland.

This included not providing any sports reports of Ulster GAA's biggest days, including when Tyrone lifted the All-Ireland trophy at Croke Park in 2005.

However, last week saw the newspaper embrace GAA once more, with a report of a Dr McKenna Cup match and a feature on ladies' football.

It follows the decision of culture, arts and leisure minister Edwin Poots to attend a Dr McKenna Cup game between Down and Donegal at Pairc Esler in Newry earlier this month.

The News Letter editor Darwin Templeton said the decision to restart coverage was to provide a better service to readers.

"Until quite recently the News Letter did have a tradition of covering GAA," Mr Templeton said.

"This was a practice that was stopped a number of years ago for a number of different reasons before I was involved with the paper."

He said the paper felt there was an interest among its readership for the sports.

"I don't think we will pretend to offer the same extent of coverage that other papers including The Irish News do," he said.

"But we are always looking at ways of improving our service to our readers."

Okay, so this has been mentioned in other threads, but it's time for a full discussion. After today's final, once again, the structure of the championship is being debated and time and time again, the provincial championships are called into question. Now before anyone starts, i'm right up there in thinking that something needs to be done about the current structure. I am however, an Ulster man, and the Ulster championship is competitive and still means a lot to most counties. (Plus i want to see Monaghan lift the title in the next year or two!)

My question is, if we retain the provincial championships, could they be played as an end in themselves, i.e. with no bearing on the All-ireland series, or would this devalue them so much as to make it futile? (Bearing in mind that many think the qualifiers system has already done this).
Or, alternatively, is there a way to run off the provincial championships and then incorporate the outcomes in a better way into the AI series?
Would it make it any more fair if we were to combine Connacht and Munster? (given the low number of counties in each)

Or, more radically, should we have more than one football championship, as in the Hurling? Dismissing the TM cup, should we have a system where the top 15-20 teams compete for the Sam Maguire with the others competing for a meaningful second tier championship?

So many questions......

Freeman named Footballer of Year 

Thomas Freeman (right) had a good season with Monaghan
Monaghan corner forward Thomas Freeman has been named as the Irish News Footballer of the Year for 2007.
Freeman was one of seven players from the Farney county to receive Irish News Allstars with Derry taking five awards and Tyrone securing three.

In hurling, the season's Achievement Award was won by Cushendall's rising star Neil McManus.

He recovered from a stress fracture in his back to perform well for Antrim and was also a key player for Cushendall.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Irish News Ulster GAA Allstars
John Devine (Tyrone), Michael McGoldrick (Derry), Kevin McCloy (Derry), Dessie Moan (Monaghan), Conor Gormley (Tyrone), Gary McQuaid (Monaghan), Damien Freeman (Monaghan), Fergal Doherty (Derry), Eoin Lennon (Monaghan), Enda Muldoon (Derry), Rory Woods (Monaghan), Sean Cavanagh (Tyrone), Paddy Bradley (Derry), Vincent Corey (Monaghan), Thomas Freeman (Monaghan).

[All-Ireland referees named]

All-Ireland referees named
04 September 2007


The GAA has confirmed that the Bank of Ireland All Ireland Football final between Cork and Kerry on September 16th will be refereed by David Coldrick of Meath.

Currently a member of the Blackhall Gaels club, he won minor and U21 football championship medals with Kilcloon - Moynalty in Meath and has had a busy year which included refereeing the Mayo v Galway Allianz football league semi-final, the Ulster Senior Championship final and the All Ireland Quarter final between Kerry and Monaghan. Last year he took charge of his first AIB All Ireland Club final and also refereed the Kerry v Armagh All Ireland quarter final. Mr Coldrick's team of match officials on the day were also confirmed. Marty Duffy (Sligo) will be the stand-by referee (and linesman), Maurice Deegan of Laois will act as linesman and the sideline official will by Donegal's Robert O Donnell. 

The minor final between Derry and Galway will be refereed by Longford's Derek Fahy. An intermediate county medallist in 1998 with the Ballymahon club, he made his debut as an inter-county referee in 2005. His past appointments have included a Bank of Ireland Munster senior championship quarter final and the meeting of Cavan and Down in this year's Ulster Championship. He will be joined by Brian Tyrell of Tipperary (stand by referee), Kerry's Pat Sheehy (linesman) and sideline official Brian O Shea (Dublin).

Bit of a joke if you ask me. He was a disaster in the quarter final.
Methinks you'd need McEnaney to keep those dirty southerners in order 

Seriously - did anyone just see him on the road to Croker? Have never heard such a moaning depressing character in my life. Everything was terrible - including his own players!