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Who would Tyrone rather meet in the Ulster final....Derry or Monaghan?

Personally, I'd prefer Derry, for much the same reason as you've preferred ourselves -- don't think there'd be any shortage of motivation for the challenge.

I think this would be a good game...too close to call too. A lot would depend on the injury front on both sides and of course who the ref is!

Who would Tyrone rather meet in the Ulster final....Derry or Monaghan?
As a Derry man I'd prefer to play Tyrone than Donegal, not because I think Donegal are a better team, but because I think Derry will find it easier to lift their game against Tyrone. That is provided we beat Monaghan, by no means a certainty.

Jarlath Burns said the other night on The Championship that there is a gulf in class between Derry and the likes of Monaghan/Down/Antrim.

Anyone else think this is the case?

I know on paper Derry should win this game, but I dont think there is any reason to think there is a major difference between the 2 teams apart from perhaps the physical nature of the Derry team.

I have a feeling there will be a good crowd regardless of the fact the game is on tv.
Although no-one in Derry is overly confident I think there is an underlying feeling that this year Derry could win ulster and as such will probably get a decent turnout. Monaghan are always well enough supported so I think we'll see a decent attendance.

Have to say though I'm still glad to see some gaa coverage (regardless of the quality of the coverage) on the bbc. Not before time.

 
I can hardly believe it!

Go to gaa.ie. They have a template and if you send them your club colours and crests etc they set the whole thing up for you and give you detailed instructions as to how to keep it updated and how to customise it to suit yourself.
It then affiliates you with the GAA site through a link in there. There seem to be dozens of clubs all over the country that have used this service and while a lot of the sites look similar it's an ideal way to get a club site up and running if you have no experience.

Sammy, every NI soccer match is broadcast live on tv as is the cup final

So now you've moved the goalposts to include intenationals  OK lets go with your ridiculous comparison,that's approx 4-5 a year live, how would showing 8 live GAA matches be 'parity'. And remember that the GAA had blanket live coverage before they sold the rights to Setanta, which is hardly the BBC's fault.

and you have a sports magazine during the week

Which covers football, GAA, rugby, ice hockey and anything else that's happening

and live matches on Radio Ulster FM.

When?

The GAA as the most popular sport in the north by some distance, should have the same,

By what measure is the GAA the most 'popular'.

Participation - it would be beaten by angling, golf, football, and probably rugby.
Attendance - it would be beaten by motorsports and if you leave out a few 'big' matches it would be at least equalled by football and rugby

and given the huge part the GAA has played in terms of providing community infrastructure, the BBC as a public service broadcaster should be acknowledging this by helping us promote the games.

I don't see how the BBC can't do much more to help 'promote' your games. Given that you sold the rights to a different company, the BBC actually give you loads of coverage.

First point....participation....I come from a small South Derry club....we have 380 club members who participate in football, hurling, camogie and ladies football. There are at least a dozen teams in South Derry. Perhaps two dozen in all of Derry. So taking an average of even 250 members per club, in Derry alone there are 6000 participants. Just count the six counties and you are talking over 30,0000 participants. I would hazard a guess that is a lot more than particpate in "real football" (real my arse...they're never done pulling up their socks and fixing their hair or rolling around pretending to cry).

Secondly....attendances....any Senior Club Football League game in derry easily attracts a hundred or more supporters. Championship games in Derry easily 5-6 thousand. And as has already been mentioned 17,500 at a first round county match last weekend. Now take into account all codes, football, camogie, hurling and ladies football. Add up the attendances for those. Easily in one year just across the 6 counties there are 10 times larger attendances in total at all gaelic games than at any of these "real football" matches.

Now that is pretty simple maths. In that regard, the coverage given to gaelic games should in fairness be more extensive than that given to soccer.

Will be sadly missed but never forgotton.
A Derry Gael through and through.
RIP Eamon, and thanks for all the memories.

This gets worse by the day.
I can see Bradley playing on Sunday and maybe even getting to play in the next game (provided we win).
Then gets his supension re-issued and misses an ulster final.

Derry County Board are a joke.
This boy convery must think he has some amount of power too!

How Gilligan is on any Derry team is beyond me

I used to have this opinion but having seen him in the league a few times this year, he seems a different player than his last stint with the county. I just hope he continues to show up when it comes to the bigger games.

So Loughshore Lad, Tyrone have great quality players (and this is why they won 2 all-irelands), but take one of these players away and they have no chance?

Derry are missing a top-quality manager, Tyrone have one, and this is why they will always be amongst the favourites to win Sam.

Tyrone have 5 players who are exceptional - Ricey, Gormley, Cavanagh, O'Neill and Mulligan. Then you have McGuigan who makes the difference and can control the game in the really tight situations.
In order to win the really tight games Tyrone need all these guys in peak shape and for this reason I think McGuigan will be too much of a miss.
Derry have two exceptional players in my opinion - Kevin McGuckin and Paddy Bradley however neither of these two guys have consistently did it at county level against the likes of Tyrone, Armagh and Kerry

A bit harsh to say Derry only have 2 exceptional players....what about Lockhart, Diver, Gilligan, McCloy (best full back in the country for 2/3 years in my opinion)? We have as many exceptional players as Tyrone. The difference is defo the management and the non-existant tactics deployed in derry teams of recent years. If we got our tactics and management right I think we could seriously push for Ulster and All-Ireland honours. As it stands, Ulster is a possibilty but nothing more.

I honestly think that Ulster is wide open this year.
I  know you can say Donegal must improve after the Armagh game, but so must tyrone after the fermanagh game.
It's a 50-50 call - even if both teams have all players fit and well. A draw wouldnt be a surprise, but on pre-championship form you would still have to say Donegal for the final (but only just).
As for the other side of the draw, Derry definately favorites to come out of it but how many times in the past have they slipped up against a "weaker" side? Derry are minus Paddy Bradley and Kevin McGuckain...and all of the replacement corner backs are injured so I reckon even Antrim have a chance of an upset. I also think Down will be a lot better next day out. I think it will be a Derry v Down semi which Derry will win by a point or two then a Donegal v Derry final.
Derry owe Donegal one after last years debacle, and by then would have Bradley back, and maybe even mcguckian so if - and it's a big if - Derry get to the final I fancy them to win it. If not, then Donegal would walk the final.

I have to agree with Tony as the best.
Tohill was a great player for Derry, but I seem to remember his form definately falling away after Magilligan retired. So I think it is fair to say Tohill looked better than we was because of Magilligan doing a lot of the dirty work. I still think Tohill was one of the top players in the country but Scud gets my vote for consistency and hardiness. Mind you, he wasnt at his best in the Derry v Down game of 94.

I think Brolly also warrants a mention as being there or there abouts. I remember being at a corporate event where Jarlath Burns was speaking and he said that prior to an Armagh v Derry game there whole game plan was based on how to keep Brolly out of the game. This is in a team that included Tohill, scud etc. That in itself should be an indication of how feared he was amongst other teams and shows he was indeed a class act.

How many players does ricey "get at" during the course of a year?
How many of those players retalliate?
If you have players on your team fit to persistently get at players on other teams then it is hypocrytical to complain when someone does the same to you.
Hughes punched...so he had to go. End of story.

Please show me where I questioned Hughes' punishment. My issue was with Hinphey's theatrics, period.

Edit: Ricey dishes the verbal and fair physical, not the sly, sneaky physical like Hinphey (that's what I mean by 'get at'), and I've never seen Ricey drop like dark matter a la Hinphey.

fair and physical!!!
well you're half right.

[I have to admit I was at the 95 final but couldnt bring myself to support tyrone after the way the fans a players reacted to beating Derry earlier in the year. I had a feeling of justice being done in the final.However, my bitterness has subsided over the years and I also have to admit I was happy to see tyrone win their first all-ireland...and a bit jealous to see them win the second]

How many players does ricey "get at" during the course of a year?
How many of those players retalliate?
If you have players on your team fit to persistently get at players on other teams then it is hypocrytical to complain when someone does the same to you.
Hughes punched...so he had to go. End of story.

Not that your bitter  !!!

Actually not quite LB I stood on the canal end in 1993 waving the old oak leaf flag amongst all the cork uns.  It was the All Ireland final of 1995 that cemented my accrid bitterness against most things Derry with my mum and my wife and the odd Joe Brolly artcile being the only notable exceptions since.   

I have to admit I was at the 95 final but couldnt bring myself to support tyrone after the way the fans a players reacted to beating Derry earlier in the year. I had a feeling of justice being done in the final.
However, my bitterness has subsided over the years and I also have to admit I was happy to see tyrone win their first all-ireland...and a bit jealous to see them win the second 

          It must hurt tbrick !!   

Where do you get bitterness from Bensars? Are you trying to justify Hughes throwing a punch? I was merely pointing out that no matter what the circumstances, if you punch you must go. Trying to justify him punching by complaining about hinphy "getting at him" is hypocrytical especially when you have a player on your team that gets at everyone he marks.

As for hurting...if you read my post again you will see how it made me feel. Happy the first time, then a bit jealous the second time.
What part of that didn't you understand? Are all those drinkin seshuns you've been on at matches finally catching up on you?
Mind you one thing that does hurt is that if there had been a back door back in the 90's I'd say Derry could well have had another title...but then so might have Donegal and Down.