Recent posts

#1

GAA Discussion / Re: Tailteann Cup 2024

Last post by Captain Scarlet - Today at 04:14:32 PM

1200! Ah it doesn't help the falling off narrative, but people are not going to travel down to Carlow or Kilkenny, so it'll do...

In terms of Tailteann overall, the actual Sam Maguire barely gets any fresh or fun promos so wasn't expecting much. I just want a win and then build on something...

Any Longford lads have any insights?

#2

Laois / Re: 2024 Joe McDonagh Cup

Last post by Laois Rising - Today at 04:07:25 PM

What the hell has happened with Westmeath?! They're second from the bottom, right now.

( )

It's relatively straight forward brother, unlike Offaly, who have a winning mentality that they discovered in the mid eighties, when they picked up all irelands, and continuing through to the naughties, although they inevitably fell away because like ourselves and Westmeath, they are relatively small in terms of population and have both codes competing annually, ourselves and Westmeath are confidence teams, a couple of wins and everything changes almost immediately. When we lost to Carlow in the first league game this year, we could easily have fallen apart, but one win and then going the Dr Cullen and producing a great display totally changed the Laois mindset, then hanging on to the coat tails of Offaly in Portlaoise, keeping the within two scores of us for 55 minutes until Paddy Purcell got the first of two goals, has completely changed the teams mindset, but I personally believe that if Offaly turned us over by a few points then we most definitely be looking at a different Laois team. Westmeath are exactly the same as Laois. They, like ourselves have some wonderful hurlers, but after a poor league campaign and losing to kerry has caused them to fall through the floorboards confidence wise. In live in Nottingham so I can only watch via livestream, but I watched Laois minors lose against Offaly, quite simply because we never believed that we could have beaten them. Offaly didn't win that game, Laois totally threw it away, hitting the post with an open goal at his mercy, poor decision after poor decision in front of goal proved that Laois have an uncanny habit of beating themselves. Finally I truly hope that I am wrong but the u20s will probably be exactly the same, because Offaly know what it takes to get over the line with an inferior team. Laois Will play Offaly in the Joe McDonagh final, forget about Kerry or Down, We beat Kerry by 10 points and they beat Down by a similar margin in the second round. Can we beat Offaly in a final with this current squad ?? Absolutely, but will we, we'll that's where psychology plays a major part. Finally I have a question that I would love an answer, Abbeyleix got to a senior final last year, although they were well beaten, but in the last ten years, they have won minor and u20 championships more than once, please explain why there is only one player in the whole squad ? Let's be brutally honest, if a town is almost perennially winning underage finals then they must have a few good hurlers so what's their problem

The two Byrne's are starting and playing well for Laois U20s and possibly will break into the Laois senior panel/team over the next few years. Shaun Fitzpatrick who was one of the main players on the teams that made successive U20 county finals is concentrating on football and is starting for the county footballers so is not available to the hurlers.

The majority of the senior team that made the county final are still very young and inexperienced. Perhaps one or two more will step up in the coming years to make a Laois panel e.g. Lawson Obulor. I don't think there is anyone in the club that you could argue is being wrongly overlooked by the Laois management. Remember, Abbeyleix were intermediate in Laois two years ago so those players need a couple of more years playing adult hurling to develop.

Of more concern is Portlaoise hurling and can it be revitalised over the next ten years that it's underage sides can be consistently contributing3/ 4/5 players to the county underage teams and in time feed players into the senior set up. On the current u20 panel I think I'm right in saying that Portlaoise only have one player who is the goalkeeper and I cannot think of anyone off the top of my head from Portlaoise on the senior panel this year. If Laois are to progress up the ladder we need a strong representation from the Town. I'm old enough to fondly remember the 80s with the likes of John Taylor, Pat Critchley, Liam Bergin, and Billy and John Bohan playing for Laois. Today's squad with 3/4 more players thrown in from Portlaoise of the ilk of these lads would give anyone in Leinster a game. We won't have a truly strong Laois side until hurling in Portlaoise is properly promoted and developed.   

#3

General discussion / Re: Have many countries have G...

Last post by gerrykeegan - Today at 04:06:27 PM

Canada and Denmark only in that section

#4

GAA Discussion / Re: Ulster Senior football cha...

Last post by Blowitupref - Today at 04:05:30 PM

League and championship this year 10 games each.

Donegal have scored on average 18 points per match and conceded 13

Armagh have scored on average 18 points per match and conceded 12

#5

General discussion / Re: Running

Last post by gerrykeegan - Today at 04:05:04 PM

Recently bought the Addidas supernova solutions. Have to say I'm delighted with them. Was going to go back to the Mizuno wave but the lad in the shop suggested these. Great support. Lovely feel and balance to them.

#6

GAA Discussion / Re: Guide to the Sam Maguire a...

Last post by Blowitupref - Today at 03:52:56 PM

I see the GAA have launched series tickets today ... 50 euro for 3 games, but strangely, only Dublin have the option of juvenile tickets at 15 euro for 3 games ... I assume they will correct this and make juvenile tickets available to all counties.

It was 25 euro per game last year with no package option at least they have used a bit of common sense this year.

#7

GAA Discussion / Re: Leinster U20 and U17 footb...

Last post by Blowitupref - Today at 03:48:24 PM

U17 semi finals played tonight.

Longford 0-11 Louth 0-10
Kildare 1-12 Dublin 2-10


Longford beat Dublin in the group stage 3-8 to 1-9 last month.

Dublin were 5 down with less than 10 to go and got two successive goals.

1-11 to 0-9 to Kildare with three minutes of normal time to play. Kildare had the opportunity to bring the game into extra time with score able free but kicked it wide.  In the other semi final Longford led for the first time in added time and Louth with the last kick of the game dropped a free short. 

#8

Laois / Re: Laois U20s and Minors 2024...

Last post by Laois Rising - Today at 03:48:14 PM

We have a fine U20 team this year but Offaly look to be a couple of steps ahead of us and have plenty of the U20 team that won Leinster last year available to them. I'd still expect Laois to be competitive tonight-defensively the team have improved considerably on the Kilkenny game when we conceded far too many goal chances. Offaly by 5/6 points but Laois to give them a good challenge. Hopefully I'm wrong with the prediction and the U20s can replicate the performance of the seniors from a few weeks ago. 

#9

General discussion / Re: Have many countries have G...

Last post by lurganblue - Today at 03:42:23 PM

Just Canada for me in the C&Ds.  I'd defo have Croatia on my list for the future.

[I'd say more likely to say the Government hired a load of foreigners to tear up all their votes]

#10

General discussion / Re: The far right

Last post by RedHand88 - Today at 03:39:24 PM

They'll get the vote then.
Blank means no transfer.
Hopefully they'll be all eliminated on Count 1 making it irrelevant.

They won't go hmmmmm ... , I'd say more likely to say the Government hired a load of foreigners to  tear up all their votes

Lol