Messages

Up north, Unionists are starting to make noises about how best to celebrate the establishment of a british border in Ireland.

Anyone on GAABoard want to join in this 100 year anniversary?

We should let them celebrate this anniversary.... poor wee unionists... sure what else have they to enjoy......

["Sadie, that's terrible, hope he gets better soon and doesn't make a mess of your new bathroom tiles"]

I have it on good authority from somebody quite senior working in the Data Protection Commission that they have never been asked their opinion on this by the GAA and that if they were the status quo could very easily be allowed to remain in place simply by asking people for permission to opt in to a group or groups.

I'm not a GDPR expert, but I guess one of the concerns is that when you join your kid up for the u10s you're not being informed that your number is going to be added to the u10s whatsapp group where every other parent parent can view your number. I do think this  is a legitimate concern for some people. The local school teacher may not wish for everyone to view their mobile number. I have seen some prominent GDPR experts whose opinion i respect on twitter saying the gaa are right in regard to their concerns.

However GAA HQ seem very naive to think they can build their own inhouse communications system that will need to be secure and user friendly.

Good ole GAA HQ.

They tell you what you can't use but currently offer no viable alternatives.

We're having to look at updating our website to include SMS functionality and allow each team manager access to his/her group only. Parents will be able to receive messages but not respond like they currently do and that's probably a good thing as my phone never stops with thumbs up and the likes over 8, 9 teams and the likes.

Don't want to be sexist but females seem to more impulsive when it comes to responding and then it all kicks off.

This is quite common

"Sorry wee Jonny won't make the blitz on Saturday, he's got a dose of the runs"

"Sadie, that's terrible, hope he gets better soon and doesn't make a mess of your new bathroom tiles"

"Thanks Bridie, I know, just hoping none of the rest get it as well as the washing machine is on two, three times a day already"

Sadie, That bug was going round the school it seems, touch wood, my wee Timmy has avoided it so far, but thinking of you all at this trying time.

Here's hoping your family avoid it Jen..it's terrible,

The dreaded thumbs up.... the curse of every good WhatsApp group.
We had a message go out about availability of players for a tournament at U10 level. One parent posted a number of holiday snaps (by the pool) showing that wee micky was on holiday and not be available. That in turn triggered a raft of reply messages about the holiday. All parents at the start of the year were told to refrain from using the group for social posts.
There is just no talking to some people.

We've made the move to Heja for team communication, some nice functionality like schedule planner where parents can indicate if their child is going / not going. No more counting thumbs up on WhatsApp. Only thing I can see lacking is the ability to post videos.

I'm in four underage groups and I will admit it's a real pain when about 50 parents reply to each group. Plus there is a number who will post photos and videos of the games, teams and players. I would imagine that's one of the issues that could be a problem (under child protection rules).

Has any clubs been informed by their county board to stop using this facility? No indication that my own club is intending to stop its use. I guess it's a case of wait and see what others are doing.

So any thoughts on this? Used heavily in our club as a form of communication to members
https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2020/0128/1111512-gaa-urges-clubs-to-avoid-whatsapp-due-to-gdpr-concerns/

With Harrison out, Mooney out and I presume the kilcoo lads are not back yet, it could be a big ask to collect 2 points on the road.

I was speaking to a Father of one of the kilcoo players, (who we would hope would play county football this year), he said his son is likely not to play following " the negative and abusive online attacks towards his club, team and individuals. Can you blame him".
Its disappointing. To be honest he gave the impression that even if his son wanted to play he would not allow it.

[when soccer season finishes]

  A couple proposals from Loughinisland for Thursday's County Board's Meeting looking for a round of Championship to be played
in April and for the Leagues to be finished before Round 2 of the Championship are played in August.

I wouldn't be against this, but if we are to continue with the round 1 back door, I say play it in April too.

Championship in August can then be rolled through very quickly.

Regarding club players and respect for them , it would be an easier thing to run Gaelic when soccer season finishes.Then go for a compressed season , plenty of games and less training nights.

In US the baseball season doesn't go against NFL.In Northern Ireland and Republic most gifted guys do both soccer and Gaelic.This way here we save clubs money by not having to pay coaches per session and we get better buy in from all.

A condensed format and shorter season would suit better.It could also be a positive on player numbers in Newry and keep more kids at the Gaelic and maybe boost Shamrocks , Bosco and Mitchells.

I know talking to players that the Gaelic season runs too long and run by idiots demanding full attendance at training even though the players have other sporting commitments.A bit of rethink needed by Down , even trial it over a 3 year period.

There ya go. Says it all. Same people. Same shite.

Here we go again. This topic (the kilcoo topic) has been flogged to death on this forum. Start up a new thread and leave this one for other discussions. Good luck to kilcoo . I hope they do it. As for this board, well it's not worth the bother. Same people.  Same shite

Well done kilcoo. Really hope they can do what's needed to win the final.

Great result for Kilcoo on Sunday well done to all.

But it is now a bit nauseating,all the comments.They are no different to clubs and chairmen up and down the country , all have serious commitment.Not much difference to commitment shown by coaches at Rossowen or Newry City or Warrenpoint Gaelic , it just sounds so oh unreal commitment ,nonsense all sports club up and down Northern Ireland have committed people.To talk about a club having all the right ideals seems to me very hypocritical in an amateur association they have all these paid personnel.

It was the poorest standard of an Ulster Club in years and really not surprised Kilcoo won.But some on here need to get a grip and coming out with all these cheesy words about Kilcoo.

It seemed to be a very poorly attended game.Now moving on who are the new faces in at County this year.Ross McGarry must be given proper and sustained game time.

Everyone keep posting the comments. If its annoying this p***k then keep posting them. Well done kilcoo. Hoping they do well in the semi final.  How moving on, how is Northern Ireland team doing these days.

Excellent programme on BBC tonight. Explained exactly what the GAA means to a community. Well worth a look on iplayer

Watched this myself. Agree its worth a look.

Really glad I went to Omagh today. Great win. Well done kilcoo

Good luck to the magpies.

Kilcoo have won Down in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
Surely they can win Ulster after all that trying

Praying to God that we can get our hands on the Ulster that has eluded us thus far. Glenties will be extremely tough opposition and we are taking nothing for granted. Fingers, toes and anything else that can be crossed will be lol.

Best of luck to kilcoo.

[He really is a one-off.]

While it is a good sound bite 'nothing else to do in Kilcoo...etc' in my opinion they are doing themselves a disservice. Surely 15 years ago there was also nothing else to do in Kilcoo? But they weren't winning anything. It's the serious hard yards the club have put in to get them to where they are today. Regardless of what else goes on. Success breads success and they have built something to keep working on. Maybe now yes it is good that there is nothing else to do as such, so there are no distractions, but it all had to change at some point.

Always reminds me of a Joe Brolly quote about Jim McGuinness bringing in a lot of the U21 Donegal team that won Ulster and were runners up in AI in 2010. 'You can't breed winners with losers'. Kilcoo had a great set of underage teams in the late 00's and they managed to mix it perfectly with the more experianced players like Laverty, Greenan, McEvoys, etc

Rewind another 15+ years on that.

The start of it all was the early to mid 90s, going from Div3 to Div1 in 2 years in the mid to late 90s was off the back of the initial push - and beating Burren first time out in Div 1 (in Burren) was a massive confidence boost that had everyone not just believing, but knowing they were of a standard good enough to win in senior football.

But the bulk of that generation had a long hard slog and didn't quite make it in the SFC. Mayobridge frequently being the dastardly culprits. Many (even of the 1998 minor team) were gone by 2009 before eventually the Frank O'Hare was won. The subsequent SFC winning teams 2012- has been back boned by the U-14 AI Feile winning squad of 2006.

But without the work done in the early and mid-90s, nothing of what came after would have been possible. Even in the 80s getting the pitch. That was the foundations everything else was built on. There is a helluva lot owed to a lot of men (some now sadly gone) that put in serious hours on and off the pitch to get the club to where it is today.

I was at the game in Hilltown, in an almost unplayable downpour, when the changing of the guard happened. Mayobridge were champions and huge favourites, and were cruising, 5 pts ahead with a few minutes to go. Kilcoo were awarded a 21 yd free, Lavery took it quickly and set up a goal. Suddenly the gap was only 2 pts, the Bridge panicked and Kilcoo won out.
I was reminded of it yesterday, all these years later; Lavery's speed of thought with the quick free, was the crucial goal. He really is a one-off.

You conveniently forget that not long after this this same individual was apparently told to get the f**k out of Kilcoo, people have very short memories of what he did among his own people.