Messages

well done Louth! If Meath are men enough they will concede to a re-match just like Ger Loughnane did a few years back. Louth were the better team and deserved to win. Inexperience meant they missed some chances but that doesn't take from the fact that they should have lifted the trophy today. Louth are the champs in my opinion. Who picks these umpires? two blatant fouls in the square and the two boyos stand idly by. Go h-uafásach....

Well done Louth. Hope Meath are men enough to conceed a re-match. Follow Jer Loughnane's example of a a few year ago!

Most unsatisfactory. Louth were the better team and do not deserve the mess made by officials. How could umpires not have spotted 2 blatent infringements - forward in the square and the throw over the line. who picks these fellows?

As an Offaly supporter in exile and having to listen to the jibes of the natives here, I was very disappointed with the result today. I had a foreboding of this when i read Cribben's excuses last week in the lead-up to the game. Like getting your retaliation in first. He's the Manager and should be inspiring his team instead of making excuses in advance.

Having said that, I think the team that lined out today are a reasonably talented side and maybe not too far off the mark with a little bit of training and direction. Considering that they gifted 2 or 3 scores to Meath and missed at least 6 kickable frees; combined with the terrible refereeing and the deserved sending off, I don't think they are such a bad side. They need determination and bottle like the Offaly teams of old. A bit of self belief wouldn't go astray either.

I hope they take the qualifiers seriously and have a go - nothing to loose. Show us a bit of that never-say-die Offaly spirit and put the county back where it should be in the top 7 or 8 footballing counties. You have the talent - go for it. We need you.

Bennis today in 'Da Paper' sounded very sore about how 'some Limerick players let him down'. Rumours of players visiting watering holes in the week before the Offaly game. Says he will not consider them for any team he might be in charge of in the future. No credit given to Offaly and I suppose Bennis has a good point.

Offaly will have to repeat the performance on Saturday if they are to be considered amongst the elite. Bennis says Limerick is now outside the top 8 after last Sat. performance.

Hope Offaly play with belief and confidence. Waterford may be very focused on Sat. next and could be over physical. Cool calm heads with determination and belief is called for from Offaly. Great hope that the can do it tomorrow. A win is a terrific tonic going into the next game.

Uibh Fhaighle Abú!

Well Done to the Offaly Lads! G. Oakley had a super game, especially in the first half. Their 1st half performance against the Cats was extended yesterday to the full 70 minutes against Limerick. I think Limerick were 'misled' by the pundits that it was only a case of turning up and that the real challenge was down the road. In my opinion this group has the makings of a very good team if they keep that spirit. Contrary to what some say about Brian Cody and his comments about battles - after matches where the opposition is destroyed - I think his comment was genuine i.e that Offaly could beat Kilkenny if the Cats were to adopt the attitude that seems to have been the case with Limerick yesterday. I do feel sorry for the Limerick lads - they have put in a lot of effort and haven't got much in return. No consolation to say @Beidh lá eile ag an bPaorach'.
I would be very confident that Offaly could reach the quarte finals, provided the quick succession of tough games and involvement in th U - 21s doesn't burn them out.
At least the 'summer' has not disappeared down the tubes yet. What a difference a bit of success can make. Go n-éirí libh sa chéad babhta eile'

Is this the Best Offaly can produce? A bloody disgrace. I suppose the qualifers are beneath them. Could use it to improve but i don't think they will. Prefer to live on past glories. Where have the been going for the past 12 Months. Embarrassing!

Cyril Farrell's comments were made, I think, as a result of the free awarded to Waterford at the end of the game. This was a very unfair comment with regard to yesterdays Ref Brian Gavin who had an excellent game. I can remember that at least twice during the course of the game the commentators faulted the ref. for giving a free only to have to eat their words when the replay was shown. Brian Gavin did an excellent job and his decision to give a free at the end was the only fair decision. Cusack had covered the ball aided and abetted by Diarmuid O'S. and another Cork defender before the Waterford forward appeared on the scene. Cusack also made frantic attempts to pick the sliotar off the ground but failed because he was unsighted. It is impossible - no matter how fit a ref might be to be under a ball that has been pucked 80 or 90 yards up field.  I say, well done to Brian Gavin and I hope he gets the replay as well just to prove what an excellent ref he is.

Beidh an-deireadh seachtaine acu i mBéal Átha an Ghaorthaidh i gComórtas Peile na Gaeltachta. De ghnáth bíonn an craic agus an caidreamh go h-iontach - n'fheadar faoin bpeil! Tá Páirc Peile álainn acu ansin anois, deirtear liom agus beidh na sluaite ag déanamh ar an mbaille le teacht an deireadh seachtaine agus an lá Saoire Bainc. Tá súil agam go mbeidh an aimsir acu chuige.

An bhfuil na daoine ar an gClár seo atá báiúil don Ghaeilge, sásta go bhfuil a ndóthain á dhéanamh ag CLG an Ghaeilge á chur ar aghaidh agus a úsáid ina gcuid gnóthaí. An leor é liostaí fóirne a scriobh trí mhéan na Gaeilge agus bheith sásta leo féin gur éacht mór é sin ar son na Gaeilge.

Measaim nach bhfuil ansin ach 'cur i géil' ag Páirc an Chróchaigh. I mo thuairimse, ba chóir i bhfad níos mó Gaeilge a úsáid ag CLG ina gcuid gnóthaí. Caithfidh siad dul níos faide ná ...' Tá áthas orm .... ' agus 'A Chairde Gaeil'

Rather than complaining and always pleading the 'poor mouth' the best thing Offaly can do is set themselves the task of winning all their games in next year's league by the proverbial cricket score. Nothing less will prove McIntyre's point about this relegation for which they have only themselves to blame. A norrow win or a defeat in any of those league games would prove the correctness of the decision to relegate.
Where is the Faithful fighting spirit? I think a lot of the present crop of Footballers and Hurlers have become too soft and are now an easy touch  -  unlike the 'Hard Men' who worked on the farms and on Bord na Mona in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90's. They just did the job without complaining, whinging or looking for special favours. Blaming everyone around except one's self is not the way to make progress. Bite the bullet and get on with it. Prove your worth in the championship and make your statements there! The Faithful are too long in the doldrums and the younger gerneration are looking on stories of past glories in the realm of 'finscéalta' or mythology. Give them something to cheer about and be proud of before all is forgotten and consigned to the distant past.

So there's room for some hope for the year. Won't have to make that trip to Lourdes yet. Good point that about '97. And going back to last year  - the footballers might well have reached a Provincial Final but for the appaling intervention of the Dubs keeper when Offaly were on a roll. So it's a case of keep the faith in the Faithful for a while yet! They always play better in the summer (as opposed to March) with the sun on their backs and when least is expected!
Ua Faighle Abú!

Thanks for the analysis. Will those problems be rectified before the championship? Looking at the situation from a distance it seems the old Faithful Spirit of 'never say die' has deserted our present crop of county representatives. Appreciate the positive nature of the replies. I suppose there is only one direction one can go from rock bottom!

Has Offaly GAA ambitions for a championship season ever been so low? Beaten in almost every competition going and slipping into lower divisions in leagues. How the mighty have fallen? Any spark in the county to give some hope to the exiled fans?
County Board must not be doing it's job. Some talent must be there. I dispair!