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[Don't know if anyone here has seen it before, but it's fantastic. Watch it tonight on RTÉ 2 at 9.30pm!]

Anonymous returns!
Jason Byrne is back with six more celebs and bag full of special fx!

About the Show
Presented by Jason Byrne and featuring Ronan Keating, Ken Doherty, Patrick Kielty, Pamela Flood, Keith Barry and Lucy Kennedy, Anonymous is set, once again to put some of the nation's favourite household names in some pretty funny and bizarre situations.

Watch - as Ronan Keating goes shoplifting, sets up his Dad and gets one over on Gift Grub's Mario Rosenstock.

Laugh - as we turn Ken Doherty into a priest and put him playing snooker against Alex Higgins.

See also Patrick Kielty transformed into Betty Silverman, a New York TV reporter interviewing the North's political leaders for her documentary, "The Troubles With Comedy". Witness Pamela Flood become a fully fledged member of the "fur coat no knickers" brigade as she morphs into an over-bearing D4 mother, setting up VIP Magazine's Michael O'Doherty and her Off the Rails co-presenter, Caroline Morahan.

One of the more hilarious moments is magician Keith Barry setting up Radio One's Brenda Donoghue a host of unsuspecting tele-sales folk and his own mother when he transforms into Indian motivational guru, Kavi Shergill.

And finally....see our biggest reaction ever, as we turn Lucy Kennedy into an English geezer and get her to set up her own manager, Joanne Byrne - with a little help from Louis Walsh


Don't know if anyone here has seen it before, but it's fantastic. Watch it tonight on RTÉ 2 at 9.30pm!

Last night there was reports of UFOs flying about Down. Wonder if they have been drafted in against Cavan.

Anyone see Nolan play football tonight on the BBC tonight? Trained with Eglish. It was some craic!

I've just heard that Sinn Fein Cllr Michael McAnespie of Omagh District Council for Mid Ulster, has died today. An accident to do with a bull.

Rest in Peace Mickey.

[A man's body was hanging from a tree for over three weeks at a hospital in Northern Ireland before it was discovered, the BBC has learned.]

A man's body was hanging from a tree for over three weeks at a hospital in Northern Ireland before it was discovered, the BBC has learned.

The 34-year-old man, originally from Poland, was found in the grounds of Craigavon Area Hospital, County Armagh.

He had been treated at the hospital and had left on 26 March.

His body was found last Friday in a heavily shrubbed area to the rear of the complex. Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious.

A Craigavon Area Hospital spokeswoman confirmed a man's body had been found in its grounds but added that she was unable to comment on the case until an inquest into the death was carried out.

The police also confirmed the body of a man "was discovered around noon in the grounds of Craigavon Area Hospital on Friday 20 April".

He was reported missing on 11 April and was subsequently identified from medical records.

Sourced BBCi: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6607839.stm

Jesus, how can a thing like this happen?? There's going to have to be some answers over this!

[An Indian court has issued an arrest warrant for Hollywood actor Richard Gere after he kissed Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty in public.]

An Indian court has issued an arrest warrant for Hollywood actor Richard Gere after he kissed Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty in public.
Gere, 57, kissed Shetty, 31, several times on the cheek at an Aids awareness event in Delhi earlier this month.

The court in Jaipur in Rajasthan state called it "an obscene act", after a local lawyer filed a complaint.

It was not immediately clear how the warrant could affect Gere, who is a frequent visitor to India.

Shetty, who found fame outside India as the winner of Celebrity Big Brother in the UK, has also been asked to appear before the court.

But her spokesman, Dale Bhagwager, said the actress had not received any court order or summons and was currently away visiting temples.

He said Shetty had not done anything wrong.

Bigger issue

"What is there to comment? They were three innocent, natural cute pecks on the cheek," said Mr Bhagwager.

"What can one say, when three pecks can be made into an issue in the land of the Kama Sutra? People should concentrate on the bigger issue of Aids, rather than this."

Photographs of the clinch were splashed across front pages of newspapers in India.

Public displays of affection are still largely taboo in India, and protestors in Mumbai (Bombay) set fire to effigies of Gere following the incident.

Dance scene

Shetty has defended Gere saying that it was all done "in good humour".

"He especially told me to tell the media that he didn't want to hurt any Indian sensibilities," she said.

She said Gere had only been re-enacting a scene from his film Shall We Dance.

Under Indian law, a person convicted of public obscenity faces up to three months in prison, a fine or both.

Gere, star of films such as Chicago and Pretty Woman, is a Buddhist and travels to India frequently to visit the Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in the north of the country.

Sourced BBCi: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6596163.stm

For f*ck sake!!

It's 5.15am. Been in bed since 11.30pm. Can't sleep. I can't never sleep. Have to get up in a couple of hours. Will be wrecked a

I am lying my bed, accessing this board via my mobile phone. This forum is mobile phone friendly, with the exception that no pic

Nioclas O Braonain
Uachtaran CLCG
Croke Park
DUBLIN

7 February 2007

Dear Nickey

I am writing, as requested by the Tyrone County Committee, to put to you as Uachtaran, to An Coiste Bainisti  and to Central Council a summary of a discussion that was held at our monthly County Committee meeting last night.

That discussion concerned the GAA's evident moves towards "recognition" of the Gaelic Players' Association (GPA). Our County Committee is clear that no such "recognition" should be granted.

The main reasons for our clear and unequivocal stance are as follows:

1. Just who are the GPA and who do they represent? Just as importantly, who do they not represent? Last year this group made what we felt was an open attack on the Association by acting to delay an entire National Football League programme: the last time a similar exercise was attempted on the GAA was August 1918. In the same way we believe they have hijacked our official All-Stars scheme. This is not a group that the GAA should be giving recognition to.

2. The GPA already has the same representation at Central Council as our entire County, or indeed any other County or unit of the Association. Despite the reservations listed above, they already enjoy a privileged position. This gesture is generous recognition.

3. What exactly is the purpose of "recognition"? In our eyes it can only be for one of two reasons — (a) to give them a preferential status, or (b) to negotiate with them. As a County Committee we are opposed to both of these. The GAA is about equality for all its people, not preference for a tiny, tiny number. That's one of the things that makes us different: no matter how many people want to make the comparisons, we are simply not (and hopefully never will be) like other sports. And we have already well-established channels in place for negotiation and discussion. We have a Club-County-Province-National structure that's the envy of many. This letter is an example of that: grave concerns expressed by Tyrone Club delegates last night can be brought to the highest level of the GAA within hours.

4. If "recognition" is granted to the GPA, which self-appointed group will be next to seek a similar status? "Non-GPA" players? Managers? Referees? Supporters? County Chairs? Secretaries? Coaches? Physios? Fund-raisers? The list is endless. And if the principle of recognition is established for one group, how can it be denied to others?

5. If the GPA has "recognition", where then do County Committees stand in terms of a core part of their GAA business, their organisation of County teams? An officially-sanctioned route for by-passing County Committees will be in place, leaving them in the intolerable position of having the responsibility for something whilst the power to deal with it lies elsewhere.

I want to make it clear that in Tyrone we believe absolutely in looking after our players. We always have done and I think our track record in that area is as good as anybody's and maybe better than many. We are very proud of our players; respect what they do; resource them very, very well; and rejoice in the honour they have brought our County and its people. We believe that's the GAA way of doing things. And it's one we're committed to. But we're also committed to looking after all parts of the GAA in our County.

The GAA's great strength is in the delicate yet wholly powerful balance it maintains across all parts of the Association. Disturb that balance even slightly and you fatally weaken the whole structure. In that sense, if there's one great issue that we should look seriously at as an Association, it's the question of Volunteer Welfare. Lose that one and we won't have anything left to worry about.

Can I make it clear again that we discussed this issue openly and freely at our County Committee meeting last night. There was unanimous agreement with these sentiments. Because of that I would like you to share this letter with your colleagues on Management and table / circulate it at the next meeting of the Ard Comhairle.

Thank you again for your leadership across all our work.

Is mise,

P. O Dorchai

Cathaoirleach

Coiste Thir Eoghain

Sourced Tyronegaa.ie: http://www.tyronegaa.ie/countyboard/news/story.jsp?newsid=293

Hi there

I was wondering if anyone has any contact details for Markievicz Park, Sligo. I am heading to a game there on Sunday afternoon and want to know what the disabled facilities are like. I have looked everywhere on-line, but cannot find information.

Hopefully someone here can help me out.

Thanks

Mr Hat, where's your clothes?

[VODAFONE ALL STARS EXHIBITION MATCH:]

Saturday, January 27

VODAFONE ALL STARS EXHIBITION MATCH: 

'05 All Stars 4-13 '06 All Stars 3-10 [/b]

The 2005 All Star selection team proved to be best in the Vodafone All Star tour to Dubai on Saturday, beating the 2006 selection by six points, 4-13 to 3-10.

Unlike some other All Star tour games, this was a highly competitive game at the Polo Club, and at half time the sides were level 1-7 to 1-7.

Derry's Paddy Bradley proved to be the most dangerous attacker for the 2005 side, scoring their first-half goal before ending the game with a personal tally of 2-5.

Seamus Moynihan netted for the 2006 team to keep the teams in touch, but the second half saw the eventual winners surge ahead.

Bradley got his second goal but Tyrone's Sean Cavanagh got two of his own to leave the 2006 selection chasing the game.

Still, there were several impressive personal performances, with Mayo's Alan Dillon and Cork's Nicholas Murphy outstanding.

Dublin's Alan Brogan and Cork's James Masters accounted for the 2006 team's two other goals, but they were not enough to swing the game back in their favour.

2005 All Stars Squad:

Paul Hearty (Armagh), Ryan McMenamin (Tyrone), Michael McCarthy (Kerry), Andy Mallon (Armagh), Graham Canty (Cork), Conor Gormley (Tyrone), Aaron Kernan (Armagh), Paul McGrane (Armagh), Sean Cavanagh (Tyrone), Brian Dooher (Tyrone), Peter Canavan (Tyrone), Owen Mulligan (Tyrone), Paddy Bradley (Derry), Stephen O'Neill (Tyrone), Steven McDonnell (Armagh).

2006 All Stars Squad:

Alan Quirke (Cork), Barry Owens (Fermanagh), Karl Lacey (Donegal), Seamus Moynihan (Kerry), Ger Spillane (Cork), Aidan O'Mahony (Kerry), Shane Ryan (Dublin), Nicholas Murphy (Cork), Sean O'Sullivan (Kerry), Alan Brogan (Dublin), Alan Dillon (Mayo), Conor Mortimer (Mayo), James Masters (Cork), Ross Munnelly (Laois), Brian Kavanagh (Longford).

Sourced GAA.ie: http://www.gaa.ie/plugins/newsfeed.cgi?rm=content&plugin_data_id=17356

Saturday, January 27

The death has occurred of former GAA president Seamus O Riain, who passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning at the age of 90.

Seamus was a native of Moneygall in Co Tipperary. He served as President of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 1967 to 1970 and had been President of the Tipperary County Board since 1990.

He also held the chairmanship of the North Tipperary Board (1957-66), of Munster Council (1965-67), of the Tipperary County Board (1970-73), Member of Coiste na nOg, of Committee of Club Development Scheme, of Bord na bPáirc and of Semple Stadium Development Committee.

Born in 1916 in Busherstown, near Moneygall in Co. Tipperary, he was educated at Moneygall NS, Colaiste Einde and Colaiste Chaoimhinm Dublin and De La Salle College Waterford, where he trained as a National Teacher.

He taught in Cloughjordan, Newcastlewest, Inis Barr a Chuin (an island off the West Coast) and Borrisokane before finally taking up his post at Dunkerrin NS. It is interesting to note that while in Borrisokane, Seamus Gardiner (GAA President from 1943 to 1946) was his principal.

Seamus won two Waterford Senior Football Championships with De La Salle and also won the Gold Medal for best all rounder during both his years in College. He played Junior hurling and football with Tipperary and also won many Tipperary and Munster athletic championships.

He served his local Moneygall club as Secretary during the early forties. Seamus was elected Vice Chairman of the North Tipperary Board in 1955 and Chairman in 1957, a position he held until 1966. He was first elected to the Munster Council in 1958 and became Vice-Chairman in 1962. He was elected chairman of the Munster Council in 1965 and was elected President of the GAA in 1967.

His term of Presidency (1967 to 1970) marked some major developments in the GAA. The most notable of these were the inauguration of Scor, the first games with Australian Rules in Ireland and Australia, the setting up of the Commission on the Affairs of the GAA, the launching of the Club Development Scheme, and the decision to build a modern handball court in Croke Park.

On completion of his term as President in 1970 he succeeded Canon Fogarty as Chairman of the Tipperary County Board. He was influential in having the Canon Fogarty trophy competition initiated - this competition brought together the secondary and vocational schools of Tipperary.

Another innovation was the first Tipperary GAA yearbook. His crowning glory however must surely have been Feile na nGael, which arrived on the scene in 1971 and which has since become probably the most significant youth development in the GAA.

Having completed his three years as County Board Chairman, he concentrated his attentions on the Moneygall club, taking over as Chairman in 1974. A year later Moneygall won their first ever North Tipperary Senior Hurling title as a distinct unit. They added the County title for good measure and the team included four members of the Ryan Clan, Philip, Seamus Junior, Jack and Eugene.

In 1975, the County title was retained. This history of the Moneygall club entitled the Moneygall Hurling Story, 1885 to 1975 was penned by Seamus at the end of 1975.

May he rest in peace.

Sourced GAA.ie: http://www.gaa.ie/plugins/newsfeed.cgi?rm=content&plugin_data_id=17355

The GAA will no longer allow league or championship-winning hurlers or footballers receive their medals unless they're wearing their own team's colours.

In recent years, players have tended to swap jerseys after finals but now they will only be allowed to do a swap once the presentation ceremony is completed as GAA President Nickey Brennan explained:

"One thing that was annoying when a team had won a game was when some players went up to the presentation area wearing the opposition's jerseys," said Brennan.

"It's particularly embarrassing if a sponsor has gone to the bother of putting up the bucks for a team and then seeing the opposition on the podium when the trophy is being presented - and it's happened."

Sourced Hoganstand.com: http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=71881

As many people here are big fans of the programme The Panel, I thought I'd let you all know. I've just discovered that you can view previous episodes of The Panel on the RTÉ website.

[The identity of the United Kingdom is threatened by an "opportunist group of nationalists", Gordon Brown has warned.]

The identity of the United Kingdom is threatened by an "opportunist group of nationalists", Gordon Brown has warned.

The chancellor told the Fabian Society that some groups were "playing fast and loose" with the union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

He said the UK was a country "built on shared values" which served as a "model for the rest of the world".

SNP leader Alex Salmond said Mr Brown was thinking only of his "self-interest as a prime minister designate".

Mr Brown, a Scot who is MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, is expected to take over as prime minister later this year.

Talking to former Labour MP Oona King at the start of the Labour think-tank's conference, Mr Brown stressed the importance of the country's shared values.

"It is very important to recognise that Britishness and Britain itself is not based on ethnicity and race," he said.

"It is founded on shared values that we hold in common: a commitment to liberty for all, a commitment to social responsibility shown by all, and a commitment to fairness to all."

He said there was now a dividing line in Britain which pitted "those of us who are prepared to support the shared values of the union" against "those who are prepared to play fast and loose with the union and put the whole future of the union at risk".

English issues

This year is the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union that merged the English and Scottish parliaments.

The pro-independence Scottish National Party is tipped to do well in the Scottish Parliament elections in May, with the independence debate likely to crop up often in the campaign. 

SNP leader Mr Salmond said the chancellor "could not tolerate the idea of Scotland slipping out of Labour's control just at the point he wants to move into No 10".

"Revealingly, Mr Brown is unable to accept that, under his chancellorship, the Scottish economy has lagged behind both the UK and spectacularly, the small independent countries in Europe."

The Conservatives have suggested for some time now that it might be better if exclusively English laws were voted on by English MPs alone.

But Mr Brown said the idea of "English votes for English laws" would pull the union apart.

'Faustian bargain'

During a wide-ranging address to the Fabians, Mr Brown pledged support for the idea of raising the school-leaving age to 18.

And he told delegates that terrorism and security issues could not be solved through military means alone.

Earlier, he had written an article in the Daily Telegraph where he criticised the Conservatives for siding with the nationalists over constitutional issues.

In it he warned: "It is now time for supporters of the union to speak up, to resist any drift towards a Balkanisation of Britain and to acknowledge Great Britain for the success it has been and is."

He attacked today's Conservatives for embracing "anti-unionist positions" in collusion with nationalists - contrasting them with Lady Thatcher's determined support for the union.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said the chancellor was right to highlight the "Faustian bargain" between the nationalists and the Tories.

"They may have different motives but their actions will jointly lead to the same conclusion - the break-up of the union," he said.

But shadow Scotland secretary David Mundell said the chancellor should be judged by his actions, not his words.

"He is undermining Britishness with his support for English regionalisation, identity cards and the European constitution."

Sourced BBCi: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6258089.stm

Mick Falvey, a native of Kerry who played football for Dublin and won the 1942 All Ireland with his adopted county, has died. 

Born in Dingle/Daingean Uí Chúis, he won his Championship medal with Dublin in 1942.

He was partnered in midfield by fellow Kerryman and Dublin captain the late Joe Fitzgerald on a day when Dublin beat Connacht champions Galway 1-10 to 1-8.


Remarkably, he was one of three Dingle/Daingean Uí Chúis men playing in midfield in the Final despite the fact that Kerry were not themselves involved.

Dublin's victory ended a Championship drought that had lasted since 1923, and also brought to a close a three year (1939, '40 and '41) period of Kerry dominance.

They did not win another All-Ireland until 1958.

Sourced RTÉ.ie http://www.rte.ie/sport/2006/1221/falveym.html

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has urged the GAA to abandon the International Rules series and replace it with a GAA World Series for winners of the senior, intermediate and junior All-Ireland club championships.

"We need to begin to generate an international dimension to Gaelic games," Harte said at a debate in DCU about the future of the International Rules series on Thursday night, November 16.

"Let's not forget inter-county football started with the clubs. Clubs represented their counties in the first instance. Clubs can also represent our country at junior, intermediate and senior.

"We have teams in virtually every part of the world and there are certainly teams who could meet that standard. We could begin by having a World Series at club level."

He added: "It might take time, but so what? Certainly Gaelic football is being played elsewhere."

Sourced BBCi: http://www.hoganstand.com/Tyrone/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=69213