Messages

Paddy

Why is Hurling doing well, any lessons for Football??

Thanks maddog

I believe George is covered and I would expect Pat is too with a name like Mellon!!

In any case, pass on the details to the Moy club's website and thanks for the response.

Is mise

Great result today....good luck Tir Eoghain for the quarters.

Laceer questioned C Holmes' contribution at MF. One incident epitomised Collie's commitment when he won the ball from 3 Mayo lads that led to a Tyrone score

He and the other boys are into the last 8 again....the good times continue for Tyrone....they deserve great credit for giving us another summer of football.

Moy GFC in County Tyrone are celebrating their Centenary anniversary this year and would like the names and addresses of past members/players/contacts of the club who are based in Britain.

There are several people based in Warwickshire and they would like to know of people who may be based in the other Counties.

If you know of anyone who has been associated with the Moy club and still involved with the GAA`in Biritain please contact them via their website.

Agree with the vast majority of what you and Benny have said Carnaross.

I wouldn't be so hung up on having somebody from outside the Counties being brought in. A good honest analysis of what is currently going on would be beneficial and a fresh face might do that better than an 'insider'. I hope those eventually employed can bring all the elements together and drive the development foward. A positive move without a shadow of doubt and great for Gaels in Britain.

[There was scarcely 1,000 people]

Ulster joined Leinster at the top of the roll of honour with a committed display of football seeing them to a 1-12 to 1-08 win over Munster in tonight's M Donnelly Interprovincial football decider.

Although Munster hit their opponents for 1-03 during a three-minute spell in the second quarter, and also held the interval lead, a brilliant second half performance ensured that Ulster, jointly managed by Brian McEniff and Art McRory emerged as winners under the Croke Park floodlights.

There was scarcely 1,000 people present for the start of the final but this did not stop Ulster from making a positive start - they held a 0-03 to 0-01 at the end of the opening quarter, thanks to good scores from Monaghan trio Thomas Freeman, Paul Finlay and Eoin Lennon, with Kerry's Mike Frank Russell chipping in for the lone score for Munster at that stage.

Munster were unlucky not to be level with their northerners as they created the first goal chance of the contest in the 11th-minute. A long ball in to full-forward Kieran Donaghy saw the Kerryman despatch an excellent fisted pass to John Miskella but the efforts of Derry defender Ciaran McKeever ensured that Miskella was kept at bay.

The Sean Geaney-managed Munster team came back strongly and scored 1-03 in a three-minute spell as they burst into a 1-04 to 0-03 lead, 23 minutes into the tie.

Points from Russell and Tomas O'Se kickstarted the Munster comeback, which really got going with an impressive 22nd-minute goal from Donaghy.

Like Munster's earlier goal miss, their major came from a well-worked movement which began with a long ball in from Seamus Scanlon. The delivery was cleanly caught by Donaghy who sent a blistering shot to the back of the net.

Munster had a chance for a second goal from the resulting kick-out with Donaghy making another clean catch before dispatching the ball to the onrushing Russell, however the Kerry star's kick was well saved by Ulster goalkeeper James Reilly. The ball went out for a '45' which Cork's Donnacha O'Connor subsequently converted.

This ended the Munster onslaught as Ulster responded well and cut the gap to a point at the interval thanks to some industrious play. A fisted pass from Paul Finlay to fellow Monaghan man Thomas Freeman, who gathered pace as he headed towards the goals, resulted in an Ulster goal as Freeman rocketed his shot to the roof of the net, leaving just a point between the sides.

Munster's 1-05 to 1-04 interval advantage was a far from secure one and Ulster quickly regained the lead on the resumption.

Armagh's Steven McDonnell was one of Ulster's heroes during the second half as the 39th-minute substitute scored two points with his first two touches to hand Ulster held a two-point lead nine minutes after the restart, with Monaghan's Dick Clerkin also adding a point to the Ulster tally.

While Ulster remained a composed outfit throughout the second half, Munster were in panic mode and although half-time substitute Fintan Goold cut the gap to a point, the inaccuracy of his fellow forwards, who chalked up five wides during the second half, left Munster trailing.

Not even Donaghy could find a much-needed goal for the eventual losers, as his 57th-minute effort crept wide of the target.

Ulster were more clinical in their use of possession and it was this, along with some excellent displays in both defence and attack, which ensured they pulled away and captured a 28th Interprovincial title.

Scorers -
Ulster: T Freeman 1-01, P Finlay, S McDonnell 0-03 each, S Cavanagh 0-02, D Clerkin, E Lennon, B Coulter 0-01 each
Munster: D O'Connor 0-03 (0-02f, 1 '45'), K Donaghy 1-00, MF Russell 0-02 (0-01f), P O'Neill, T O'Se, F Goold 0-01 each

ULSTER: J Reilly; B Owens, K McCloy, K Lacey; C McKeever, C Gormley, K Cassidy; E Lennon, D Gordon; D Clerkin, S Cavanagh, P Finlay; T Freeman, Paddy Bradley, E Muldoon.

Subs used: B Monaghan for McCloy (half-time), S McDonnell for Bradley (39 mins), D Mone for Lacey (48), B Coulter for Gordon (51), S Goan for McKeever (64).

MUNSTER:  A Quirke; T O'Gorman, T O'Sullivan, K O'Connor; T O'Se, M Shields, G Spillane; D O'Se, S Scanlon; E Brosnan, P O'Neill, J Miskella; MF Russell, K Donaghy, D O'Connor.

Subs used: G Canty for O'Gorman (31 mins), F Goold for D O'Se (half-time), D O'Sullivan for Miskella (53).

Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois)

Got news of the match here in England from RTE who reported 'scarcely 1000 present at the start of the match', now that's a big void in Croker

The fact that seperate threads are needed are a good reflection on the game in Britain. Students will always be attracted to the big urban sides, the smaller rural clubs have this issue to face all the time. During the student holidays the big town clubs get away with murder not beinbg able to field a team when it comes to travel away a few miles.

third level qualification in sports administration/deveopment?

fairly narrows down the list of potential applicants.

Graduates of the Sports Management Degree in UCD need only apply.

Agree it is very specific.......somebody with a track record of developing sport, no matter the code, could be considered. They could soon pick up the GAA aspect and mentality.

Interesting to see how this will develop. I believe clubs outside the large cities will continue to struggle to find established gaelic players. It's easier for urban clubs to pick up the students and migrating Irish workers (although these are fewer than ever).

Like any development, the key to success will be enough local people willing to devote their time. The GAA can provide the resource but it is not easy building a social and cultural atmosphere thats drives parish/club success (as in ireland) and the constant stream of underage players.

Rural clubs will have to think differently, that may include more mergers, developing school across a wider region, targeting new migrants, for example eastern Europeans who may well be attracted by the GAA ethos (social inclusion,culture) like the Irish did when they arrived here in numbers.

I hope the new county based developers look outside the established clubs (these are the easy wins) and show a bit of imagination in more difficult areas. Likewise it will be up to the smaller clubs to fight their corner and make their voice heard.

On Tankie's point.....there are plenty of clubs in Ireland with Irish players who don't field a team that win championships. If that is alll you think the GAA is about then you are missing the point completely.I take it you won't be volunteering your own time.

I wish all the new people every success, the GAA is still a huge influence for many exiled Gaels and newcomers to the games in Britain.

Nervous tension definitely starting now. The abiding memory of '96 was Meath banging over great points from 35/40 metres to hammer us out the ground and the roar reverberating from the Hogan as they popped over.

Different stadium, different football order...please God different result.

This is unacceptable. There is a shortage of referees but a game like this should be covered. Would be interested to know what the official response is to any complaint you make. What was the score by the way and where is the final?

Had a long conversation with people involved with the GAA in Britain on the way to a match in Nottingham yesterday. The consensus was that the clubs based in the heavily populated areas are still able to attract Irish players. The GAA website lists all transfers and it is obvious who are the winners in the race for players.

Clubs outside the main cities and towns are struggling to maintain a team. We traditionally had a big pool of players both 1st and 2nd generation. We now rely on local English fellas who's first games are soccer and rugby.

I referee when requested by the county, each club is supposed to nominate 2 referees. This is obviously a sticky area when games can become tetchy if some poor sod from one of the participating teams has to don the whistle.

Warwickshire has a scheme in the local schools and uses a development officer, specific funds are available for schools (training kits etc)

People involved in the game in Ireland can be a little bit dismissive of the quality. It is fairly obvious that you will not get the standard of play and player that you find in an Irish parish/club. In saying that, those clubs and Gaels (exiled or adopted) who manage to keep the infrastucture intact and the association going, deserve great credit.

I won a county medal in 2000, it didn't matter that the final was in Birmingham and not Healy Park or Parnell Park, the sense of pride and achievement was still the same.

With Fianna Fail winning a huge amount of first preference votes and the Taoiseach likely to forge closer ties with Northern unionists, how do 32 county aspirationalists thinks an all- Ireland party will be developed?