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I own a couple of legs in Premier Dane running in the Kerry National today, cant tell ye much really as the ground and trip are unknowns, he is officially well in at the weights and David has him as fit as he has ever been but he wont have encountered ground like this before, we ran him on the soft at Newton Abbott there a couple of weeks ago to see how he would handle it as his previous trainer Nicky Richards always said he hated soft but he sluiced up and AP said he loved the ground, go figure !

His price is baffling though considering the unknowns, we have had a bit of a cut at him ante-post but not anywhere near enough for him to be a single figure price, i can only assume he has been punted because of who his trainer is, he has been a solid performer for us over the years, he was third in the County Hurdle for us five years ago but he is as odd as a box of frogs, like another of ours Faasel, Pipe seems to have found the key to him winning his last three but he is as likely to be pulled up as he is to win.

Sheedy had never met O'Shea before the county board suggested him (on Nickys advice) in 2007, when they met it became quickly apparent they were pulling in the same direction but Sheedy is on record saying that if they hadn't he would have walked away, in fairness the Tipp county board are a relatively progressive bunch, i doubt Nugent and co would push selectors on O'Shea, its more a case of suggesting names.

My nightmares will always be filled with Clancy of the 20 steps, smiling Dickie and the poison dwarf bucklepping his way back down the field after the penalty, i blame sumo for missing that goal chance near the end which would have finished them off, at least he made up for it the following year with his "rasper"
 

I think PE, like most of us, BP,  has tried to block the memory of the horror show in the 99 replay from his mind

I think that's why we haven't had any mention of retirements Colombia, i think the players have been tipped the nod that Eamonn is on board, I hope so anyway, not least because i threw a sizable chunk of the kids inheritance on him ,  i believe the county board are finalising his selectors at the moment, they are being very thorough as i know of at least four lads who have been sounded out about their interest.

[This year we had O'Mahoney and Tom Stapleton in difficulty before the throw-in against Kilkenny,]

Philly was commanding at full back and good at mastering the square, a full back line of Curran, himself & Ormonde in that order when all were in their prime would've been as effective as you'd get, unfortunately it never came to pass at senior level. Curran's questionable touch has caused him trouble in front of goals at times, that said, he's been a tremendous servant to Tipp, the lack of obvious full back alternatives is a concern that the next management needs to immediately address.

O'Mahoney gave an exhibition at full back in the horror show that was the 2004 All-Ireland U21 final down in Nowlan Park. I wouldn't be an advocate of moving him back there now, as he's vulnerable on the turn to lads running at him.  He's a lad I'd still have faith in for the long road, Pádraig Maher is more effective at wing back and that's where Tipp need him in 2013.

Incidentally, another parallel with 2003 was Tipp lining out with an injury compromised centre back against Kilkenny, when Tommy Dunne was barely able to run and was completely subdued by John Hoyne. This year we had O'Mahoney and Tom Stapleton in difficulty before the throw-in against Kilkenny, now you have lads calling for Stapleton to be discarded despite his excellent form in the preceding 3 games. Just goes to show that an injured defender will always be vulnerable.

Ormonde was such an underrated corner back Colombia, a bit like John Heffernan back in his day, he wasn't a flashy player but i cant remember him being beaten by his opposite number very often, his display in the 01 final was a case in point, as for Philly, i just never felt comfortable with him on the edge of the square, he wasn't great in the air for a man of his size but he always put the hand up, Curran has a better paw imho but he also recognises when his opposite number is stronger in the air than him and adjusts his game to suit, i also think that Philly was too fond of the auld hollywood clearance.

As for the bolded bit above, we actually had three of our six defenders under par before the ball was thrown in, Curran had been ill all week, when you think about it the dressing room must have resembled a field hospital before the throw in with the doc chasing Stapelton and O'Mahoney around with a selection of needles and Curran mainlining lemsip and day nurse, add Eoin Kelly and Gearoid Ryan into the mix and you would find healthier hospital wards, yet all five togged out, madness.

He was an outstanding underage full back AZ.

I think Philly, much like Paudie Maher,  was too much of a hurler for full back Colombia, i prefer my full backs to be well versed in the dark arts, i remember a fella roaring abuse at Curran during the 2010 final and roaring at Sheedy to "take him off ta fcuk, sure he hasn't pucked a ball all day", i replied that i couldn't give a fcuk if he never pucked a ball as long as he minded the house, Philly was definitely the better hurler but i would take Curran over him all day long as a full back.

In fairness i wouldn't blame Joe, the horse didn't pick up, simple as, the boys were as bullish as they have ever been but these things happen, joe thought his speed would pick everything else up,it cost me a small fortune but i dont blame Joe or anyone else at ballydoyle,horse racing isn't an exact science.

Jaysus I'm shocked that Eddie Keher watched the game at all, sure didn't he tell all and sundry in 2010 that nobody in Kilkenny would have any interest in a back door All-Ireland, he also moaned about Tommy Walsh being floored off the ball a couple of times and getting no free, that sound of laughter you can hear is the sound of every forward who has ever had the misfortune to wander into Tommys sights pissing themselves, i think Tommy is still substantially in credit when it comes to "flooring" off the ball Eddie

Fair play to ye, looks an excellent set up, unfortunately my sceilpin,pullin,draggin,duntin,diggin etc.. days are a distant(but vivid) memory but i will mention ye to a few lads, as i said, fair play to ye preaching the gospel in rugby country.

Sure madness is a prerequisite at the Times as well as a liking for smoke and strong liquor

I know someone who writes for the Times and it was a natural progression really as the vast majority of their Gaa coverage is rooted in various fora, no harm either as sites like this are where the real experts are

He was on here briefly Hardy, in fairness he is as sharp a judge of a hurler and hurling as Ive come across, some of his posts on Premierview, Afr and Kilkenny cats were among the best I've read on the subject, unfortunately he was as mad as a box of frogs though and ended up fighting battles on many fronts on various fora.

Couldnt be Johnney, sure Glennon was surely receiving treatment by the St Johns ambulance for the vicious assault by Tyrell which led to the final free which sparked the "dance" on the sideline

 
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God Almighty! Surely it's Vincent Hogan under a pseudonym?
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Not quite Hardy but you may remember him as Arrigle from his many and varied meltdowns on AFR, himself and Trimble had a few right ding dongs back in the day.