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I was told that the final was on saturday night as well and hurling on sunday afternoon.

Herbie was knocked out of the running cos somebody in his family stole sheep in Loughgile one night about three hundred years ago and the County Board thought that this made him too close to Loughgile.

Ar an chéad dul síos ní "fíor Gael" mé ach tuigim tábhacht na teanga agus tá mé den bharúil má tá an duine ag dul rud éigin a dhéanamh is fiú é a dhéanamh i gceart. Ní saineolaí mé ach oiread - mar sin de tá fáilte mhór romhaibh uilig mé a cheartú.

Ba mhaith liom an seanphort sin a bhualadh faoi dhrochchaigdheán na Gaeilge i bhfoilseacháin CLG. Ar na mallaibh chuir mé iarratas isteach chuig CLG ar lorg eolais faoin "Príomh". Sheol siad leabhairín iontach deas chugam. Ba léir ón fhoilseachán seo gur caitheamh cuid mhór airgid air mar den ardchaighdeán a bhí an paipéar agus an stíl clódóireachta. Iontach proifisiúnta ar fad a bhí sé.

A luaithe agus go noscailítear é tá an ghnathlitir ann, "A Chara, blath blath blath......" Shílfeá go mbeadh gach rud ann cruinn agus foirfe. 'Sé an mhalairt atá fíor. Tá caighdeán na Gaeilge chomh bocht sin ann go bhfuil sí dothuigthe. Anois, tá a fhios agam go dtig linn  a rá, " Cad é eile a shílfeá? Seo CLG agus níl le fáíl ach béalghrá don teanga SRL SRL SRL"

Ach sa lá ata inniu agus súil ghearr ar 'achan phingin ceapaim gur cur amú airgid é má tá CLG ag gul a mhacasmháíl a chur i gcló - cur amú airgid s'againne. Is léir nach ndearnadh athléamh ar an phíosa lena cheartú agus as sin is suntasach gur beag an meas atá ag an dream seo ar an Ghaeilge ach caithfidh muid - muintir CLG - a rá leis na hamadáin seo nach bhfuil muid ag glacadh leis cur amú seo níos mó. An bhfuil duine ar bith ceapaithe nó fostaithe ag CLG mar oifigeach na Gaeilge agus má tá cad chuige nach ndéann sé nó sí athléamh ar phíosaí a bhfuil an Ghaeilge iontu?  Cé tá freagrach as ár naiseanna a chur amú gan trácht ar chaitheamh anuas a dhéanamh ar an teanga agus ar lucht na Gaeilge?

From a neutral perspective I thought Gregory was pish poor. It was almost as if he was afraid of a game of football breaking out. He was inconsistent in awarding St Galls some very soft frees in scoring positions which they squandered.

St Galls were in 2nd gear throughout but they never seemed as if they were able to deliver a killer blow, even with the extra man. I think that we still can see a lot more from St Galls but I wonder if their hunger has gone after winning the AI last year?

MR I see that after your campaign a couple of years back in relation to the Irish News calling their  awards the GAA awards that they have changed the name and call themselves the All Star awards. Just noticed that this morning because when you wrote into the Irish News that year your point struck a chord with me.

It was a great game. Was it Dick O'Kane who pointed from the free at the end of that game?

From a neutral perspective 06 was enjoyable - the year of the 2nd half come back

To break away from all this talk of refs - what was the best county final in recent years?

Take your point but it's like all walks of life - the only way you get the experience is by being given the chance to do it. Herbie is a brave bit younger than them other boys - Duffy's in his mid-forties as is Elliott - and as you said he's a development ref - how can he be allowed to develop if he doesn't get the opportunity. I believe that Herbie has potential and he should be given every encouragement. He's young, committed, fit. So, give him the opportunity and all the best to him.

NAG's point about the ref is true. It doesn't matter.

Thats a fair point NAG and well made. Accept what you have said

Guy Fawkes had the right idea?

Just a thought

Still maintain that we shouldn't give the the County Final to an outsider. Hasson is a Derry ref and he is only using us as we are using him but he shouldn't get the County Final. We should use it for our own people - Herbie is the man for the job. Duffy and Elliot have both done a final so, it's only fair that Herbie gets a crack at it.

Who? Me? 

CHB do you think the game will be that tight? A two point margin? I know that Adams has turned the Johnnies around but a two point margin is a bit too much for the Johnnies. I think St Galls will win by 5.

But it is championship and its all about on the day.

Max, have to disagree with you re Hasson. Not detracting from him as a ref but I believe that the big ocassions in Antrim should be for Antrim men and not outsiders.

The relationship with Hasson suits everybody. Antrim hurling gets a ref, Rasharkin get somebody to fill in for them and it suits Hasson as he can ref games at a higher standard than the hurling in Derry, so, everybody wins.

When it comes to the final it should be our own people that we are promoting. Why should Antrim hurling promote a Derry ref? That's why I think Herbie should get the final but as I say this is not intended to take anything away from Hasson.