Messages

i never understood the fascination  with Sunday drinking

Hair of the dog, good sport on, bars not as busy...There are a few positives to it to be fair.

[ne-in-two players in every club is taking cocaine]

The cocaine problem in the GAA is now 'in every corner of Ireland', a Clare referee has said.

Pat Byrne-O'Connell said players have turned to the drug after being told not to drink alcohol.

He told Lunchtime Live he believes the problem is in every club across the country, and that it is one of the GAA's own making

"Massive," he said. "Out of control - and it's in every club in every county in every corner of Ireland."

"Anyone that thinks it's not is totally lost and blind.

"It's out of control and it's the GAA's own fault; they've created this monster by introducing what's called the alcohol ban.

"All these coaches coming in who know little or nothing about the social life of young people banning alcohol.

"So the lads are coming to the pub, sitting at the bar counter with their 0.0 alcohol bottle perched in front of them off their face on cocaine.

"That's what they're doing because you can't be seen to be drinking in the GAA anymore".

'Either blind or stupid'
Mr Byrne-O'Connell said there is "no difference" between the problem at club and county level.

"It's the same players, you're talking [about] the same players," he said.

"They're young fellas, they're social fellas, they're out with their friends at the weekends and that's what they're doing.

"Anyone that says it's not happening is either blind or stupid, and I don't think there's many stupid people involved in the GAA.

"They've turned their back on it because it's the easy way out".

rural drug useA man divides lines of cocaine. Image: Riccardo Ceccherini / Alamy
Mr Byrne-O'Connell, who has been working in the pub industry for 20 years, said he has seen the changes.

"I have lads coming in from training and coming in from matches [saying], 'Pat give me €100 cashback'," he said.

"They go down straight to their 'friend', get their €100, hand it over, into the toilet and come up to the bar counter [for] a 0.0.

"That's what they're doing in every club in the county, and not one club can say that it's not happening because it is".

'Easier to get drugs than drink'
Mr Byrne-O'Connell said he believes the level of drug-taking is "easily" over 50% of players.

"I would say one-in-two players in every club is taking cocaine on a weekly basis.

"It's every pub, it's every house party, it's everywhere.

"If you went down and did a drug test at a GAA match every weekend, you would capture at least one fella with cocaine in his system.

"It's easier to get drugs than drink," he added.

Mr Byrne-O'Connell believes testing will not happen because it is an amateur sport.

"I would say one-in-two players in every club is taking cocaine on a weekly basis.

"If you went down and did a drug test at a GAA match every weekend, you would capture at least one fella with cocaine in his system.

So is it one in two, or one in thirty taking cocaine? Make your mind up Pat ye silly f*cker.

I know cocaine is a problem in Ireland at the moment, but there is some shite spouted above. Yes cocaine is in every town & village in Ireland at the moment. But to say the GAA created the problem is hilarious. And fella's sitting at the bar drinking 0.0% but full of coke, my lord.

That happens.

In every bar/club in Ireland? I know these things are happening but is it really as common as that?

I was in a popular bar in Belfast in December, there were about 8 urinals and only about half them being used, and I would say 20 (probably more) fella's in a que for 2 cubicles. I know it's a big problem at the minute, and loads that play GAA will do it, but so will loads that play Soccer on a Saturday, loads that are on a building site on a Monday, loads of students.....I don't see why it's being linked to the GAA.

[ne-in-two players in every club is taking cocaine]

The cocaine problem in the GAA is now 'in every corner of Ireland', a Clare referee has said.

Pat Byrne-O'Connell said players have turned to the drug after being told not to drink alcohol.

He told Lunchtime Live he believes the problem is in every club across the country, and that it is one of the GAA's own making

"Massive," he said. "Out of control - and it's in every club in every county in every corner of Ireland."

"Anyone that thinks it's not is totally lost and blind.

"It's out of control and it's the GAA's own fault; they've created this monster by introducing what's called the alcohol ban.

"All these coaches coming in who know little or nothing about the social life of young people banning alcohol.

"So the lads are coming to the pub, sitting at the bar counter with their 0.0 alcohol bottle perched in front of them off their face on cocaine.

"That's what they're doing because you can't be seen to be drinking in the GAA anymore".

'Either blind or stupid'
Mr Byrne-O'Connell said there is "no difference" between the problem at club and county level.

"It's the same players, you're talking [about] the same players," he said.

"They're young fellas, they're social fellas, they're out with their friends at the weekends and that's what they're doing.

"Anyone that says it's not happening is either blind or stupid, and I don't think there's many stupid people involved in the GAA.

"They've turned their back on it because it's the easy way out".

rural drug useA man divides lines of cocaine. Image: Riccardo Ceccherini / Alamy
Mr Byrne-O'Connell, who has been working in the pub industry for 20 years, said he has seen the changes.

"I have lads coming in from training and coming in from matches [saying], 'Pat give me €100 cashback'," he said.

"They go down straight to their 'friend', get their €100, hand it over, into the toilet and come up to the bar counter [for] a 0.0.

"That's what they're doing in every club in the county, and not one club can say that it's not happening because it is".

'Easier to get drugs than drink'
Mr Byrne-O'Connell said he believes the level of drug-taking is "easily" over 50% of players.

"I would say one-in-two players in every club is taking cocaine on a weekly basis.

"It's every pub, it's every house party, it's everywhere.

"If you went down and did a drug test at a GAA match every weekend, you would capture at least one fella with cocaine in his system.

"It's easier to get drugs than drink," he added.

Mr Byrne-O'Connell believes testing will not happen because it is an amateur sport.

"I would say one-in-two players in every club is taking cocaine on a weekly basis.

"If you went down and did a drug test at a GAA match every weekend, you would capture at least one fella with cocaine in his system.

So is it one in two, or one in thirty taking cocaine? Make your mind up Pat ye silly f*cker.

I know cocaine is a problem in Ireland at the moment, but there is some shite spouted above. Yes cocaine is in every town & village in Ireland at the moment. But to say the GAA created the problem is hilarious. And fella's sitting at the bar drinking 0.0% but full of coke, my lord.

Again, GO aren't selling it at a loss for 12 hours.

The Applegreen this morning was £1.49, and GO were obviously making profit last night at £1.19.

GO have a 12hr sale. 7pm this eve til 7am tomorrow

Diesel £1.19
Petrol £1.12

[Enda Downey]

No matter which way you look at Saturday night's game against Kerry one must commend Derry for both the quality and intensity of their play. Unlike many Derry teams of the past they also have the resilience and determination to come back immediately after conceding a score and score themselves.

 Now that they have set high standards for themselves I feel that they lack a consistent long distance free taker. Presumably management is aware of this and it is difficult to see any of the current starters successfully taking over this role. Over the past few years Niall Loughlin,Conor Doherty and now Conor Glass have been tried in this role with varying degrees of success.Perhaps posters have some ideas on how this area of the team's development could be improved. Perhaps Odhran Lynch and Ciaran McFaul are secretly training g to improve their long distance accuracy!! 

 Looking forward to another good performance against Tyrone. It would be nice if Eoin McEvoy and his clubmate, Cormac Murphy, would both be available to start and that Oisin McWilliams and Enda Downey would be able to take their places on the bench.

Not sure why the new thread?

What's the story with all the Downey's? All now playing football in Antrim, none seem to have kicked on at all? Are they dogged with injuries?

[Is McEvoy injured?]

With regards to McKaigue - I reckon he knows himself that he will need a run of games and to keep injury free so that he's fully firing come championship time and a firmer sod.  No easy task when hitting the mid 30s to play in the full back line picking up marquee forwards.

Is McEvoy injured?

Yeah, but not serious. In the reckoning this weekend.

Initial loan with obligation to buy in the summer. Would be a huge blow to Celtic, who have already had an underwhelming transfer window this far.

You'd think Slaughtneil would have either posted Glen a good luck message, or congratulatins message on their facebook account. But nothing, nada! LOL

They tweeted a good luck message?

[Sweet Caroline]

American Pie
Sweet Caroline
Summer of 69

The Carlsberg of music.

The winner

A few visitors to Dungiven's underage presentation tonight

[Havn't seen him since]

Anyone experience crypto theft on here or know of anyone got robbed. Worked with a lad that was big into it but had his account emptied last May/June. Poor fella, got the impression it was very significant sum  and he was dreading telling TOH. Havn't seen him since so don't know how he got on trying to recover it or what compensation he might get.

Sounds like the wife killed him once he told her

[feel it in the waist of your trousers,]

Blue Monday.

2nd weekend of dry January complete (1st weekend was easy, this weekend wasn't easy..temptations were there Saturday) Feel far better for it this morning, up this morning for a 5k walk before work. Haven't been weighing myself but feel like a few pounds off.

Should feel it in the waist of your trousers, I never weigh, it should be how you fit into your clothes, or how you feel when you wake and your skin complexion. There are so many ways to gauge a better diet and no drink!

I'm on wet January and loving it lol!

Too many things in Jan for me to go off it, but happy with not drinking during the week, trying to change my diet to more veg and possibly plant based meals

Wife watched this thing on Netflix, You are what you eat the twin experiment. All the stuff you know but changing those habits is the difficulty   

Yeah I notice it in the waist first, and the work shirts don't cling to the gut as much.

That's why I attempted dry Jan, because I haven't one event in January..so thought it was possible. Loads coming up Feb & March..so a break would be good.

Any experts out there think Bitcoin has topped out again? That was advice I was getting over the weekend

It is meeting resistance at £37k £38k alright. I bought more this morning. It's up around 100% this past year.

What 'resistance' would it be meeting at 37 or 38k, or why would it be struggling to go beyond that value?

I'm by no means an expert but as I understand it resistance at a certain level is investors thinking it will drop and then they sell or take profit and then the price actually drops. It's phycological.

Would it be a case of manipulation? 'Big' investors selling off, it dropping value, buying in again at a lower value & repeating?

Blue Monday.

2nd weekend of dry January complete (1st weekend was easy, this weekend wasn't easy..temptations were there Saturday) Feel far better for it this morning, up this morning for a 5k walk before work. Haven't been weighing myself but feel like a few pounds off.