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One thing that we are reminded of from this week, is that the Dublin government/media are on a par with the Belfast and London media/government when it comes to the old propaganda and SF bashing.

A frenzy of coordinated bashing.
What is of surprise though is the lack of impact, even managing opposite effects. Something has changed in a large portion of today's  u30 generation.

They don't watch the news or read papers.

Indeed its debatable as to whether they get much information about current affairs at all.

Most definitely , millenials are wired differently in terms of social interaction due to the world that they have grown up in.

I'd very much looking forward to seeing FG smashed but the likelihood of a FF resurgence is taking the shine off things from my perspective.

[how many wides from 'scorable' frees and indeed overall?]

That was a joke of a red card in Castlebar.
High tackle - yellow all day long.

Ah jaysus, take off those anti dub glasses. Red card all day long. Mayo looking very limited up front regardless of red card

Anti-Dublin? I'm the least anti-Dublin person you could meet.
A huge admirer of that Dublin team.
But that to me is a high tackle which is a yellow card imo.

Cheap shot that deserved a red card. Mayo were rubbish up front and if they use the red card to delude themselves about the result they're fooling no one but themselves

Dublin weren't exactly excelling themselves either anywhere on the pitch before the red card. I do agree with regards the Mayo forwards, how many wides from 'scorable' frees and indeed overall? But the red card and the goal changed the game in my opinion. I'm not saying that we would have won it but it would probably mean the Dubs having to up the tempo a bit.

Probably a boring game for the neutrals watching it.

Why the f**k did Diarmuid not kick all the frees? Better striker of the ball than Cillian or anybody else.
Once the red card happened it was over anyway so it is just about the housekeeping bits that are the most damaging in the long run.
Most Mayo players played very well. If I were Horan I would be happy out. That result tonight means f**k all. Going forward Mayo's biggest concern is keeping Ruane and Mullin. Mullin class again tonight.

Agree totally. Where is Ruane? I thought I heard his name mentioned on the radio playing against Galway in the FBD, but he wasn't named last week or this week.

Shoulder injury for NUIG Sigerson game a few weeks back.

Unreal result in Ballybofey.

I suppose we should be used to James Horan's selections at this stage but Donegal were handed the game from the start. 3 subs at ht says a lot. Not sure though he took off all the right lads though!

However, the newer players that can play at this level played well. Swanee was terrific. Oisín Mullin and Tommy Conroy have quality and no doubts about them. Mullin is probably ahead of where  Lee Keegan was at his age. Conroy is only 19.

4 AFL clubs after Oisin Mullin , he was top performer at combine trials...

I would say the driver of the lead car from last year may not be invited back

I am not convinced it's a pb course but, distance aside, last year seemed a a massive improvement so would be a good one to do. If you are down 230s/240s you will likely be top twenty probably and might be on your own a bit though relay teams will help.

Haha...fact , comical stuff last year ! Yep, id like to say I've done it as my dad ran Belfast back in the 80s. Do most if not all the training solo so well used to grinding it out if isolated in a race. The race is the easy bit , training is the slog. Good luck yourself giving it a crack ..it's a great goal.

I got a place too. Very injury prone these days so not sure I will make it but will give it a go.

BM be interesting to see how you get on in Belfast. If they get the distance right, if, it's a good event. There are some stinking hills round the 18 or so mile mark though lol.

Really? Thanks for the heads up...best year to do a race is after a c**k up because organisers pull out all the stops. Just hoping weather will be kind , if it's a hot day, PB won't go..

Do you think this will edge a lot of people towards the Belfast marathon?

Entered Belfast myself for this year! Don't think I'll bother with Dublin again !

Can anyone recommend any cream for the knees?
Touch of arthritis so thought one of you might be able to recommend something to help loosen them up a bit

Go running. Gradual progression of volume or intensity over prolonged period of time (months / years).

https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/5/1/e000586

Enjoyed The Irishman, but prob 30-45 mins too long. Best DeNiro has been in years and years.

Was going to go but saw the run time and thought f**k that, life's too short !

Smells of business trying to plunder what they can get, nice entry fee hike as well likely. Can't see the lottery system lasting as demand will fall after a few years ...so many other options of city marathons available now.

Good luck everyone! Absolutely crapping myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's not too bad, once you get to the real halfway point at 20 miles...the true agony only becomes apparent then...

Good luck all lads going on Sunday! Looks like weather will be ideal

Was Timmy really on the Mayo team bus??

No

Me.

Me actually.

I'm still not over the fact the ref missed John Small picking the ball off the ground in the draw in 2016. Nor the ref letting O'Callaghan take 8 steps in 2017.

It was Bastick...and ref gave a free out...Regan his temporal bone too in the collision 

True? Not true? Who knows?

Former Mayo manager Stephen Rochford is strongly tipped to be named the new Galway senior football team manager within the coming days.

The Connaught Telegraph understands that the Ballinrobe coach is the top choice of the Galway County GAA Board to replace Kevin Walsh, who retired from the position earlier this month after serving five years in the role.

It is understood Rochford will be joined on his management team by Padraig Joyce and John Divilly, the duo who led the tribesmen to the Connacht Under-20 title this year, with a view to Joyce and Divilly taking over the senior post in three years time.

The telegraph speculate plentyful but are right a lot of the time. I wonder are Joyce and Divily to stick managing the U20s while part of Rochfords senior management?

Joyce and back room team went on the beer on a training weekend in Limerick post Connacht final and pre AI semi final to Dublin. Team meeting had to be delayed because they all had heads on them the Sunday morning. Doubt that has gone down well.

[For one of the most talented players to ever play the game you'd expect him to score that in his sleep.]

Why the very noisy booing of Diarmuid Connolly when he came on? I would have expected more from the usually very sporting Kerry supporters.

What were the thoughts on him taking on that shot at the end? I know it was central but must have been 50M out. I thought it was fairly clear that Dublin were passing the ball around trying to create space for a high % shot and think that was a waste.

That said, can you imagine the roar had he landed it.

Most decent club players would have fancied that one. For one of the most talented players to ever play the game you'd expect him to score that in his sleep. Thank god he missed it though.

Really? I don't even consider him one of the greatest Dubs ever to play the game.

Off topic but he's up there, ability wise. Can do things with the ball not many others ever can do. May never get back to his best now though. Either way, you'd expect him to kick that score easily.

Maybe he can, but we haven't seen it on the pitch.

Watch the 2nd half of the 2017 All Ireland replay or 2014 All Ireland club final if you haven't seen Connolly as his best.

I think Clifford is carrying am injury. He was gone with 10 minutes left and it was only on the pitch at the end because of his reputation.

I think that's just the way Clifford is, not down to injury. He doesn't have the legs or work rate that other forwards have. He's a big lad so will feel the pace of the game more than others.

Clifford has a history of shoulder instability and had stabilization surgery as far as I'm aware. Cooper of course wouldn't have known this and all pulling type more movements were accidental.