Messages

[sometimes you have to appoint the best man.]

Senior and intermediate champions this year had internal managers.

Yes but they had outside coaches. My own club have always had internal managers but they are usually not coaches so they hire in some expertise in that area. Has worked well at times.
I'm not a fan of paid Managers but I'm a realist and sometimes you have to appoint the best man. Players demand and expect this.

But who decides on what the 'best man' is?

Experience, track record, player feedback. It' not hard to measure against the inside man. Players have a lot of power these days and increasingly they are involved in the selection process. Players in my own club have actually gone out looking a manager in the past.

My issue with that is the amount of 'managers' who are moving from one club to the next, to the next, year after year....and haven't improved a team a bit. Just on the circuit.

This is what I mean by who decides?

The senior players and/or committee.

Regardless, does that manager make your team better or is it just because he was with X last year and Y the year before.

Good win shows what this Irish side are capable of when they rightly apply themselves however the Armenia loss will still likely prove very costly.

Yeah, that was a poor defeat.

Looking back now, it was a joke of a defeat. 

[sometimes you have to appoint the best man.]

Senior and intermediate champions this year had internal managers.

Yes but they had outside coaches. My own club have always had internal managers but they are usually not coaches so they hire in some expertise in that area. Has worked well at times.
I'm not a fan of paid Managers but I'm a realist and sometimes you have to appoint the best man. Players demand and expect this.

But who decides on what the 'best man' is?

How come ole Geoff trial cant go forward.If this was the common man would he get the same leeway?

Yeah, was thinking that myself.

What's the story of the delays?

SF will be the main reasons that the DUP and others are still getting the votes, like it or not that is the main bogeyman..

But we'll just have to plough on as neither will be going away and a UI will still be 50 plus years away, that generation that never had the troubles is still being fed hatred. Unionist parties don't have to do much to stoke the fires, any party that agrees with a motion put by SF will get lumped into the same boat

No, it's not SF.

Go back to the 20's, up to the 60's and 70's, there was no SF so to speak. It was Catholics, starting with whoever the main nationalist party was at that time.

SF is the relatively 'new issue' for them.

The worst thing to happen to unionism was the ceasefire.

Gordon Lyon's trying to sell Belfast hosting the Euro 2028 draw as a win after the city losing out on hosting actual matches, embarrassed for him 

Shambles. They continue to be a complete embarrassment to themselves and their voters.

Yes they are an  embarrassment, but  this  sort of thing actually appeals to their knuckledragger voters.   It's all about doing and saying  whatever it takes, to  keep their  cushy numbers and big salary.

So, are their voters embarrassed by their behaviour?  I  seriously doubt it.

But they're dying out. And leeching knuckle draggers to the TUV and normal people to Alliance and UUP.

Their job is to  make sure there's always a steady supply of  bigots  coming through.

Afaic, Bryson was 7/8 when the GFA  was  was signed. What knowledge of the troubles did he  have?  Skeletor Lockhart not much older, yet  they're  as bigoted as they  come.   

Now  that the clock is ticking , and the demographics changing,  that is only going to  breed more bigots. Cornered rats , spring to mind.

Bitter f**kers, but again hopefully a dying breed.

There'll always be a section that'll never turn, but the sensible ones will see things like M O'N laying wreathes on remembrance day and realise that theres no nationalist bogeyman out to get them. 

I  wouldn't be so sure  about that.

There's always a  nationalist bogeyman out to get them. Sinn Fein, the Irish language  , the GAA, the A5 road, Casement Park,  James McClean, Gerry Adams' rubber duck.....

100%.

[Murderhole]

Tramore isn't even the best beach in Donegal.

Dog walking / campervanning, camping etc down the years, off the top of my head, Donegal beach wise:

Kinnego
Tra Na Rossan
Murderhole
Silver Strand (Malin Beg branch)
Shell beach (bit of a walk, but worth it)
Five Fingers
Dunree
Culdaff
Maghera
Carrickfinn
Tramore (great / safe for the dogs)
Ballymastocker
Kinnegar
Leenan
Tullagh

You can't take dogs on the track down to Muderhole beach now

I know, but you can take them up over the mountain at Na Rossan, bit of a trek, but worth it.

Where's Murder Hole beach at?

Must be a story to it with a name like that?

Just seeing this Marty.. Hit The Downings, head north towards the Rosguill Pennisuala just at the bend before Downings where the football pitch is, pass the Singing Pub (easier said than done) . Keep on going until you see a wee carpark on the right (looking across to the Harry Blaney Bridge), take the next right down by the old school house with the red door. 2 miles then to Melmore caravan Pk.

There's a new car park there, couple of euro I think. Walk is alot shorter now, they sent you on a magical mystery tour last year. If heading with wains, take an old body board or plastic surfboard with the fins off it. Great dunes for sand surfing on

Rhanks for the info JoG2.

Must check it out in '26.

Do surely... Or I could have said "put Melmore Caravan Park into Google maps" but I enjoyed the retro approach 😁

I wonder what's the story behind the name of the beach?

What's the story about getting tickets for the Dublin games?

Decent chance or impossible?

Register with UEFA on their portal and enter the draw. I got tickets for the Europa League final in Dublin easily. But I suspect this will be a different level of interest

Ok.

Thanks BB2.

What's the story about getting tickets for the Dublin games?

Decent chance or impossible?

[Murderhole]

Tramore isn't even the best beach in Donegal.

Dog walking / campervanning, camping etc down the years, off the top of my head, Donegal beach wise:

Kinnego
Tra Na Rossan
Murderhole
Silver Strand (Malin Beg branch)
Shell beach (bit of a walk, but worth it)
Five Fingers
Dunree
Culdaff
Maghera
Carrickfinn
Tramore (great / safe for the dogs)
Ballymastocker
Kinnegar
Leenan
Tullagh

You can't take dogs on the track down to Muderhole beach now

I know, but you can take them up over the mountain at Na Rossan, bit of a trek, but worth it.

Where's Murder Hole beach at?

Must be a story to it with a name like that?

Just seeing this Marty.. Hit The Downings, head north towards the Rosguill Pennisuala just at the bend before Downings where the football pitch is, pass the Singing Pub (easier said than done) . Keep on going until you see a wee carpark on the right (looking across to the Harry Blaney Bridge), take the next right down by the old school house with the red door. 2 miles then to Melmore caravan Pk.

There's a new car park there, couple of euro I think. Walk is alot shorter now, they sent you on a magical mystery tour last year. If heading with wains, take an old body board or plastic surfboard with the fins off it. Great dunes for sand surfing on

Rhanks for the info JoG2.

Must check it out in '26.

It is great to see some posters showing an interest in the Derry Senior team for 2026. With the McKenna Cup probably only 6 or 7 weeks away, I would presume that management are  beginning to finalise their panel.

 Whilst agreeing with JB77, I feel that one could add Patrick McGurk, Danny McDermott, Sean Young,Rory McGill, Niall O'Donnell, Conor McAteer, the Downey cousins and Cahir Mc Monagle as worth while additions to his starting 15 and suggested panellists.

The McKenna Cup could be used to see if all of the above players are good enough to become permanent members of the National League panel.

  I would also like to see Ryan McBride brought in as cover for the injured Odhran Lynch. I believe management  should confine, from joining the Senior panel,  the very talented Fionn McEldowney  and Tommy Rogers until the end of Derry's interest in the 2026 U20 campaign. I think  that there is a good chance of winning the U20 All Ireland if the best players are always at the disposal of the U20 management.

If they are all fit and available I would suggest the following as our  best U20 side.

Jack McCloy
Fionn McEldowney
Finbar Murray
Rory Small
Cahir Spiers
Cahal McKaigue
Luke Grant
James Sargent
Tommy Rogers
Eamon Young
Ger Dillon
Johnny McGuckian
Conal Higgins
Ciaran Chambers
Oisin Doherty

Who's the Derry U20 management for 2026?

[level playing field,]

What's happening here is counties are embarrassed at how their representatives are performing when truthfully their winners are at a low to mid Intermediate standard in other counties.

Think people just want a level playing field, as much as is possible. Lavey hurlers playing Junior, Glenullin footballers playing Intermediate. Anything for a chance at handy silverware I suppose.

Glenullin footballers playing Intermediate is fine though. You'd have had a case 2-3 years ago and everyone, Glenullin included, would have agreed.
As said previously they didn't get promoted from the Intermediate championship last year. Our leagues and championship are separate. Another Div1 side were in the relegation playoffs of Intermediate this season having not won a championship game. And if we levelled the playing field you'd have the likes of Swatragh or Ballinascreen as our Intermediate representatives. Instead we're giving you all a chance by having almost half our clubs in the senior championship 

Some of you are very defensive of your set up that allows a Division 1 club to win 3 intermediate championships in 4 years. The fact a division 1 club could have potentially ended up in junior for 2026 further demonstrates how farcical decoupling leagues and championships is. Considering Swatragh & Ballinascreen have done nothing at senior level perhaps intermediate is their level?

What's happening here is counties are embarrassed at how their representatives are performing when truthfully their winners are at a low to mid Intermediate standard in other counties.

Think people just want a level playing field, as much as is possible. Lavey hurlers playing Junior, Glenullin footballers playing Intermediate. Anything for a chance at handy silverware I suppose.

Glenullin footballers playing Intermediate is fine though. You'd have had a case 2-3 years ago and everyone, Glenullin included, would have agreed.
As said previously they didn't get promoted from the Intermediate championship last year. Our leagues and championship are separate. Another Div1 side were in the relegation playoffs of Intermediate this season having not won a championship game. And if we levelled the playing field you'd have the likes of Swatragh or Ballinascreen as our Intermediate representatives. Instead we're giving you all a chance by having almost half our clubs in the senior championship 

Some of you are very defensive of your set up that allows a Division 1 club to win 3 intermediate championships in 4 years. The fact a division 1 club could have potentially ended up in junior for 2026 further demonstrates how farcical decoupling leagues and championships is. Considering Swatragh & Ballinascreen have done nothing at senior level perhaps intermediate is their level?

Are yous mixing up football and hurling in this debate?

What's happening here is counties are embarrassed at how their representatives are performing when truthfully their winners are at a low to mid Intermediate standard in other counties.

Think people just want a level playing field, as much as is possible. Lavey hurlers playing Junior, Glenullin footballers playing Intermediate. Anything for a chance at handy silverware I suppose.

It all depends on whether they win or not.

If they win their respective Ulster competitions, it'll never be lived down.

Whereas if they lose, it'll be forgot abot...in my opinion.

But Ulster GAA, via the counties, needs to do something about the level playing field.

Comes across as a properly decent human being. I think she will be a superb President, best wishes to her in the role and to Michael D in retirement.

100%.

We were staying Dunfanaghy one year with the dogs at an airb&b facing Arnolds, we took the dogs to Ards forrest park, parked up and took the trail to the top, ya dander down from there towards the many beaches, as we reached the top part of the trail this glorious looking stag just crept out in front of us, the dogs just froze, I'm fumbling for my phone to take a picture, It stood still also, giving me enough time to take a photo.

It dandered along the trail a bit and went back into the forest and disappeared. Just a beautiful sight and moment

Super stuff.

Hard to beat nature.