Ulster Colleges

[Rawhide]

11 Glen lads on the panel, 8 started the final. Should have been 12, but the Maghera management didnt see a place for last years Derry U17 captain!

u think. Well I could argue that Paul Mc Atamney and young Mc Neill could have started, never mind Neill Mc Nicholl who was sick or Conor Tadd and Ruairi Mc Elwee who would be a certs to start if they weren't injured.

[Walter Cronc]

If you read my post you'll see I'm referring to the panel Rawhide

[Rawhide]

BTW who was the u17 captain

[Walter Cronc]

Cathair Mc Cabe.

[ranch]

Jeez will you ever give over. Your like an aul women harping on there!

Right 

All I stated was that Maghera, once in the McCormick final, would clearly loved to have won it which is true. There's nothing in my previous post which isn't true or takes away from Maghera's success.

I already gave credit to Bessbrook. Fair played to them and I wish them all the best in the next coming years but if Maghera had been beat I wouldn't be going on and on about it. The fact remains the Mc Cormick cup is a nothing competition and will remain that way. Leagues are for playing in, championships are for winning!

It was in fact others who went "on and on" about how St. Paul's had the ref to thank for being within a point of Maghera in the first place. Others can have a different opinion and reply, it's usually how forums like this work.

[Wildweasel74]

Well the McCormack cup winners, nobody really looks at, but  people can remember previous Macrory cup finals, maybe cause it on Tv. the thing that bother me about school football is the way they pick the colleges all stars, which should be picked on form through the Macrory and not over a few weekends where players pair up with unfamiliar team members to play games to get recognized as a all star

[ranch]

Well the McCormack cup winners, nobody really looks at, but  people can remember previous Macrory cup finals, maybe cause it on Tv. the thing that bother me about school football is the way they pick the colleges all stars, which should be picked on form through the Macrory and not over a few weekends where players pair up with unfamiliar team members to play games to get recognized as a all star

Yeah the All Star system really is a joke. It seems that it's in place to have a good spread of players from different schools etc.

[ranch]

Hogan Cup semi-final :
St Patrick's, Maghera v St Gerald's, Castlebar. Saturday 30th March @3pm in Brewster Park, Enniskillen

[Rawhide]

Well the McCormack cup winners, nobody really looks at, but  people can remember previous Macrory cup finals, maybe cause it on Tv. the thing that bother me about school football is the way they pick the colleges all stars, which should be picked on form through the Macrory and not over a few weekends where players pair up with unfamiliar team members to play games to get recognized as a all star

Yeah the All Star system really is a joke. It seems that it's in place to have a good spread of players from different schools etc.

Yeah, it looks that way. When you look at the players who didn't get one for whatever reason that's the only conclusion you can come to and therefore shouldn't be called All Stars, for example O' Hanlon, Burns, Cassidy, Tallon all playing on Monday, others like Noonan, Haughey and Mallon, real quality players, superior to many of the players who were awarded one. Players who all performed under pressure in knock out football in comparison to the trials, can you imagine it TRIALS. To further emphasise the point, St Colemans didn't get a so called All Star award, a team that drew and had a 2 pt defeat in a replay to the eventual champions, embarrassing. Surely educated teachers could come up with a more satisfactory method.

[Wildweasel74]

I say there be a number of players that dont even bother with the trials

[Line Ball]

Just a few points.  I missed the Macrory final due to work and only managed to watch it back this eveing there.  Maghera were the better team and had a gameplan which bessbrook couldn't match.  Having read the thread, I don't know how people can't blame the tactics of Bessbrook as they continually 'gave' the ball to the Maghera sweeper allowing him and Carville to come on to them continually.  Madness!!!

The referee couldn't have done much more to keep St Pauls in it - maybe he fell for the 'poor us' card that Bessbrook have been playing all year.  They did come back strong in the end and could have snuck it with a few late chance but wouldn't have deserved it.

As for winning the Mac Cormick cup.  Fair play Bessbrook but nobody gives a toss about this meaningless competition.  Qualifying is all that matters out of the groups and not winning this.  How many Macrory winners have also won this over the last few years?

Just wondering if Bessbrook in the Macrory or slip back off to the MacLarnon again.  They have had a good first year but will need their VP doing his work to bring more lads into the school to study  do A Levels   Btecs.  I, for one, am sick, sore and tired hearing about the wonderful kids in St Pauls (and I am not getting at the actual kids here as they are just pawns in all this).  They are no different from the kids in any other school who strive to do their best in all that they do inside and outside the classroom but to hear/read individuals from St Pauls spout their dung you would think there is no other school who are like them or do what they do.  Catch a grip.  Maghera are a similar type of school and I never heard them mention this once.  I'm glad they won.

[Orchardman]

Just a few points.  I missed the Macrory final due to work and only managed to watch it back this eveing there.  Maghera were the better team and had a gameplan which bessbrook couldn't match.  Having read the thread, I don't know how people can't blame the tactics of Bessbrook as they continually 'gave' the ball to the Maghera sweeper allowing him and Carville to come on to them continually.  Madness!!!

The referee couldn't have done much more to keep St Pauls in it - maybe he fell for the 'poor us' card that Bessbrook have been playing all year.  They did come back strong in the end and could have snuck it with a few late chance but wouldn't have deserved it.

As for winning the Mac Cormick cup.  Fair play Bessbrook but nobody gives a toss about this meaningless competition.  Qualifying is all that matters out of the groups and not winning this.  How many Macrory winners have also won this over the last few years?

Just wondering if Bessbrook in the Macrory or slip back off to the MacLarnon again.  They have had a good first year but will need their VP doing his work to bring more lads into the school to study  do A Levels   Btecs.  I, for one, am sick, sore and tired hearing about the wonderful kids in St Pauls (and I am not getting at the actual kids here as they are just pawns in all this).  They are no different from the kids in any other school who strive to do their best in all that they do inside and outside the classroom but to hear/read individuals from St Pauls spout their dung you would think there is no other school who are like them or do what they do.  Catch a grip.  Maghera are a similar type of school and I never heard them mention this once.  I'm glad they won.

Think your making a bit of a meal out of nothing.
Firstly, though I am a supporter of St Pauls having had family that attended the school, I did say myself that rafferty had overplayed the card ' oh, our students are great, its not about the team, its about 1500 great kids, blah'. I said that because it became a bit tiresome after every interview this year.

However, I know for a fact it is a fantastic school, and wont listen to clowns making sneaky digs about 'BTECS'. The difference is St Pauls are surrounded by 2 excellent boys grammar schools and 2 excellent girls grammar schools, all a few miles away in Newry. Maghera near rivals would only be Marys in magherafelt, another top school. I don't only see one side, as I believe in both grammar and comp schools, but St Paul's do a fantastic job and it's great they have finally got their act together over the last 5 years in terms of their GAA potential.

Shouldn't even be mentioned about dropping out of McCrory, why would they? They stuffed most teams they played, and only lost final by a point. Sure they will lose top players but sure that happens every year in every school. A team should only be dropping out when it becomes obvious they cant compete

[Line Ball]

Just a few points.  I missed the Macrory final due to work and only managed to watch it back this eveing there.  Maghera were the better team and had a gameplan which bessbrook couldn't match.  Having read the thread, I don't know how people can't blame the tactics of Bessbrook as they continually 'gave' the ball to the Maghera sweeper allowing him and Carville to come on to them continually.  Madness!!!

The referee couldn't have done much more to keep St Pauls in it - maybe he fell for the 'poor us' card that Bessbrook have been playing all year.  They did come back strong in the end and could have snuck it with a few late chance but wouldn't have deserved it.

As for winning the Mac Cormick cup.  Fair play Bessbrook but nobody gives a toss about this meaningless competition.  Qualifying is all that matters out of the groups and not winning this.  How many Macrory winners have also won this over the last few years?

Just wondering if Bessbrook in the Macrory or slip back off to the MacLarnon again.  They have had a good first year but will need their VP doing his work to bring more lads into the school to study  do A Levels   Btecs.  I, for one, am sick, sore and tired hearing about the wonderful kids in St Pauls (and I am not getting at the actual kids here as they are just pawns in all this).  They are no different from the kids in any other school who strive to do their best in all that they do inside and outside the classroom but to hear/read individuals from St Pauls spout their dung you would think there is no other school who are like them or do what they do.  Catch a grip.  Maghera are a similar type of school and I never heard them mention this once.  I'm glad they won.

Think your making a bit of a meal out of nothing.
Firstly, though I am a supporter of St Pauls having had family that attended the school, I did say myself that rafferty had overplayed the card ' oh, our students are great, its not about the team, its about 1500 great kids, blah'. I said that because it became a bit tiresome after every interview this year.

However, I know for a fact it is a fantastic school, and wont listen to clowns making sneaky digs about 'BTECS'. The difference is St Pauls are surrounded by 2 excellent boys grammar schools and 2 excellent girls grammar schools, all a few miles away in Newry. Maghera near rivals would only be Marys in magherafelt, another top school. I don't only see one side, as I believe in both grammar and comp schools, but St Paul's do a fantastic job and it's great they have finally got their act together over the last 5 years in terms of their GAA potential.

Shouldn't even be mentioned about dropping out of McCrory, why would they? They stuffed most teams they played, and only lost final by a point. Sure they will lose top players but sure that happens every year in every school. A team should only be dropping out when it becomes obvious they cant compete

Fair enough point - I shouldn't have mentioned the Btec thing but its just that I know that there are so many lads who go to St Pauls because they can do a Btec in PE which is worth 3 A Levels and I don't believe there is any exam to do either - I'm not quite sure how this works. 

St Pauls do a great job for the Gaa in South Armagh but if a lad from Newry, Ballyholland, Saval, Mayobridge, Hilltown, Rostrevor etc wants to go there he cant.  They only let kids from South Armagh go there.  There would be an outcry if any of the four Grammar schools in Newry decided that they would only take kids from South Down.  Surely they can't be allowed to take only kids from Armagh?  Is it any wonder that we keep hearing about this Armagh thing.

[bennydorano]

Thats the way the Education system is supposed to work now that the Catholic Church has deemed Grammars obselete & all schools are to go down the non-selective route, you go to the school nearest you. Wether that'll ever happen is another question entirely. St Pat's Grammar in Armagh  is to go all-ability from September & it's hoped that they will act as a catalyst to spur other schools to follow.

Have to say this is the most childish thread i've read in a long time, full of nonsense.

[Orchardman]

Just a few points.  I missed the Macrory final due to work and only managed to watch it back this eveing there.  Maghera were the better team and had a gameplan which bessbrook couldn't match.  Having read the thread, I don't know how people can't blame the tactics of Bessbrook as they continually 'gave' the ball to the Maghera sweeper allowing him and Carville to come on to them continually.  Madness!!!

The referee couldn't have done much more to keep St Pauls in it - maybe he fell for the 'poor us' card that Bessbrook have been playing all year.  They did come back strong in the end and could have snuck it with a few late chance but wouldn't have deserved it.

As for winning the Mac Cormick cup.  Fair play Bessbrook but nobody gives a toss about this meaningless competition.  Qualifying is all that matters out of the groups and not winning this.  How many Macrory winners have also won this over the last few years?

Just wondering if Bessbrook in the Macrory or slip back off to the MacLarnon again.  They have had a good first year but will need their VP doing his work to bring more lads into the school to study  do A Levels   Btecs.  I, for one, am sick, sore and tired hearing about the wonderful kids in St Pauls (and I am not getting at the actual kids here as they are just pawns in all this).  They are no different from the kids in any other school who strive to do their best in all that they do inside and outside the classroom but to hear/read individuals from St Pauls spout their dung you would think there is no other school who are like them or do what they do.  Catch a grip.  Maghera are a similar type of school and I never heard them mention this once.  I'm glad they won.

Think your making a bit of a meal out of nothing.
Firstly, though I am a supporter of St Pauls having had family that attended the school, I did say myself that rafferty had overplayed the card ' oh, our students are great, its not about the team, its about 1500 great kids, blah'. I said that because it became a bit tiresome after every interview this year.

However, I know for a fact it is a fantastic school, and wont listen to clowns making sneaky digs about 'BTECS'. The difference is St Pauls are surrounded by 2 excellent boys grammar schools and 2 excellent girls grammar schools, all a few miles away in Newry. Maghera near rivals would only be Marys in magherafelt, another top school. I don't only see one side, as I believe in both grammar and comp schools, but St Paul's do a fantastic job and it's great they have finally got their act together over the last 5 years in terms of their GAA potential.

Shouldn't even be mentioned about dropping out of McCrory, why would they? They stuffed most teams they played, and only lost final by a point. Sure they will lose top players but sure that happens every year in every school. A team should only be dropping out when it becomes obvious they cant compete

Fair enough point - I shouldn't have mentioned the Btec thing but its just that I know that there are so many lads who go to St Pauls because they can do a Btec in PE which is worth 3 A Levels and I don't believe there is any exam to do either - I'm not quite sure how this works. 

St Pauls do a great job for the Gaa in South Armagh but if a lad from Newry, Ballyholland, Saval, Mayobridge, Hilltown, Rostrevor etc wants to go there he cant.  They only let kids from South Armagh go there.  There would be an outcry if any of the four Grammar schools in Newry decided that they would only take kids from South Down.  Surely they can't be allowed to take only kids from Armagh?  Is it any wonder that we keep hearing about this Armagh thing.

For sure BTEC's are deemed easier in many ways. They don't have the stressful exams at the end but they contain a steady amount of constant coursework.

But for the selection of south down kids, it's nothing to do with St Paul's, they have to have a catchment area which are most a lot of the south armagh feeder primary schools. Thats how it works, warrenpoint on the other side of newry then caters for south down.