McKenna Cup 2024

[our_fella]

Ye's are all pretty silly if yous didnt take avail of the Ulster councils ticket for £20/25 euro for all 3 of your teams group matches, both semis and then the final! Works out at £4 ticket. Bargain

Yeah that is grand if you can make all 3 games and think your teams will get further than the group. I knew I couldn't make it to the Armagh game away and giving donegals track record under jim in th competition no guarentee they would make the semis

I suppose for yous men out west, it involves a lot more travelling, as the final will probably be in Armagh again.. Good initiative though

[cadhlancian]

Murphy's goal was a great finish. He did take 8 steps however

[regal]

The pick up was nice alright but sure nobody went to him as he waltzed in and had time to pick his spot. The other two Tyrone defenders stuck with their own men so he had a clear run in but I suppose he did finish it well.
Of course it's very early days and all that and probably won't have much say in the National League or later in the year but it's great for the young Tyrone lads who came in to say that they went to Letterkenny with no AI medals for the first time in 10 years and beat a decent enough Donegal outfit who looked to have fielded a team intent on getting to the latter stages of this tournament.

Who was the Tyrone lad wearing the thick beard?
How did McBride do at CHB?
Did we play a sweeper?

I don't know, but would guess 4

[Cold tea]

Ye's are all pretty silly if yous didnt take avail of the Ulster councils ticket for £20/25 euro for all 3 of your teams group matches, both semis and then the final! Works out at £4 ticket. Bargain

I like many I was talking to were pretty silly for paying £9 in on Sunday and I for one won't be back - the GAA needs to get it's f**king head out of it's hole, £9 after Christmas to see 3rd rate football, they are greedy bastards.

[nrico2006]

Been a joke how much it is in to the McKenna Cup for a long time.  I remember in 2008 watching Armagh and Derry and thinking it would be a lock of pound, near dropped when I was told it was £8 (I think, could have been 9).  The two teams were basically reserve sides too.

[qubdub]

What exactly are people expecting? Champagne football, £3 entry and glossy programmes???

I froze my bollocks off, watched one muck team easily beat another muck team and to be honest  was just glad to see the start of the 2014 season!!

[SHEEDY]

a fiver would be more than enough to watch what are basically glorified challenge matches. I know the current admission price puts a lot of genuine gaa people off.

[donegal lad]

Been a joke how much it is in to the McKenna Cup for a long time.  I remember in 2008 watching Armagh and Derry and thinking it would be a lock of pound, near dropped when I was told it was £8 (I think, could have been 9).  The two teams were basically reserve sides too.

I didn't mind paying €10 into letterkenny on Sunday. To be fair compared to other Provençal councils the ulster council price their games pretty well. Wait to see the championship compare how much any game in ulster will cost to he much it costs to attend a game in the other 3 provinces.

Also €10 for a county Stich snt the worst seeing as it was €15 to get into the donegal club final a few months back

[God14]

a fiver would be more than enough to watch what are basically glorified challenge matches. I know the current admission price puts a lot of genuine gaa people off.

I think a fiver would be a good & fair price, however I don't honestly think the extra £4 admission would put that many off going to the game. I think the Ulster council know that as well. They've done their homework.
Attendances would be more affected by things like weather, TV coverage (TG4), team news, location / proximity of the ground. The extra £4 admission is the sort of thing we all like to moan & groan about but ultimately are prepared to pay it

All under 16s in FOC which is helpful.

[never kickt a ball]

McGrath reign starts with defeat as St Mary's beat Fermanagh

Pete McGrath's reign as Fermanagh manager got off to a losing start as the county side fell to a 3-8 to 1-10 defeat by St Mary's in the McKenna Cup.
Fermanagh made a strong start, scoring the first six points of the game played at a foggy Brewster Park.
But Belfast college St Mary's hit back and a goal by Conal McCann helped them establish a 1-5 to 0-6 half-time lead.
Tomas Canavan got a second goal for the students and they clinched victory when Ronan Sexton netted late on.
In between, Seamus Quigley netted a penalty for Fermanagh.
St Mary's deserved their win, having played some good football and new Fermanagh boss McGrath will have been given plenty to ponder.
McGrath, who led Down to All-Ireland titles in 1991 and 1994, was appointed to the Erne county hot seat in November, succeeding former Tyrone star Peter Canavan was resigned after three years in charge.
New man McGrath could have been forgiven for thinking he was going to enjoy a winning start as the county side led 0-6 to 0-0 after 19 minutes.
However, the men in green failed to score for the rest of the half and McCann got the first goal for St Mary's who quickly added points through Tomas Canavan (2), Aidan Forker, Brendan Hasson and Conor McMahon.
Canavan and Quigley swapped points early in the second half before Canavan scored the second goal for St Mary's to put the visiting students into a 2-6 to 0-7 advantage 14 minutes into the half.
Fermanagh, though, hit back, scoring a goal and three points in eight minutes.
The goal came from a Quigley penalty after the big Fermanagh front man himself had been brought down by St Mary's full-back Niall Donnelly who received the game's only black card as a result.
Fermanagh were a point in front after 25 minutes of the second half but that was to be their last score and St Mary's finished strongly to clinch the victory.
A point by Peter Carragher and a goal by substitute Sexton swung the game their way and then Richard O'Callaghan, playing on his home pitch, scored another point for the college side.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/northern-ireland/25614277

[stronghold]

Mc Kenna Cup Regulations, not the Mickey Harte version

The Dr McKenna Cup is a most prestigious competition organised by Comhairle Uladh. The competition has been running since 1926. It was designed as a competition to aid Ulster teams in pre season preparation. It has always been a competitive tournament with a noticeable correlation between success in the Dr McKenna Cup and success in National League and Ulster Championship.

Some years ago, the Ulster Council allowed universities to enter the competition. This allows our universities to prepare for the Sigerson Cup which commences immediately afterwards and to offer fresh competition to counties. Counties also benefit from the extra game time and the opportunity to view new players prior to the National Football League. The Ulster Council has repeatedly welcomed the addition of universities to the competition.

For the universities to be competitive, they need to be allowed to play their Sigerson Cup panels. The format of allowing universities to compete has been so successful that all other provinces now follow suit.

The Ulster Council control the competition and apply the regulations. Universities do not have the panel strengths to compete unless they are allowed to play with their full Sigerson panels. Universities are not allowed to play first year students on the Sigerson team. In the spirit of the GAA, the progress of those players who are selected to play for their college in this competition and who are deemed to be suitable for the county team, should not be hindered. In most instances, counties have been accommodating in the above and it is the wish of the Ulster Council for this to continue.

Competition Regulations:

(1)University Teams have first preference on Players.

(2)University Teams must submit their panel of twenty six players prior to 2nd December and counties will have the opportunity to respond by 9th December, the same date that they must submit their panel of twenty six players. All lists will be approved by Competition Control Committee on behalf of Comhairle Uladh at the December meeting. Teams must be drawn from the twenty six players approved by Comhairle Uladh.

(3) Comhairle Uladh will appoint a mediator who will facilitate dialogue in the event of a disputed player.

(4) A player who has competed with his university team in a similar competition in another province may not participate in the Dr McKenna Cup competition, in accordance with Rial 3.47 (b) T.O. 2011.

(5) A player may not play with both his University and County Team in the same competition.

(6) If teams finish level on points scoring averages will apply.

(7) The fourth placed team shall be determined from the runner up in each

Section using the formula at (5) above.

( Refixtures shall be played at Floodlit Grounds.

(9) The Semi Finals and Final shall be played at Floodlit Grounds and include extra time if required.

(10) Failure to comply with Competition Regulations shall entail forfeiture of the game.

[orangeman]

In the irish news today, Mickey gives an explanation about the colleges and counties debate.

At least he nailed his colours to the mast early and did not deviate.

[Fuzzman]

Can anyone post it up or give us the gist of it?

Can anyone tell me how many Tyrone lads are lining out for their colleges?

[stronghold]

I believe Tyrone have 6 UUJ lads, 2 QUB and at least 3 St Mary's

[BennyCake]

At least he nailed his colours to the mast early and did not deviate.

Nobody was expecting him to.

It would be interesting to know how much game time Tyrone's college players get in the competition. Surely if some of them only get the odd 10 or 15 minutes here and there, they'd be better off with their colleges?