All Ireland Championship 2025.

[thewobbler]

Donegal got the short straw

And pretty much every county in Ireland draws a short straw, when they've to head all the way up there for a league or championship game.

Sometimes being from a remote outpost  works in your favour. Sometimes it doesn't. That's just how life goes.

Stop moaning, bitches.

[thejuice]

Not an easy draw for Cavan but they have to just go for it. Kerry are vulnerable and it's hard to know if Jack can get more out of this team with the players that they have available.

They'll be fighting for their survival for sure but they really looked unsure of themselves when Meath ran at them, they were retreating or marking space inside the arc watching for runs instead of the man on the ball. Not an easy fix in one week.

[Main Street]

It's the worse draw possible for Down but also the worst for Galway, Down at the Marshes will be no walkover for Galway.

Worst for Galway? As opposed to Kerry or Donegal away? I think Down will give them their fill of it but I'm sure they'd have taken Down out of the options available.

A miswritten post for sure, meant to write - worst for Down, best for Galway but it wont be a walkover.

[Manning18]

The only logical way to sort it is to use the respective county grounds as the distance points. Otherwise you can argue about your Inishowens and Blacksods and Clonakilties all day long. Galway with the Aran Islands in fact is probably never going to lose in that argument. Some counties will always be longer and wider than others

In respect of that, Donegal still got the short straw. I can understand why he was annoyed, even outside of him using it as a rallying call. Mayo know the place inside out. I also thought there was a very good explanation back from the GAA after the draw today explaining why all other halfway house venues were out of use

Did Kerry not get a  shorter straw?

Yes the short straw. They had to go to a place that was south of Mayos ground and to a place where every Mayo player has played countless times. It's the same as bringing Mayo to Celtic Park. Kerry didn't travel north of Meaths ground

Did you not read the rest of my post? I also said there was a very good explaintion for why it was in the Hyde and couldn't be elsewhere. I'm not from Donegal. That response also goes for that other buffoon mindlessly commenting above

Indeed Mayo are still complaining 11 years later about a somewhat halfway venue versus Kerry in Limerick. So they of all counties should understand the Donegal viewpoint. Most have gone into hibernation but a few are on calling Jimmy a whinger ironically

[AustinPowers]

The only logical way to sort it is to use the respective county grounds as the distance points. Otherwise you can argue about your Inishowens and Blacksods and Clonakilties all day long. Galway with the Aran Islands in fact is probably never going to lose in that argument. Some counties will always be longer and wider than others

In respect of that, Donegal still got the short straw. I can understand why he was annoyed, even outside of him using it as a rallying call. Mayo know the place inside out. I also thought there was a very good explanation back from the GAA after the draw today explaining why all other halfway house venues were out of use

Did Kerry not get a  shorter straw?

Yes the short straw. They had to go to a place that was south of Mayos ground and to a place where every Mayo player has played countless times. It's the same as bringing Mayo to Celtic Park. Kerry didn't travel north of Meaths ground

Did you not read the rest of my post? I also said there was a very good explaintion for why it was in the Hyde and couldn't be elsewhere. I'm not from Donegal. That response also goes for that other buffoon mindlessly commenting above

Indeed Mayo are still complaining 11 years later about a somewhat halfway venue versus Kerry in Limerick. So they of all counties should understand the Donegal viewpoint. Most have gone into hibernation but a few are on calling Jimmy a whinger ironically

Yeah I read it all. Without wanting to prolong the topic , I just  was saying Kerry  had to travel  a lot further  than Meath did. Probably further  than Donegal.

But that's  going to happen given both counties location.  You're never going to please everyone given the  teams involved last weekend and  the grounds available.

Anyway, as Ted once said:.... back to religion....

[Ethan Tremblay]

The only logical way to sort it is to use the respective county grounds as the distance points. Otherwise you can argue about your Inishowens and Blacksods and Clonakilties all day long. Galway with the Aran Islands in fact is probably never going to lose in that argument. Some counties will always be longer and wider than others

In respect of that, Donegal still got the short straw. I can understand why he was annoyed, even outside of him using it as a rallying call. Mayo know the place inside out. I also thought there was a very good explanation back from the GAA after the draw today explaining why all other halfway house venues were out of use

Did Kerry not get a  shorter straw?

Yes the short straw. They had to go to a place that was south of Mayos ground and to a place where every Mayo player has played countless times. It's the same as bringing Mayo to Celtic Park. Kerry didn't travel north of Meaths ground

Did you not read the rest of my post? I also said there was a very good explaintion for why it was in the Hyde and couldn't be elsewhere. I'm not from Donegal. That response also goes for that other buffoon mindlessly commenting above

Indeed Mayo are still complaining 11 years later about a somewhat halfway venue versus Kerry in Limerick. So they of all counties should understand the Donegal viewpoint. Most have gone into hibernation but a few are on calling Jimmy a whinger ironically

Yeah I read it all. Without wanting to prolong the topic , I just  was saying Kerry  had to travel  a lot further  than Meath did. Probably further  than Donegal.

But that's  going to happen given both counties location.  You're never going to please everyone given the  teams involved last weekend and  the grounds available.

Anyway, as Ted once said:.... back to religion....

That's the point I was trying to make, given Donegals location they are more than likely to have to travel further afield than most, the same as those players located further north of the county than south also. 

Its the fans I feel sorry for tbh, some spin for the family to follow them. 

Back to the games at hand I suppose.  Down to cause Galway issues?

[Maroon Manc]

If there's one thing you have to hand to Galway it's the confidence they bring and respect they have from all n sundry whilst doing absolutely nothing .  Scrapped by a very average (general feeling not mine ) mayo team in Connacht final
Beaten by the beaten docket of the dubs (again the general feeling )

Scrapped a draw against again not a fancied Derry team .
All this on top of bottling an all Ireland final last year (bottling it , is losing a final when odds on to win it )

Yet they still strut their stuff as if they've won 3 in a row , it's admirable if nothing else . Media never stop fawning over them , it's quite incredible the amount of superlatives have been used to describe each and every Galway player .

It's an awful shame the dubs didn't have their shooting boots on the last day and Con missing was massive too cause Armagh would be all out next day if they needed a result . Find it hard to believe Armagh would be foolish enough to go all out to win a dead rubber now the way it's panned out
. Galway win in that one , Dubs / Derry hard to call .

Donegal and Tyrone victories in our group will see our bucks bow out for the year im afraid . Mayo won't cope with the counter attack speed of Donegal , they'll cut us right open down the centre for 3-18 id guess (4 two pointers ) . Murphy will have a tussle with mcbrien, Murphy will complain to man in black and mcbrien will then receive a red card . Its Murphy's rules out there his receding hairline brings an aura of authority like an old school inspector.

Tyrone were lethargic against Mayo , that one week turnaround is an awful hindrance , they'll easily account for Cavan .

Galway are one lucky devil's of a team. Poxed how they avoided defeat at the weekend which would have knocked them out of the championship and now face Armagh who are already into the last 8.  Galway also lucky to win the last two Connacht finals against your lot and All-Ireland series games against Donegal,Dublin last year. Given their luck one can't rule them out in the All-Ireland series, as they say better to born lucky than rich.

As for Mayo,  you comfortably beat Tyrone in Omagh can be no excuses not to get at least a draw against Donegal in your home from home venue in Hyde Park.

Aye really lucky, 3 years in a row their reward for winning Connacht was to be drawn in the toughest group. Lost Finnerty 10 minutes into last years final with Walsh & Comer already a shadow of themselves due too injury and their captain Sean Kelly nowhere near fit enough either, so exceptionally lucky!!

TBH
your comments are generally thoughtful and articulate,
IMO last years all Ireland final was a massive screw up by Galway management, starting three players not fully fit and bringing on another who was in similar shape.

I can see why people might think that but I wouldn't be as harsh, Walsh had scored 2 frees against Donegal as had Finnerty and prior to coming off injured Finnerty had scored a free in the final.

Finnerty getting injured was a bigger issue then playing Walsh & Comer. Thompson has come in this year and made a huge impact and Cooke has returned but still think Galway are a bit short in the forwards. Culhane is another player who can't keep fit, plenty in Galway would have hoped he'd have made the same impact Thompson has had but he's has had so many injuries.

On Down its clearly the draw Galway hoped for but lets see what Galway turns up first, Galway have had long periods in the last 2 matches where they've been exceptionally wasteful. Walsh hit 9 points but when they look back at his performance he'll be disappointed it wasn't 12. 3 of the 5 chances he missed were well within his range.

[seafoid]

It's the worse draw possible for Down but also the worst for Galway, Down at the Marshes will be no walkover for Galway.

Worst for Galway? As opposed to Kerry or Donegal away? I think Down will give them their fill of it but I'm sure they'd have taken Down out of the options available.

A miswritten post for sure, meant to write - worst for Down, best for Galway but it wont be a walkover.

It is a good fixture for Galway considering that Kerry and Donegal were possible opposition. The 4 pre quarter finals are division 1 versus division 2 fixtures.

[Main Street]

Should Galway prevail over Down and the other 3 fancied counties go through, i think the players left standing for Galway would likely be meeting Monaghan in the quarters.
Down are evidently progressing. In the latter part of the 2nd half v Monaghan they were responding in kind, on the attack just 2 points behind and they get pulled up by the ref for a costly 2 point infringement. Nothing went right for Down in the last 1/4 except the gifted free awarded for O'Toole's non-foul, whereas everything else went right for Monaghan. IMO it could easily have been a one point game which could have gone either way.

[seafoid]

Should Galway prevail over Down and the other 3 fancied counties go through, i think the players left standing for Galway would likely be meeting Monaghan in the quarters.
Down are evidently progressing. In the latter part of the 2nd half v Monaghan they were responding in kind, on the attack just 2 points behind and they get pulled up by the ref for a costly 2 point infringement. Nothing went right for Down in the last 1/4 except the gifted free awarded for O'Toole's non-foul, whereas everything else went right for Monaghan. IMO it could easily have been a one point game which could have gone either way.

Why do you think the theoretical quarter final would be Galway versus Monaghan?

[greatpoint]

Christ the whinging from Mayo ones is hilarious. Seems like there's a bit of a sense of entitlement there because the media and neutrals feel sorry for them.

Only got a chance to watch the Donegal Mayo game late last night. When was Murphy supposed to be up to all his badness? Did the cameras not pick it up or what?

Were people just making things up then?

[Main Street]

Should Galway prevail over Down and the other 3 fancied counties go through, i think the players left standing for Galway would likely be meeting Monaghan in the quarters.
Down are evidently progressing. In the latter part of the 2nd half v Monaghan they were responding in kind, on the attack just 2 points behind and they get pulled up by the ref for a costly 2 point infringement. Nothing went right for Down in the last 1/4 except the gifted free awarded for O'Toole's non-foul, whereas everything else went right for Monaghan. IMO it could easily have been a one point game which could have gone either way.

Why do you think the theoretical quarter final would be Galway versus Monaghan?

A theoretical set of qf pairings

Armagh (can only) v Kerry

that leaves 3 pairs

Meath v Donegal (who have already played Monaghan and Tyrone)
Galway have already played Dublin
therefore Monaghan v Galway
and Dublin v Tyrone

Are there any other possibilities should the fancied 4 go through?
Possibly the Monaghan Donegal previous game doesn't count

[Schkite]

Almost certain that it's only provincial finals and group games that can't happen again in quarters. So Monaghan/Donegal and Meath/Dublin are possible

[galwayman]

Almost certain that it's only provincial finals and group games that can't happen again in quarters. So Monaghan/Donegal and Meath/Dublin are possible

Yeah that's my understanding as well.

[Armagh18]

Almost certain that it's only provincial finals and group games that can't happen again in quarters. So Monaghan/Donegal and Meath/Dublin are possible

Yeah that's my understanding as well.

Yeah thats correct