Roscommon v Mayo Connacht final 2011

[moysider]

I d say you ll be safe enough bringing them. And you re right about him staying away now. He d be a football man and would want to be there but tough. You can t make promises to people and as head of state go back on them based on a report of very watery integrity if latest reports are correct. The good name of top professionals in Roscommon hospital has been tarnished by the spin surrounding it all as the cabinet heavy hitters circle the wagons around the leader. Let him stay away to hell and let the games go ahead with as little bad feeling as possible. I would have no problem with some kind of protest outside and even if the Ros teams wore armbands or something that wouldn t bother me either. Though it would probably pick up a heavy fine and mightn t do heads any good either.

Anyway maybe we shouldn t bother playing the Rossies. We could have a North Mayo team against the rest of Mayo in McHale Park and Enda could throw in the ball like the auld Archbishops used to do. And Michael Collins loved that job too.

[Farrandeelin]

If there is a protest planned, it won't be played in Roscommon.

[moysider]

If there is a protest planned, it won't be played in Roscommon.

Wha? Where s this coming from? Protest or not the match has to go ahead in Dr. Hyde Park. Taking the game elsewhere would be a complete overreaction and not sure I would attend if it were to happen.

[ross4life]

If there is a protest planned, it won't be played in Roscommon.

There is a protest planned & it will be played in Roscommon no matter what.

[moysider]

And I expect that Enda Kenny will be there even if I said earlier that he should stay away. But he cant can he? If he wusses out he ll completely lack credibility, dodging a crisis. He s no choice but to face the music. I d wear an old suit if I were him as there could be eggs and paint flying. A few big thick guards might have to take a few belts for the leader as well.

[IolarCoisCuain]

I just sparked up the machine here to comment on what an old-fashioned provincial final build-up this is, with two counties down on their luck looking forward to seventy minutes in the sun.

What do I get instead? An Taoiseach in an old suit preparatory to be doused with eggs, paint and maybe even animal refuse, and some miserable guards, much happier inside in the barracks drinking tay and playing cards, having to vaseline up their jaws to take one for the leader from the wild men of Tulsk, Tarmonbarry and environs. Well I don't know. I don't know at all.

[Tubberman]

If there is a protest planned, it won't be played in Roscommon.

Of course it will be played in Roscommon. If there is a protest planned in the town, it has nothing to do with the gaa. and the connacht council can't dictate whether 30000 people decide to applaud or boo the taoiseach (if they even get the opportunity).

Like moysider, I think enda will be there - he has to face up to it, he would do a lot more damage to his credibility by staying away. Anyway, this is taking over from the football talk now.
Hopefully we get a team named tomorrow to discuss.

[Farrandeelin]

I'm only telling ye what I heard from a Connacht council official this evening. I'll keep my mouth anymore.

[moysider]

I see Noel Connelly is going for a Roscommon win - better forwards and proven free-taker. He could be right but as a former manager of a lot of these guys it doesn t say a lot about his faith in them. As a former player and captain I would expect a more bullish attitude.

On a different note it is good to see that he is still bitter about the contemptible decision to send off his brother in 01, a decision that cost us that particular final. So we re due a break in this one but my experience of Collins as a referee I wouldn t be surprised by another shafting. It s a wonder they didn t send down that Monaghan ***** to show us what a great referree he is again before he goes. That way both counties would have something to protest about.

[Turlough O Carolan]

Now, now Moysider, how did that cost ye the final? Ros were down to 14 men for all the second half, Mayo for the last 10 mins. Lohan was surrounded by Mayo men when he struck the winning goal. It was a self inflicted error by Mayo that led to it. John Newton was wrongly sent off thanks to Gabriel Irwins playacting in 93 and there wasn't a word about it. The order of the GAA cosmos has already balanced itself out.

[ross4life]

Cost ye the game good god almighty! Wrong man was sent off as it was Peter Burke that threw the punch. Noel Connelly is a first man in the Mayo media to tip Roscommon, all the others went for a easy Mayo win.

our own Willie Hegarty tipped Mayo.

[Blowitupref]

Sure he's a Mayo man & will want to see his county play in the Connacht final however does Enda Kenny have to be there? If they want someone high profile at the game why not Mary McAleese. Your always going to get some nut job that will be frothing at mouth at the sight of Enda Kenny & with emotions running high anything is possible.

Forget the credibility in the interest of safety & common sense it's best he stays away.

[Chéad rogha]

I see Noel Connelly is going for a Roscommon win - better forwards and proven free-taker. He could be right but as a former manager of a lot of these guys it doesn t say a lot about his faith in them. As a former player and captain I would expect a more bullish attitude.

On a different note it is good to see that he is still bitter about the contemptible decision to send off his brother in 01, a decision that cost us that particular final. So we re due a break in this one but my experience of Collins as a referee I wouldn t be surprised by another shafting. It s a wonder they didn t send down that Monaghan ***** to show us what a great referree he is again before he goes. That way both counties would have something to protest about.

Think youre mixing that up with David Nestors brain freeze moysider 

[AbbeySider]

You re a mighty man to take the bait Abbey. If you were a salmon you wouldn t get past the first bridge in Ballina.

But while we re at it I could make a case for North players being under used by the county. I ll mention a few examples.

Brady, Harte and  McGarrity were ignored as minors even though they were clearly good enough and the last two key men in successful underage club teams. For years there has been a plethora of minors from a South Mayo town. Yet they haven t managed to produce a senior championship player since Kevin Beirne if memory serves me correctly. What s happening there I wonder?

Players like Jimmy Browne and Michael Collins were ignored in their prime. Collins played as a teenager and not again til his 30s. Mayo s best defender in 89 final but only got to play when Frank Noone was injured. Browne overlooked for years when he was one of the top club players in the county year in year out. Then there was the strange case of Kevin O Neill and Peter Butler. Somebody was convinced that David Nestor and Castlebar banker Pat Holmes were better!!! Kevin Stanton was the dominant midfielder in the county for over a decade with the Ballina pair but it was easier to leave him out. It was also easier I supposed not be arsed trying with Padraig Brogan. Funny last night on newstalk when Johnno was talking about players missing in 89 nobody mentioned The Bomber. Probably too embarrassing for everybody. There were others. Anthony Egan was underused. Jim Timoney. Joe Keane one of the cleverest forwards I ve seen play in this county and size should not have been an issue. Fred Molloy. PJ McGarry. Eugene Walsh. All top players. There is still some bitterness about how Joe Corcoran was treated by the board and left behind on a team trip to America. It s not easy being from the North 

All academic now anyway. The swing in fortune may only be temporary. Knockmore will never be far away and if Ballina get their act together there are some serious teams coming through. The North will rise again

Ironically Moy, I think your a mighty man to take the bait, I was only winding with all that stuff about the North! 

But you raise some good points, and I would only add that genuinely good enough lads were still being over looked even in the last few years.

Ballintubber won division 1 minor league and A championship titles in the same year in 2004 and I think only one player was playing county minor from that crop which was a travesty. Also when we won two county U21 titles back to back we had a very, very poor showing on county panels so it was obvious there was some biased against us.

In years gone by the West was always overlooked as I suppose it wouldnt have been the strongest. Off the top of my head, I can only think of James Horan being overlooked as a county minor and U21 but that could be because he was a late bloomer. In the past the likes of the current Ballintubber captain, Tom Early should have gotten a chance as should Micheal Hoban and John Feeney when they were in their prime.

I think a few of the Tourmakeady lads were good enough for county panels and may have been overlooked too. John Henerghan put the fear of God in many a midfield pairing travelling to Tourmak for years. I always thought that Brian Naughton was good enough in the past as well.

[AbbeySider]

Sure he's a Mayo man & will want to see his county play in the Connacht final however does Enda Kenny have to be there? If they want someone high profile at the game why not Mary McAleese. Your always going to get some nut job that will be frothing at mouth at the sight of Enda Kenny & with emotions running high anything is possible.

Forget the credibility in the interest of safety & common sense it's best he stays away.

I totally agree. I dont see Enda losing much credibility that he hasnt already lost in Roscommon so there is nothing to be gained by an appearance. For the safety of everyone its better that he stays away as any showing would only be seen as an act of defiance to those who are daring him to go to the match.

And I hope they keep their protests away from the match and the ground. The GAA has nothing to do with it and its very cheeky and saddening to hijack the game for their own cause. The GAA is apolitical and that should be respected.

When are the teams due to be announced?