Joe Brolly

[jeremiah]

The incident that Joe references was in the Off the Fence section in the Irish News the week after the Armagh Laois game and the St Marys semi final. It was by somebody claiming to be a parent of one of the St Marys players so don't think Joe has a case to answer on that point

[GalwayBayBoy]

Explosive stuff from Brolly but as ever with him you don't know when he's telling the truth or when he's just making stuff up for effect. No wonder he's a barrister.

Our experience explains why we are far more fervent about our province than the other three. When I began working in RTE I was amazed that Cork people didn’t support Kerry when they got out of Munster and Mayo folk didn’t support Galway. Up here, we rally round whoever gets through because we feel we are all in it together.

That bit is certainly true alright. Ulster lads will nearly always back each other up when they are not knocking the shite out of each other. There is far less of that in the other provinces.

[Farrandeelin]

Explosive stuff from Brolly but as ever with him you don't know when he's telling the truth or when he's just making stuff up for effect. No wonder he's a barrister.

Our experience explains why we are far more fervent about our province than the other three. When I began working in RTE I was amazed that Cork people didn’t support Kerry when they got out of Munster and Mayo folk didn’t support Galway. Up here, we rally round whoever gets through because we feel we are all in it together.

That bit is certainly true alright. Ulster lads will nearly always back each other up when they are not knocking the shite out of each other. There is far less of that in the other provinces.

They didn't in 04 when Mayo beat Tyrone if I can remember. Most of the Armagh and Fermanagh contingent were cheering on Mayo that day.

[Lar Naparka]

Brolly is correct but he is a complete hypocrite. He has spent the last 8 years eulogizing his beloved Tyrone for using the same tactics.

There's a bit of truth in this.

I beg to differ with ya, me oul’ segotia: no doubt about it but there’s a lot of truth there.
Shortly after Tyrone’s AI win in ’05, Brolly really went into overdrive praising the (then) present team and the overall football structures in the county.
Joe couldn’t se a sign of weakness in any sector of the team and asserted that Tyrone would be a dominant force in Irish football for years to come.
He put their dominance down to the generous funding the county board was getting courtesy of the GFA and to the farsighted approach of the said county board that had set up superb coaching structures to develop under-age talent.
He claimed Armagh were doing a fine job in that regard also and Derry were also starting to put their grant money to good use.
He wrote this eulogy in his column in the ‘Irish News’ and while I forget the finer details of his article, I have referred to it several times on here in the interim.
I do recall what Shane Curran had to say on the subject of Ulster sides taking the Queen’s shilling and putting iit to good use and it mirrored Brolly’s own take on the subject.
It is hypocritical for him now to sing a different tune when it appears to suit his purposes.
I think he is way off the mark on another matter also ands that is the animosity that he alleges exists between neighbouring counties down south.
He said Mayo folk don’t support Galway and I assume he infers that the same applies in reverse.
That’s bollixology.
I had reason to drive through North Galway in ’96 and then on through Roscommon on my way to Croke Park for the AI.
I was amazed at the number of red and green flags flying in both counties. Loads of Mayo supporters got into the ground early to support the Rossie minors.

I am picking only one year as an example but I’ve no reason to doubt that things have ever been any different.
I’m afraid Joe is just being his usual mischievous self when he comes up with the likes of the article we’re referring to.

[LeoMc]

Explosive stuff from Brolly but as ever with him you don't know when he's telling the truth or when he's just making stuff up for effect. No wonder he's a barrister.

Our experience explains why we are far more fervent about our province than the other three. When I began working in RTE I was amazed that Cork people didn’t support Kerry when they got out of Munster and Mayo folk didn’t support Galway. Up here, we rally round whoever gets through because we feel we are all in it together.

That bit is certainly true alright. Ulster lads will nearly always back each other up when they are not knocking the shite out of each other. There is far less of that in the other provinces.

They didn't in 04 when Mayo beat Tyrone if I can remember. Most of the Armagh and Fermanagh contingent were cheering on Mayo that day.

I think the oul back-door system knocked that on the head. It is no longer the case that the Provincial winners are representing the province.

[HiMucker]

What the fck is this about?? Now that there's (more or less) equality in the North, have some people decided they need to turn their victimhood and whinging somewhere else? Where's nearest - ah the south! Let's have a go at them for racial abuse.
What absolute sh*te.

FACE PALM!

[cornafean]

I had reason to drive through North Galway in ’96 and then on through Roscommon on my way to Croke Park for the AI.
I was amazed at the number of red and green flags flying in both counties. Loads of Mayo supporters got into the ground early to support the Rossie minors.

I presume you mean 2006? The Rossie minors were there in 2006.

I had occasion to drive through Mayo & Roscommon in the leadup to the 1996 All Ireland final and the only part of Roscommon festooned in red and green flags was Ballaghdereen

[Farrandeelin]

I had reason to drive through North Galway in ’96 and then on through Roscommon on my way to Croke Park for the AI.
I was amazed at the number of red and green flags flying in both counties. Loads of Mayo supporters got into the ground early to support the Rossie minors.

I presume you mean 2006? The Rossie minors were there in 2006.

I had occasion to drive through Mayo & Roscommon in the leadup to the 1996 All Ireland final and the only part of Roscommon festooned in red and green flags was Ballaghdereen

And that's how it should be. *Leaves thread for fear of what Rossfan says.....

[Syferus]

Explosive stuff from Brolly but as ever with him you don't know when he's telling the truth or when he's just making stuff up for effect. No wonder he's a barrister.

Our experience explains why we are far more fervent about our province than the other three. When I began working in RTE I was amazed that Cork people didn’t support Kerry when they got out of Munster and Mayo folk didn’t support Galway. Up here, we rally round whoever gets through because we feel we are all in it together.

That bit is certainly true alright. Ulster lads will nearly always back each other up when they are not knocking the shite out of each other. There is far less of that in the other provinces.

Nah. Whatever about Munster, Leinster and Ulster, Connacht is the most bonded together province. Partly from the siege mentality of always being down-troden by outsiders and and even the etched in memories of 'To Hell or to Connacht' we invariably back each other when it comes down to it. We all talk plenty of rubbish, but few true supporters in Connacht would ever harbour anything but hope for the other counties when it comes down to the heat of the championship.

Just ask all those Rossies who were there in July of '98 and had watched our two counties play to a stalemate, twice, only for the ultimate and exquisite agony of an extra-time goal to burn out our hope as the light dimmed over Dr. Hyde Park.

The very same Rossies who crowded the streets of Athlone in two months later when you brought Sam over the Shannon and home to Connacht.

[Christmas Lights]

anyone post up Paddy Heaneys article today in the Irish news?

[Lar Naparka]

I had reason to drive through North Galway in ’96 and then on through Roscommon on my way to Croke Park for the AI.
I was amazed at the number of red and green flags flying in both counties. Loads of Mayo supporters got into the ground early to support the Rossie minors.

I presume you mean 2006? The Rossie minors were there in 2006.

I had occasion to drive through Mayo & Roscommon in the leadup to the 1996 All Ireland final and the only part of Roscommon festooned in red and green flags was Ballaghdereen

I got the year wrong alright. I had meant ’06 but I was thinking also of ’96 when Mayo made the same fruitless journey to HQ and Roscommon, Longford and Westmeath, or at least those regions along the N5/N4, had the Mayo colours flying.
There weren’t that many in the last two counties but there were plenty to be seen in Rossie land and I mean all along the route, Elphin, Tulsk, Strokestown et al.

Granted, there weren’t quite as many in ‘06 but it was a difference of quantity not of quality of support.
I passed through late on the eve of the final and the sheep shaggists had plenty of Mayo flags out by then and once again I’m talking of the afore-mentioned towns as well as Ballagh.

Syferus (#83) has summed the Connacht psyche up very well.
Whatever rows we may have west of the Shannon don’t travel across water very well.

[AFS]

anyone post up Paddy Heaneys article today in the Irish news?

I'll type it out for you. I cut a couple of the less important bits out.

The Paddy Heaney Column

Kick passing is great. Cross are great. Fishing is great. The end.

By Paddy Heaney 3rd April 2012

[Tony Baloney]

anyone post up Paddy Heaneys article today in the Irish news?

I'll type it out for you. I cut a couple of the less important bits out.

The Paddy Heaney Column

Kick passing is great. Cross are great. Fishing is great. The end.

By Paddy Heaney 3rd April 2012

Very nicely and accurately summarised.

[5 Sams]

He gives the Tyrone synchronised diving team an awful touch in the "Irish" Mail on Sunday today. Hard to disagree with what he says in fairness.

[Mike Sheehy]

Its bad enough that we allow foreigners like Brolly work for our national broadcaster but we allow him to insult us as well.

I think there should be a purge of all Nordies from our airwaves. If anything it would rid us of those godawful accents.

(takes cover)