All Ireland senior football final 2012 Donegal v Mayo

[cuconnacht]

You've been away too long. There's no place in O'Connell Street you should be drinking Guinness.

Thought the ones in the gresham were all right lastnite Hardy,or is this a phantom hangover
Will give yere minors a cheer if me wife dosent get a ticket.(babycham in the car and all that )but shes a Dub and not to be annoyed twice in the one month!
goodluck today.

[seafoid]

There is nothing like standing under the Hogan at 5.15 i measc do mhuintir on one of the Sundays in September and the all Ireland won and it is time for Mayo to get that buzz again.

I think Horan has the steel required. Maigh Eo abu. 

[cuconnacht]

just bagged a ticket so feeling very please with myself and grateful to a sound oul skin.

Well done Cadence,enjoy the day.
ON another note,Tunnel collapsed so have ta go in the conventional,through the gates

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Colm O'Rourke in todays Sunday Independent.

"if you climb Mount Everest nobody will ask you whether you went up the hard or the easy way" 

I must climb it myself so, never realised there was an easy way.

[balladmaker]

All the very best to both teams today, will be an emotional day no matter who wins ... When was the last time both football and hurling finals were a draw in the same year?  Stranger things have happened.

Unfortunately, I'm exiled abroad in Canada this year, is there any reliable online link to view the game from outside of Ireland?  Thanks in advance.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

There is nothing like standing under the Hogan at 5.15 i measc do mhuintir on one of the Sundays in September and the all Ireland won and it is time for Mayo to get that buzz again.

I think Horan has the steel required. Maigh Eo abu.

Hopefully Seafoid, and yer lads next Sunday lad.

Up Mayo

[Rossfan]

I still think it will be a draw.

[thewobbler]

Prediction:

Donegal 1.10 vs 0.13 Mayo.

Never more than two points between the sides in a cagey but dull game.

Sunday Game give motm to McFadden for his goal, when the whole world reckons it should have been Dillon or McLoughlin.

Everyone continue to tip Donegal for the replay, but Mayo walk it.

[omagh_gael]

Good luck to both teams today. Hard to believe it's eleven years since there was an AI final not involving either Kerry or Tyrone. Really looking forward to this one. I'm cheering for the green andand red myself (family connection) but won't complain if Murphy lifts Sam either.

Enjoy your day ladies and gentlemen, I for one am very jealous!

Cork v Down in 2010 !!

Oops, the aul memory is slipping in my old age!

[stephenite]

I'm hearing rumors from home that Aiden O'Se won't start, no idea if it's reliable

[J70]

All the very best to both teams today, will be an emotional day no matter who wins ... When was the last time both football and hurling finals were a draw in the same year?  Stranger things have happened.

Unfortunately, I'm exiled abroad in Canada this year, is there any reliable online link to view the game from outside of Ireland?  Thanks in advance.

Ustream have been very good most days, but you have to pay for it.

http://www.ustream.tv/gaappv

[Absent]

All the very best to both teams today, will be an emotional day no matter who wins ... When was the last time both football and hurling finals were a draw in the same year?  Stranger things have happened.

Unfortunately, I'm exiled abroad in Canada this year, is there any reliable online link to view the game from outside of Ireland?  Thanks in advance.

You could try vipbox.tv they sometimes show GAA,its a free pirate,also tykes tv has been mentioned in the past on the Fear Rua site as being good for GAA,the best of luck.

[Zulu]

If Boyle, Keegan and O'Se are not 100% then Donegal will definitely win. Unsubstantiated injury rumours are common in the week before big games but we know all 3 have issues so this time there may be something to it. Hopefully all 3 are fine and it's a great game. Best of luck to everyone involved in any capacity.

[Absent]

What a lovely moonlit night out. Maybe it s an omen - moonlight in Mayo!

Driving up in the morning. More in hope than in confidence but it s great to be in a final with a chance of winning even if we re underdogs.

Before a ball was kicked I thought Donegal were the best team in the country and I expected them to win every game they have played so far and if they were playing anybody else tomorrow I would expect them to win - and want them to win. Contrary to most other opinion I liked the way that Donegal have gone about their business. I couldn t see them play often enough.

But I think Mayo have a punchers chance in this. And that s not too bad. Technically we have players as good as there s out there. Donegal looked well ahead of Mayo 4 months ago but the nature of gaelic football seasons is that teams adapt and close gaps quickly May - September.

I never believed we lost finals to Kerry just because it was Kerry we were playing. We were not as good 04/06 as Kerry and it was not a collapse. 97 was the one we should have won and our misfire was of our own making and nothing to do with the Kerry jersey.

I dont believe either that because we ve lost so many and that we have to win one some time. We don t. Each final is a 50/50 at best. This team has not played a final before and if we lose many of these players may never get back there again.

I ve always believed that we often did not give ourselves the best chance of success - not just finals - with poor managerial appointments/ poor selection/ poor tactics/ poor preparation etc. Obviously those problems are no longer the issue the used to be in Mayo since the current management took over. We re blessed that 2 of our best players ever - Horan and Nallen - are there. Both would be multiple AI winners if some of those around them were as good. Successive managements also let them down. I don t think these lads will let anybody down and Cian O Neill has done what we thought he would. Barry Moran still sound in late September!

I m sure Mayo have done everything possible to give us the best chance tomorrow. It still may not be good enough because Donegal will have nailed their preparation as well. I m already proud of this Mayo team and I think I ll still be proud of them tomorrow night win or lose. Best of luck to my old soldiers, Clarkie, Caff, Kevin Mac, Ronan, Michael, Evan and the rest of the Mayo package.

Going to leave it at that. Getting a bit of emotional tbh. AI final day has a bit of baggage for me and not just about losing games. But it s great to be in an AI final again and these are the experiences of our lives.

Mind yerselves tomorrow those of ye on the road. And win or lose make sure ye get back to the hills or the heather in one piece.

+1
Starin out the window of me georgian hotel room at Doney boys doin the same across the road at meself.Ach,so all dreams,teams and roads lead to this,this city,to that stadium 2minutes away,and to the glory of the Gael,old Sam Magiure.Shiverin a bit,tis nippy,shakin, a little raw nerves and excitment,and maybe a small bit of distemper,a result of not a few pints of porter and paddy in the gresham lastnite.Im sorry its Donegal we,re takn the heads off,good cousins and neighbours and equal partners in centuries old wanderings in this world,but Mayo are making no return to the "house of pain".Our time there is done and done for good.The men of The Heather will "rise up" up on this day and take their rightful place in the pantheon of legends.

Maigh Eo Abu

Two great posts there lads,keep em coming!

[seafoid]

I was thinking of all the older Mayo people in their 70s and beyond in London and New York etc  who may not have been back in a long time but who will be tuning in this afternoon and what it would mean to them if the red and green did it. Le cunamh De.