Greatest Provincial Rivalry

[Owenmoresider]

Mayo and Galway are the traditional rivlas - but as has been mentioned their battles over the years have been close. But for me, the bigger rivalry is with the Rossies - if we lose to Galway, the attitude appears to be - OK, we'll get them the next time.

But I hate it when we lose to Roscommon - really does my nut in for weeks

And what of Sligo - or are we more of a nuisance? Would be keen enough by the Moy I'd have felt. As I thought, the dislike is probably more intense with the Ros, more respect between Galway and Mayo I suppose.

Reared down the Quay myself - not a stone thow from the Moy, I was thrilled with Sligo's run in '02, went to most of the matches with a good crowd of lads from Riverstown and Sloyane was in my class all the way through Secondary school. Don't begrudge Sligo anything to be honest, even if the Enniscrone ones are a bit odd

The Rossies are a different breed and I have some good friends there also - just hate losing to them, and hate to see them do well. Just one of those irrational things I have, the next Mayo man would probably hate Galway in the same way

Jaysus you're not wrong about the Enniscrone lot, a different breed to put it mildly. Easkey crew wouldn't be as affected by the sea breeze it would seem.

Sligo, I suppose are just a team we have to get out of the way before the real stuff...bit like this year really.

I suppose Cross and Ballina folk would hold Knockmore in similiar regard in recent times too.

As I said before, Leitrim would the one we cannot afford to lose, not least because they don't tend to let you forget that it happened. Ros would be even to an extent, not in terms of titles alright, but they have been a side we could realistically aim to beat, strangely always did in a year ending in 7. 37, 87, 97 and 07! Though one lad I know has it in for them much more than the others, and he ain't from the Gurteen, Monasteraden or Geevagh areas either. Of the big two, Mayo is the one that gets the blood up, the border an obvious factor, contentious in its own way too (a fair amount of Sligomen donning Mayo jerseys lately). Galway not as much, maybe cos they can go on and win All-Irelands perhaps.

[tyrone86]

No rivalry. Ulster has had the upperhand in recent years.

All of Ulster = 13 (?) AI , Kerry = 35 AI. Its obvious,  really, who is the winner.

Hi chief we've only finished fighting a war up here that ye have long since forgot about and it's only now we're getting to concentrate on football. Give us a bit of time to catch up 

[nrico2006]

Hi chief we've only finished fighting a war up here that ye have long since forgot about and it's only now we're getting to concentrate on football. Give us a bit of time to catch up 

[tbrick18]

Tyrone/Derry definitely for me. Sheer hatred and bad manners. 1993 was the worst year in the history of mankind.

#

What was the year Tyrone were down to 13 ??

1995 Ulster semi-final ... down to 13 men at halftime and getting beat 8-5 ... ahhhhhhh, great memories of a scorching hot day, the inbreds singing "there's no Sam in Tyrone", rubbing it in as if the game was already won ... Paul Donnelly leading the fightback and Jody Gormley sticking over the winner to make it, if my memory serves me right, 11-10 ... Carlsberg don't make comebacks, but if they did...

I think both the highlighted sections above give an insight as to how Tyrone played this match...what they lacked in skill and talent (I seem to remember "one man team" being a common theme) they made up for in pure filth.
As for great memories of a scorching hot day....I have great memories of an all-ireland final that year...and even greater memories of a last minute disallowed score that the "wee men" thought had brought them level only for full time to be blown... 
ahhhhh....the Mighty Dubs served up some rough justice that day 

[Gnevin]

Being a Dub , it's Dublin/Meath and then Dublin/Laois

Suprised at that Gnevin, sure the Laois folk like to think there is a rivalry there, but there isnt really.

Is really really enjoying beating the moaning fecker a rivalary? I don't really consider them rivals  just like beating them

[ludermor]

Personally dont support any other team in connaght. Couldnt careless about the standard in the province as long as Sligo do well. Suffered to many beatings and verbals over the yrs to want them to win. It just feels fake. Would hate losing to Leitirm most then ros then mayo or galway. Lived with a few leitrim lads a while back when we lost to them it was tough house to be in. But I do respect them all just wouldnt patronise or people please to say I support them when they get out of connaght. When sligo lose Im nuetral from there on in.

whenever sligo does well it means the standard in the province is shite!
sorry lads 

[his holiness nb]

Is really really enjoying beating the moaning fecker a rivalary? I don't really consider them rivals  just like beating them

It is enjoyable reminding them of their place in the scheme of things 

[SLIGONIAN]

Personally dont support any other team in connaght. Couldnt careless about the standard in the province as long as Sligo do well. Suffered to many beatings and verbals over the yrs to want them to win. It just feels fake. Would hate losing to Leitirm most then ros then mayo or galway. Lived with a few leitrim lads a while back when we lost to them it was tough house to be in. But I do respect them all just wouldnt patronise or people please to say I support them when they get out of connaght. When sligo lose Im nuetral from there on in.

whenever sligo does well it means the standard in the province is shite!
sorry lads 

Ya like in the late 90s and early 2000s when we had great teams but mayo and galway had potential all ireland winning teams . We did well those yrs aswell. Short memory there. Province wasnt quite so shite when we were last team standing in 02. I could go but I think Ive made my point .

[Kerry Mike]

"Its the sign of a great summer when you have the turf home, the hay saved and Cork bate"

My grandfather had that saying many years ago, unfortunately we have long since passed on having days in the bog or the meadow but there is nothing that brings as much joy to a Kerryman as bating the Langers.

As for other counties, would hate to lose to the Jackeens but its been a long while since that happened 
Have no real love or hatred for any other counties, they are just obstacles on the way to Sam Maguire and you win some and you lose some.

Of course it would be nice to settle some old score with the likes of Down, Offaly, Kidare, Meath and Tyrone but we wont be waiting around for any of them. We'll hopefully be in Croke Park in August and maybe even September if ye are up for the challange 

[deiseach]

My uncle has lived and worked in Kerry for the best part of fifty years. He married a Kerry woman, his children are from Kerry and all his grandchildren are from Kerry. He played hurling for Kerry in the twilight of his career. He is also a card-carrying member of the Anyone But Kerry brigade. When you see how many people in Kerry think they are tall because they are standing on the shoulders of giants, I can see why he is the way he is.

[Tatler Jack]

but there is nothing that brings as much joy to a Kerryman as bating the Langers

Probably true but I can never figure out why. The fact is that Cork are not really a footballing force and hurling is the game that matters to the vast majority of Cork people. Over the past fifteen years all of the dual players at under age level have opted for football so Kerry are playing a second rate Cork team most of the time. Is it a case of Kerry creating a straw man that they can knock down!! Anyway it is easy bring joy to ye and ye should have plenty  of joy in the years to come as football in Cork goes into further decline.

Maybe ye should enter the Ulster c'ship for the next ten years to prove yourselves and let Cork play against their equlas in Tipp and Limerick.

[boojangles]

We have that a lot in Meath, where we are the biggest rivals of a number of our neighbours, who hate us with a passion we can't muster the enthusiasm to reciprocate. Only Dublin count as proper out-and-out, sell-your-granny-to-get-a-ticket rivals as far as we're concerned.
Hardy you're hardly ha ha talking about your Breifne cousins here now? We all remember the stone-throwers in Navan and Smells(Kells) in 1997 and anytime Cavan pass through Meath for a match(which is quite rare)we'l always b greeted in Carnaross by some little Meath in-breds waving their flags.

[Solo Run]

Personally dont support any other team in connaght. Couldnt careless about the standard in the province as long as Sligo do well. Suffered to many beatings and verbals over the yrs to want them to win. It just feels fake. Would hate losing to Leitirm most then ros then mayo or galway. Lived with a few leitrim lads a while back when we lost to them it was tough house to be in. But I do respect them all just wouldnt patronise or people please to say I support them when they get out of connaght. When sligo lose Im nuetral from there on in.

whenever sligo does well it means the standard in the province is shite!
sorry lads 

From a Leitrim perspective I'd say our biggest rivalry is clearly with Roscommon regardless of whether you are from North or South Leitrim (I'm from North). Leitrim and Roscommon have had some very close and bitter battles this last 10-15 years or more. From an atmosphere point of view I'm glad we haven't played them for couple of years, it was getting downright nasty, so much so that it was commented on for a couple of days in the national press after the last time they were in Carrick. There is a loutish element in the Ros support and the unfortunate thing is that they seem to find their Leitrim equivalents, who I didn't think were there, but they are.

I would support the Connacht team against any others in the championship except Mayo where I'm neutral and find it hard them to cheer for them.  This is a bit odd because I dislike Ros most of all in a Connacht context, but would cheer for them outside of Connacht. Not logical, I know, but there you have it.

[stephenite]

An Spailpin's take on rivalries and the championship in general

http://spailpin.blogspot.com/

[Shamrock Shore]

In Longford we love beating Westmeath and Cavan. Leitrim, to me, never were a rival neither were the Rossies, as such. Dunno why. Just is.

Longford and Meath had some good old battles in the black and white days but these are largely forgotten.

Inter county rivalries are in the ha'penny place to club craic. In Longford we have

Mostrim v Ardagh
Colmcille v Dromard
Connollys v Everyone
Granard v Abbey
Columbas v Abbey
Slashers v Grattans 

This is where the real craic is - and where it never spills over into real life or the all intrusive meeja.