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[McDonnell resigns at Armagh]

U.tv website states

McDonnell resigns at Armagh

Peter McDonnell resigned as Armagh manager on Tuesday after two years with the county.

The county board is now meeting to decide how the team will proceed and are expected to issue a statement soon.

Under McDonnell, Armagh won the Ulster Championship last year but were knocked out of this year's campaign in the first round by Tyrone.

Armagh also lost disappointingly to Monaghan in the first round of this year's All-Ireland qualifiers.

While the BBC state that all will be clarified this evening
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/8161459.stm

"Armagh chairman Kevin Brady has refused to comment on whether he expects McDonnell to be in charge next year."

Probably inevitable.

I received a small parcel of land in an inheritance (4 acres), in South Armagh. This location is not suitable for a site. On balance I would prefer to sell this to a neighbour without a public sale. I'd be happy to sell at a small discount, but I don't want to be too soft. How are land prices moving? Opinion seem to be that they are not declining much even in present circumstances. 

More than 80% of people attending sporting events last year support the idea of smoke-free stadiums, according to research published today.

The study by the Ulster GAA, the Ulster Cancer Foundation and the Office of Tobacco Control found that 72% of smokers support the idea.

The three bodies are now encouraging people attending Ulster Championship matches not to smoke in a bid to protect other supporters and children.

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I imagine that the bowsies will pay no heed whatsoever to this campaign. You only have to look at Croke Pk.

Today is Koninginnedag (Queen's day) when people in the Netherlands dress as Armagh supporters.

Some lunatic tried to ram the parade and killed 4 people.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8026807.stm

The Irish Times archive is free for a week or so. Loads of good GAA stuff in there and everything else beside, anyone fancy a nice new 4 bed house in Blackrock, Dublin for £2600?

These are some Armagh related ones.

Casement Park opens
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1953/0615/Pg001.html#Ar00104

All Ireland Final 1953
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/tpl/1953/0926/Pg018.html#Ar01800
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1953/0928/Pg001.html#Ar00100
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1953/0928/Pg002.html#Ar00200

Armagh v Down Casement 1961
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1961/0724/Pg005.html#Ar00507

Turkish guy escapes after level crossing accident.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7925009.stm

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Virginia-Boy-Crashes-Family-Car-While-Trying-To-Drive-Himself-To-School-Parents-Charged/Article/200901215199389

[12%]

Batten down the hatches folks. That's a cumulative decline of 6.6% in GNP. A lot of folks will find a big change and I don't see house prices increasing much soon, cheaper mortgages notwithstanding.
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Report: Recession will continue into 2010

Davy Stockbrokers says it expects the recession to continue into 2010, with unemployment hitting a massive 12% between now and then.

In its latest economic forecast, the company says it expects GNP to shrink by 2% this year, 4.1% next year and 0.5% in 2010.

It says 2009 looks like being the worst period of the recession, with an expected rebound in export growth possibly preventing another sharp contraction in 2010.

Letter from  Peter Makem, once Armagh manager. This version published in the Irish Times.

Madam, - The back door is now the front door. After Tyrone's defeat of Dublin in Croke Park in the All Ireland quarter-finals it is more and more obvious that progress in the championship comes down to peaking in mid-August instead of June or July. In other words it means getting out of the provincial championship as early as possible with minimum fuss and setting out on the lucrative back-door route. With the exception of Cork, all the other three provincial champions, Armagh, Galway and Dublin, have been decisively eliminated at the quarter-final stage.

It is now beyond dispute that if a county wants to go far in the All Ireland championship, the last thing they need is a provincial title. Armagh, Dublin and Galway have all peaked far too early and have paid the penalty for taking the provincial championships seriously.

In recent years, Kerry appear to have have simply handed the Munster final to Cork under the pretence of "being out of form" or having "lost their appetite for championship football". They led at half time against Cork by nine points in the most recent Munster final - a similar sort of situation to the previous year - and "collapsed" in the second half, trying to convince everybody that they were in decline and that an era was over.

But in reality they were postponing their championship surge until August, getting another month out of their annual bye into the quarter-finals which they have enjoyed for over 100 years. The back door system is a further blessing to Kerry's position of privilege. Apart from some annual first round bit of shooting practice against Waterford or Limerick, they can now leave the Munster championship to Cork and start things in earnest at the beginning of August when provincial champions have already exhausted themselves. Kerry's last two All Irelands were from the back door, and Galway and Tyrone each have a back-door All Ireland.

It could well be that last year's Ulster champions, Tyrone, finally decided that if they wanted to give the All Ireland another tilt, winning Ulster was, to put in mildly, not that important.

The back door gives space to grow, for the Tyrone side who lost to Down in June and the Tyrone who annihilated Dublin in August are an ocean apart. Dublin's four successive Leinster titles have proved to be a millstone round their necks, as have Armagh's recent Ulster wins.

People talk about the back door giving weaker teams much more championship exposure etc, but it merely lengthens their walk along the plank.

It was set up solely to bring in more revenue, for it is hard to believe that any organisation could propose and pass such a pathetic system for the sake of the game. The old provincial system was of course a very bad system of one-round knock-outs and needed to be replaced by giving every team a series of games with equality of opportunity for all. The reality now is that one bad system is being destroyed by an even worse system. - Yours, etc,

PETER MAKEM, Armagh Rd, Newry.

I have a mid range internet capable phone, with a small screen. I don't have a data tariff so pay through the nose for data. I am abroad for a couple of Sundays and even when here sometimes miss the some of the games. What is the most convenient way just to get GAA scores on the mobile over the summer e.g. simple website, RSS etc, using a minimum amount of data and capable of being seen on small screen.

NI council amalgamations to be 11

Among others, this seems to involve a council from Cullaville to somewhere around Ballynahinch.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/article3515054.ece

The standard of factual accuracy in many GAA reports is poor. I suggest we document these.

Today Colm Keys in the Indo
"For the third successive year Cavan find themselves in Ulster's preliminary round from where only Armagh have ever won a provincial title"

But Cavan are the only other county to have won an Ulster title from Ulster's preliminary round (in 1945). No mention of "in recent years" here.

[Mr Simpson also asked for an assurance that pupils who answer GCSE examination questions outlining creationist or intelligent design explanations for the development of life on Earth, will not be marked lower than pupils who give answers with an evolutionist explanation.]

from the Belly Telly
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/article2999003.ece

Les Reid, chairman of the Belfast Humanist Society, branded it "totally inappropriate to bring religious ideas into the science classroom".

He was speaking as two DUP members raised the issue in the Assembly and at council level.

"There is already scope in the curriculum for religious instruction. RE teachers have the classes to teach about supernatural beings and the creation of the universe as they see it. That's where creationism belongs," said Mr Reid.

He said politicians who do not have recognised scientific qualifications should not be allowed to dictate the content of the school curriculum.

"Our education system is liberal and accommodating as it stands," he added.

The row was sparked after DUP MP David Simpson, who is a member of the Free Presbyterian Church, questioned Education Minister Caitriona Ruane on the availability of materials and resources for schools wishing to teach alternative scientific theories to evolution as part of the revised curriculum.

Mr Simpson also asked for an assurance that pupils who answer GCSE examination questions outlining creationist or intelligent design explanations for the development of life on Earth, will not be marked lower than pupils who give answers with an evolutionist explanation.

Lisburn council voted last night to write to all its grammar and secondary schools encouraging them to teach alternative theories like 'intelligent design'.

The proposal was made by DUP councillor Paul Givan, who is also a member of the Free Presbyterian Church.

Members of the SDLP and Sinn Fein opposed the proposal, but a spokesman for the DUP confirmed that both Mr Givan and Mr Simpson's views were in keeping with party policy.

Tommy Makem has said "Farewell to Carlingford" for the last time. Keady's most famous son is a sad loss.

Ministers from Northern Ireland and the Republic have agreed to spend £400m on cross-border road projects.

The news of the joint investment came after a meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council in Armagh.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the road from Omagh to Donegal and the route from Belfast to Larne would become dual carriageways.

And before someone gets on to this, Dublin is one of few counties in the South that actually produces a surplus of tax over expenditure. No doubt the people of Tyrone will be at least as grateful as those in Larne.

With the weather that's around this year, the dreaded umbrella has made its appearance in crowded county grounds.

from the Belly Telly

things must be going downhill at QUB, I knew a few people that went there years ago and when they made a bomb it worked.
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Terror suspect Kafeel Ahmed graduated from Queen's University with a Masters in Philosophy in 2003, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal today.

Ahmed, who was critically injured in the car bomb attack on Glasgow Airport last Saturday, remained in hospital today where he was being treated in hospital for burns to 90% of his body.

It is understood doctors treating Ahmed believe he will not survive the injuries he sustained during an attempt to blow up Glasgow Airport last weekend.

His name appeared in the Belfast Telegraph's coverage of Queen's University graduations on December 11, 2003.

It is thought he attended the university's graduation ceremony where he received a Masters in Philosophy.

It has also been reported that Ahmed completed a post-graduate course in aeronautical engineering at Queen's University and lived close to the Belfast campus in a rented house.

A spokesman from the university today refused to confirm reports that Ahmed studied at the university and added: "We have been advised by Scotland Yard not to comment."

An off-duty policeman has been hailed a hero after running to the scene of the burning Cherokee Jeep at the front of main terminal building at the airport and trying to help Ahmed who was engulfed in flames.

PC Stewart Ferguson has told how he initially believed there had been a traffic accident but quickly realised there was a more sinister aspect to the incident when the man he was trying to help appeared to fight him off.

He has told how he believed Ahmed seemed to be resigned to burning to death.

To date, police have been unable to question Ahmed about his role in the blaze.

The discussion on the Jack O'Connor thread raises the issue of amateurism.

I actually think that the substitute teacher model is appropriate. I don't think GAA players etc should be paid. However there are real demands on their time at the top level. I'd like to see a situation where a player would get another 2 weeks (or whatever) paid holiday from his job, This could be sponsored by the employer or the GAA could pay for it. This approach would keep clear which is the job and which is the recreation and would not mean players would get different amounts depending on their county etc. Of course you could argue that paying for a doctor to get a weeks off might be more expensive than paying for some other job, but this is how it is every week. 

 Monday, June 04, 2007

By Peter Popham

A Polish railway worker has woken after 19 years of a coma to discover that his world has changed beyond all recognition.

"When I went into a coma, there was only tea and vinegar in the shops," Jan Grzebski, now 65, told a Polish news channel.

"Meat was rationed and there were huge petrol queues everywhere."

Mr Grzebski lost consciousness in 1988, after he was hit by a train. Doctors gave him only two or three years to live. But because of the tireless care of his wife Gertruda, who moved him every hour to prevent bedsores, he remained in good health. He was, however, completely removed from the dramatic changes across the world.

After regaining consciousness, he told his family that he had vague memories of family gatherings and of his relatives talking to him, trying to provoke a response. There was plenty for them to tell him about, if they had wished to startle him with amazing news.

When Mr Grzebski lost consciousnessin 1988, another Polish working man, the electrician Lech Walesa, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, was back at work after years under house arrest. But the Communist authorities still had him under close surveillance. Within two years, Communism had collapsed and Mr Walesa was elected President of Poland with 75 per cent of the vote. Walesa turned out to be a flop as president. And when he stood again in 2000, Mr Grzebski's relatives would have pointed out, that only 1 per cent of the electorate voted for him. By that time, Poland had a market economy, communism was receding rapidly into the past, but the injured railwayman was still dead to the world.

His wife, who was said by Mr Grzebski's doctor to have "done the job of an entire intensive care team", continued to change his position every hour. "I cried a lot, and prayed a lot," she said of those long and lonely years. "Those who came to see us kept asking, 'When is he going to die?' But he's not dead."

Mr Grzebski's remarkable story is a real life version of the film Good Bye, Lenin!, in which Katrin Sass, an East Berliner, suffers a heart attack and slips into a coma in 1989 - thereby missing the fall of the Berlin Wall and the sudden and dramatic transformation of everyday life as the communist system collapses. "Mother slept through the relentless triumph of capitalism," says the character, Alex, her son.

When she comes back to life, the doctor warns Alex that a shock might kill her, so he goes to drastic lengths to conceal from her the revolution that has occurred, rescuing tatty East German furniture, restoring the dingy communist decor, persuading friends to visit dressed as Young Communist scouts.

Gertruda Grzebska took no such precautions when her husband came round, and the miracle of modern Poland flooded his senses. He couldn't help noticing that people were complaining just as much as during the years of empty shops and martial law. "Now I see people on the streets with cellphones and there are so many goods in the shops it makes my head spin," he confessed.

"What amazes me is all these people who walk around with their mobile phones and yet they never stop moaning."

one wonders about the route of this?


from breakingnews.ie

Package would fund biggest-ever cross-border project
22/03/2007 - 16:04:41

If accepted, the new financial package for the North announced today is to fund biggest-ever cross-border project to date - a major motorway to Donegal and Derry.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's Cabinet has pledged £400m (€589.5m) of British Chancellor Gordon Brown's total £1bn (€1.47bn) fund to help devolved Assembly ministers deal with infrastructural challenges in the months ahead.

Minister for Finance Minster Brian Cowen said the dual-carriageway road stretching to Derry and Donegal would remove the single biggest impediment to the future development of the Northwest and the border counties.

"It will be the biggest and most important cross-border project ever on this island," he added.

As Monday's deadline for devolution nears, Mr Cowen said Brown's package offers a real opportunity for economic progress to accompany political stability in the North.

"This unprecedented investment has been made possible through the joint contribution of the Irish and British governments and will benefit everybody on this island.

"The agreement on a major cross-border roads programme and a new North/South research and innovation fund represent the type of imaginative and ambitious policies that we need to pursue to secure peace and build future prosperity."

The Chancellor also supports wide proposals benefiting the North contained in the Irish Government's National Development Plan 2007-2013.

Mr Cowen said he now looked forward to the progression of projects like the Ulster Canal, Narrow Water Bridge as well as tourism and regional development.

"Work is already under way on a number of other projects, such as the re-opening of border roads, City of Derry Airport, the North West Gateway Initiative, electricity interconnection and the single electricity market," he added.

"There is also huge untapped potential for improving public services such as health and education through working together."