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Tyrone AGM last night no major dramas. Raymond monteith gone as chair of the CCC. Committee will vote in the new chair in the new year i believe

7 Starred Games and a May start (or after U20 campaign) for ACL in 2026 with reserves starting sooner.
I assume this also means 3 points for the 8 non starred games as was already voted by clubs earlier this year.

Biggest change in a long time to our leagues hard to know what to make of it. The 5 starred was leaving August a disaster couldn't of went on much longer. But 3 points weighted to the back half of the league could be extremely beneficial to certain teams over others, will just have to see how it goes in year 1

The biggest issue holding back the leagues is the insistence that no games can proceed without U20 players - which has had a real impact in the last couple of years. If clubs could agree to play 1 or 2 games without U20 players (and that's only an issue when Tyrone win the Ulster championship) then the leagues could get underway on time and run more smoothly.

7 starred games will give a fair run of games right through. To be fair Malachy last year released players that weren't getting game time in the senior squad which was welcome

The Division One league play-offs have now been scrapped as well with the team top after 15 games named league champions. Should end some of the needless delay at the end of the season.

[Couple of years older now, bigger and stronger for sure.]

Conroy is an interesting one, not much mention of him on the board here but glad to see him back. Couple of years older now, bigger and stronger for sure. Be interesting to see how it developes. He's a natural scorer, and would add that bit of height in the full forward line

I dont see Cush there myself, unless he is the one wearing the beanie hat

All boxes ticked, now he needs game time
The best comeback to date was Dazzler 21, but he has serious grit, brilliant what he done
Hopefully a genuine off the leash centre forward waiting for Malachy under the Christmas tree

I don't think anyone doubts Conroy's ability as a footballer - he's a good as anyone in the county on his day and probably the best 2 point kicker there is in club football. The concern might be that he's been about squads before and dropped in and out of them going back to his underage days. Hopefully there's been a maturing there over time

Thought Hurson sore on Dungannon at times. Think there was a foul outside the arc near the end when 2 in it. Assume he was playing advantage (as looked like dungannon player was celebrating after the tackle) and dungannon where having a free pop at a goal. But overturned and no free.

Dungannon players took a solo and go was my reading of that. Just poor decision making which given the tension at that stage was understandable.

Actually thought Dungannon got away with one when Paudie McNulty saved the ball on the line. Looked like it was handled on the ground but they played on.

Anyone seeing potential county players and ones to watch in championship. Could lorcan Mcgarrity make the step up?

McGarrity looks good but how many forwards do people want to bring into the 26? Joey Clarke would be a player I'd be looking at bringing in but it will be the same situation as the likes of O'Hare, R. Canavan and them lads. People begging for the younger lads to be called up and play games then they put in a bad performance and they're getting written off altogether as county players. Whoever does come in it will take 2 or 3 years minimum for them to find their feet

Correct about the two or three years but atleast Malachy has been releasing those players outside of the 26 to play club - this will help with retaining squad players for development. The creation of the development panel will also help get players through in time.
Ethan Jordan Eglish be worth a look at, was a wing forward as he came through Tyrone U20s and has been playing to a very high level for Eglish.

What McGarrity brings different to the forwards in the current 26 is height. He's the best part of 6'1 or 6'2. And he can kick two pointers. He's been in the panel for two years. Had a badly timed ankle injury this year that saw him miss the league. Division 2 should give an opportunity to try and blood some new players next year and he'd be near the top of my list.

Kennedy  wasn't there for Mayo Game in Omagh   and Tyrone got cleaned out in Midfield

They got cleaned out in other games when he was playing.

Which other games did they get cleaned out? Mayo was by a long, long distance Tyrone's worst performance of the year. I don't think it's a coincidence it was the only game Kennedy didn't play in. And bearing in mind he's been playing with a groin/ hernia injury all year I don't think he's been near his best.

Very often it's not about winning clean ball but taking away a team's first choice. Take the Dublin game - the talk in the build up was around O'Cofaigh Byrne. He was made a none factor due to Kennedy's influence.

Even at the weekend Kerry didn't exactly dominate the Tyrone kick out - in fact it was the opposite in the first half. They just made much better use of the ball they did get. And I think the issues there come back to getting forwards that can hold their own physically and take a man on.

I'm on record somewhere on this forum as talking up Conor O'Neill as one for the near future but at the minute he'd be on the other wing to Daly. His aerial ball winning as we saw in the U20 final wasn't his strength but his kickpassing is something we could be doing with more off.

It's days like these more unhealed players can make a name for themselves. Have a notion Seanie O'Donnell will pick up Paudie Clifford. He took Ryan McHugh in Ballybofey. If it is him he'll need to be more aggressive than he has been.

Ciaran Daly has probably the best engine in the Tyrone panel. It'll be needed in the heat. He had a strong game the last day. If he can take a step forward he can have a big influence.

Tyrone haven't clicked this season. If they can today they'll not be far away.

Worst tyrone performance I've seen in a long time but I'll take it.  Can't be as bad the next day

I'm assuming you've been stuck on a desert ireland from 2022, with no access to the Internet or human society until today.

Did you stop following Tyrone after they won the All Ireland in 2021?
Asking for a mate.

I was going to say. I can think if about 10 in the last 3 years that were much, much, much worse than today. Mayo, Roscommon 2024 and Clare 2024 without going near the league.

Conditions weren't conducive to flowing football but the lads ground a win out. There's plenty to work on and much more in the tank.

Great to see Ciaran Daly who's had a lot of unfair stick on here have a big game. He gets through a mountain of work especially defensively that gets overlooked. Peter Teague had a very solid game as well hopefully his knock was no more than that. For all the talk of O'Cofaigh Byrne he hardly touched leather today.

We can watch on tomorrow and see what the draw throws up. We're in a good place

[it's this design or the project will be scrapped altogether.]

If Louth can build can 6k stand, floodlights, dressing rooms, ancillaries for €24m, surely to God Casement with about 9 times that amount can build a decent stadium that will more than suffice.
Stop fkn blathering and moaning, get it out to tender, appoint a contractor and BUILD!!

This.

I fully agree. I can't come on board with the idea that the £170 million stadium is sop in áit na scuaibe or that the GAA are being short changed. £170 million does not build you a throw together pile of shite. It should build you a damn good stadium that you can be bloody proud of........ and indeed allow you to hold concerts and whatever other ballix.
Why have we decided that £260 million is what the GAA (and west Belfast) deserves? Because that's what the GAA asked for? For those who want the GAA to hold out until they get that money handed to them, did you have an upper limit figure in your head? I mean, if the GAA were looking £500 million, would that be what they deserved?

Would the planning etc not need redone for a small stadium?

It would. The current design went through extensive pre-consultation given previous experience with the residents so if a design was ready to go tomorrow (which it isn't) the consultation period could take anything up to 18 months. Then the current application took 5 years to get approved by planners and the courts. Taking that into account as a guide for a new design. A smaller stadium might be ready to commence construction in 2031/2. 18-24 month construction period. So opened in 2033/4?

Worth noting that a significant chunk of the rise in costs is due to having to dig the bowl for the stadium out. This was necessary due to resident concerns around the height of stands etc. That's not going away. The original costs were based on the first design that wasn't in that bowl.

With the best will in the world it's this design or the project will be scrapped altogether. And if work hasn't significantly commenced by summer 2026 the planning will have timed out. Probably suits the Minister and the Department and plenty within the GAA

Sorry, hold up.....what happens the £170 million in this case??

Well the UK Government money is contingent on the rest of the money being found for this project. It isn't a blank cheque £50m to spend on any stadium at the site or at least that was my reading of what was said on Wednesday. So it's £120m for another stadium (and does the Irish Government money remain committed in that case?)

So if you redesign another stadium and take it through planning and the courts that isn't built for another 5-7 years based on previous experience, what's the cost of that going to be in terms of what we know about construction costs at the minute?

It's a bit frustrating to hear people talk about throwing up a 25,000 capacity stadium as if it can be started tomorrow and be done cheaply in a year or two. That's not the case.

Can Antrim or the GAA wait to 2032 for a stadium at the site?

If Louth can build can 6k stand, floodlights, dressing rooms, ancillaries for €24m, surely to God Casement with about 9 times that amount can build a decent stadium that will more than suffice.
Stop fkn blathering and moaning, get it out to tender, appoint a contractor and BUILD!!

This.

I fully agree. I can't come on board with the idea that the £170 million stadium is sop in áit na scuaibe or that the GAA are being short changed. £170 million does not build you a throw together pile of shite. It should build you a damn good stadium that you can be bloody proud of........ and indeed allow you to hold concerts and whatever other ballix.
Why have we decided that £260 million is what the GAA (and west Belfast) deserves? Because that's what the GAA asked for? For those who want the GAA to hold out until they get that money handed to them, did you have an upper limit figure in your head? I mean, if the GAA were looking £500 million, would that be what they deserved?

Would the planning etc not need redone for a small stadium?

It would. The current design went through extensive pre-consultation given previous experience with the residents so if a design was ready to go tomorrow (which it isn't) the consultation period could take anything up to 18 months. Then the current application took 5 years to get approved by planners and the courts. Taking that into account as a guide for a new design. A smaller stadium might be ready to commence construction in 2031/2. 18-24 month construction period. So opened in 2033/4?

Worth noting that a significant chunk of the rise in costs is due to having to dig the bowl for the stadium out. This was necessary due to resident concerns around the height of stands etc. That's not going away. The original costs were based on the first design that wasn't in that bowl.

With the best will in the world it's this design or the project will be scrapped altogether. And if work hasn't significantly commenced by summer 2026 the planning will have timed out. Probably suits the Minister and the Department and plenty within the GAA

That performance might be the best thing that happens Tyrone this year. The psychology of this team is the biggest issue at the moment. You don't know what performance you'll get from week to week from effectively the same group of players. They play up or down depending on what they are expecting from the opposition. They knew they needed to lift it in Donegal last week and brought a high level performance. Thought Mayo were only coming to fulfil the fixture and didn't get near championship pace.

The one argument I don't get is we're a team in rebuild. Even the more inexperienced players have been in the squad and playing 2-3 years. Of those that came on or featured last night only O'Hare and Donaghy are relatively knew. Daly, Devlin, O'Donnell, Quinn have all featured heavily over the last 2 years.

Kickouts are a serious problem. Kennedy has been covering up a lot of issues and his absence last night underlines just how important he is. Have to agree with another poster there about the full forward line. Bradley, Darragh and McCurry are all too similar. Want to make the same runs. Ruairi likewise. Need other options. The likes of Lorcan McGarrity did well last year when given limited chances but has been injured and not featured this year offers some more physicality. McShane got chances and never really took them.

Back to the drawing board. It'll not be a gimme by any stretch against Cavan. If we turn up and play like we did last night we could be out on our ear very handy

Would there still be a lack of height coming through? Joey Clarke, Daly, Mcelholm and Mccullagh stand out players but many of them in with a chance to break through

That's a real concern, everything in the garden is rosy, but especially with the new rules, you need plenty of big trees and I don't see too many coming through

Pity about McGleenans injuries
Hopefully Ruairi McHugh can kick on an in the next year or two

Conor O'Neill has been excellent all year and still underage next year. Can see him making an impact at 10 or 12 in the coming years but the point on a more general lack of height is well made. It'll be interesting to see if the rule changes bring any new players to the fore in club football over the next year.

There was a strong wind down the field in the second half. Donegal had it and wouldn't press Tyrone. Scored two quick two pointers after half time and then tried to play on the break

Wasn't a great look running down the clock from Tyrone granted but totally understandable. No point taking the ball into contact and giving Donegal a chance with the wind advantage

Moved to Saturday in case Donegal U20s reach the All Ireland semi final?  they have a few on U20s on their senior panel.

According to Cahair O'Kane it was fixed for Saturday night so the ladies final didn't have to start at 11.30am on Sunday morning. There's then the Galway and Wexford Leinster hurling game scheduled for 3.15pm on Saturday which is on RTE so it couldn't clash with that...

From a Tyrone prospective it's very disappointing to lose a game that they were in a position to win with 3-4 minutes to go. Decision making down the stretch cost them and not for the first time this year. Threw points away in Mayo and Galway and a lead against Kerry in the league with 5 minutes to go. That'll come with putting themselves in those positions.

But overall that's the first time in 4 years they've got near a game of that intensity and not looked out of place. And to be honest 2, maybe 3 players got near their potential. Malachy will have learnt a lot yesterday.

The trajectory is pointing the right way and McElholm's cameo was about as good as I've seen from a young player for Tyrone in a long long time.

On Armagh their kickouts allowed them to control the game in a way Tyrone couldn't. Notably very few went over the half way line. Tyrone in contrast couldn't get any sort of control. Armagh are the best coach team in Ireland by a distance at the moment and the last 3-4 minutes showed that.

From a Tyrone point of view I wouldn't have been too happy with Gough, and i haven't any complaints on the last free. He gave Armagh a mark in the first half that Callum O'Neill (I think) dropped and Kilpatrick won the break. Gough whistle happy as he was had the whistle blown too soon. Ball went over the bar 10 seconds later. The Rafferty incident was bizarre. Canavan was through on goal but a goalkeeper who couldn't receive the pass took him out.

The directive on steps was out on Thursday, teams knew what was coming. McKernan and Ruairi got pulled when Tyrone were threatening. It's frustrating for everyone.

Looking forward to the qualifier draw now and getting back on the horse. The summer is just starting.

I don't think the baying mob have thought about those who want to go see the game, both Armagh and Antrim supporters. If the game is in Corrigan Park what do you say to them? Tough sh1t?

I'd say something along the lines of "pick up the TV remote, turn it on and watch it from your living room".


The Ulster Council have stumbled from amateur to shambles after which they've lurched from idiotic into embarrassing as far as their handling of Casement goes.


Chesterfield FC in England built a 10,500 seat stadium for ~£13 million in 2009.
Even quadrupling for price since that's ~£72 million - aka within budget.
With larger pitch and no need to place seating on either end or cover the ends, you'd get 15k+ by following the same main stand cross sections.

Absolutely no reason why Casement cannot be an Athletic Grounds mk.2 - only obstacle is the Ulster Council's vanity.

The Athletic Grounds cost £4.6m in 2011.
Now, the Ulster Council are saying they cannot deliver anything for less than 50 times that.

f**k
Right
Off

The issue now is that any down sizing of the stadium will require a new planning application and another 3-4 years in planning. There would be more legal challenges. If the funding is found construction costs will have risen again.

The other issue is that what was agreed to be built as part of the regional stadium programme was a provincial/ 'national' stadium. With the best will in the world the Athletic Grounds mark II wouldn't host Ulster finals because it wouldn't have the capacity.