Messages

Can't believe what I'm seeing on the fixturw list Mountmellick conceeding a under 20 championship match if our second biggest town cannot fulfill a championship fixture things have reached a all time low in the County (hope there was a genuine reason for the concession)

Not defending Mountmellick Parish Gaels at all but it was a dead rubber. Both themselves and Ballylinan had no points and the semi final spots were already decided.

Port won't be too bad in this either. Don't seem to have any under 20s on the senior team.

Missed the final last night. Well done PR. Should be a decent addition to the senior grade next year.
Wide open championship next year.

Tipped in to the B semis today.
Very poor fare. Emo did well to fight back to win but it was a hard watch.
The second game was a little worse. Rosenallis hardly raised a gallop. A very early and very late goal to take the bad look off the scoreboard. Narky enough game at times too.

Poor enough stuff across the four Round 3 games this weekend.
Joseph's and Port comfortable on Saturday.
Killeshin and Courtwood much the better teams on Sunday but both made hard work of it.

Saw Rosenallis v Ballyfin online.
Ballyfin look to be in big trouble. Hard to see where they get a win from unless they do like last year and take out someone in the relegation final.
Rosenallis unlucky to draw Port - think they'd have given a good account of themselves against the likes of Killeshin or Courtwood.

Wasn't at either game this evening but took in Ballylinan v Timahoe last night.
Great atmosphere. Games in these smaller venues are the way to go.
Timahoe very limited. Damien O'Connor doing his best to drive them on from centre back. Lalor did well for the two goals but they had a lot of difficulties not least trying to handle Gary Walsh. Ryan Brady was good too. As was corner back Paddy Julian.
Looks like IFC is wide open. PR, Kilcavan through to semis and Ballylinan, Mountmellick and Annanough will all fancy their chances of bouncing back too.

Some dreadful games in round 1.
Saw a good bit either in person or on TV.
Biggest disappointment was surely O'Dempseys. Never raised a gallop. Emo also very below what you'd expect. Thought Crettyard would have a bounce from last year's title but they were so poor. Courtwood didn't even have to be great to murder them.
Killeen v Rosenallis was exciting enough. Killeen will give Killeshin plenty of it.
Graigue comfortable v Stradbally.
Didn't see Port v Heath or Joes v Ballyfin.

Portarlington v The Heath - Port will get it hard to retain the title but The Heath are very average. Port by 7 or 8.

Portlaoise v O' Dempseys - Word is O'Dempseys are not going well. Best time to play Portlaoise might be round one. O'Dempseys will run this one close but Portlaoise by 2.

Ballyroan Abbey v Emo - A full strength Emo would be a serious proposition but both teams have injury issues going into this and BA have better strength in depth. BA by 3.

St Joseph's v Ballyfin - This could be an absolute massacre but Joes might ease off a bit in second half. Joseph's by 10.

Graigue v Stradbally - You never know what you're going to get with Graigue. Unpredictable as they come. Stradbally lack a bit of firepower. Graigue by 2.

Arles Killeen v Rosenallis - Hard one to call. Rosenallis are very much a tier 2 senior team but I wouldn't overestimate that Killeen league form either. Killeen by 1.

Killeshin v Clonaslee St Manamans - Killeshin might edge it by 2 or 3.

Crettyard v Courtwood - Not convinced about Courtwood. Won't have Niall Dunne. Then Cretty won't have O'Carroll. Draw.

Div 1 St Joseph's v Ballyroan Abbey - Joseph's - BA lucky to be in the final. Think they could be well beaten.

Div 2 Clonaslee St Manmans v Arles Killeen - Arles Killeen - this could be a tasty game! Killeen's forwards to edge it for them

Div 3 Mountmellick v Killeshin - Killeshin - they could easily be a Division 1 team

Div 4 Ballylinan v Ballyroan Abbey - Ballylinan - senior team last year against a junior team - should be only one winner

Div 5 Portarlington v O'Dempseys - O'Ds - probable be a close one - hard to pick a winner

Div 6 St Joseph's v O'Dempseys - St Joseph's - two third teams - Joe's won league/c'ship double last year

Div 7 Graiguecullen v Courtwood - Graigue - always good to stack a third team!

I'm led to believe there's a serious issue on the football side of the development squads around the number of parents who are coaches for the teams their own son is on.
Can't comment on the hurling equivalents but really no parent at inter county level should be coaching a team involving his own child.

Sounds interesting. What are the issues that are arising? It is a fairly common thing throughout GAA history is it not? Unless the county board actively pursue people to put in to these positions then this is what happens, however, once the people in question are doing the job fairly I don't see any issue.

I believe the last line of your post is the issue.
Not in all cases I might add but I'm told there are chaps on the development squads who shouldn't be anywhere near them and wouldn't be except for a bit of pull.

I'm led to believe there's a serious issue on the football side of the development squads around the number of parents who are coaches for the teams their own son is on.
Can't comment on the hurling equivalents but really no parent at inter county level should be coaching a team involving his own child.

The COE is a great set up. Third pitch probably needs to be upgraded but the other two pitches are very good, pretty much playable all year round.
The surface in OMP is actually much poorer than either.

The Heath, Ballylinan, Courtwood, Crettyard-you already have the makings of a decent intermediate championship instead of the current nonsense we have. Senior and Intermediate championships should have 12 teams in each. The intermediate is a joke with usual three of the eight teams in it second teams.   

There's only one second team in the intermediate football, Portlaoise

Read what I said more carefully, I said usual as opposed to this year specifically. Last year 2 of the eight teams were second teams, the year before that we had three second teams and the year before that was 2 as well. I might have embellished my point but the argument is valid. The intermediate championship has been propped up by second teams to make up the eight when a more evenly distributed 12 senior and 12 intermediate would make perfect sense. Some of the intermediate games (I've attended a fair few in recent years) have been ridiculously one sided as well with some very weak teams making up the numbers. An intermediate championship should still be of a good standard with at least half a dozen teams battling it out and in with a realistic shot of winning it. If we went 12 and 12 that would be the reality. I'd enjoy going to see intermediate quarter finals involving e.g. The Heath v Crettyard, Ballylinan v Courtwood, Rosenallis v Arles Kileen, Emo v Mountmellick.

 

Fair enough, point taken. Hate second teams in intermediate myself. Think all second and third teams should play separate championships to first teams.
Probably would say we don't really have 12 senior teams. Something between 6 and 8 are decent enough senior teams, then there's a load of middling teams who could have no complaints if they were put into a proper senior B or intermediate championship.
Most of our current intermediate clubs would be junior in Kildare, Offaly etc.

Last few chairman were perceived to be football men, no? PJ Kelly and Peter O'Neill certainly dual clubs but strong lean towards football. Gerry Kavanagh from a football only club.

Would be good to see a chairperson from a strong hurling background. Don't know Collier well enough to know if he's the man.