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St Galls were a truly outstanding team but the club didn't have the "conveyor belt" of young talent coming through to keep them at the top. The interesting thing about Cargin at the moment is the amount of youth already being blooded into their senior team.

As I've said before, this is a Cargin team supposedly in transition and even if St Brigids or Creeggan get over the line this year, I'd expect Cargin to remain the team to beat for a long time yet.

Genuine question, where is that assumption coming from?
I might have missed it but I don't see Cargin competing strongly at any of the juvenile ages groups. So when that group of experienced players eventually go, there just doesn't seem to be the quality to replace.

Or maybe I have missed something?

See this is the difference in Cargin and other clubs. Although Cargin have been at the top of the tree now for a few years now but when St Galls were the main team Cargin were still always second best, since probaly 1995 (or earlier) Cargin have been one of the top 2 teams. But we have not always been the strongest at Juvenile one or two good teams through the years back to back minor championships 2019/2020. But what makes the difference Cargin will get as many senior players from a bad minor team as they get from a good Minor team.

You don't need a conveyor belt of minor championships, you need a conveyor belt of 3/4 good players in every team to develop through to senior teams.

I get what you are saying but you are adding these players to a group of high quality players who are approaching the end of their careers. Once they go the quality goes with them, it is fair play to them that they have made this model work.

While Cargin aren't pulling up any trees at juvenile, you have to remember that once they go into senior they will be training alongside boys with a pile of medals who have set incredibly high standards over the years. That kid in 5 years time will be a better player than one who was maybe better at minor but has gone into a different culture and environment.

I recognise that and it is just a general query really, I just see them a little like the St Galls team who hung on to the bitter end and when they go a bunch go at once.

St Galls were a truly outstanding team but the club didn't have the "conveyor belt" of young talent coming through to keep them at the top. The interesting thing about Cargin at the moment is the amount of youth already being blooded into their senior team.

As I've said before, this is a Cargin team supposedly in transition and even if St Brigids or Creeggan get over the line this year, I'd expect Cargin to remain the team to beat for a long time yet.

Genuine question, where is that assumption coming from?
I might have missed it but I don't see Cargin competing strongly at any of the juvenile ages groups. So when that group of experienced players eventually go, there just doesn't seem to be the quality to replace.

Or maybe I have missed something?

[due to class]

100% HTL, St Brigids themselves formed basically due to class. No need for them whatsoever. No need for Laochra Loch Lao either imho.

Jesus there's been some sh*t talked on here over the years, but I think that statement is close to taking the biscuit completely.

I would say that this Alternative A5 were through the application with a microscope looking for any avenues to challenge. That's why, I'd be concerned that should they satisfy the Climate controls issues. Would another case be lodged on a different issue. It's a delaying tactic to prevent this happening as long as possible. There should be a limit to the number of appeals that a group can lodge.

Very easy way to avoid that. Do it properly next time.

Exactly this and exactly this with the Casement debacle.

You get the impression with the Shinners and the SDLP they're so desperate to go back to their electorate with a "look what we've done" win that the fúck up the process each and every time.

Lets not kid ourselves, the biggest and best brains in Nationalism aren't exactly queuing up to go into politics.

To be fair to Shinners they would have very very little input into the process that is used and the operational elements of this which would be handled by DFI.

Think it says a lot more about the CS that a political party, though you point about the biggest brains probably applies to the CS as it does to political life.

Every department has a Minister obviously, where was the oversight ? That's quite literally the point of a Minister. 

Unless said Minister is Planning or Environmental Impact expert then they have literally zero chance of being across the detail of a project this size. The Minister is totally reliant on the CS departments below them to ensure this kind of thing doesn't happen.

I would say that this Alternative A5 were through the application with a microscope looking for any avenues to challenge. That's why, I'd be concerned that should they satisfy the Climate controls issues. Would another case be lodged on a different issue. It's a delaying tactic to prevent this happening as long as possible. There should be a limit to the number of appeals that a group can lodge.

Very easy way to avoid that. Do it properly next time.

Exactly this and exactly this with the Casement debacle.

You get the impression with the Shinners and the SDLP they're so desperate to go back to their electorate with a "look what we've done" win that the fúck up the process each and every time.

Lets not kid ourselves, the biggest and best brains in Nationalism aren't exactly queuing up to go into politics.

To be fair to Shinners they would have very very little input into the process that is used and the operational elements of this which would be handled by DFI.

Think it says a lot more about the CS that a political party, though you point about the biggest brains probably applies to the CS as it does to political life.

Anyone else notice all the Donegal players bolting off the pitch at the end of the game?

Even Jim was heading for the gate at a good pace.

Just wondered if it was anything to do with the stick that MM got the week before for doing it.

They indicated on the TV that the subs had made their way around, and off the pitch, with a few mins remaining. Players then bolted off too. Straight into recovery mode

That makes sense tbf. Just looked strange at the final whistle.

Anyone else notice all the Donegal players bolting off the pitch at the end of the game?

Even Jim was heading for the gate at a good pace.

Just wondered if it was anything to do with the stick that MM got the week before for doing it.

What odds were they?

I think this manager they have is a very capable boy. It's unlikely they'll beat cork but if he gets a bit of time to develop players then they might become a much bigger threat in Leinster.

Galway have become shockingly bad which is surprising with the manager though he didn't do great things in Dublin either. There's no way Galway should be as bad as they are.

Something going badly wrong in Galway to have that drop off.

To be fair they seem to be behind a lot of the teams in terms of the conditioning and their S&C.

Dublin were good value for it, worked so hard all over the pitch.

The sending off was unfortunate but when you leave the elbow out like that now you are running the risk.

Had thought Dublin were a dangerous team earlier in the year, but didn't see this one coming at all.

Fantastic Darragh Cup final last night. That particular Cushendall squad seems to keep rolling on and Loughiel had 6/7 real good performances, their No 11 Oisin Connolly was superb.
Have to say how good Skinny was in the middle, kept a tight eye but he was helped by 2 teams who never put a stick outta place.

The Darragh Cup this last number of years has become a really big fixture at Minor level in North Antrim. Theres always big crowds in attendance in Cushendall for the final and its seen a mix of teams win it at stages - Dunloy, Oisins, Loughgiel etc.

Its great to see for the Darragh family that Johns memory lives strong for the clubs as Malachy presents the trophy to the winning captain each year.

Also it was 11 years from the last time Cushendall won it which i couldnt believe.

Couldn't believe that stat myself. Fantastic competition. Always thought it should be played on Feis weekend.

Hard to do that with most teams relying on u16 players to top up their teams.
McMullan cup been a Feis weekend staple as long as I can remember.

Fantastic Darragh Cup final last night. That particular Cushendall squad seems to keep rolling on and Loughiel had 6/7 real good performances, their No 11 Oisin Connolly was superb.
Have to say how good Skinny was in the middle, kept a tight eye but he was helped by 2 teams who never put a stick outta place.

The Darragh Cup this last number of years has become a really big fixture at Minor level in North Antrim. Theres always big crowds in attendance in Cushendall for the final and its seen a mix of teams win it at stages - Dunloy, Oisins, Loughgiel etc.

Its great to see for the Darragh family that Johns memory lives strong for the clubs as Malachy presents the trophy to the winning captain each year.

Also it was 11 years from the last time Cushendall won it which i couldnt believe.

How long will it be to the next time?

Great competition and good final this year.

What's the  plan by the security forces going forward?

You could envisage  mass  protests across the north  in many towns at the same time , knowing the  police couldn't manage them all simultaneously

Surely  heavy punishments is the only way  to deter this getting out of hand?

I can imagine that is what the weekend will bring, multiple protests and disorder across the place.

Especially if the weather is half decent.

Build whatever can with the money available and get feckin on with it.

If only they had heeded that advice a decade or more ago... 

If only the IFA had a little ambition and realised that when they built their stadium that it wouldn't even fit for purpose for any potential tournament, but hey ho.

Let's hope the GAA are a little more ambitious even if it has taken this shambles to get there.

'Ambition' is the problem. The IFA and IRFU built perfectly adequate stadia within the budget allocated. No fuss, no seethe. The GAA decided they were going to build a top spec 34k facility they didn't need *because* they got that grant, then made absolute shite of it.

That's before we get to the cost of maintaining a 34k stadium that might be full once a year.

Scale it down, build the best they can with the money available.

Thanks for the advice.

But personally I hope they build something that will not only benefit the GAA but the city and region as a whole. I'm not looking to build with all due respect another Athletic Grounds.

Build something that could help to regenerate an area which has been neglected for decades.

Are we going to have several more months of trying to squeeze more money from Stormont or The Dail ? Or are we just going to get on with it, the GAA said they would commit more if necessary, that should be a quick decision now.

Hoping the main players in this have been briefed in the background and this a choreographed move.