Messages

It's untried at County level.
Crowd predictions-
Kerry v Donegal 14/15k at most.
Can't see other than NFL regulars making the hike from Donegal.
Ros v Tyrone. 12k at most. Tyrone haven't the big army of old while a lot of our once a year crew can't figure anything out beyond a Connacht Final.
Galway v Kildare probably won't break 6k.
Cork v Meath, about the same. Now that doubts persist about Meath being a shoe in for Sam, while Cork CB have shunted the footballers out of the way to Páirc Uí Rinn.

Just 1 predicition and 1 correction there. I think there will be 25k+ in Killarney. Fine weather due over weekend aswell always increases the crowd and it's not on Free to air, so..

And Cork footballers CHOSE to play in Páirc ui Rinn, not shunted up there. Good decision too. They should get a 3/4 full ground, better atmosphere rather than a 3/4 EMPTY Páirc ui Chaoimh. That being said I think if Meath are up to match speed quickly I think they'll win this.

Great contest and effort from both the teams in Páirc ui Rinn. Error strewn and a bit crazy but still absorbing. Cork were a good bit superior but couldn't finish well enough. They'll take a lot from that win though.

I think that game tonight is more evidence that u17 is too young. I was dreading it going to penalties which would have been horrific.

Word down here is final will be Friday 29th or Saturday 30th now. Better than jamming it in midweek at least which would be extremely unfair on players, management and families especially but also supporters.

Semi finals and finals of this competition should be on weekends, I would've thought that was obvious and fair but of course the GAA have their own agenda of pushing for U19 to be the Grade after Minor so no suprise they'd treat the competition poorly.

Anyway, another Kerry v Tyrone final. Kerry have some good players but a few bad injuries unfortunately at the wrong time. Killian Dennehy is a huge loss. But just have to drive on.

Nobody in Kerry gives a fiddlers what Pat Spillane says and it's usually a crock of sh*t in my view.

Some game in Armagh today and great atmosphere there. Could've gone either way.

Glad Armagh didn't go down, too good for Div 2.

Well he's playing on Sunday anyway. Strong Kerry line up named.  Should be a competitive game!

Yeah assuming both sides line up as selected it should be a cracker!

[Jack seems to be fearing playing Clifford against the 6 counties.]

Armagh coming into form at the right time. Kerry resting Clifford and Seanie O'Shea. Jack seems to be fearing playing Clifford against the 6 counties.


Armagh 2/1
Draw 17/2
Kerry 1/2

Yeah terrified, especially after demolishing Armagh, Tyrone and Donegal in last 3 games of championship last year. And scoring 3-3 in the league in Pomeroy against Tyrone. Clifford clearly just doesn't perform against Ulster teams.

I dont agree with what he said but he didnt actually say Clifford doesnt perform against Ulster teams

Which as I addressed in my reply mentioning D Cliff playing up in Pomeroy last year, is patent nonsense..

[Jack seems to be fearing playing Clifford against the 6 counties.]

Armagh coming into form at the right time. Kerry resting Clifford and Seanie O'Shea. Jack seems to be fearing playing Clifford against the 6 counties.


Armagh 2/1
Draw 17/2
Kerry 1/2

Yeah terrified, especially after demolishing Armagh, Tyrone and Donegal in last 3 games of championship last year. And scoring 3-3 in the league in Pomeroy against Tyrone. Clifford clearly just doesn't perform against Ulster teams.

Some tasty games this weekend. Can't understand how Meath and cork isn't been shown anywhere. But sure they're you go

Even people in Cork would not watch Cork.

Some soccer manager said of some opposition team if they were playing in his back garden, he'd close the curtains.

A huge chunk of Cork GAA hurling folk think like this about their footballers.

The hurling bandwagon has a tonne of momentum at the moment in Cork which never helps.

In my experience and from what I've heard from people I think Cork is the county with the strongest divide between hurling and football, which is mad given how much the county goes on about being a dual-county.

The East Cork crowd are total hurling nazis and actively sh*t all over football at every turn. Football is outright banned in some clubs. Same attitude with some in the city, although most clubs in city have a decent football cohort. But even then they wouldn't kill themselves supporting Cork footballers or football in general. This encompasses most of the hurling bandwagon by and large. And many of the county board officers come from this cohort, hence the lack of giving a tuppence about football.

The footballers support would come in large parts from West Cork, Duhallow (near Kerry border) and a few scattered ones from the city, mid Cork around Macroom. But the Cork footballers are hands down the worst supported county team.

Rossies - are most of the Brigids contingent taking an extended break? I know Ross are going ok but the likes of Stacks, Fallon, Hand, Cunnane will add massively to squad you'd think. And Ben O'Carroll obviously if in form.

Is the semi final Queen's v UL as they have already played UCC and NUIG?

Think there's a draw for them still?

I watched bits of DCU v UCC and UL v Maynooth. Both great games. DCU kicked it away a bit but UCC have a serious squad of talent.

Should be 2 excellent semis. It's a shame these games don't get more coverage with the quality of them.

[Was the ball in the hands of the Kerry forward as it went off or was it in the air?]

Stadium clock is the real one.
The TG4 screen clock is simplyctheir best efforts to swith on/off.

When the hooter goes off is what matters. Was the ball in the hands of the Kerry forward as it went off or was it in the air?

Personally I'd ditch the hooter altogether and leave it in the hands of refs on what time to add on.

It  had just left his hands. Hadn't reached  the goals though.

It was in flight. Game ends when ball lands.

If ye want changes to the hooter rule ye'd better get motions into the Congress as FRC is dissolved.

Proud of our lads today but sickened by a Ref not giving a foul for a push on Senan Lambe before he busted himself to give Kerry one.
Looks like Kerry's first goal was a square ball.

Kerry first goal looked like a clear square ball. How can umpires not see it 5m away?

Mike Breen 50m penaly, terrible decision.

Ross denied a couple of late frees on stand side that looked stonewall.

Good few fairly big bad calls made all round today to be fair. Refs as rusty as players perhaps but to me I'd love if more serious scrutiny of refs was done. Instead we get platitudes like Fitzmaurice saying "Cawley is one of the bes referees in the country" on League Sunday. Well he didn't look it today.

[they trained everyday and very little alcohol was taken on trip.]

1.Kerry
2.Mayo
3.Donegal
4.Armagh
5.Monaghan
6.Galway
7.Dublin
8.Roscommon

I know Jack loves to do well in the league but I think a mid table finish would do fine for Kerry this year. I don't see us in top 2 with all the lads rehabbing or injured. Won't have Dingle or Gaeltacht cohort for first month or more either.

So there's going to be some players getting thrown in - some will cope, some won't. I'd be surprised if we got a result away to Donegal or Dublin but once the likes of Tom O'Sullivan, Brian O'Beaglaioch and Paudie return then we should have enough to make a decent shape for the last 3 games.

Kerry had a holiday early this year. By all accounts they trained everyday and very little alcohol was taken on trip. Kerry will win the next 3/4 All Irelands with lack of quality opposition.

That is absolute nonsense I can tell you anyway! I met a few of the players when they returned and they were absolutely pickled. They were at an all inclusive resort in Mexico as I recall being told and did very little training at all.

Anyway, rustiness today and very lucky to get the win. Draw would've been fair. Thought Ross were the better team in second half. Daire Cregg was outstanding. David Clifford and young Kennedy produced a couple of bits of magic when needed late on.

Kerry will need to go up several gears to get near Donegal next week but I'd expect Kerry won't be too worried if they hang on with a couple of wins and get the likes of Paudie, Gavin White, Begley etc back.

1.Kerry
2.Mayo
3.Donegal
4.Armagh
5.Monaghan
6.Galway
7.Dublin
8.Roscommon

I know Jack loves to do well in the league but I think a mid table finish would do fine for Kerry this year. I don't see us in top 2 with all the lads rehabbing or injured. Won't have Dingle or Gaeltacht cohort for first month or more either.

So there's going to be some players getting thrown in - some will cope, some won't. I'd be surprised if we got a result away to Donegal or Dublin but once the likes of Tom O'Sullivan, Brian O'Beaglaioch and Paudie return then we should have enough to make a decent shape for the last 3 games.