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Don't like flying!  Considering ferry to Northern France.  Any recommendations for campsites/hotels ?

Domaine des ormes is close enough to cherbourg, maybe an hour or two. Its a bit like centerparcs - wave pool etc and plenty of activities. We've done a few further down, maybe a 5 hour drive, le pins parasol, garangeoire Any of those 3 have been good. No guarantees on scorching weather though... if you are considering eurocamp I'd check out booking direct with the sites. Have found the accommodation is usually cheaper,  better standard and better  position on site.

I would second Domain des Ormes  for anyone doing their first Ferry & EuroCamp holiday. About 2hours 10mins from the ferry on motorway/dual carriageway
It's like Centre Parcs in Longford, but cheaper (when we went anyway)

There's a pretty good thread on boards.ie. Kelair in Ballinasloe have alot of caravans at it as well as EuroCamp

The Ferry to France has got expensive though, it's sometimes cheaper to Fly & hire a car this year

A lot of lying water in the fields around Omagh this morning, I'd expect Healy Park would be in poor enough shape right now
Are there any full sized indoor or artificial grass pitches in Ulster? If they had something like the dome in Connaught (that blew apart), all McKenna cup games could be indoor & live streamed with no cancellations etc

I'm not knocking the teachers and appreciate the work they do. I couldn't do it.

I just think the half day needs called out as nonsense.
For many families where both parents are working, its actually more inconvenient to send kids in for a half day than to just keep them off.

I've heard the free school meals being used as a reason for the half day – I just can't understand how feeding a child a dinner at 11am correlates with sending the whole school home at 12 – why not just keep everyone in for normal school hours & feed them at the normal lunch time?
I just think it's a box ticking exercise.

[What's the benefit in half-days?]

What's the benefit in half-days?
Got the reminder message on the school app there that it's a half day on Friday
The kids are getting drip fed the suggestion that they don't really have to go in..

What's the value in having a half day rather than just taking the day off?
Last day of school in June past was a half day Monday

Surely everyone's aware that it's just an inconvenience for parents to get kids lifted etc
Would it not make sense to cut the half days at Halloween, Christmas, Easter, June & have 2 full days? Or are these counting as 4 school days?

*& I see the free school meals kids are getting fed at 11am – is that supposed to keep them going until tea time

GAA's National Demographics Committee Report

Really interesting information in this.
You can see the scenario of rural clubs with great facilities having to amalgamate with >1 other club at youth level to keep going in the hope of being able to continue to field as separate units at adult level for another few years..
You wonder how these clubs, who don't have the numbers to field youth teams, will have the population to maintain their facilities going forward?


& then you've the flip side of urban clubs with 4 teams at each youth level competing within their own clubs for access to facilities - does the GAA at national level need to step in & buy land for pitches in Belfast & Dublin?

Catch nets were to be included in the below investment, which didn't go ahead
Million pound pitch refurb for Healy Park

There has already been huge investment in Healy park, Tyrone GAA aren't going to backtrack now & move games to Dungannon because people think it's 'soulless'
There isn't the space in Dungannon for additional capacity, there's more chance of them investing further in Garvaghy to host smaller games
Ulster Club Championship games are exactly the type of fixture that should go to the likes of Dungannon, but the pitch is closed.


Regarding the drainage of Healy Park mentioned in another thread, the ground to the North is bog & the ground behind the terrace on the Killybrack road is also

[Whats your source for this?]

Whats your source for this?

Tyrone GAA Annual Report to County Convention 2024

The figures are for registered members. I'm sure we're all aware that some clubs don't register 100% of their members, keeping the fees withing the club - something which comes back to bite them when All-Ireland tickets are being distributed.
Camogie & LGFA Memberships wouldn't be included. I removed the hurling only clubs.
Interesting to compare size V ranking; many clubs roughly where they "should be" with some over/under achievers

Would Clogher be a small club in terms of playing numbers, membership etc?

4th smallest football club in the county, going by 2024 figures
Divisions if sorted by total membership would be;

CLUB FULL YOUTH CLUB FULL YOUTH	Adult	Youth	Total
An Ómaigh	481	427	908
Aireagal Chiaráin	596	248	844
An Gallbhaile	560	254	814
An Charraig Mhór	373	324	697
Ard Bó	313	295	608
Domhnach Mór	350	233	583
Coill an Chlochair	306	274	580
Eoghan Ruadh	324	230	554
An Srath Bán	267	281	548
Dún Geanainn	351	186	537
Fionntamhnach	216	305	521
Oileán an Ghuail	329	182	511
An Mhaigh	344	148	492
E R Uí Néill	265	226	491
Cill Íseal	232	246	478
Div2
Caisleán na Deirge	239	224	463
An Droim Mór	307	149	456
Loch Mhic Ruairí	284	165	449
Cabhán a�Chaortainn	297	138	435
Trí Leac	281	154	435
An Caisleán Glas	203	231	434
Cluain Eo	295	132	427
Breac an Bhíle	294	110	404
Droim Ratha	211	192	403
An Eaglais	208	191	399
Cill Dreasa	206	193	399
An Charraig	211	183	394
Bearach	185	197	382
Éadan na dTorc	266	111	377
Achadh Uí  Áráin	247	122	369
An Chorr Chríochach	163	186	349
Div 3
An Goirtín	192	145	337
Droim Caoin	221	115	336
Achadh Lú	194	137	331
Gleann Eallaigh	159	153	312
Naomh Eoghan	207	103	310
Eochar	190	114	304
Eiscreach	163	132	295
Baile na Móna	168	119	287
Doire Lochain	228	56	284
Brocach	171	95	266
Cill na mBán	187	73	260
Urnaí	126	132	258
Clann na nGael	182	46	228
Clochar	114	99	213
An Craobh	83	124	207
Doire Treasc	106	88	194
An Taite Riabhach	96	57	153

Almost at the stage where this thread could be split into "Foreign Holidays" & "Irish Holidays"
We camped with the kids last year at Rosguill Holiday park which is on the road to Murder Hole, I'd thoroughly recommend it. Fantastic setting, good facilities and so many great beaches nearby

Is it possible for a 3rds team to be entered only into Junior Reserves, rather than division 3 proper?

Club AGMs just around the corner
Those of you calling out the incompetence of the LGFA county board need to step up & put yourselves forward to represent your club on the county board to sort it out. There's no point complaining here

Much is the stream for this one?

£14 im nearly sure

Loughmacrory v Carrickmore = £14
Drumragh V Clogher = £17
Clonoe V Eglish =£18

a great service, fantastic entertainment, but a reasonable season pass is required

Going by the rumours, it could be Glenelly/Clan Na nGael

That's a pity to hear that a club that is already an amalgamation is having to amalgamate again. I think someone on here previously said they were merged with Park in Derry at some underage levels
Have population numbers fallen in those areas, or is there less interest?
The county board were recently running regular workshops with North Tyrone Clubs North Tyrone Pilot Programme

Feel like it's hard for any team to have the drive to go on and do a double in such a competitive county in years gone by can think of Trillick in 23 and killdress junior in 21 have I missed any or who was the last at intermediate level ?

on that topic, Clann na nGael did the "double double" (Junior & intermediate) in the late 90's

[Is it too much to ask for a ref to come on and discuss their performance after a game?]

Is it too much to ask for a ref to come on and discuss their performance after a game? We expect players and managers to do it.

Ah now come on, this isn't the premier league.
I think refereeing at club level has always been as poor, there are just more neutral eyes on it now with streaming of games.

Gutted for Drumragh, feel they've left that one behind.
Saturday comes very quickly now - is it tougher for Drumragh, who put in a superb performance, than Cookstown who probably feel they got away with not performing well enough in that first half, to get prepared for the replay?

[Out of interest, what year were these fixtures from?]

Out of interest, what year were these fixtures from? I think in recent years the reserve championship has been termed "reserve knockout" in all tyronegaa website listings and fixture emails.

Genuinely believe this might be more of a coincidence than a concerted effort of a cover up.

Also just to stress, 1 point separated errigal & derrytresk over 120 minutes of football, ie it was competitive. Would everyone prefer Errigal had rolled over and took a trouncing?

It seems derrytresks appeal failed on basis that errigal didn't break any rules, and maybe that will result in rules being rewritten to ensure junior clubs feel that the thirds teams aren't at any perceived advantage.

How does it all work in Armagh with crossmaglen's thirds?

Those are results from the 2025 Reserve Championship - check it out yourself.
I agree, if no rules have been broken, then there is no issue.

EC III have existed for more than 10 years now (?) that's more than enough time for someone to propose rule changes at Club & County conventions


For the record: I was on the receiving end of an ECIII Reserve Championship defeat where they had 17 players on the bench who all featured against us in the league tie