Messages

Choose you winners:

SFC:
IFC:
JFC:

Winner gets a meal in Viscounts.

Life can be short and brutish.

Enjoy that time in life. And if you're not sure of the pathway, go for it anyway. You've been sitting in a classroom since the age of 4.

That's exactly it. Go to Uni/Tech and enjoy your early 20s. Some might stick it out; some might not. And it probably won't matter.

I don't mean this in a confrontational way, I'm just genuinely curious about it, and I'm trying to get to the bottom of it. If you're an Irish person who supports an English soccer club, can you please answer the following questions. Just be as straight and honest as you can with each one.

1 - Which team do you support?

2 - How long have you supported them?

3 - Are you from the same town or city as that club? If not, do you have any personal or familial connection to it? Did you live there for a while? Do you live there now?

4 - If the answers to 3 are all no, why do you support this team? How did you pick them out of all that's available?

5 - When England plays in international competitions, how do you feel about them? Do you
a - Root for England, particularly any players from your favourite EPL club?
b - Don't have a strong opinion one way or another, but would lean slightly towards wanting England to do well
c - Don't have any opinion at all
d - Have a mild preference for England to lose
e - Vigorously support England's opponents, and yearn for the English to do on the receiving end of a bloody good hiding

6 - Are there any local clubs in your own town or city that you could give your support to? If there are but you don't, why not? Is the quality of the competition not worth your while? Are the facilities crap? Did you just never get into it? Is it not well publicised and you don't know the games are on?

Many thanks.

1. Arsenal
2. Since 1984
3. No
4. RTE used to show games and I watched Arsenal and then asked people about them and they said they were good to the Irish in the 70s/80s.
5. E
6. Been to a few Dgn Swifts games, even as a journalist. Went to Irish Cup final last year.

Everything about this Fleadh was joyous. I've attended and competed in countless Fleadhs, including this one, and this was by far the most memorable.

It's hard to put the finger on why, especially as an non-Belfastian, but the feel-good of it was off the scale. Quite emotional.

No, you're looking at it though the wrong lens.

The music last night in Maddens was astonishingly good.

What time you in there at? Are the better pub sessions on later into the evening?

It was fairly late on. But from tomorrow onwards Fleadhs really take off. The competitions start on Friday and tonnes of musicians about.

The music last night in Maddens was astonishingly good.

Friend up yesterday,has wom multi medals in the past at the Fleadh, wasnt impressed, said Wexford was way better 2yrs ago and a no of previous ones, Said the Fleadh was not really suited to a large city area. Said there was a limited number of places to play, plus some pubs with the speakers on, drowning out music from other nearby musicians.We not mention the transport issues or the £200 per nite hotels.( alot that normal in Belfast. We see if it improves.

Hope the multi-medalled friend has a better experience at the weekend.

Will this give Galway a shot in the arm for 2027?

Anyone want to buy a ticket for the Community Shield?

I've one in the basket - let me know through DM.

- just a reminder - the game is in Cardiff, not London.

Was up this evening. Brilliant atmosphere.

Pint was £6.20 and the sausage supper was £10.

Some great pub sessions.

Unsettles me a bit. Why would someone like that want to join Arsenal?

I know Arsenal won titles in the 30s, 40s, 50s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 20s and in that regard are the team you'd want to join, but, financially, they're minnows?

The judges are similar to us though. Surely as respected journalists (and celebs) they pick the best footballer?

Was thinking of other comparable signings.

Bergkamp and Henry were monumental in terms of what happened afterwards but at the time they were sort of a failed Italian experience.

Charlie Nicholas maybe but never won anything worthwhile. Ozil the same.

Campbell?