St Brigids v Ballymun St Patricks Day 2013

[Jinxy]

I think you're reading too much into that ziggy90. BCB is just stating the obvious, and with his background he obviously knows how hard it is to do it again and again, so I'd take it at face value. Enjoy it because it's bloody difficult to do it again.

Eh, it's obviously not that hard.

[Syferus]

The whole refereeing thing barely registers with me amidst all the excitement but when a topic is brought up I'm not going to come along and lie about it.

The whole Cross connection is not a good image for the GAA to portray - be honest BC1, if Cross got to the final and a Brigid's ref did the game and Cross lost by a point or two with a few controversial calls going Ballymun's way what would the reaction here and in pubs up and down Armagh and beyond be?

It's nothing against Hughes personally, it was a no-win situation for him and I have no doubt he wasn't trying to slant the game. You just don't put someone in that position.

In terms of the match it's indisputable that Hughes at least made one huge mistake in booking the wrong Ballymun player in the 29th minute after Leehy crashed into the head of a bent down Stackie - booking the correct player meant Ballymun would have played half the game with 14 men. I'll be honest, it's sweeter to beat them 15-on-15 as it removes any doubts as to who the absolute best team was - and it made for a better spectacle - but if Brigid's had lost that would have been a huge bone of contention.

It was a very bad call, simple as. Trying to brush it under the carpet just because Brigid's won makes zero sense.

No need for McStay to bring up Hughes and the Crossmaglen angle after the game.
FFS, you've just won an All-Ireland.

I didn't see that interview but if he said that it's a bad reflection on him and Brigid's. A great game and they were worthy winners so just enjoy it. Otherwise I'll just use it to wind up my Mayo pals late in the summer

Not really. It'd have been way worse to feign piety or ignorance to the issue of putting a Crossmaglen man in charge of a final involving a team that had just knocked out his club. As McStay said they kept quiet all through the build-up to the game, it's not like they whinged to try and put pressure on Hughes or get him changed.

Post-match press conference with McStay and Frankie, the part about Hughes begins at 5:26 : https://soundcloud.com/midlandssport/kevin-mcstay-and-frankie-dolan

Win or lose it was the truth and even if it ship wrecks any potential love-in for Hughes, so what? The point remains valid and there's nothing to be gained from ignoring it. Put yourself in his shoes and pull the 'ah, sure he shouldn't have said that' line and see how far you'd get. You'd probably be hopping mad and rightly so. I wouldn't like the same situation ever arising for any team again, let alone in an All-Ireland final, and the only way to ensure that is to highlight it now.

So where do we go with this? Will Hughes ever be allowed to do Ulster club matches in the future as they might meet Cross? Will he be allowed to do Rossie games cause St Brigids beat Cross, would certainly not be able to do EC games as they have beaten Cross before. Won't be allowed to do any games in Armagh either!! What about doing Mayo games as McStay is from Mayo (I think)

Listen numb nuts, at this level of refereeing the referee will be impartial throughout the game, the match was in Croke Park FFS!! If he has ambitions of doing the big one then he was defo going to be as straight as a die. Now enjoy the win and stop talking shite!!

Save the emotional BS, BC1. This has nothing to do with Hughes personally or Cross.

No, A referee shouldn't ever do a final of a championship where his club lost in the semi-finals to one of the finalists. That much is pretty obvious I feel and that applies to both county and provincial level. There's enough frigging referees knocking around the place to find one where people can't use his background as a stick to beat him and the officiating with.

[Declan]

In terms of the match it's indisputable that Hughes at least made one huge mistake in booking the wrong Ballymun player in the 29th minute after Leehy crashed into the head of a bent down Stackie

Your inference there is he made more than one huge mistake which could have had an influence on the game. In fact the Brigids lads beside me thought it was an accidental clash and no one should have been booked. It's all opinions at the end of the day but I still think you're tilting at windmills and I think its bad form on behalf of McStay to infer anything about the referee and his "connections" to Crossmaglen.

He has to be a member of a club to be a referee and for anyone to suggest that the refs are biased etc is nonsensical. We all have our favourites refs that we love to hate - I think duffy is brutal but I cannot see how at the highest level in the game anyone can honestly think they make mistakes deliberately etc

[brokencrossbar1]

The whole refereeing thing barely registers with me amidst all the excitement but when a topic is brought up I'm not going to come along and lie about it.

The whole Cross connection is not a good image for the GAA to portray - be honest BC1, if Cross got to the final and a Brigid's ref did the game and Cross lost by a point or two with a few controversial calls going Ballymun's way what would the reaction here and in pubs up and down Armagh and beyond be?

It's nothing against Hughes personally, it was a no-win situation for him and I have no doubt he wasn't trying to slant the game. You just don't put someone in that position.

In terms of the match it's indisputable that Hughes at least made one huge mistake in booking the wrong Ballymun player in the 29th minute after Leehy crashed into the head of a bent down Stackie - booking the correct player meant Ballymun would have played half the game with 14 men. I'll be honest, it's sweeter to beat them 15-on-15 as it removes any doubts as to who the absolute best team was - and it made for a better spectacle - but if Brigid's had lost that would have been a huge bone of contention.

It was a very bad call, simple as. Trying to brush it under the carpet just because Brigid's won makes zero sense.

No need for McStay to bring up Hughes and the Crossmaglen angle after the game.
FFS, you've just won an All-Ireland.

I didn't see that interview but if he said that it's a bad reflection on him and Brigid's. A great game and they were worthy winners so just enjoy it. Otherwise I'll just use it to wind up my Mayo pals late in the summer

Not really. It'd have been way worse to feign piety or ignorance to the issue of putting a Crossmaglen man in charge of a final involving a team that had just knocked out his club. As McStay said they kept quiet all through the build-up to the game, it's not like they whinged to try and put pressure on Hughes or get him changed.

Post-match press conference with McStay and Frankie, the part about Hughes begins at 5:26 : https://soundcloud.com/midlandssport/kevin-mcstay-and-frankie-dolan

Win or lose it was the truth and even if it ship wrecks any potential love-in for Hughes, so what? The point remains valid and there's nothing to be gained from ignoring it. Put yourself in his shoes and pull the 'ah, sure he shouldn't have said that' line and see how far you'd get. You'd probably be hopping mad and rightly so. I wouldn't like the same situation ever arising for any team again, let alone in an All-Ireland final, and the only way to ensure that is to highlight it now.

So where do we go with this? Will Hughes ever be allowed to do Ulster club matches in the future as they might meet Cross? Will he be allowed to do Rossie games cause St Brigids beat Cross, would certainly not be able to do EC games as they have beaten Cross before. Won't be allowed to do any games in Armagh either!! What about doing Mayo games as McStay is from Mayo (I think)

Listen numb nuts, at this level of refereeing the referee will be impartial throughout the game, the match was in Croke Park FFS!! If he has ambitions of doing the big one then he was defo going to be as straight as a die. Now enjoy the win and stop talking shite!!

Save the emotional BS, BC1. This has nothing to do with Hughes personally or Cross.

No, A referee shouldn't ever do a final of a championship where his club lost in the semi-finals to one of the finalists. That much is pretty obvious I feel and that applies to both county and provincial level. There's enough frigging referees knocking around the place to find one where people can't use his background as a stick to beat him and the officiating with.

This is my last word on this. Syferos you're a dick, you have always come across as one and this whole  nonsense over 1 disputable decision by a ref which was of no consequence to the result proves it. The fact you're getting at .e about emotional bs when it was someone else that you quote further shows you have no idea what you are on about.

Well done to St Brigids,  to the real St Brigids fans on the Board, I hope you really enjoy yourselves.  To the players like kilbrides, mannion, dolans etc, I hope you really enjoy it, it is an amazing feeling and will lift you to a status in your club that can  ever be rivalled.  You will always be the first ever and that can never be changed. 

[ross4life]

The reality is that with the prevelance of ex Armagh players as managers and the strong possibility that we will be involved in the latter stages of most provincial and AI club championships, this was one of the few chances that Paudie would have to ref a big game. 

The only questionable decison he gave was booking 6 instead of 11 and it wasn't a clear cut call either.  Just enjoy your days on top of the tree, trust me it could be the only one.  St B's got the run of the ball this year that winners need to win a championship.

One of the fisted Ballymun points was dodgy looking i thought Hughes did ok he allowed the game to flow he wasn't whistle happy like some of them he's becoming a lucky omen for Roscommon teams as he was also the ref for 2006 All Ireland minor final so when another Roscommon team reaches AI final i hope he's the ref again.

Most winners (including your own side) have got the run of the ball on route to All Ireland success the character St Brigids have shown over the years is what has got them to the top of the tree & they know first hand how difficult it is to win All Ireland, they have been there or thereabouts for a number of years now & if this is the only All Ireland so be it. All the matters is they have beaten the best to become the best and don't worry we are enjoying the success anyone that was in Kiltoom Sunday night will tell you that.

[magpie seanie]

I thought the ref made mistakes both ways but didn't influence the result. Brigids took their last chance. They had missed a few good chances and so had Ballymun. Either could have won it and fortunately for Brigids their last chance came to their most accurate and experienced forward who did the business. Well done to them, an incredible achievement.

Nothing would surprise me with McStay. He told a Sligo U-21 team who had hammered his team by about 15 points (albeit in a replay) that they were fortunate to win. He really should have kept his mouth shut and had a bit of dignity - there's such a thing as being a good winner too.

[Rudi]

Brigids were lucky to beat Killerein of Galway in the 2011 Connacht final, a year later they were most lucky (with the help of a dodgy ref) to beat Corofin in the Connacht final. This year they were the better teams in all games (a wee bit lucky in the Roscommon Final V Pearses). They were awesome in the third quarter of this years semi and All Ireland finals. The better team won, McStay should have said nothing about the ref; who in my opinion made a few honest mistakes, but generally did well, and did not favour one team over the other. As I said earlier it was a super game, a credit to both sides who were hell bent on playing good open clean football, devoid of any cynical fouling. Good luck to Ballymun in the future. Up the Brigids.

[magpie seanie]

Brigids were lucky to beat Killerein of Galway in the 2011 Connacht final, a year later they were most lucky (with the help of a dodgy ref) to beat Corofin in the Connacht final. This year they were the better teams in all games (a wee bit lucky in the Roscommon Final V Pearses). They were awesome in the third quarter of this years semi and All Ireland finals. The better team won, McStay should have said nothing about the ref; who in my opinion made a few honest mistakes, but generally did well, and did not favour one team over the other. As I said earlier it was a super game, a credit to both sides who were hell bent on playing good open clean football, devoid of any cynical fouling. Good luck to Ballymun in the future. Up the Brigids.

Well said.

[fearglasmor]

Absolutely shocking photo of Shane Curran and Frankie Dolan on the GAA website "celebrating" the Brigids win.
What has the GAA come to. What about the children.

http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/2/1903130709-the-weekend-in-pictures/

[Syferus]

Absolutely shocking photo of Shane Curran and Frankie Dolan on the GAA website "celebrating" the Brigids win.
What has the GAA come to. What about the children.

http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/2/1903130709-the-weekend-in-pictures/

Shane Curran @shanetcurran

Man I have to have s shower Frankies not in it either please don't be thinking like tat #yippee
11:09 AM - 18 Mar 13 from Roscommon, Ireland


A god among mere mortals. And lads, I don't mean to scare the bejesus out of you but Cake's already done with this celebratin' lark:


Karol Mannion @Mango_KM

@saveciaranmurph @shanetcurran good man Ciaran thanks a million! I happily avoided the French kiss from cake after the game!


Shane Curran @shanetcurran

@Mango_KM @saveciaranmurph Chutty u cud get that today Celebrations over time for prep #backtoback
1:40 PM - 18 Mar 13 from West Meath, Ireland

[magpie seanie]

Absolutely shocking photo of Shane Curran and Frankie Dolan on the GAA website "celebrating" the Brigids win.
What has the GAA come to. What about the children.

http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/2/1903130709-the-weekend-in-pictures/

Thank God they weren't playing pool at the time!

[lynchbhoy]

Well done st brigids. The only thing I don't like about them is their crass clueless manager.
Quality rather than game plan won it for brigids.
I thought they benefited from a few refs decisions going their way in the last 10 mins.
However I thought ballymun had the winning of this in their own hands but began to rush things, give the ball away and not execute the way they had in the first half.
The two kilbrides and Mannion won this game with senan kilbride unmarkable.
Curran failed to curtail him and moved McMahon on to him too late. Even then even Philly couldn't hold him.
Great game to watch. What a fast tempo. 8 scores in the first 11 mins says it all!

[Syferus]

Curran will know when to step aside
19 March 2013

St Brigid's Shane Curran consoles Sean Currie of Ballymun Kickhams after the game. INPHOShane Curran says he'll know when the time is right to hang up his gloves.

The St Brigid's goalkeeper, who turns 42 next month, experienced the highlight of his career to date when helping the Kiltoom club to victory in Sunday's All-Ireland club final and he suggests in The Irish Daily Star that he could soldier on for another while:

"The game is given to you and it's taken away from you. When that time comes, we've great young goalkeepers in Shane Mannion and Tom Finnerty coming up behind me.

"I'll give them the best of my experience and the best of my advice. I won't stand in their way of becoming great goalkeepers and great players for the club.

"The O'Rourke Cup is next week. I'll be there."

http://hoganstand.com/Roscommon/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=188184

How can anyone (apart from Kyle Callagher!) fail to love this man? Going 42 and after winning a senior All-Ireland and he's already talking about next weekend and playing in the league. Crazy in all the right ways.

[seafoid]

Curran will know when to step aside
19 March 2013

St Brigid's Shane Curran consoles Sean Currie of Ballymun Kickhams after the game. INPHOShane Curran says he'll know when the time is right to hang up his gloves.

The St Brigid's goalkeeper, who turns 42 next month, experienced the highlight of his career to date when helping the Kiltoom club to victory in Sunday's All-Ireland club final and he suggests in The Irish Daily Star that he could soldier on for another while:

"The game is given to you and it's taken away from you. When that time comes, we've great young goalkeepers in Shane Mannion and Tom Finnerty coming up behind me.

"I'll give them the best of my experience and the best of my advice. I won't stand in their way of becoming great goalkeepers and great players for the club.

"The O'Rourke Cup is next week. I'll be there."

http://hoganstand.com/Roscommon/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=188184

How can anyone (apart from Kyle Callagher!) fail to love this man? Going 42 and after winning a senior All-Ireland and he's already talking about next weekend and playing in the league. Crazy in all the right ways.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/shane-curran-all-ireland-victory-is-the-best-day-of-my-life-1.1331248

I'll give them the best of my experiences and the best of my advice. I won't stand in their way. I've really had an exceptional career, I have an exceptional two kids and fantastic wife who've given me wonderful times. I think that's a good career, lads

[Syferus]

Curran will know when to step aside
19 March 2013

St Brigid's Shane Curran consoles Sean Currie of Ballymun Kickhams after the game. INPHOShane Curran says he'll know when the time is right to hang up his gloves.

The St Brigid's goalkeeper, who turns 42 next month, experienced the highlight of his career to date when helping the Kiltoom club to victory in Sunday's All-Ireland club final and he suggests in The Irish Daily Star that he could soldier on for another while:

"The game is given to you and it's taken away from you. When that time comes, we've great young goalkeepers in Shane Mannion and Tom Finnerty coming up behind me.

"I'll give them the best of my experience and the best of my advice. I won't stand in their way of becoming great goalkeepers and great players for the club.

"The O'Rourke Cup is next week. I'll be there."

http://hoganstand.com/Roscommon/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=188184

How can anyone (apart from Kyle Callagher!) fail to love this man? Going 42 and after winning a senior All-Ireland and he's already talking about next weekend and playing in the league. Crazy in all the right ways.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/shane-curran-all-ireland-victory-is-the-best-day-of-my-life-1.1331248

I'll give them the best of my experiences and the best of my advice. I won't stand in their way. I've really had an exceptional career, I have an exceptional two kids and fantastic wife who've given me wonderful times. I think that's a good career, lads

Hmm, strange cut by HS (or the Daily Star) on the quote, though likewise the Irish Times ignored the part about being there next weekend in the league. It's pretty clear Cake isn't retiring - Brigid's minor county 'keeper Shane Mannion just turned 17 and the two Martins that started in previous years left the panel when Cake was brought back - so you'll have to put up with him for another year at least, if not more.