Dún na nGall v Gaillimh, Páirc Markiewicz, 5pm, Satharn, 25ú Iúil

[Owenmoresider]

I am thinking of heading to this.

Can anyone give directions to Markievicz Park?

What direction would you be approaching Sligo from?

Bundoran road

Handiest for you is to keep coming straight on N4. Cross the bridge and keep straight. Through a few sets of lights heading out of the town the other side. You'll hit a roundabout (beside Summerhill College) so continue straight on and take the next exit after that roundabout (a few hundred metres up). Left then and at a biggr roundabout take the second exit. You sohlud passa pub "The Crozon Inn" and anywhere there would be a good spot to park (depending on how early you are - you can gauge by the other cars about). It'll be obvious what direction you've to head, about 7-10 minutes tops. 

1. Go on through town on the inner relief road, keep going til you are out in the countryside.
2. See sign for Carraroe/Dromahari, turn off and then turn left, before taking the left exit at the roundabout towards town again.
3. See queue of traffic ahead of you, cos the Gardai will invariably make an arse of parking around the Park, and back everything up.
4. Abandon car where possible and walk.
5. Alternatively follow Seanie's advice.

As for pubs, from an earlier query, no pubs to be found anywhere in the area, it's a good way into town before you see one. As for eateries, for the Donegal folk you have Yeats Tavern in Drumcliffe and Henry's a little further on the Donegal side of same, but that's no use for Galway folk. Molly Fultons is on the old Dublin road, where you turn off for Ballina/Strandhill on way in, then turn left twice, therfore being on the old road, and it's a mile or two on the left. The Sligo Park will do food too I'm sure, other than that it's into the town centre you go. Seanie can take it from there if he wants.

[An Fhairche Abu]

"Expert" preview from rte.ie

The fourth round draw threw up a tie between a side nobody expected to be in the hat and another that had no intention of being in it.

After losing to Antrim in Ulster and stumbling past Carlow and Clare in the qualifiers, it would have taken a brave man to back Donegal against Derry last week.

The Oak Leafers came into the game on the back of an excellent win over Monaghan, while Donegal's build-up had been affected by the axing of Neil Gallagher and Ciaran Bonner for disciplinary reasons.

Then in true Donegal fashion, they pull a rabbit of a hat and send Derry, a team some felt were dark horses for Sam Maguire, packing.

The loss of star player Paddy Bradley to injury after 50 minutes certainly didn't help Derry's cause, but that takes nothing away from the performance and achievement of John Joe Doherty's men.

Speaking of Doherty, he has been as schizophrenic as his side in media reports this week.

He initially blasted the press for criticism directed at his players prior to the game in Ballybofey, before later admitting that his side were rightly deemed long shots to beat Derry due to their indifferent form.

More worrying for Doherty, however, will have been the comments by defender Eamon McGee that the banishing of Gallagher and Bonner has had a 'negative effect' on the squad. The win last Saturday seems to have failed to paper over that particular crack.

As for Galway, the key for them will have been in putting last Sunday's narrow loss to Mayo behind them and focus fully on the task at hand.

Much like their opponents, the Tribesmen have the irritating habit of blowing hot and cold, as evidenced at Pearse Stadium. Mayo dominated the Connacht final for long stretches, and went seven points clear when Conor Mortimer goaled eight minutes from time.

It was only then that Galway starting playing and an unanswered scoring burst of 1-04, capped off by a wonderful goal by Michael Meehan, levelled the game in injury time before Peadar Gardiner popped up to break Galway hearts.

Manager Liam Sammon has not made too many changes ahead of the trip to Markievicz Park.

Kieran Fitzgerald did well when he came on to replace Niall Coyne at corner-back last Sunday and is rewarded by being named in the starting XV.

Galway will need another big performance from corner-backs Fitzgerald and Damien Burke and full-back Finian Hanley, as between them Donegal's Colm McFadden and Michael Murphy hit 1-09 against Derry.

Elsewhere, Matthew Clancy comes in at corner-forward and the subsequent reshuffle sees Gary Sice drop to the bench.

The win over Derry would seem to suggest that Donegal need the sight of a big name to stimulate themselves and Galway are certainly one of the top eight sides in the land.

With neither side showing any kind of consistency, twisted logic leads to Donegal getting the nod.

Verdict: Donegal
------------------------------------

Surely they could take more than 5 minutes to research the teams in the previous games?

[mckieran]

Shame they dont have the name of the perso who wrote that for RTE. A really big booboo

[GaillimhIarthair]

Sure during the week the named the Galway manager as being Liam Clancy   

[GalwayBayBoy]

Sure during the week the named the Galway manager as being Liam Clancy   

[An Fhairche Abu]

Shame they dont have the name of the perso who wrote that for RTE. A really big booboo

It's the same person who does all the GAA previews for rte.ie/Aertel every week, take a bow Mr.Séamus Leonard.

[Kilconly SuperSub]

"Expert" preview from rte.ie

The fourth round draw threw up a tie between a side nobody expected to be in the hat and another that had no intention of being in it.

After losing to Antrim in Ulster and stumbling past Carlow and Clare in the qualifiers, it would have taken a brave man to back Donegal against Derry last week.

The Oak Leafers came into the game on the back of an excellent win over Monaghan, while Donegal's build-up had been affected by the axing of Neil Gallagher and Ciaran Bonner for disciplinary reasons.

Then in true Donegal fashion, they pull a rabbit of a hat and send Derry, a team some felt were dark horses for Sam Maguire, packing.

The loss of star player Paddy Bradley to injury after 50 minutes certainly didn't help Derry's cause, but that takes nothing away from the performance and achievement of John Joe Doherty's men.

Speaking of Doherty, he has been as schizophrenic as his side in media reports this week.

He initially blasted the press for criticism directed at his players prior to the game in Ballybofey, before later admitting that his side were rightly deemed long shots to beat Derry due to their indifferent form.

More worrying for Doherty, however, will have been the comments by defender Eamon McGee that the banishing of Gallagher and Bonner has had a 'negative effect' on the squad. The win last Saturday seems to have failed to paper over that particular crack.

As for Galway, the key for them will have been in putting last Sunday's narrow loss to Mayo behind them and focus fully on the task at hand.

Much like their opponents, the Tribesmen have the irritating habit of blowing hot and cold, as evidenced at Pearse Stadium. Mayo dominated the Connacht final for long stretches, and went seven points clear when Conor Mortimer goaled eight minutes from time.

It was only then that Galway starting playing and an unanswered scoring burst of 1-04, capped off by a wonderful goal by Michael Meehan, levelled the game in injury time before Peadar Gardiner popped up to break Galway hearts.

Manager Liam Sammon has not made too many changes ahead of the trip to Markievicz Park.

Kieran Fitzgerald did well when he came on to replace Niall Coyne at corner-back last Sunday and is rewarded by being named in the starting XV.

Galway will need another big performance from corner-backs Fitzgerald and Damien Burke and full-back Finian Hanley, as between them Donegal's Colm McFadden and Michael Murphy hit 1-09 against Derry.

Elsewhere, Matthew Clancy comes in at corner-forward and the subsequent reshuffle sees Gary Sice drop to the bench.

The win over Derry would seem to suggest that Donegal need the sight of a big name to stimulate themselves and Galway are certainly one of the top eight sides in the land.

With neither side showing any kind of consistency, twisted logic leads to Donegal getting the nod.

Verdict: Donegal
------------------------------------

Surely they could take more than 5 minutes to research the teams in the previous games?

He is going for Donegal. This expert must be respected.

[Main Street]

I haven't seen any of Donegal's qualifiers, but even with fully trusting reports of a good performance against Derry, Galway have the nearly proven talent to be edging favouritism.
Donegal would need to perform decently against Galway just to prove consistency.
Has the promise to be the game of this round.
I'll be up for the wild men from Donegal.

[GaillimhIarthair]

Sure during the week the named the Galway manager as being Liam Clancy   

[Barney]

Disappointing end to a season that promised so much for Galway.

They never seemed to recover from that second half beating from Mayo in Tuam in the League. Everything was going swimmingly before then.

Did think their forwards were absolutely robbed by the referee. At least 4/5 frees denied to them which obviously would have made all the difference. However some of the tackling by their own defenders was slack and left them with an uphill task.

[omagh_gael]

also thought the ref was a bit harsh against galway, however, I lost count of the number of times Galway gave away a free by kicking the donega manl who was trying to lift it with the toe

[Caid]

Fair play to Donegal - they have really turned it around this year. And, being as enigmatic as they are, they will not be an easy draw for anyone

[Main Street]

Well done to Donegal and fully deserved.
I thought Galway's work rate was going to be the difference in the second half.


I lost count of the number of times players were falling down looking for frees, well done to ref for not swallowing all that.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Seems to be a season of one point defeats for us this year. Twice lost to Mayo by a point and lost by a point again today. Thought we might scrape through today but the legs visibly went with about 15 minutes to go. We had actually done well enough for the first 20 minutes of the 2nd half but the lads just hit the wall and were running on fumes for the final 15 minutes. In fairness weeks ago we said whoever lost the Connacht final was going to be in a tough spot with a 6 day turnaround and so it proved.

Don't think the ref did us many favours to be honest although obviously Nicky was a bit fortunate to only get a yellow after his brainfart. Definitely thought we were denied some fairly obvious frees in the 2nd half in particular. It seemed we had to work a lot harder than Donegal did to be awarded a free. Alas it wasn't to be. Probably our own fault though in trying to run the ball into a 12 man defence. Our best spell of the game came when we were kicking quick ball into space for the forwards. At the end of the day Donegal imposed their gameplan on the match and all the space was up their end of the pitch while our forwards were trying to operate in a space busier than Piccadilly circus.

Questions over Sammon's future now possibly. Good coach? Yes. Good manager? Hmmm, not so sure about that one. Probably PJ's last day in a maroon jersey too. Nothing more left to give.

[tbrick18]

As a neutral I'm really looking forward to this game.
Donegals full forward line were fantastic against us last weekend and if they can keep that sort of form and get half decent supply they'll be very hard to beat. The also did a good defensive job against us.
Galway have some of the most dangerous forwards in the game too so I reckon this will be a high scoring affair.
Difficult to call, but as Donegal beat us and I'd like to see them continue I have to give them my backing and predict another 1 point win for them.

If only I'd put a 10 spot on that!
Well done Donegal....yous'll be a hard draw for anyone to get. Hope yous can keep it going.