Greatest Provincial Rivalry

[moysider]

In North Mayo club rivalries take centre-stage.

Absolutely. Any pairing from Ballina, Knockmore and Crossmolina beats all else for hatred and is a high quality match as well. Knock the spots off most intercounty games. Think Cross/ Knockmore hate each other more. 2 rural teams. Ballina then brings the townie ingredient into the mix but while hated by the other two don't hate as much in return. Dont have the same rooted following and not as many.

Ah we don't hate Knockmore more we hate ballina and knockmore equally i'm only joking Farrenddelin and the ballina lads  nothing like a meeting against the auld enemy to get the old heart going. I think the fact that the semi's and finals are now gone to castlebar takes away fronm the atmosphere, IMO the bAYing crowd are too far away

Glad somebody agrees with me on this point. The best club matches I ve seen have been in The Park, Knockmore and Cross in that order I think. Farrendelin might not agree but I believe Knockmore lost great chance of winning All Ireland year they lost to Eire óg in semi with home advantage. They never lost Ch matches in the Park and preparing their own venue was a needless distraction. But I digress. McHale Park has ruined the closing stages of our championship the last few years.Cat venue unless 15000 present The yearly County laegue match in Ballina used be a great occasion as well, and we always won there - well nearly always. I remember a Dublin team with Brian Mullins winning but since .. Castlebar is easier for visiting teams. If the Donegal and Galway games were played in the heartland of Ballina and Crossmolina I could nt see us losing either of those matches the way we did.

[the Deel Rover]

yea it used to be great when the intercounty teams used to play in cross, great atmosphere around before and after the match, can remember the Great Kerry team of the 80's coming down the saturday night before a league match big parade through the town days loads of young kids going around getting their autographs on the back of 20 major boxes happy days . I think we actually bet them must have been the night before and the dodgy drink

[timmykelleher]

Someone on here, think it was Tatler, stated that Cork were not a footballing power.

Over the past 2 years Cork have beaten in championship football:
Meath
sligo (connaught champions)
Louth
Tipperary
Limerick
Kerry
Donegal

Drawn with:
Kerry

Lost to:
Kerry

Actually when I started this I was hoping it would show a few bigger scalps than this. I even extended it to 2005 and added on Clare to the list of teams beaten and the list of teams to beat us stayed at 1.

My point was going to be other than Kerry Cork can compare their recent record against anyone.

All I think I have proven is that Cork are very good when it comes to getting the draw fixed and have a major problem with a particular team.

[moysider]

yea it used to be great when the intercounty teams used to play in cross, great atmosphere around before and after the match, can remember the Great Kerry team of the 80's coming down the saturday night before a league match big parade through the town days loads of young kids going around getting their autographs on the back of 20 major boxes happy days . I think we actually bet them must have been the night before and the dodgy drink

Yeah. I remember that match. Jimmy Bourke kicked a few massive points from out the country. We won. Likes of Egan and Bomber had wintered well and were not at their fighting weight! One of the Keane s from Listowel [ one of John B's] was playing if memory serves me correctly.

[Rossfan]

- Pierce Hanley in an interview over here in Australia recently talked about his home town Ballagh in the county of Mayo,

If he's that effin stupid we dont want the b****x.

[Tatler Jack]

Andy Moran I believe is a dyed in the wool Rossie alright, although I always thought if he was that passionate he'd just transfer to a Rossie club

You never seem to get it Stephenite or else you are in some sort of denial that someone might favour another county over your beloved Mayo. The fact is most players first loyalty is to their home club and playing with the players they grew up with. For any lad from Ballaghadereen this means that he must then play county football with Mayo. Moran might prefer to play for Ros but not at the price of leaving his home club. At different times Mayo were asked to consider allowing players from the town to declare for either county and they refused. If they were so confident that no sane person would want to play for Ros then why is it that they would not agree.

As regards Hanly iit does not matter now where his allegience lies but I hope he does not get lost in Australia as it is obvious that geography is not his strong subject!!

[Owenmoresider]

Have to agree with the Mayo lads, the Cross/Knockmore/Ballina rivalry seems to be fairly keen, was at the 2006 Cross/Ballina semi and hadn't seen the like in a major club game before, four put off, no holding back by either side, real intense stuff. Here the leading club teams are all too friendly IMO, bar the Tourlestrane/Curry rivalry I suppose, and except sometimes with certain western sides.

Also would agree on McHale Park, too big for games like that, Ballina is a decent-sized ground and Cross isn't all that smaller either. Never seen Knockmore's though. Should be on there, but it seems to be an insistence by the hierarchy that the county grounds are used all the time. Pointless when not enough, or indeed hardly anyone at all, are going to the games. Should be convenient for the clubs involved. But no telling that to many people.

[spectator]

Andy Moran I believe is a dyed in the wool Rossie alright, although I always thought if he was that passionate he'd just transfer to a Rossie club

You never seem to get it Stephenite or else you are in some sort of denial that someone might favour another county over your beloved Mayo. The fact is most players first loyalty is to their home club and playing with the players they grew up with. For any lad from Ballaghadereen this means that he must then play county football with Mayo. Moran might prefer to play for Ros but not at the price of leaving his home club. At different times Mayo were asked to consider allowing players from the town to declare for either county and they refused. If they were so confident that no sane person would want to play for Ros then why is it that they would not agree.

As regards Hanly iit does not matter now where his allegience lies but I hope he does not get lost in Australia as it is obvious that geography is not his strong subject!!

"Poor old stephenite" never gets it right because it doesn't suit him to acknowledge the facts, TJ.

Noel Durkin grew up actively supporting Ros with his family - who are all avid Ros supporters - & won a Ros Vocational Schools title, before being obliged by the club to play for Mayo U-21's in 1983 [managed by Johnno btw]. He played with Mayo as he had no choice in the matter and wanted to play IC football.

Pierce Hanley grew up supporting Ros with his family, as anyone from Ballagh will tell ye, if ye care to listen to them. That tosh ye come up with about him "saying" Ballagh is in Mayo is a highly imaginative excercise in reading between the lines by Mayo folk and is part of a desperate attempt to convince themselves he'd have played for them if given a choice. Why let known facts around Ballagh spoil the delusion?

Andy Moran grew up supporting Ros with his family and always played ball wearing his Ros jersey.  These lads have no real problem with Mayo & will play for them when forced to do so, as it allows them to play the game at IC level. Pity their attitude is not reciprocated though...

It's discrimination on the GAA's, Ballagh's & Mayo's part not to let Ballagh lads choose who they want to play for.

As TJ quite rightly asked "If they were so confident that no sane person would want to play for Ros then why is it that they would not agree."

Answer us that, Mayo lads. As Mayo GAA people are ye not ashamed at the GAA's discrimination against Ballagh lads playing for their home county, if they so wish?

Truth is, Ballagh lads want to play for Ballagh first and foremost & to simply have a choice of which county they can declare for, be it Mayo, Ros or Sligo.

Sadly, the good will doesn't appear to be there from either the GAA or Mayo folk to change this injustice & the poor unfortunates are forced to play for Mayo, if they're to follow up on any IC gaelic football ability they may have.

And GAA folk wonder why soccer is taking off around Ballagh again in recent times.

[Turlough O Carolan]

yea it used to be great when the intercounty teams used to play in cross, great atmosphere around before and after the match, can remember the Great Kerry team of the 80's coming down the saturday night before a league match big parade through the town days loads of young kids going around getting their autographs on the back of 20 major boxes happy days . I think we actually bet them must have been the night before and the dodgy drink

Yeah. I remember that match. Jimmy Bourke kicked a few massive points from out the country. We won. Likes of Egan and Bomber had wintered well and were not at their fighting weight! One of the Keane s from Listowel [ one of John B's] was playing if memory serves me correctly.

Remember one of the John B's playing an U.21 game in the early 80s for Kerry. He was having a bad day and after catching his first ball sliced it off his boot and sent it high over the sideline wire where a bemused Kerry wag shouted, "yerra stick to the books, boy".

[stephenite]

Spectator - we've been through this and around the houses on more than one occasion, when it comes to GAA purposes Ballagh and it's players are in Mayo. I didn't decide that, it's just the way it is. I also feel that if the shoe was on the other foot the Rossies wouldn't be allowing lads to play for Mayo and they'd be dead right, so no, I'm not ashamed, I'd be ashamed if they let lads play as the precedent that would set could cause us to lose some fine prospects if the history of talent turned out by Ballagh is anything to go by.

Good luck to ye on Sunday

[Farrandeelin]

Well this is the provincial rivalry thread so we might as well slog it out as to who is right/wrong.

PS, Stephenite is right you know!

[boojangles]

Just reading through the posts on the Ballagh Question,since growing up I always felt that Ballaghhadreen was in Co.Roscommon.But anyway surely lads who play with Ballagh can make the decision of what county they want to play for.Raymond Cunningham won an Ulster medal with Cavan in 1997 yet played with Kilmainhamwood just across the border in Co.Meath.

[stephenite]

Just reading through the posts on the Ballagh Question,since growing up I always felt that Ballaghhadreen was in Co.Roscommon.But anyway surely lads who play with Ballagh can make the decision of what county they want to play for.Raymond Cunningham won an Ulster medal with Cavan in 1997 yet played with Kilmainhamwood just across the border in Co.Meath.

No, they can't. Not sure what the set up was Raymond Cunningham but following your logic a lad could just up and play for whoever he wanted to at Inter County level.

[Turlough O Carolan]

Just reading through the posts on the Ballagh Question,since growing up I always felt that Ballaghhadreen was in Co.Roscommon.But anyway surely lads who play with Ballagh can make the decision of what county they want to play for.Raymond Cunningham won an Ulster medal with Cavan in 1997 yet played with Kilmainhamwood just across the border in Co.Meath.

No, they can't. Not sure what the set up was Raymond Cunningham but following your logic a lad could just up and play for whoever he wanted to at Inter County level.

It's hardly a radical proposal that people who lived all their life in Co. Roscommon be allowed play for Co. Roscommon. Ros people in Ballagh have no choice - and any attempts to play for Ros have been beaten down by that fine institution of intransigence and of generally doing things pure arse backwards, the Connacht Council.

[deiseach]

...I've heard a few snide remarks about Kerry hurling when I have had occasion to be in Waterford so that cuts both ways.

Well, I'll set your opinion based on the occasions you've been in Waterford against my uncle's opinion based on the occasions he's been in Kerry. No, it doesn't cut both ways.