Tír Eoghain vs Áth Cliath '08

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Prehaps the coming storm is to signal the rebirth of Tyrone football and Dublin will be blown away....

[ziggysego]

Yeah, will have to keep an eye on the Dubs.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

From todays Irish Times:

Ryan's Tyrone memories still vivid

GAVIN CUMMISKEY

TYRONE ARE well placed to ruin Dublin's summer. They still possess players capable of raising their game beyond the mediocre form they have shown so far this championship.

Granted, Stephen O'Neill and Peter Canavan - two of football's greatest forwards - have retired and, for sure, it must be difficult for manager Mickey Harte to motivate men with two Celtic crosses to recapture the intensity of 2005, when their 10-game odyssey ended with an All-Ireland final victory over Kerry.

Before that final they defeated Armagh in the semi-final and Dublin, after a replay, in the last eight. If anything can re-energise the big-game players Brian Dooher leads on to the field on Saturday afternoon, it is the sight of a crammed Croke Park painted blue with spots of Northern white and red.

"It seems like a lot more than just a few years ago," says the Dublin midfielder Shane Ryan of the 2005 meeting. "Yeah, memories of that are just how good Tyrone were. Maybe we outdid ourselves a bit, drawing with them the first day.

"We're two different teams now. It's a whole new challenge for us. They are still such a hard team to play against - the style they play. The challenge is to try and cope with that. We have been training - trying to gear ourselves to counteract that. How we can break them down."

True, both teams have changed dramatically since 2005. Tyrone have been plagued by injuries, while Dublin have improved significantly. The rivalry has at least been maintained; an unruly league meeting at Omagh in early 2006 resulted in mass suspensions - most controversially scrapped on appeal.

Tyrone captured another provincial title last year but Ulster football has been in a lull period, as Wexford's culling of Armagh last Saturday illustrated, while Dublin have soared.

It has been repeated ad nauseam, even by the players themselves, that this is the best opportunity to end a 13-year wait since Sam Maguire last resided in the capital.

Many of the players have been together since the breakthrough 2002 campaign and Ryan is now a core member of the team, the engine of the side, his influence is similar to Dooher's for Tyrone.

The Naomh Mearnóg man was talking to the media in Dublin yesterday morning after picking up the GPA "player of the month" award for July. His domineering performance against Wexford in the Leinster final managed to eclipse the consistency of Alan Brogan and Bryan Cullen.

Dublin have surpassed Tyrone in terms of development; now all they have to do is prove it.

"Yeah, it's very easy to say that looking at the team on paper, but Tyrone are the team with the All-Ireland medals. In our whole squad we've got one between us all in Jason Sherlock. Most of that Tyrone team have two. When you compare it in that sense, who is the better team?

"Who's the best team? We won't know that until we go up against each other."



Yeah, yeah Shane, you can't fool us, sure yez are raging, untouchably hot, favourites, even Tom Humphries reckons it's "in all probability" a repeat of the Leinster final in the semi (in his column in Monday's IT on the Armagh-Wexford game), and every pundit gives us no chance. Don't know if we should even bother turn up 

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Too right Fear. I might go down and support the Dubs, sure they have it in the bag

[Aaron Boone]

Tyrone would have the advantage on training tonight anyway. It's bucketing down in Marino where the Dubs train and I'm sure they don't need any more gym sessions.

[Kerry Mike]

2007: Dublin 0-18 Derry 0-15
2006: Dublin 1-12 Westmeath 0-5
2005: Tyrone 2-18 Dublin 1-14 (replay)
2005: Dublin 1-14 Tyrone 1-14 (draw)
2004: Kerry 1-15 Dublin 1-8
2002: Dublin 1-14 Donegal 0-7 (replay)
2002: Dublin 2-8 Donegal 0-14(draw)
2001: Kerry 2-12 Dublin 1-12 (replay)
2001: Dublin 2-11 Kerry 1-14 (draw)
Played 9, Won 3, Draw 3, Lost 3.

Jaysus, Mary and the holy Dunkey, only 3 Quarter final wins in 7 years for the Jackeens, that is piss poor by any standards, and then losing all 3 semi finals afterwards, is this the "great" team we are all supposed to be dreading in 2008. None of them teams they bate were even in the top ranks at the time.

One thing you have to agree on is the Jackeens and the Jackeen Media are a great source of humour every year.

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One thing you have to agree on is the Jackeens and the Jackeen Media are a great source of humour every year.

Sure it wouldn't be the same without them

[AZOffaly]

2007: Dublin 0-18 Derry 0-15
2006: Dublin 1-12 Westmeath 0-5
2005: Tyrone 2-18 Dublin 1-14 (replay)
2005: Dublin 1-14 Tyrone 1-14 (draw)
2004: Kerry 1-15 Dublin 1-8
2002: Dublin 1-14 Donegal 0-7 (replay)
2002: Dublin 2-8 Donegal 0-14(draw)
2001: Kerry 2-12 Dublin 1-12 (replay)
2001: Dublin 2-11 Kerry 1-14 (draw)
Played 9, Won 3, Draw 3, Lost 3.

Jaysus, Mary and the holy Dunkey, only 3 Quarter final wins in 7 years for the Jackeens, that is piss poor by any standards, and then losing all 3 semi finals afterwards, is this the "great" team we are all supposed to be dreading in 2008. None of them teams they bate were even in the top ranks at the time.

One thing you have to agree on is the Jackeens and the Jackeen Media are a great source of humour every year.

Be careful KM. I think the Dubs will have yer number this year if ye meet. They seem to be more stolid and focussed on important stuff this year. Kerry are not as good, especially defensively, in my opinion. I'm sure Kerry will improve even more, and Dublin are liable to sh*te on the eggs again, but I wouldn't be so sure.

[Bensars]

Agree totally KM.

One good half of football against wexford who had thrown in the towel anyway and the Dubs are worldbeaters.

Nothing to be feared at all.  

[heffo]

the Jackeen Media are a great source of humour every year.

You do realise Mike, that the majority of GAA correspondents are from outside Dublin?

And that most of this 'Jackeen media' hate Dublin GAA with a passion and love nothing more than building up Dublin into a 'great' team every year whilst simultaneously writing their obituary...

[Kerry Mike]

And that most of this 'Jackeen media' hate Dublin GAA with a passion and love nothing more than building up Dublin into a 'great' team every year whilst simultaneously writing their obituary...

I know and ye all fall for it. It's brilliant.

[heffo]

And that most of this 'Jackeen media' hate Dublin GAA with a passion and love nothing more than building up Dublin into a 'great' team every year whilst simultaneously writing their obituary...

I know and ye all fall for it. It's brilliant.

Indeed Mike. Indeed. We 'all' fall for it.

Oh that we were as wise and all knowing as they from Kerry. Year after year we wouldn't believe them.

[Kerry Mike]

You sound touchy, are the nerves at your Heffo, yerra 'tis only a game, no need to be getting carried away  .

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Páirc an Chrócaigh 4.00pm Baile Átha Cliath v Tír Eoghain
Referee: Aidan Mangan (Ciarraí)

Not the worst, by any means.

[ONeill]

Didn't he ref the drawn game in 2005?