Tyrone v Armagh - Ulster Championship 2009

[The GAA]

Armagh:
P Hearty, A Mallon, B Donaghy, B Shannon, F Moriarty, C McKeever, A Kernan, K Toner, J Lavery, P Duffy, M O'Rourke, B Mallon, S McDonnell, R Clarke, T Kernan.

Tyrone:
J Devine, PJ Quinn, Justin McMahon, R McMenamin, D Harte, C Gormley, P Jordan, K Hughes, E McGinley, M Penrose, T McGuigan, Joe McMahon, S O'Neill, S Cavanagh, O Mulligan.

Uh Oh.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

It wasnt a criticism. It sounds like the club sales in Armagh are well down, there's a lot of negative talk about Armaghs chances. Over the last 10 years Armagh have consistently brought big numbers to ulster matches. Probably more than Tyrone. It sounds like for this game the level of support is going to fall below previous levels. Think Tyrone's support will remain at least consistent with the past.

[corn02]

It wasnt a criticism. It sounds like the club sales in Armagh are well down, there's a lot of negative talk about Armaghs chances. Over the last 10 years Armagh have consistently brought big numbers to ulster matches. Probably more than Tyrone. It sounds like for this game the level of support is going to fall below previous levels. Think Tyrone's support will remain at least consistent with the past.

Sorry, i'm grumpy today.

GAA why the uh-oh?

[tyrone86]

Think the fact its not a sell out is due more to Armagh fans losing faith in their team as opposed to the economy (which is also a factor).

ffs tyrone dreamer we will have as many fans as you guys there, the fact is the gaa misled everyone as there are no 10,000 family tickets, my club got 3 family tickets for section aa( the corner of the eastern stand)
this has the effect os a family of 4 paying £80 to watch a first round game, it has nothing to do with faith but everything to do with the economy and the fact that it is on 2 TV stations

We got the exact amount of family tickets that we ordered in our original allocation and it was in several multiples of 3. Fair enough, we couldn't get any extra when we went to look about a few more, but that's the usual story.

[The GAA]

It wasnt a criticism. It sounds like the club sales in Armagh are well down, there's a lot of negative talk about Armaghs chances. Over the last 10 years Armagh have consistently brought big numbers to ulster matches. Probably more than Tyrone. It sounds like for this game the level of support is going to fall below previous levels. Think Tyrone's support will remain at least consistent with the past.

Sorry, i'm grumpy today.

GAA why the uh-oh?

Shannon is untested and an unknown quantity against probably mulligan.
Moriarty is having a disaster year on topof me not rating him anyway and playing him in the half back line only enhances the head down solo the ball facet of armagh's game.
Lavery is just not good enough.
question marks on both our wing forwards.
Tony Kernan (or kevin o'rourke) just won't get it done.

[Fuzzman]

Strong looking Tyrone team alright and hope to God Stevie's knee will hold out.

Do ye think Block will play at CHB & Ricey mark McDonnell or will they change every so often
Does Ricey not usually play on the right corner?

These matches are usually close affairs but the Armagh fans have lowered expectations nicely to reduce the pressure on the champions.

[longball]

Strong looking Tyrone team alright and hope to God Stevie's knee will hold out.

Do ye think Block will play at CHB & Ricey mark McDonnell or will they change every so often
Does Ricey not usually play on the right corner?

These matches are usually close affairs but the Armagh fans have lowered expectations nicely to reduce the pressure on the champions.

Gormley will more than likely pick up McDonnell with Ricey playing CHB. Really looking forward to the game now hope its a good one... Did Harte have a column in the Irish News 2day?

[screenmachine]

Aye, he was talking about the GAA world across the water regarding universties, etc.  Not a bad article but at the same time nothing that beneficial in it?  Come on Mickey, tell us something about your upcoming match.  Think of the publicity the Irish News would receive if there was even just a short snippet at the side quoting Harte as saying Armagh are finished!  Now that would sell papers! I think the editor should 'revise' Harte's articles before they go to print!

[illdecide]

It wasnt a criticism. It sounds like the club sales in Armagh are well down, there's a lot of negative talk about Armaghs chances. Over the last 10 years Armagh have consistently brought big numbers to ulster matches. Probably more than Tyrone. It sounds like for this game the level of support is going to fall below previous levels. Think Tyrone's support will remain at least consistent with the past.

Sorry, i'm grumpy today.

GAA why the uh-oh?

Shannon is untested and an unknown quantity against probably mulligan.
Moriarty is having a disaster year on topof me not rating him anyway and playing him in the half back line only enhances the head down solo the ball facet of armagh's game.
Lavery is just not good enough.
question marks on both our wing forwards.
Tony Kernan (or kevin o'rourke) just won't get it done.

Well the teams picked now and there's nothing you, me or any other guy on this board can do so what about supporting the guys he has sent out

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Did Harte have a column in the Irish News 2day?

Here you go longball, and if Noel Doran is asking, it wasn't me  

Time to support GAA exiles

By Mickey Harte


AS we celebrate with justifiable pride the development and growth of the GAA over the past 125 years, it is incumbent on us all to bring the good news of our games and culture to even more diverse fields. As I have already alluded to and acknowledged in a previous column, GAA missionaries are hard at work all over the globe promoting our games. As we begin the journey towards 150 years of gaelic games, I believe we as an organisation should prioritise supporting our foreign units with a view to having football and hurling, camogie and ladies football introduced officially to the sports curricula of primary and secondary schools.

The template for such support could be initiated close to home with a concerted effort to engage with schools in Britain. The British Universities' Gaelic Association, which has been gradually evolving and expanding since its inception in 1991, will provide an invaluable link for the delivery of such an initiative. The BUGAA, now in its 18th year, provides an essential forum for the continuation of gaelic games and Irish culture for those relatively large numbers of students who, through choice or necessity, find themselves having to cross the Irish Sea to pursue their third level education.

From a modest base of five male football teams, the BUGAA currently boasts a total of 69 teams (38 mens, 19 ladies, 12 hurling). In the 2008/09 academic year, new teams have registered from universities in Southampton, Northumbria, Aberystwyth and Liverpool. Indeed, you can now find GAA clubs in universities from Aberdeen in the north to Brighton in the south. While the BUGAA is to be lauded for the platform they afford young Irish people to continue their development of and participation in gaelic games, they deserve additional recognition for the fact that they are a significant force embracing the internationalisation of our core activities.

Through their links with the European County Board and with Daniel Hannon and others in the New York, North American and Canadian Minor Boards (channelled through Seamus Howlin's overseas development committee), the BUGAA has been successfully involved in setting up a University Gaelic Football Qualifiers League in France. The winners of this French league are invited to play in the British championships. I know from speaking to many young students who have studied in Britain that the GAA unit in their place of study has been a critical factor in their ability to adapt quickly and confidently to their new environment. Even students who had no particular interest in playing gaelic games found themselves attracted to the activities of the club from a positive socially interactive perspective.

Equally, at the higher participation end of the scale, the BUGAA has proved a crucial outlet for many of our players of inter-county standard. Having organised collective sessions two or three times per week, in addition to competitive matches during the academic year, enables those more gifted players to maintain the requisite performance levels on their return.

A glance at some of the well known inter-county players who have come through the British university system – John Finucane, Paul Close (Antrim), Mossie Lyons (Kerry), Ryan McCloskey (Fermanagh), Ollie Murphy (Meath), Stephen O'Neill (below), John Devine, Declan McCrossan and Seamus Mulgrew (Tyrone) – highlights the diversity and quality of players from Ireland availing of the structures put in place by Professor Peter Mossey, with the assistance of George O'Rourke.

As indicated in the list above, there is a massive pool of talent going across from this country to the British universities and while their playing participation will certainly promote gaelic games amongst their University colleagues, perhaps their added value has yet to be tapped. The BUGAA, in conjunction with the British Provincial Council, (made up of the county boards from Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, London, Lancashire, Scotland, Warwickshire and Yorkshire) believes this talent could be utilised for coaching in the schools as envisaged by the Five Year Strategic Plan of both bodies.

The essence of this plan, which has achieved financial support from the GAA Central Council and the Department of Foreign Affairs, is to: introduce a structured approach to gaelic games in schools; build links between primary/ secondary schools and clubs; retain and build on the number of players in their teenage years; improve standards at every level and discourage alcohol and substance abuse through the promotion of our sport. Sometimes trojan and innovative work on behalf of our Association goes unnoticed. Since 2005, the BUGAA has been providing a lifeline for senior football in New York as a result of an invitation to join their university tournament.

Likewise, the French model, which they have encouraged and adopted, has brought a group of non-Irish students into the game and they are now hosting their own tournament, to which university teams will be invited in October each year. Thanks to the vision of Peter Mossey, who played in the 1991 games and became chairman of the BUGAA in 1994, the British university sector is one of the most potentially important development sectors of the Association in the world.

Anyone who finds himself/herself attending a university in Britain should be aware that he/she will always have helpful contacts available through this GAA network.

CONFERENCE TO RAISE AWARENESS OF SUICIDE

THE GAA has provided a lifeline to many communities and individuals since its inception in 1884.

Support in times of tragedy has always been a hallmark of the Association. Unfortunately, within that social network individuals (often young) fall victim to one of the greatest tragedies of our times – suicide.

The Northern Region of the Secular Franciscan Order is organising a conference in Dundalk on Saturday, June 13 where speakers from the Samaritans and the Niamh Louise Foundation will give presentations on suicide awareness and prevention.

The conference will be led by John Murray, a retired Garda Sergeant, who is justice and peace spokesman for the SFO in Ireland. To obtain further information on this conference, please phone 02887749512/02887740636 or email sfo7joys@hotmail.com

Anthony called big game right

I WOULD like to compliment Anthony Tohill on his controlled and objective assessment of Sunday's Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final.

Despite the fact that his own county was involved in some incidents not entirely of a footballing nature, he didn't shy away from giving his opinion. Perhaps more importantly, he didn't become emotionally hijacked and run for the cover of the new rules. He accurately stated that there were sufficient sanctions within the existing rules to deal with any indiscretions which may have occurred.

Martin McHugh endorsed this view when he stated that last year's All-Ireland final, universally accepted as a great spectacle, was played under the very same rules.

[longball]

Thanks again Fear

[ziggysego]

Anyone know of any pubs, hotels, etc.. in Dubrovnik, Croatia that will be showing this game on Sunday?

[Doogie Browser]

Anyone know of any pubs, hotels, etc.. in Dubrovnik, Croatia that will be showing this game on Sunday?

The Hibernianak, just at the bottom of the big hill, round the corner from the Paragonik, ask for Pavel and you will be alright.

[ziggysego]

Thanks Doogie

[Doogie Browser]

Thanks Doogie

Sorry Zig, all this great weather is going to my heed.