G.A.A. season 2008

Congrats to the Waterford hurlers on reaching their first All-Ireland final since the 1960s. Although I didn`t agree with the timing or manner in which Justin McCarthy was deposed I have to say on balance they deserved to win today. They have also deserved (if there is such a thing in sort) to have contested an All-Ireland final. I`d have to say that I had my doubts about Davy Fitz`s management up until this point. The reason being that he is a fiery customer and the Waterford team also has a large proportion of such men. At this level what teams want is a bit of calm and reasoned anaysis not someone thumbing fists and smacking hurleys off walls. Fitzgerald himself addressed this issue in the postmatch analysis by saying that the Waterford dressing room was perfectly calm at halftime. The All-Ireland final is far from a foregone conclusion but I just think that Kilkenny will have too much class and experience that the Waterford men. Their bench is unreal. Cody is unreal and the hype will be savage down in Waterford in the lead-up to the game.

Now we are possibly only four games away from the end of the All-Ireland championship so I`m going to give my awards out for the season so far:

Hurling Awards:

• Team Performance of the Year: Kilkenny V Cork (All-Ireland semi-final)
  
• Match of the Year: Waterford V Tipperary (All-Ireland semi-final)
  
• comeback of the year: Waterford. (Honourable mentions) Cork`s comeback against Clare in the qualifiers, Tipp against Cork, Diarmuid O`Sullivan V Kilkenny
  
• Shock of the year: Offaly beating Limerick in the championship, Dublin running Cork to five points
  
• Flop of the year: Waterford`s performance V Clare, Galway forwards V Cork, Wexford second half V Kilkenny in the Leinster final, Ger Loughnanne.
  
• Individual Performance of the Year: Joe Canning (Galway) nearly beat Cork on his own
  
• Manager of the Year: Brian Cody (How does he keep the Kilkenny hurlers so hungry?) Liam Sheedy, Davy Fitz (If they win the All-Ireland).
  
• We can`t cope with being favourites award: Galway for Galway V Cork
  
• Hurler of the Year: ??????????
  
• Young Hurler of the Year: Joe Canning
  

Football Awards:

• Team Performance of the Year: Tyrone V Dublin All-Ireland Quarter Final (Honourable mentions: Wexford V Meath second half, Wexford V Armagh, Fermanagh comeback V Armagh Ulster Final drawn game, Cork`s second half V Kerry, Dublin V Wexford second half, Limerick V Meath, Wicklow winning their first ever Leinster Championship match in Croke Park)
  
• Match of the Year: Kerry V Galway All-Ireland Quarter Final. (Honourable Mention Galway V Mayo Connacht Final hugely entertaining game)
  
• comeback of the Year: Fermanagh V Armagh (first match), Fermanagh V Derry, Cork V Kerry, Wexford after Leinster final,
  
• Individual Performance of the Year: Michael Meehan (Galway) V Kerry, Brian Dooher (Tyrone V Dublin)
  
• I was on course for an allstar but I probably won`t get one now: Shane Ryan (Dublin)
  
• Despite being the greatest midfielder of my generation I`m regarded as a failure in Kerry because I`ve only got five All-Ireland medals: Darragh Ó Sé
  
• Manager of the Year: Jason Ryan (Wexford) Honourable mention: Tomás Ó Flatharta (Westmeath)
  
• Managerial Performance: Micky Harte (Tyrone) for Tyrone V Wexford (Oops sorry Yellow bellies I meant Dublin here) , Liam Sammon (Galway) for Galway V Kerry
  
• Flops: Dublin V Tyrone .Wexford V Dublin second half. Meath
  
• The too negative award: Armagh for Armagh V Wexford. Instead of opening up and seeing what Wexford were made of far too negative and allowed Wexford to grow in confidence and go on to win the game.
  
• We fell asleep at the wheel award: Galway losing a seven point lead against Mayo. Cork letting Kildare back into the game in the All-Ireland Quarter Final
  
• Secret Weapon of the Year award: The Tyrone Beards
  
• Footballer of the Year: ??????????
  
• Young footballer of the Year: Depending on what happens next two games possibly Tommy Walsh (Kerry), Honourable Mention: Gareth Bradshaw (Galway)
  

Hurling Awards:

• Team Performance of the Year: Kilkenny V Cork (All-Ireland semi-final)- utterly clinical
  
• Match of the Year: Waterford V Tipperary (All-Ireland semi-final) - though Galway v Cork because of Canning's performance alone. Welcome distraction in the pub in Clones after Monaghan dumped Derry out.
  
• comeback
  of the year: Waterford. (Honourable mentions) Cork`s comeback against
  Clare in the qualifiers, Tipp against Cork, Diarmuid O`Sullivan V
  Kilkenny -well covered here
  
• Shock of the year: Offaly beating Limerick in the championship, Dublin running Cork to five points- Derry beating Antrim in the U21 championship, well, I have to grasp at something
  
• Flop
  of the year: Waterford`s performance V Clare, Galway forwards V Cork,
  Wexford second half V Kilkenny in the Leinster final, Ger Loughnanne. - Antrim at all levels -
  
• Individual Performance of the Year: Joe Canning (Galway) nearly beat Cork on his own - indisputable
  
• Manager
  of the Year: Brian Cody (How does he keep the Kilkenny hurlers so
  hungry?) Liam Sheedy, Davy Fitz (If they win the All-Ireland). - Brian McGilligan because he'd batter ye if you didn't
  
• We can`t cope with being favourites award: Galway for Galway V Cork - seconded
  
• Hurler of the Year: ?????????? - Eoin Larkin if he produces the goods in September
  
• Young Hurler of the Year: Joe Canning - undoubtedly
  

Football Awards:

• Team
  Performance of the Year: Tyrone V Dublin All-Ireland Quarter Final
  (Honourable mentions: Wexford V Meath second half, Wexford V Armagh,
  Fermanagh comeback V Armagh Ulster Final drawn game, Cork`s second half
  V Kerry, Dublin V Wexford second half, Limerick V Meath, Wicklow
  winning their first ever Leinster Championship match in Croke Park) - Down produced fairly exciting stuff against Tyrone
  
• Match
  of the Year: Kerry V Galway All-Ireland Quarter Final. (Honourable
  Mention Galway V Mayo Connacht Final hugely entertaining game)- Wexford v Armagh seen some brilliant individual scores
  
• comeback of the Year: Fermanagh V Armagh (first match), Fermanagh V Derry, Cork V Kerry, Wexford after Leinster final, - Can I mention Derry's comeback in NFL final
  
• Individual Performance of the Year: Michael Meehan (Galway) V Kerry, Brian Dooher (Tyrone V Dublin) - MAttie in the second half against Armagh
  
• I was on course for an allstar but I probably won`t get one now: Shane Ryan (Dublin) - Paddy Bradley(Doire) Paul Galvin (Ciarraí) The Gooch, Benny Coullter (An Dún)
  
• Despite
  being the greatest midfielder of my generation I`m regarded as a
  failure in Kerry because I`ve only got five All-Ireland medals: Darragh
  Ó Sé
  
  
• Manager of the Year: Jason Ryan (Wexford) Honourable mention: Tomás Ó Flatharta (Westmeath) - Ryan is the man
  
• Managerial Performance: Micky Harte (Tyrone) for Tyrone V Wexford, Liam Sammon (Galway) for Galway V Kerry - That's a bit previous. I take it you mean against Dublin
  
• Flops: Dublin V Tyrone .Wexford V Dublin second half. Meath - It pains me to say it but Derry have a big say here
  
• The
  too negative award: Armagh for Armagh V Wexford. Instead of opening up
  and seeing what Wexford were made of far too negative and allowed
  Wexford to grow in confidence and go on to win the game. - Tyrone dished out a good bit of negativity against Westmeath particularly the aforementioned Brian Doore
  
• We
  fell asleep at the wheel award: Galway losing a seven point lead
  against Mayo. Cork letting Kildare back into the game in the
  All-Ireland Quarter Final - the first 25 mins of Kildare v Fermanagh
  
• Secret Weapon of the Year award: The Tyrone Beards - Wexford matches them in variety of haircuts. Colm Parkinson is sooo 6 months ago
  
• Footballer of the Year: ?????????? - If Kerry wins i'd guess Donaghey if Tyrone wins it could be Dooher
  
• Young
  footballer of the Year: Depending on what happens next two games
  possibly Tommy Walsh (Kerry), Honourable Mention: Gareth Bradshaw
  (Galway) - Michael Murphy(Dún na nGall)
  

Muppet of the year - Paul Galvin for what he did and not the reaction to it.

Some good posting there Seathrún. I`d agree with you about Derry on both the League Final comeback and also the flop section.

anmajornarthainig wrote:

Some good posting there Seathrún. I`d agree with you about Derry on both the League Final comeback and also the flop section.

I believe I harbour the same feelings about Davy Fitz. as yourself. I don't quite dislike him but when he wells up and his Adam's apple starts moving like a rabbit in a snake's belly and he comes out with stuff like the ad for rte's coverage last year("Nobody's gonna keep me from playin the game I love" or words to that effect) he , as Peter Griffin would say, "grinds my gears"

I`ve no real opinion on him one way or the other my reservations involve questioning his ability to remain ice cool under severe pressure and an ability to read the game correctly under those conditions. I`d have had the same question mark about Paul Caffrey by the way without wanting to dance on his grave.

anmajornarthainig wrote:

I`ve no real opinion on him one way or the other my reservations involve questioning his ability to remain ice cool under severe pressure and an ability to read the game correctly under those conditions. I`d have had the same question mark about Paul Caffrey by the way without wanting to dance on his grave.

I know it's all retrospect but I've always doubted Caffrey's managerial cuteness as in he seems to be bereft of it. My point about Davy is if that's how he reacts when somebody puts a mike under his nose for a promo clip what would he be like in a changing room at half-time eight points down. He probably knows that he's not the may west in front of camera and he's now working on that side of his new career. He handled himself rightly there today but i'd say he'd be quare value if a couple of bad decisions went against Waterford.

I have a neignbor from Tipp and my heart goes out to her. I thought they'd do it this year or at least get to the final. Still, coming from a hurling backwater, I enjoyed the hurling this year by and large.

As for football. The standard of play this year has just been atrocious. Between the ref lead, card waving bore fest and the simply awful forward play, there's not much to recommend it to the neutral observer. I couldn't help noticing the drop in attendances. Has Croker been filled this year at all?

As a Tyrone man, I want to congradulate Mickey Harte especially. The call by some media pundits, and indeed by some numpty Tyrone supporters, was a low point for me in the GAA this year. Imo he's the equivalent of Martin O'Neill in the soccer code. Danny Ball, Art McCrory and Eugene Mckenna all had a stab at glory with the same players as Mickey had and couldn't cross the finishing line. This year by a huge dollop of luck and good managerial skills he's taken an very average Tyrone team and ground out some results. In my book he's done enough to stay manager as long as he wants the job. I shouldn't do it, but here goes anyway. I reserve speciall bile for the most disingenous commentary of RTE's Donegal commenator. He cares not one jot about Tyrone football, although claiming to, and his call for Harte's retirement was nothing but sour grapes. (Had to get that off my chest.)

Mind you I won't cry a bucket load if Wexford beat Tyrone. They're waiting in the long grass with nothing to lose. If they can keep their heads against the cute Tyrone opposition in they're in with a shout. It would put a minor gloss in what has been, in my estimation, one of the worst seasons of football in a long time.

(Now where can Tyrone find a 7 foot tall ex-basketball player to put into the forward line so we can play the modern, traditional game?)

SeathrúnCeitinn wrote:

anmajornarthainig wrote:

I`ve no real opinion on him one way or the other my reservations involve questioning his ability to remain ice cool under severe pressure and an ability to read the game correctly under those conditions. I`d have had the same question mark about Paul Caffrey by the way without wanting to dance on his grave.

I know it's all retrospect but I've always doubted Caffrey's managerial cuteness as in he seems to be bereft of it. My point about Davy is if that's how he reacts when somebody puts a mike under his nose for a promo clip what would he be like in a changing room at half-time eight points down. He probably knows that he's not the may west in front of camera and he's now working on that side of his new career. He handled himself rightly there today but i'd say he'd be quare value if a couple of bad decisions went against Waterford.

Ok everythinig in there is fair enough. In fairness to Caffrey, while I`d have been no great fan of his, his Dublin team is hugely improved to the one he took over. I think that he delivered the maximum that he was able to deliver with the current team but he just wasn`t quite good enough to deliver an All-Ireland. He`s right that it`s somebody else`s turn now.

Is it Joe Brolly from Derry you`re talking about Rocky. To be honest I don`t think anything a section of Tyrone fans will ever upset Mickey Harte after he didn`t walk away when a section of them booed one of his players (his son Mark).

anmajornarthainig wrote:

SeathrúnCeitinn wrote:

anmajornarthainig wrote:

I`ve no real opinion on him one way or the other my reservations involve questioning his ability to remain ice cool under severe pressure and an ability to read the game correctly under those conditions. I`d have had the same question mark about Paul Caffrey by the way without wanting to dance on his grave.

I know it's all retrospect but I've always doubted Caffrey's managerial cuteness as in he seems to be bereft of it. My point about Davy is if that's how he reacts when somebody puts a mike under his nose for a promo clip what would he be like in a changing room at half-time eight points down. He probably knows that he's not the may west in front of camera and he's now working on that side of his new career. He handled himself rightly there today but i'd say he'd be quare value if a couple of bad decisions went against Waterford.

Ok everythinig in there is fair enough. In fairness to Caffrey, while I`d have been no great fan of his, his Dublin team is hugely improved to the one he took over. I think that he delivered the maximum that he was able to deliver with the current team but he just wasn`t quite good enough to deliver an All-Ireland. He`s right that it`s somebody else`s turn now.

Is it Joe Brolly from Derry you`re talking about Rocky. To be honest I don`t think anything a section of Tyrone fans will ever upset Mickey Harte after he didn`t walk away when a section of them booed one of his players (his son Mark).

Or maybe BBC's Martin "I'm the most partizan so-called analyst" Mc Hugh from Donegal?

anmajornarthainig wrote:

Ok everythinig in there is fair enough. In fairness to Caffrey, while I`d have been no great fan of his, his Dublin team is hugely improved to the one he took over. I think that he delivered the maximum that he was able to deliver with the current team but he just wasn`t quite good enough to deliver an All-Ireland. He`s right that it`s somebody else`s turn now.

Is it Joe Brolly from Derry you`re talking about Rocky. To be honest I don`t think anything a section of Tyrone fans will ever upset Mickey Harte after he didn`t walk away when a section of them booed one of his players (his son Mark).

No, not Brolly. The Donegal gentleman. Yer right about some Tyrone fans. Can't say I'm a fan of some Tyrone fans. Being longer in the tooth, I remember the bad times. And they were bad. The year upon year disappointment multiplied exponentially. The travels around the country just to be disappointed on another day in another venue and every year I came back for more torment. Ah, the good old times. Gave us something the bitch about. But every year we came out with hope renewed. A little success and some supporters believe it's a right. Only Kerry can expect the right. The rest of the footballing community knows the up and downs. I supose people who only know the good times don't value the riches as much as those who've lived in footballing poverty for so many years.

I've no probs with Caffrey. He made strides but with the talent at his disposal couldn't take them over the line. Dublin over the last number of years appear to be a team of tactics without any core strategy and playing style. Hence, they never seemed to have a settled team, and if the tactics failed on the day they were lost.

In case I wasn`t clear in what I posted about Caffrey. The current Dublin panel is good enough to win an All-Ireland they were never going to win it with Caffrey. At the same time his reign should not be viewed as a failure to the extent that it will be.

Regarding your comment on Tyrone fans I would like to make the following points. These are all open to debate and I`d be interested in getting your opinions on them. The following points are based on my own observations.
There are four types of supporters
1. The less succesful a team the smaller the support it gets. The people who do go to those games tend to be either involved in the sports themselves or to be knowledgeable supporters of the games. Sometimes these small groups of supporters can be very bitter against the management or the county board or whatever but they tend to be understanding of the pain of defeat and wouldn`t tend to be triumphalist when they have a bit of success.

2. The less fanatical but equally knowledgeable supporter who loves the sport, goes regularly enough but would go to games where they would be neutral just for love of the game. It`s not just about the success of the county for them.

3. The fairweather friend. There are tens of thousands of these in every county. This is where the jeering, sneering fools come from. They know damnall about any of the games they watch, they`re going for the craic, the desire to be part of the success etc. Most of them will behave themselves well but this is where the trouble is from.

4. The lunatic. There are a couple of hundred of these in each county who will abuse the ref, their own corner back etc. They were always all hard men in their own day (or so they say from the comfort of the stand). They are always paranoid about everybody being out to screw them.

I genuinely believe this but I`d be interested in what Rocky and Seathrún think of this. I firmly believe that the conflict in the North has affected the manner in which teams from the North are supported. I`ve noticed three aspects to a vocal minority which follow some of the Northern Teams.

1. An element among the Northern support that is ridiculously sensitive to any criticism of any aspect of Ulster football. There is a real North V the rest feeling i`ve noticed among the Northern supporters. It`s good to support other teams from your own province but the feeling that everybody in the GAA hates you spills over into paranoia at times.

2. An intensity in their support that isn`t matched by other counties. It`s just more important to you to win that it is to us. I think that`s just down to your experience of conflict and the fact that it is more central to your ideas of identity.

3. There`s a triumphalist element in your support but to be fair that could be just the fact that because of being successful all the wannabees are coming out of the woodwork. For instance I`ve come across some awful tools supporting Armagh in the championship over the last couple of years but I have to say that the behaviour of the Armagh supporters around me in Croke Park when defeated by Wexford the last day was second to none.

Finally a comment about Northern football. It`a been called puke football but Tyrone and Armagh achieved one thing over the last five years that I will be eternally grateful for. They destroyed the short handpassing game. People reverted to moving the ball quickly and directly to counteract the blanket defence and I`m delighted for that development. It`s how the game should be played.

There's a lot of points there to answer so I'll attempt to do it in the same order.

First of all I thought you were describing various members of my family by the categories you have chosen. You have pretty much summed it up there although I would add another .That of the very committed fan who has stopped going to games altogether due to incidents that have occured or others who can't handle the schizophrenia and accompanying heart problems which consumes them on match days.

As far as fans fron na sé chondae are concerned I can kind of understand where you are coming from to a small degree. I wouldn't look on fans from Antrim, Derry, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone as one homogeneous grouping. They would view themselves as countymen/women then Ulster (9 counties) and then Irish but there is huge swathes of other county folk throughout the club structures from Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan and further afield. A lot of Donegal people would happily descibe themselves as 'nordies' as the 'jackeens' would have it. There is also the urban/rural divide and obvious political/religious divide when considering the different areas where people come from and a singular northern identity as so beloved of some commentariat based in Dublin is just lazy journalism. I don't judge every commentator from anywhere in Ireland on anything other than their views unless it's knockabout stuff.

Addressing your specific points. There are some fans, as there are in every county(you seen that line coming), who are paranoid to the extent that they will blame global warming for their team's abysmal performance. Yes some will shout the bitterest bile in their bellies and if they are true shit stirrers they will say the worst thing that they think will provoke you whether that be questioning your political/birth legitimacy or the attractiveness or lack of your life partner. Coming from Derry I take it you can guess what the first bit of abuse that is dished out to us by all the other counties and particularly from our good neighbours in Tyrone. "There's no L------ in Tyrone". You just have to take it on the chin sometimes or banter back.

Having said that to ignore the fact that there is two separate political systems at present on the island and the effects that would have on fans' attitudes would be head in the sand stuff. To go into it geographically/culturally, if for instance you pick Crossmaglen - to attempt to assign the title 'northern' to that club is , I believe, futile. It hasn't had any governmental control since the O'Neill of the fews looked after security matters. Their experience and sphere of influence has more in tune with north louth than Lurgan. If you take the hurlin outposts of Ballycran, Ballygalget and Portaferry - I've heard a hurler from Downpatrick describe them as 'Yellowpacks' because a majority vote Aliance out on the Ards penninsula in these districts. Hardly all-them-bloody-nordies-are-the-same. On the urban/rural divide, we have large areas without any gaelic games and not just in what would be perceived as loyalist stongholds. Apart from great efforts in Derry City, viewed as the great untapped source by some, by clubs like Steelstown, there is a soccer domination. I've often heard fans from the Bog' being slagged about being 'provie soccer lovers' and it was their fellow countymen dishin it out. Funny I've heard the same line used against people from Clones.

If you find an intensity to win that is somehow stronger i'd like you to point it out to me in the Derry team(Big Doc aside).If you can you're a better man than me. But seriously the intensity which you perceive is not born solely out of the political situation in which they find themselves but has been instilled from an ever increasingly professional underage set ups. Ironically one of the biggest political impacts on the development of gaelic games was the 1948 Education Act which forced the stormont regime to provide free secondary education and to increase capital grants to Catholic sector schools. As schools dominated by gaelic games had learned to fight for funding so this intensity was transferred to the pupils on the schools' playing fields. The passion for the games increased with every decade but it was teams like Offaly in 82 and underage success that inspired Donegal and Derry to finally capture Sam.It wasn't about being from the sick counties it was about being from Donegal and being from Derry and proving themselves to all the other counties. That said the streets of Carrick' and 'Blayney were bunged with fellow Ulstermen to celebrate with us in 93 and that affinity didn't start when them august individuals met in Thurles some 125 years ago or the partition of our country. It's in the genes as that Professor of genetics at Trinity has proved. We're all sons of Niall in the top half of the country(slight poetic license).

The 'freestate-extraditing bastards' type abuse (I've heard that) is only justifiable when you're in good company and getting the 'Queen's shilling' type abuse threw back at you. The problem that I have is when some commentators, and I'd name Martin Breheny and Liam Griffin here, can't seem to hide some of their own bias. I remember at the time of the Rule 42 debate (I was in favour of lettin in groundball and throwball and charging them top dollar) Liam Griffin on Newstalk accused "northerners of being like Neanderthals" about the issue. He went on to say that "they should do something about hurling up there(yip we're all the same up here) instead of holding people back". How would you feel if you'd supported the change in Rule 42 and you had played hurling all your life and coached hurling and along comes this guy who you thought the world of after Wexford in 96 and comes off with that shite. How about checking out the football situation next door in Kilkenny ye bigot.

In the debate about pay for play Breheny tried from the start to paint it as thick Ulstermen even though opposition was to be found throughout the country and not because they care passionately about the future of the games in years to come. I was very surprised at the people who opposed payments and the people who supported them and it shattered a lot of preconceived notions of some people that I would have had. In my own county of Derry the senior county players from Ballinderry(you couldn't get more traditional) came out in favour while some work colleagues in Dublin who wouldn't be ardent traditionalists were opposed.

Concerning triumphalist supporters I have met some bad uns from Armagh but as you'd understand from my point of view there's nothing worse than a gloating boyo from among the bushes. A fella from Ardboe who was living in a house full of Derrymen said when I queried the fact that "I'm no one your typical hateful Tyrone c@nts". Have you never been talking to an ebullient Dub taxi driver after a win? It certainly ain't nothing to do with borders, they just want to stick it to the culchies as Ard-T on here would have it. (commiserations again there Ard-T )

The evolving style of football from the likes of Armagh and Tyrone may sometimes result in woeful entertainment but it's conception was on those school pitches and the same passion for winning. I'd wait and see where we go next in terms of styles of play but i wouldn't be surprised if it emerges from their near neighbours.

And finally a big roar of encouragment to the Derry U21 hurlers who take on Tipp in Mullingar on Saturday. I was one of the fifty that was there when they lifted the Ulster title against Down and I'll be there on Saturday.

Up the Oak Leaf! Na Cianachta Abú! Na Fir Tuitre Abú! Mic Cholmcille Abú!

Doire Abú

Oh I don't care anymore. Kerry can have the Sam, I'll be watching Kilkenny v Waterford in the hurling. A much more appealing prospect.

Thanks for the empathy, Seathrún, it's much appreciated.

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

Oh I don't care anymore. Kerry can have the Sam, I'll be watching Kilkenny v Waterford in the hurling. A much more appealing prospect.

Thanks for the empathy, Seathrún, it's much appreciated.

Tá fáilte romhat Ard-T. Which category would you like to pigeon hole yourself in?

SeathrúnCeitinn wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

Oh I don't care anymore. Kerry can have the Sam, I'll be watching Kilkenny v Waterford in the hurling. A much more appealing prospect.

Thanks for the empathy, Seathrún, it's much appreciated.

Tá fáilte romhat Ard-T. Which category would you like to pigeon hole yourself in?

Go raibh míle Seathrún. Category? Cad?

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

SeathrúnCeitinn wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

Oh I don't care anymore. Kerry can have the Sam, I'll be watching Kilkenny v Waterford in the hurling. A much more appealing prospect.

Thanks for the empathy, Seathrún, it's much appreciated.

Tá fáilte romhat Ard-T. Which category would you like to pigeon hole yourself in?

Go raibh míle Seathrún. Category? Cad?

Ar léigh tú an píosa a scríobh 'anmajornartháinig' i lár an leathanaigh seo? Alt maith ar chineál lucht tacaíochta.

SeathrúnCeitinn wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

SeathrúnCeitinn wrote:

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

Oh I don't care anymore. Kerry can have the Sam, I'll be watching Kilkenny v Waterford in the hurling. A much more appealing prospect.

Thanks for the empathy, Seathrún, it's much appreciated.

Tá fáilte romhat Ard-T. Which category would you like to pigeon hole yourself in?

Go raibh míle Seathrún. Category? Cad?

Ar léigh tú an píosa a scríobh 'anmajornartháinig' i lár an leathanaigh seo? Alt maith ar chineál lucht tacaíochta.

Ah, feicim. Leighfidh mé an píosa luaitear.

Hmm, ceapaim go bhfuil mé i ngrúpa a dó ach nílim fíor-cinnte.

I dtosach báire ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leat a Sheathrúin faoin bhfreagra fada a thug tú ar an alt a scríobh mé féin. Sula dtugaim aghaidh anois ar do fhreagra ba mhaith liom gach rath a ghuí ort féin agus ar mhuintir Dhoire sa gcluiche atá agaibh in aghaidh lucht caite na gcloch.

Anois,

1. It was never my intention to lump all Northern support in together in terms of behaviour the point I was making was that, in my opinion, there is a noticeable trend among a minority of supporters from the North to behave in particular ways that`s not confined by county borders. It`s this behaviour that has a root in the conflict in the North.

2. I well understand that nationalist areas in the North aren`t a homogenous block. But it is interesting the point you make about people in the Ards peninsula voting Alliance. It confirms the prejudice my aul`fella has against people from Down. He can`t hear the name of Down without throwing in "Tame Catholics." Similarly he can`t hear the name Waterford being mentioned without throwing in "Blueshirt country."

3. The point you make about the lack of Gaelic games in Derry was known to me but the same point could be made about any urban area in the country and that includes towns such as Sligo and Athlone. Galway City is poor enough for Gaelic games. Come down when Galway are in an All-Ireland and see what little fuss is made in the city. The townies were always useless to man or beast to be honest though.

4. The intense desire to win is something I`ve noticed about the fans rather than the players necessarily and it wasn`t a criticism. Go to Croke Park when Tyrone or Armagh are playing and compare the noise generated with that when Galway or Mayo are playing and you wouldn`t think we were from the same continent not to mind country .

5. The point you make about the abuse about the British connection is fair enough and I should have raised that myself and to be fair there is a tendency among some commentators to treat you all as being the same.

6. You`re right about some Dubs being triumphalist as well but that also stems from the hangers on that attach themselves to a successful Dublin team. Don`t forget the Dubs aren`t fully Irish either. (i`m a hundred percent joking here. The last sentence is only a windup).

Ard-T says he doesn't care any more but you're right , bloody Palesmen ....*gently prods Ard-T with stick*

But on your other points we're more clanny the more northern you go. We do tribal with a small 't' well and we're vocal. A lot of people know what the players have given so why not return the favour by roaring your approval from time to time.

ON the other score they used to say 'head hung low like a Larne Catholic' but they've got a hurling club there now the brave souls and if one came from there or Dunloy (an island in a sea of loyalism) I think one would be as passionate in one's devotion. Yer DA wasn't prejudiced he was a great judge of charachter.

Go raibh míle maith agat as ucht do dhea-thoil don fhoireann dé Sathairn seo chugainn. Déanfaidh siad a gcéad dhícheall Tiobraid Árainn a chur faoina gcosa. Tasc eipiciúil atá rompu ach d'íobartóinn gabhar do na Déithe dá gcuideofaí é ach ná téigh isteach gan fócas nó imeoidh tú gan dóchas....arís .....comhrá thar a bheith suimiúil

Is maith liom an líne faoi Chaitlicigh Lathairne ach ní chuirfinn aon mhilleán orthu.

anmajornarthainig wrote:

Is maith liom an líne faoi Chaitlicigh Lathairne ach ní chuirfinn aon mhilleán orthu.

Dúirt Bernadette bheag an nath cainte don chéad uair agus tháinig sé amach ón trua a bhí aici dóibh. Níl ach meas agam do lucht leanúna Clg sa cheantar.

SeathrúnCeitinn wrote:

anmajornarthainig wrote:

Is maith liom an líne faoi Chaitlicigh Lathairne ach ní chuirfinn aon mhilleán orthu.

Dúirt Bernadette bheag an nath cainte don chéad uair agus tháinig sé amach ón trua a bhí aici dóibh. Níl ach meas agam do lucht leanúna Clg sa cheantar.

Big time.

Ar ais arís ón Mhuileann gCearr agus comhghairdeas do lucht caite na gcloch ar a mbua. Is rí-shoiléir gur bhuaigh an fhoireann is fearr go glan ach caithfidh mé ardmholadh a thabhairt do scaifte Dhoire, go háirithe, Darryl Mc Dermott(cúl báire) ar shabháil trí huaire go gleoite.

B’fhéidir nach raibh ár gcéad buile ar an leibhéal céanna leis an fhreasúra (le Pa Bourke ar leibhéal eile) ach sa dara leath bhí sé i bhfad níos comórtasaí le TÁ 0-10 – Do 0-6. Níor scóráil TÁ don cheathrú deireanach cé go raibh seansanna, agus chun an fírinne a rá, an cluiche acu. Chuaigh agus d’imigh le dóchas i ndáirire. Níl mé ag iarraidh a bheith líonta le dóchas bréagach ach aithníodh comhtharthaí spreagúla agus foinsí misniúla le súil ar na blianta atá le teacht. Ár séasúr idirchondae fíorchríochnaithe anois, níl fágtha ach amháin cogadh na bparóistí d'arbh ainm craobh Dhoire.

Ádh mór do Thiobraid Árann in aghaidh Chill Chainnigh.

Ar chúrsaí peile lá amarach.......bhuel.....cad ba mhaith leat? Ag fáil báis sa tine nó sa phóta......dá mbagrófá mé chun freagra a thabhairt...b'fhearr liom bua Chorcaí ach chuirfí iontas orm dá dtarlódh cluiche a bheadh níos fearr ná ag féachaint ar phéint agus é ag triomú. Déanfaidh mé réidh le péint agus balla do thráthnóna amarach. Nach féidir leis an bheirt acu an cluiche a chailliúint agus ar aghaidh linn ar an gcosán ama chun na bliana seo chugainn.

Beidh lá eile ag na Doirigh le cuidiú na nDéithe.

SeathrúnCeitinn wrote:

Ard-T says he doesn't care any more but you're right , bloody Palesmen ....*gently prods Ard-T with stick*

Well the whole match was utterly dispiriting. We never truly engaged with the match and were continually chasing the Tyrone offensive. The Tyrone team set the terms of the match and we couldn't compete. Added to that the fact that our continual Leinster Final wins carry ever less currency in a GAA where Ulster is revived and Kerry continually assure themselves a place in the All-Ireland Final, it conspires to create a very dismal time for us Dubs. We are brought along in early stages by emphatic victories on the scale of our trouncing of Wexford in recent weeks to the point where we slam into either a Kerry or Ulster-built brick wall in the final stages of the tournament.

And don't you be talking bloody Palesman, I respect and admire the contributions of our provinces to the national output. The only ones to get on my wick are those bloody Corkonians with their vastly over-inflated self-regard. I was heartily delighted to see Kilkenny systematically rout them in the hurling.