Donegal V Armagh (Qualifiers) - 9 Like(s)

tirawleybaron (National) - 12/06/2022 17:26:43

Dublin's Success Not Down To Money - GAA President - 7 Like(s)
Dublin's success is down to Numbers and coaching which needs funding which they get - same funding as a province and far more sponsorship than anyone else. They then get home draws all the time, get the cheap tickets, and have the same dressing room in every match. As an amateur sport, the GAA should be trying to have an even playing field and give everyone the opportunity to play the game. They shouldn't be funding an unequal system. Dublin has the biggest population, yet lowest playing numbers per head of population They don't even have to do fund raisers because they get so much funding from The GAA and sponsorship that the don't even ask for handouts They really need to be split in 3 to promote increased participation in Gaelic Games across the city. GAA is supposed to encourage participation not eletism.

tirawleybaron (National) - 13/06/2019 22:00:54

Mayo's double standard's - 6 Like(s)

tirawleybaron (National) - 31/07/2017 22:30:55

Leinster Football The Reality - 5 Like(s)

tirawleybaron (National) - 23/06/2019 20:21:49

Leinster Football The Reality - 5 Like(s)

tirawleybaron (National) - 25/06/2019 05:45:48

Connolly interfering with match official - 5 Like(s)
Connolly is innocent. Linesman forgot that all line balls are supposed to go Dublins way. Connolly only pushed him to remind him.
Not Connolly fault the linesman didn't apply Croke Park rules out in the sticks.
He has avoided a ban on a number of occasions, he will surely get out of this too.

tirawleybaron (National) - 03/06/2017 22:17:55

Four Teams Representing Dublin Geographic Area! - 5 Like(s)

tirawleybaron (National) - 07/02/2021 10:17:03

Time For More Sense About Match Locations And Times? - 4 Like(s)
Shocking attendance in Croker today Hope the GAA lost money on it

tirawleybaron (National) - 11/06/2022 20:44:17

Four Teams Representing Dublin Geographic Area! - 4 Like(s)

tirawleybaron (National) - 13/12/2020 15:24:11

Galway V Mayo - 4 Like(s)
Good to see some (not all) Galway posters in action. Ungracious when winning at half time and even more ungracious in defeat. The facts are there for anyone who is unbiased. Mayo, Dublin and Kerry are better prepared and better trained than all other counties. Donegal and Tyrone may be as well trained but aren't as well prepared because their championship is too tough to allow them prepare for a July/August peak. Galway just don't have the power or conditioning to match Mayo these days. They did ok for a few years on a small Castlebar pitch playing with a double sweeper. They are just not hard or fast enough to handle the big boys in Croke Park. The have loads of underage talent but cannot keep lads at it for the 4-5 years of serious training it takes to operate at this level. Too many walk away every year and allow their conditioning to drop - as long as they can't keep a panel together they won't be bothering the all Ireland contenders.

tirawleybaron (National) - 25/07/2021 20:49:37

What Is The Best Of Jim Gavins Ideas - 3 Like(s)
Just so everyone knows There maybe some rules to be tweaked between now and the final report. The committee looking at the rules consists of ex inter county managers whose teams played high pressing, attacking football. They are familiar with all the issues which are currently blighting the game. There is a logic to all the rules which shouldn't just be abandoned. 4 points for a goal is needed if the two points for a long range shot is needed. Otherwise everyone just shots for two and all teams defend the arc. What's was noticeable the last day was how much space was inside the two point arc, but players are so conditioned to not kicking it in, it wasn't exploited at all. 3 up/back rule - or GAA offside if you like A no brainer and not that hard to police at all levels - if someone breaks the line in a junior match, I can envisage a few roars from a few fanatics letting the ref know what's going on. The defensive minded coach has a few delemas that aren't easy to solve 1. Set up in a low block/ double sweeper in the D The attacking team can bring up their keeper and create an obvious extra man The overlap will create a two point shot opportunity necessitating the need to bring out the sweepers, leaving 1v1 defenders inside. 2. Hand passing counter attack Huge space between 40m line and halfway, but too far to handpass, forcing a kick pass. Leaving sweepers behind out of the counter attack, results in not having enough players up to create an overlap in attack For me, football matches disend to pure s@#te hawking I'm the last 5-10 minutes when one team is up by 4+ points. Nothing but deliberate fouling, feinging injuries, deliberate throwing the ball away, slowing up counter attacks etc. Under the new scoring system, even a 9 point lead can be recovered with two goals and a long range point. 5 instances of time wasting s#@t - housery can result in 5 two point shots also (new 50m punishment rule) That forces the leading team to keep to going to the end and gives the losing team hope they can come back. The current system allows a team go 4-5 points up, sit in a low block and time waste through the last 10 minutes. I'd be for trying all the rules together for one season (which is the plan) and then deciding what will work (which is the plan). So for all the naysayers 1. current football (both club and county) is not good to watch and is way to defensive (for my liking anyway) 2. There will be no changes for five years if changes arent trialled next year 3. Vote at your club to put all through 4. See how it goes - if it makes the game worse, you can always vote no next year when the vote on permanent implementation takes place. 5. If you never try something you never know if it will work. 6. Changing some without the others will result in a badly thought out set of changes which will end up in a game no one wants to see and ultimately little or no changes 7. No change for another 5 years will lose a generation of players and fans to other sports

tirawleybaron (National) - 22/10/2024 01:48:00

Mayo GAA Thread - 3 Like(s)

tirawleybaron (National) - 11/06/2022 15:30:31

GAA Venue Selection - 3 Like(s)
WEEKEND GAA FIXTURES SATURDAY JULY 6 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (Round 4) Semple Stadium, Thurles: Cork v Laois, throw-in 5.0pm St Tiernach's Park, Clones: Cavan v Tyrone, 5.0pm (live on Sky Sports) *Double header with the Ulster U20 Football Semi-Final between Cavan v Tyrone, 2.45 Gaelic Grounds, Limerick: Galway v Mayo Maigh, 7.0pm (live on Sky Sports) Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship (quarter-final) Semple Stadium, Thurles: Kilkenny v Clare, 3.0pm SUNDAY JULY 7 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (Round 4) O'Moore Park, Portlaoise: Meath v Clare, 2.0pm (live on RTE) All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (preliminary quarter-finals) TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar: Westmeath v Cork, 3.0pm O'Moore Park, Portlaoise: Laois v Dublin, 4.15pm Looking at the above you'd have to wonder what goes on in these fixtures committee meetings. When the blatantly obvious stares them in the face, they still can't get it right. They only seem interested in making sure that everyone has a seat and to hell with creating an atmosphere to enhance the experience. Dragging Mayo and Galway to Limerick to play in a half empty stadium when the Hyde would be packed to the rafters. Having Cork footballers (and their minibus of fans) v Laois in an empty Thurles on Saturday while Cork Hurlers are in a half full mullingar on Sunday. If Westmeath have to have home advantage then have the double header there and fill the place. Failing the above, why not have Meath v Clare, Kilkenny vC Clare and Cork V Laois in Thurles to make some attempt to fill the place. This obsession with choosing stadiums with enough seating to hold all the season ticket holders while the rest of the stadium is empty does nothing to promote the idea that "nothing beats being there". Playing matches in half empty stadiums where you can here the players shouting at each other is a disaster and takes away from the spectacle and does nothing for games promotion. Better off having packed stadia where not everyone can get in than half empty stadiums where you can swing a cat between supporters

tirawleybaron (National) - 02/07/2019 03:52:39

Leinster Football Semi Finals 2022 - 3 Like(s)
These matches should be in Portlaoise (Dublin v Meath) and Tullamore (Kildare v Westmeath) Would be way better atmosphere Kildare v Westmeath in an empty Croke park (Dub&meath fans won't be in to watch it) will be be like lockdown all over

tirawleybaron (National) - 08/05/2022 21:24:48

3V1 After Galway Red/Black Card(S) - 3 Like(s)
Everyone complains about the rules when they discover something they hadn't thought of. But think of the logic for a minute 1. Galway didn't purposely go down to 14 and then 13 men. 2. When defending Galway could bring back 12 players into their own half at the start of the game and when down to 14/13 - nothing changed by the red & black cards 3. When attacking Galway could bring forward 12 players + keeper - nothing changed after the red/black Cards 4. Donegal had the wind at their back and, on turnover ball, had a numerical advantage if Galway pushed 12 player up in attack - Galway didn't because that would be suicide into the wind - so Galway attacked with less players - scoring less - all as a result of the red & black cards. 5. When attacking Donegal could safely bring forward their keeper, knowing they still had a numerical advantage in their own half when attacking - so they could punish Galways lack of numbers by leaving the goalie upfield full time. What Donegal missed, was the chance to move their keeper into defence and bring on a forward in a sub goalies jersey. They could have had Shaun Patton at corner back and played with 13 in Galways half The problem is not the rules - the problem was Donegal didn't exploit them

tirawleybaron (National) - 24/02/2025 16:20:13

Leitrim GAA thread - 3 Like(s)

tirawleybaron (National) - 08/05/2022 20:29:12

Upcoming Special Congress - 3 Like(s)
Most people I know want change. In Mayo anyway, most couldn't give a monkeys about winning a provincial title. Only SAM matters these days. After 18 months with no supporters allowed Mayo couldn't sell their share of the 5k of tickets for matches with Sligo and Leitrim. Couldn't sell their allocation for the Connacht final either. It was a similar story in Kerry and Dublin. Kerry, Dublin, Mayo and Tyrone have been in 5 of the last 10 all ireland semis and are always in the q finals The reason they are so far ahead of everyone else is they play 7 league matches against high quality opponents and then play another 5-6 championship matches all summer long They use those matches to develop their squads and their style of play, training 3-4 times a week for 8-9 months of the year - while developing their S&C as they go Under the current system they will continue to get better and will never go back to the lower standards of 80% of counties Most other counties play all their football in Feb-May and stop playing and training for 5 months - their panel breaks up, manager gets sacked and they start all over again, while the top teams continue to progress and develop. 90% of counties are trapped in this system and have a massive turnover of players every year because young men are no longer willing to dedicate themselves to a futile cause, like hamsters on a wheel. To hell with administrators and supporters, they aren't being asked to use up their spare time flogging themselves against a wall for nothing. Proposal B is the best on offer. Change the championship, give players in all counties games all summer, give them the chance to develop their teams, their style of play and give them something to play for at their own level. Them give them the chance to move to the next level. Proposal B gives them that. Any flaws can be fixed. The current system is beyond repair - get rid of it.

tirawleybaron (National) - 10/10/2021 08:37:46

Football Format Changes Discussion - 3 Like(s)

tirawleybaron (National) - 05/06/2024 12:54:40

Senior Football Championship 2024 - 3 Like(s)
Why does a discussion on this year's championship always have a discussion on championship structures running through it? Even though there is another thread on that topic! Anyway back to this year's flawed championship. The draw has stitched up Connacht finalists and Ulster R UP and rewarded all Munster and Leinster teams teams for their pi#$ poor performance in their PI#$ POOR CHAMPIONSHIPS. Their reward will be short lived, if you can get beat Wicklow, or keep Kerry/Dublin to a 3 point lead at half time, you won't make many waves in a round robin unless your opposition is rotating players for the next match. When Ireland first played in a World Cup, three teams went through from that "group of death" also. Last year, that gave most teams something to play for. First place in the group is a big advantage becuase 2nd and 3rd place have to play 3 big matches in 3 weeks to progress to a semi final. Galway got.badly done last year for not winning their last group match when they looked like they had the group down up.after two games. Monaghan were the only team who got through to the semis after playing in the prelim qfinals. The trends from last year will really influence coaches thinking this year. I have a few predictions for ye. Group 1 - Should Mayo/Galway lose the first round match v Derry, they will play a 2nd string team in the last group match and might find a second string Donegal/Armagh facing them Group 2 - I would wager that Mayo/Galway will play a second string team v Dublin in the last round Group 3 and 4 will go down to the wire for 2/3/4 place. But in the end up, the q finals will still look something like Derry v Tyrone Dublin v Galway Donegal v Mayo Kerry v Armagh With all of the group winnners very likely to get through because they will be well rested. Yes the system is flawed but I'd have it anyway ahead of the old qualifiers or straight knock out

tirawleybaron (National) - 02/05/2024 04:34:55

How Do We Take Hurling On From Here - 3 Like(s)
In the 18th Century, there were two distinct versions of a game of ball and stick. In the northern part of Ireland, it was called camán, and played in the winter. A hard wooden ball, or crag, was struck with a narrow wooden stick, but could not be handled (as in modern shinty). In the southern parts the game was called iomán or báire and played in summer. The ball, or sliothar was made of animal hair, and could be handled or carried on a wider stick (hurl) than used in the north. The northern game was one of the common people, but the southern game was largely organized by the landlords who provided the hurling greens, picked the teams, typically of 21, and competed against each other for wagers. The game would often be part of much larger entertainment such as fairs and other competitions, and the gentry even participated with their own teams. Crowds of up to 10,000 attended. This region was conveniently supplied with dry level terrain and many ash trees, which became the favoured wood for hurls. The gentry change over to cricket post 1801 (act of union) and hurling went into decline. After the founding of the GAA - hurling took back its place from Cricket, but has stagnated since Irish independence. The modern game of hurling derived from the southern game and the northern game has disappeared. Top level Hurling is confined to areas of counties with good, dry, flat land. East Cork, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford, East Clare, East Limerick, East Galway and a few pockets in other areas, predominantly where there was landed gentry living on good land. This elitest history continues to this day and modern hurling hasn't really spread out from its original playing area in the 2.5 centuries since then. This is the single greatest failure of the GAA - in its entire existence, it has failed to spread the game of hurling through the entire country. The current structure, parish/club/county province hasnt worked and will not work - continuing to do the same things they have been doing since the 1880's is insanity. There is a blue print that can work - the ladies GAA have shown how you grow a game from nothing into a popular game with minimal input from male GAA clubs. Most ladies clubs in Mayo are amalgamated parishes. There used to be a North Mayo hurling club but now there is no amalgamated hurling club in the entire county. The fix is simple in Mayo anyway Have a hurling club in each Barony except Costello - leave Ballyhaunis and Toreen as the two clubs there. Let central funds provide a grant for a 4G hurling pitch and hurling wall in each barony with first call to the hurling club No doubt something similar can be done in every "weaker" county. Hoping every rural club is going to be able to provide a hurling and a football club is never going to work out.

tirawleybaron (National) - 24/02/2025 18:16:57