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Donegal GAA thread

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Replying To The keeper:  "Jack played all underage with Naomh Conaill and his father managed him in a lot of those underage teams.
The Doherty's and jack's family are all originally from fintown. So I don't believe there is any issue. As long as they moved to the area or played all underage in that area.
As regards the O'Donnell's from St Eunans, yes there father is from Glenties, however they never lived in Glenties and played all underage with St Eunans.
I know of an underage player who was approached by three different clubs, because the young player was from an area that had no club. And the area he was from, there was an equal distance to all three from where he was living.
At the end of the day, I know smaller clubs have to survive and try and keep players, however sometimes you have to be the bigger man and wish the player the best of luck and let him go. There is no winners when it comes to the player and the club objecting.
And I know what people will say, it's easy coming from a Naomh Conaill man, however I remember the days when we were competing in intermediate championships and it was hard work at underage that put us where we are today.
And we lost plenty of players along the way with injury, travel, and numerous other reasons.
Can't be good for a young player to be in that situation, and we as adults should think about that."
Good points you raise about them young lads playing for their father's club at underage.

Maybe now ask yourself why Kilcar didn't go looking for that player at underage...

peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1066 - 25/08/2024 17:12:00    2566698

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Replying To The keeper:  "Jack played all underage with Naomh Conaill and his father managed him in a lot of those underage teams.
The Doherty's and jack's family are all originally from fintown. So I don't believe there is any issue. As long as they moved to the area or played all underage in that area.
As regards the O'Donnell's from St Eunans, yes there father is from Glenties, however they never lived in Glenties and played all underage with St Eunans.
I know of an underage player who was approached by three different clubs, because the young player was from an area that had no club. And the area he was from, there was an equal distance to all three from where he was living.
At the end of the day, I know smaller clubs have to survive and try and keep players, however sometimes you have to be the bigger man and wish the player the best of luck and let him go. There is no winners when it comes to the player and the club objecting.
And I know what people will say, it's easy coming from a Naomh Conaill man, however I remember the days when we were competing in intermediate championships and it was hard work at underage that put us where we are today.
And we lost plenty of players along the way with injury, travel, and numerous other reasons.
Can't be good for a young player to be in that situation, and we as adults should think about that."
If the player in question was looking to transfer from Killybegs to Kilcar, do you think it would happen?

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9527 - 25/08/2024 17:38:49    2566705

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Replying To peiledoir20:  "Good points you raise about them young lads playing for their father's club at underage.

Maybe now ask yourself why Kilcar didn't go looking for that player at underage..."
I am not saying kilcar come out of this innocent, all I am saying is sometimes you have to wish the player the best of luck and move on.
I have seen some bitter situations where there was transfers and things spilled off the field onto nightclubs, pure bitterness and insane stuff.
I also know of a player who was a good minor who wanted to transfer and an objection was lodged and transfer rejected. Than minor never played gaa again.
Be the bigger club and express your disappointment, but wish the player luck and move on.

The keeper (Donegal) - Posts: 711 - 25/08/2024 18:26:05    2566711

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Replying To NPadraigAbu:  "I feel the divisional sides would work well for Inishowen or South Donegal, I think a combined team would be well able to compete. I'm not sure about the likes of East Donegal would be able to have a strong enough panel to compete at senior level however."
If it was a Finn Valley selection with McCumhaills it may work.

SouthOfTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 716 - 25/08/2024 20:15:24    2566738

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Replying To The keeper:  "I am not saying kilcar come out of this innocent, all I am saying is sometimes you have to wish the player the best of luck and move on.
I have seen some bitter situations where there was transfers and things spilled off the field onto nightclubs, pure bitterness and insane stuff.
I also know of a player who was a good minor who wanted to transfer and an objection was lodged and transfer rejected. Than minor never played gaa again.
Be the bigger club and express your disappointment, but wish the player luck and move on."
Like Naomh Conaill were the bigger club offering Kilcar a replay for the final in 2021?

peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1066 - 25/08/2024 20:25:38    2566744

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Replying To SouthOfTheGap:  "If it was a Finn Valley selection with McCumhaills it may work."
Are you thinking MacCumhaills would be a standalone club and not part of a divisional team if we had such an arrangement.If not they would have to be part of Donegal east or is it that only non senior teams that would be involved.

gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1126 - 25/08/2024 21:10:39    2566756

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Replying To gunman:  "Are you thinking MacCumhaills would be a standalone club and not part of a divisional team if we had such an arrangement.If not they would have to be part of Donegal east or is it that only non senior teams that would be involved."
As in the Kerry system, a standalone club would play as a club in the Senior Championship after winning Intermediate. Bearing in mind that there would be a very strong Intermediate Championship, and if you remained strong enough to stay Senior then you would be operating at a very high level. In Kerry, clubs like Dr Crokes have won All Ireland Club, but when their standard dropped they went down to Intermediate. But their top players were still then able to play Senior Championship with the Divisional side. So conceivably McCumhaills could play Senior Championship, but if they dropped a level, their best players would remain playing Senior football with the Finn Valley/East Division. But I do agree that a Finn Valley/East team at the minute would struggle without McCumhaills involvement.

SouthOfTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 716 - 25/08/2024 23:46:23    2566793

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Replying To SouthOfTheGap:  "If it was a Finn Valley selection with McCumhaills it may work."
McCumhails don't need a divisional side to be competitive in the senior championship because they already are, I really doubt they'd agree to deny their own players senior championship games in favor of lads from Convoy, Castlefinn etc.

NPadraigAbu (Donegal) - Posts: 85 - 26/08/2024 00:01:27    2566797

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Replying To SouthOfTheGap:  "Perhaps the answer in the future will be the Kerry model, where you play Junior or Intermediate Championship with your home club, and play Senior Championship for your Divisional side. Apart of course for the very strong club sides who will still manage to play Senior Championship on their own. This would retain an interest for struggling rural clubs who could still enjoy local rivalries, and yet also provide top level football for their elite players."
That would definitely benefit Donegal, its been discussed many times here over the years, I don't recall anyone being hostile to it in fairness.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1212 - 26/08/2024 09:18:32    2566836

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Replying To SouthOfTheGap:  "As in the Kerry system, a standalone club would play as a club in the Senior Championship after winning Intermediate. Bearing in mind that there would be a very strong Intermediate Championship, and if you remained strong enough to stay Senior then you would be operating at a very high level. In Kerry, clubs like Dr Crokes have won All Ireland Club, but when their standard dropped they went down to Intermediate. But their top players were still then able to play Senior Championship with the Divisional side. So conceivably McCumhaills could play Senior Championship, but if they dropped a level, their best players would remain playing Senior football with the Finn Valley/East Division. But I do agree that a Finn Valley/East team at the minute would struggle without McCumhaills involvement."
East Team would need to include more than the Finn Valley area of Lifford/Naomh Padraig, Castlefin/Robert Emmetts, Killygordon/Red Hughes, Ballybofey/MacCumhails and Glenfin?

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1212 - 26/08/2024 09:38:46    2566845

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Replying To Commodore:  "East Team would need to include more than the Finn Valley area of Lifford/Naomh Padraig, Castlefin/Robert Emmetts, Killygordon/Red Hughes, Ballybofey/MacCumhails and Glenfin?"
Letterkenny Gaels would add to East!

SouthOfTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 716 - 26/08/2024 12:52:57    2566928

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Replying To peiledoir20:  "Like Naomh Conaill were the bigger club offering Kilcar a replay for the final in 2021?"
What's that got to do with players transfers? And kilcar lodged there appeal and lost. And then proceeded to lose in the 2022 semi final shortly after that against guess who, Naomh Conaill, lol.
Now back to common sense, which was my point, something that appears to go over your head.
The young player himself is now in an extremely awkward position of having to tog out with players he tried to leave, let's hope for everyone's sake he is welcomed back and no ill feeling is made towards him.
Players have left our club and there was senseless bitterness for years, and thankfully I had the sense to realise it's only a game and stayed well away from that bitterness.
Again sometimes you have to be the bigger man or club and wish the player luck and move on.

The keeper (Donegal) - Posts: 711 - 26/08/2024 22:15:15    2567046

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Replying To peiledoir20:  "Like Naomh Conaill were the bigger club offering Kilcar a replay for the final in 2021?"
Why would Naomh Conaill do that?

Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 409 - 26/08/2024 22:33:09    2567048

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Replying To The keeper:  "What's that got to do with players transfers? And kilcar lodged there appeal and lost. And then proceeded to lose in the 2022 semi final shortly after that against guess who, Naomh Conaill, lol.
Now back to common sense, which was my point, something that appears to go over your head.
The young player himself is now in an extremely awkward position of having to tog out with players he tried to leave, let's hope for everyone's sake he is welcomed back and no ill feeling is made towards him.
Players have left our club and there was senseless bitterness for years, and thankfully I had the sense to realise it's only a game and stayed well away from that bitterness.
Again sometimes you have to be the bigger man or club and wish the player luck and move on."
And from what I gather from media reports, Kilcar have lost this appeal also. Yet you are asking the other club 'to be the bigger club'. What a load of nonsense when your own club wernt prepared to do the same.

My own club is of a similar size to Naomh Ultan and I can tell you what they are getting plenty of admiration from our and similar sized clubs around the county. If it saves a precedent being set by smaller clubs being picked apart I'm all for it.

Fair play to the county board on this one.

peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1066 - 27/08/2024 17:05:28    2567184

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Replying To peiledoir20:  "And from what I gather from media reports, Kilcar have lost this appeal also. Yet you are asking the other club 'to be the bigger club'. What a load of nonsense when your own club wernt prepared to do the same.

My own club is of a similar size to Naomh Ultan and I can tell you what they are getting plenty of admiration from our and similar sized clubs around the county. If it saves a precedent being set by smaller clubs being picked apart I'm all for it.

Fair play to the county board on this one."
100% small clubs have to survive too. Play for the club that your from. Many's a good player win all irelands playing for junior clubs

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2569 - 27/08/2024 18:35:58    2567200

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If it became the norm that all players have to do was say they want to go, then we'd have chaos. You'd see people coming in and being benefactors and players getting paid to entice them to join other clubs. It would be a zoo.

ThroughTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 55 - 27/08/2024 21:16:37    2567222

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Just for the record, Amy player can actually transfer if they want. All they have to do is move to the area and show the appropriate documents.

ThroughTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 55 - 27/08/2024 21:17:28    2567223

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Replying To peiledoir20:  "And from what I gather from media reports, Kilcar have lost this appeal also. Yet you are asking the other club 'to be the bigger club'. What a load of nonsense when your own club wernt prepared to do the same.

My own club is of a similar size to Naomh Ultan and I can tell you what they are getting plenty of admiration from our and similar sized clubs around the county. If it saves a precedent being set by smaller clubs being picked apart I'm all for it.

Fair play to the county board on this one."
It's not often we agree Peiledoir 20 but I have to agree totally with you this time.

Clubs can't say that they have any interest in fairness if they are poaching players.
We need reform of our current league and championship structures if we are going to see the smaller clubs stay in existence.

We currently have 40 clubs and we should do all in our powers to keep it that way. If clubs can entice players the strong will get stronger and the weak will become extinct.

Do we really want to lose 9 or 10 clubs.

Whateveryourhavingyourself (Donegal) - Posts: 59 - 28/08/2024 00:24:24    2567246

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Replying To Whateveryourhavingyourself:  "It's not often we agree Peiledoir 20 but I have to agree totally with you this time.

Clubs can't say that they have any interest in fairness if they are poaching players.
We need reform of our current league and championship structures if we are going to see the smaller clubs stay in existence.

We currently have 40 clubs and we should do all in our powers to keep it that way. If clubs can entice players the strong will get stronger and the weak will become extinct.

Do we really want to lose 9 or 10 clubs."
I disagree with you both on this, although perhaps I am less sentimental and more practical in my thinking on this topic.

I can fully understand a scenario where one very talented player with a Junior club wants to play at higher level more consistently and applies to join a nearby Senior club, where he will have to work harder to get into that team and really challenges himself.

As for clubs remaining in existence, if one player transferring is enough to sink a club, then that club is probably on life support due to depleted numbers anyway, perhaps due to long-term population migration from certain rural areas etc.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1212 - 28/08/2024 08:33:13    2567269

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Replying To Commodore:  "I disagree with you both on this, although perhaps I am less sentimental and more practical in my thinking on this topic.

I can fully understand a scenario where one very talented player with a Junior club wants to play at higher level more consistently and applies to join a nearby Senior club, where he will have to work harder to get into that team and really challenges himself.

As for clubs remaining in existence, if one player transferring is enough to sink a club, then that club is probably on life support due to depleted numbers anyway, perhaps due to long-term population migration from certain rural areas etc."
I disagree completely.

We tell anyone who will listen about our unqiue parochial outlook, "pride in the parish" & "pride in our county" etc
I'm sure there have been thousands of junior & intermediate players over the years who could have excelled at senior club level, but didn't, because they chose to remain playing with the club they played all their lives with. What makes this case any different? In soccer players are free to transfer to whatever club/level they/others deem them good enough to play in. But this isn't typically the case in the GAA. Should Declan Browne have switched allegiance to Kerry back in the day?

Also, whether this transfer goes through or not will not sink Naomh Ultan. But what I would say is that the difference he could make to Naomh Ultan in the Junior Championship is probably a bit bigger than the difference he'd make to Kilcar in the senior at this moment in time.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9527 - 28/08/2024 11:03:34    2567306

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