Well I suppose i may have been a bit hard on Ricey McMenamin, who was a class act during the All Ireland years. I rate him very highly, and don't mean to sound negative towards the man himself. However I stand by my comments that he and others should have been replaced long ago.

As for Owen Mulligan, The Jury is still out. Railway cup performance or not, I felt he has been lacking for Tyrone in the big games over the last few years. Now It's not that i don't think he has the commitment, just that I don't feel he has the legs anymore for that very top level. Like he might get away in Ulster playing weaker counties, but its when playing the big boys that you see the difference. Against the likes of Dublin, Mayo, Cork and Donegal you need all 15 men on the field to be going at full tilt. All 15 must be able to match the opposition man for man in fitness, stamina and speed.

Tyrone have some brilliant young players, Outstanding reserves of talent at their finger tips. If they give the young guys a chance, I think Tyrone would be hard to stop. Imagine the hunger these young guys have to not only match their predecessors, but also to surpass them. Instead of winning 3 All Ireland titles, the next batch could win 4 or 5.

I think the Tyrone management won't force any of the All Ireland winners out or drop them, I think they kinda just let them go in their own time out of respect. Problem is that some of these guys don't think their past it, and keep going regardless. And in fairness they still have the skill, just not the pace.
I love seeing Tyrone in full flight, a true spectacle to behold. I appreciate good football, regardless of the county playing it. My comments are not aimed at taking cheap shots at Tyrone, but simply out of frustration at Tyrone's slowness to rebuild.

When your own county is facing dark times, It is sometimes nice to see your neighbours bring a bit of light back to the province.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3057 - 18/10/2012 09:08:44    1284780

BettystownRoyal
Tyrone won't be any better, can't see Down improving either so apart from those two there's nobody to realistically challenge Donegal dominating Ulster next year. Armagh were their bogey team but I don't think the current Donegal squad fear anyone in the country at this stage. They by far the hardest run possible to the final this year and did it with ease. Could the 3 in a row be on?

______________________________________________

That's my original post. Looks like Tyrone are much improved and could be the team to stop the Ulster 3 in a row! I was right about Down as they've gotten worse. Armagh are out of the picture. But Derry are the team to watch. If Donegal get over Tyrone they will have their work cut out for them against Tyrone.

BettystownRoyal (Meath) - Posts: 3353 - 20/04/2013 19:35:59    1370788

BettystownRoyal
County: Meath
Posts: 3289

1370788 BettystownRoyal
Tyrone won't be any better, can't see Down improving either so apart from those two there's nobody to realistically challenge Donegal dominating Ulster next year. Armagh were their bogey team but I don't think the current Donegal squad fear anyone in the country at this stage. They by far the hardest run possible to the final this year and did it with ease. Could the 3 in a row be on?

______________________________________________

That's my original post. Looks like Tyrone are much improved and could be the team to stop the Ulster 3 in a row! I was right about Down as they've gotten worse. Armagh are out of the picture. But Derry are the team to watch. If Donegal get over Tyrone they will have their work cut out for them against Tyrone.

I agree that Derry have come on leaps and bounds under Brian McIver, but I don't see them being at Donegal's level yet or Tyrone's for that matter. Maybe next year, but not 2013. I think they are strong enough to beat Down though, and give Donegal or Tyrone a tight game of it.

I still agree with your original post, as I still don't think this Donegal side fear anybody. A great or poor league campaign can sometimes mask reality for us when it comes to picking championship teams.

Donegal are All Ireland champions, and I really believe they will be better this season. TIgnore the league, the league gave us Kerry beating Donegal by 11 points last season and Dublin beating them by 9 points. They are the last team we should judge based o league performaces.
Tyrone have really improved, but having weighed it up over and over in my mind, I think Donegal are still ahead of them. It looks as if Donegal will be at full strength by May 26th and I think they will win and make a move for a 3rd Ulster title in a row.

Also looking to see Cavan shake & bake on the other side of the draw.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3057 - 20/04/2013 21:16:59    1370829

Garymac,you may refer to Tyrone as your neighbours,but they are also your fierce rivals.I know we hear a lot of talk about how the 26 counties supposedly don't like the North but if anything its the Ulster teams who don't like the 26 counties,but even allowing for this no Derryman should see Tyrone winning as "bringing light into the province".
It would be more accurate to say that your neighbours are winning thigs while your own county is getting worse.I may be a Galwayman,but I don't see any silver lining for Derry people there.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 20/04/2013 21:30:28    1370837

Depends on injuries and the like if Donegal are to be beaten. Having said that though, a full strength Donegal could well be beaten by Tyrone, and if they had an off day, Derry could spring a shock. Ulster is unusual this year in that all the strong teams are on one side of the draw, leaves a great opportunity for the likes of ourselves and Fermanagh to make an Ulster final appearance. I think with the intoduction of a few of our u21's we'll cause a few surprises.

Sergeant_Slash (Cavan) - Posts: 2182 - 21/04/2013 09:47:01    1370867

Gerrymac , 4/5 All Irelands for this Tyrone team? Do you consider them better that the team that won 3 ? I think they are a very good team but without S.O.N I think they have no go to forward. I don't see them winning Sam this year and if the loose their 2 key men to injury Sean Cavanagh and SON they won't win big games. For me the only team with real strength in depth is Dublin.

westkerry (Kerry) - Posts: 1250 - 21/04/2013 10:54:23    1370881

paddy power have got the betting spot on.Trone will challenge Donegal and its 50/50 whether Monaghan or Armagh will make it to the final from the other side of the draw.
Donegal 11/8
Tyrone 7/2
Derry 13/2
Monaghan 15/2
Armagh 8/1
Down 17/2
Fermanagh 22/1
Cavan 33/1







Antrim

55/1




top

bladecx (Monaghan) - Posts: 147 - 21/04/2013 11:35:42    1370898

joncarter
County: Galway
Posts: 316

1370837 Garymac,you may refer to Tyrone as your neighbours,but they are also your fierce rivals.I know we hear a lot of talk about how the 26 counties supposedly don't like the North but if anything its the Ulster teams who don't like the 26 counties,but even allowing for this no Derryman should see Tyrone winning as "bringing light into the province".
It would be more accurate to say that your neighbours are winning things while your own county is getting worse.I may be a Galwayman,but I don't see any silver lining for Derry people there.

When I speak of the province, I refer to the 9 county province of Ulster. This 26 county v 6 counties is nonsense, and has never been represented in my posts.
Ulster is very competitive Internally, and when one team rises to the top, generally a rival team will also up their standards to match them. And the other neighbours look on with envy and start plotting their own path to the top.
Strong competition in a province brings teams on ten fold. You often hear teams talk of wanting to play in Division 1, as that way you test yourself against the best players and teams. A strong provincial championship can also bring teams on too.

Derry are now better than previous few seasons, and will continue to get better under McIver. I believe that Derry players seeing neighbours & great rivals Donegal and Tyrone win Ulster titles and even All Irelands, will push themselves that bit harder to succeed.

You ask how Tyrone or Donegal winning is a silver lining for Derry? Well Derry City, Donegal and Tyrone people are extensively Interconnected through work, marriage and last August/September Donegal flags could be seen in places like Derry City, Strabane, Castlederg and Clady to name a few.
Derry City has itself not traditionally been a GAA stronghold despite it's large population of which the vast majority are of a Nationalist background.
However GAA is growing in the City, and I believe that when Derry youngsters see Donegal or Tyrone currently contesting the big games on tv, this might entice them to look at taking up Gaelic games or if already playing GAA sports it may make them push themselves that bit harder.
Ideally we would prefer the Derry team to be contesting the big games, but the Influence of seeing or neighbours succeed should not be discarded either.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3057 - 21/04/2013 12:32:18    1370928

westkerry
County: Kerry
Posts: 228

1370881 Gerrymac , 4/5 All Irelands for this Tyrone team? Do you consider them better that the team that won 3 ? I think they are a very good team but without S.O.N I think they have no go to forward. I don't see them winning Sam this year and if the loose their 2 key men to injury Sean Cavanagh and SON they won't win big games. For me the only team with real strength in depth is Dublin.

No I don't consider the current Tyrone crop better than the side than won 3 All Irelands, however I don't think they are the finished article yet. When I spoke of them wanting 4 or 5 All Irelands, I referred to them wanting to out perform their predecessors.
Whether or not the current crop could do that? Only time can answer that riddle, I would be doubtful to be honest.

I agree with you in that I don't see Tyrone winning Sam this year. Without Stephen O'Neill and Sean Cavanagh they would struggle, but this is no different to a number of other top sides. I consider Tyrone and Kerry to be rebuilding at present, and in Kerry's case they should be allowed time and space this year.

I agree Dublin have more depth that any other side. However I still feel Donegal, Cork and Mayo have strong enough starting 15's to match Dublin. Donegal were consistantly better than everybody else last season, and this season I believe they will Improve even further. I fancy Donegal to win Sam in 2013.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3057 - 21/04/2013 12:56:27    1370945

Gerrymac, good post, I would suggest Donegals win last year wast the greatest all Ireland win in 20 years. I personally don't think they will win back to back all Irelands. I actually would love a crack at them again. I believe that we will win Munster giving us a weekend in August in Croker and I genuinely think we have the team to get to Sept.

westkerry (Kerry) - Posts: 1250 - 21/04/2013 13:08:32    1370957

Gerrymac why is the GAA so weak in Derry city? Is rugby and soccer way more popular with the nationalists?

BettystownRoyal (Meath) - Posts: 3353 - 21/04/2013 16:43:05    1371090

BettystownRoyal
County: Meath
Posts: 3293

1371090
Gerrymac why is the GAA so weak in Derry city? Is rugby and soccer way more popular with the nationalists?

I'd say its more to do with the schools in the city they tend to promote soccer ahead of GAA and Rugby in the city it self Steelstown have a great club moving in the right direction ^

fortyfive (Tyrone) - Posts: 5929 - 21/04/2013 16:51:25    1371099

In reply to the Derry city issue , the city has a small but hardcore GAA following but it's in the very tiny minority. After Derry won the all Ireland 20 years ago, huge monetary and physical resource was implemented into bringing more people in this catchment area to increase the Gaelic playing population. The biggest of which was and still is the development of Celtic park as its cornerstone, strategically developed beside the Brandywell to try and entice youngsters into the sport. It has to be said that this has been a failure. There has to be a huge surge at grassroots level for this to be a success and despite the hard efforts of Gaels in the city this has not come to fruition. Derry City is and always will be a soccer city, that is undeniable. In the succeeding years however it could be argued that this has been at the expense of especially the more traditional heartland of Derry GAA in country north Derry and south Derry. I see this changing again with the amount of talent emerging from the successful secondary schools. It all begins at underage and the primary schools along with the support and dedication of their parents but the schools need to implement a a strategy. That's it in a nutshell!

I digress, back on topic, 3 years ago I was at ballybofey when Donegal beat Derry in extra time and then were demolished by cork in the qualifiers. And speaking to the Donegal fans that day(of which numbered about 3 thousand) they definitely weren't as upbeat or as cocky in their three in a row aspirations. In fact they absolutely rubbished them. Indeed, how times do change.

Derry aren't world beaters but there are plenty of snakes in the grass in Ulster , lets just watch it unfold.

johnjoseph (Derry) - Posts: 158 - 21/04/2013 18:03:58    1371134

Brolly reckons we'll take Tyrone and he's never too far wrong. Going to be difficult thougH!

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 10364 - 22/04/2013 14:54:32    1371746

Lockjaw
County: Donegal
Posts: 2729

1371746
Brolly reckons we'll take Tyrone and he's never too far wrong. Going to be difficult thougH!

If Joe says so, that's good enough for me!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5030 - 22/04/2013 15:11:52    1371760

BettystownRoyal

I think JohnJoseph summed it up very well, It is very much a soccer mad city.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3057 - 22/04/2013 21:28:50    1372088

Easy to answer this!.....Kerry will stop everyone!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 22/04/2013 21:44:19    1372100

http://gaeliclife.com/2013/04/brolly-a-fig-for-your-early-forum/

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 10364 - 23/04/2013 12:52:51    1372276

ohnjoseph
County: Derry
Posts: 96

1371134

I digress, back on topic, 3 years ago I was at ballybofey when Donegal beat Derry in extra time and then were demolished by cork in the qualifiers. And speaking to the Donegal fans that day(of which numbered about 3 thousand) they definitely weren't as upbeat or as cocky in their three in a row aspirations. In fact they absolutely rubbished them. Indeed, how times do change.

There was over 11,000 at that game, stop lying to suit your point. And why would you be talking to Donegal fans about a three in a row in ulster in 2009 when they hadn't won a game in Ulster since 2007?

Samsforthehills (Donegal) - Posts: 1075 - 23/04/2013 21:54:21    1372637

Donegal Ulster Champions 2013.

3 in a row is in the bag.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13846 - 26/05/2013 17:33:36    1391611