Few chats on Friday night and then wake up on Monday and watch the game back on the RTE player. Nice.

turnandshoot (Donegal) - Posts: 446 - 17/09/2012 20:42:23    1267951

turnandshoot



Same here sham

cundy1 (Donegal) - Posts: 6 - 17/09/2012 20:58:04    1267964

feel a bit guilty that i've two tickets for the Hogan Stand and some boys are still looking..........but survival of the fittest I suppose. Good luck, I usually find though you get a ticket if you've a fat enough wedge of sheets.

CheFinny (UK) - Posts: 1358 - 17/09/2012 21:03:34    1267971

I experienced the All Ireland weekend many many times before lust,money,fishing and matrimony saw me exiled in this beautiful county.[God help us] Ones rituals change especially as the big 60 dawns. The equestrian element pertaining to these events still hold a fascination for us older swingers. Technology has become a great friend to us almost senior citizens. Technology facilitates some retrospective riding as we can view some fillies from All Ireland weekends past. Most of these mares are as worn out as ourselves and are suitable for comfort rather than speed. These weekends usually coincide with reopenings of Bojangles in Leeson Street and Zhivagoes . The pace of the horizontal jogging is not too taxing,and the change from the marital bed is like a visit to a health farm.Throw in a good dollop of 60s and 70s music,and we really are "Up for the Match". I will drive up on Saturday ,play golf in Elm Park,rendevous with four old cronies in the Merchants that night.Later up to Temple Bar for a curry. By that time, we will have sourced 4 or 5 females from our college days.We all usually have a good night,no fifty shades of grey,we are all just plain grey,and most issues are comfortably black and white anyway. Of course during the evening we will observe the crack,colour,predictions,and banter from all the supporters. We will see the flirting,the expectation,the cool hand Lukes,the guys with no hope of a ticket or a shift,the joy and the happiness of it all. No, we wont be going to Mass,or the Big Tree. A walk in Clontarf,a coffee or two,and all 8 or 10 will head to The Palace Bar on fleet street. Here for the first time in 25 years the spirit of Con Houlihan[R.I.P] will be there as he has departed to the great authors table in heaven.Afterwards we all stroll up to Croker and I know that my friends and com panions will cheer for Mayo from start to finish even though their first loyalties are elsewhere. We will all return to our native heaths on Monday, doing pretty good impersonations of Cheshire cats, and I am more than hopeful, that I will see Sam Maguire again. You see, for me ,its all the same who is in the final,I am always there.

Brinsley Swartz (Mayo) - Posts: 2225 - 17/09/2012 21:42:40    1268020

my pilot gets me to dublin a few hours befor kickoff, PA checks me into the shelbourne, driver brings me to croker, i have a meal and some champers and watch the game from my box- same thing every year

theboydog (Mayo) - Posts: 52 - 18/09/2012 09:19:49    1268072

Ritual will change a little this year over in Sydney. Will stay in Saturday night most likely to save the cash for Sunday, up early on Sunday and out and about town for a while, hit PJ O'Brien's for the dinner and then off to the gym after for a quick session. Maybe get a cat nap then as throw in isn't until half past midnight, get down to Scruffy Murphys then for about 9 or that - they won't be showing the minor game as United are playing Liverpool, but I don't think anywhere in Sydney will be showing it as it's not on Setanta. Few warm up pints while half watching the soccer, chatting to the few Mayo lads I know going there, bit of craic. After the game it'll be after 2am, have the Monday off so may crack on for the night then, likely to end up in the Star before making it home around 8am or that to watch the game again.

Won't be the same, but will give it a good shot.

jason (Mayo) - Posts: 139 - 18/09/2012 11:40:57    1268181

CheFinny
County: UK
Posts: 1330

I usually find though you get a ticket if you've a fat enough wedge of sheets.


CheFinny - You'll need some "wedge of sheets" to clean up your mouth from all the **** that's coming out of it!

pdempsey (Mayo) - Posts: 1313 - 18/09/2012 11:55:28    1268197

My ritual is changing a bit. It basically revolves around landing in Dublin around 9 in the morning and tearing into a scatter of cans of dutch gold. Will scramble to the big tree or quinns for the match, tryin to sneak a few dutch gold in so i don't have to pay for pints. Then I'll watch the recording of the match the next day to find out who wins as I may not remember.

HON MAYO!!!!!!!!!!!!

razor99 (Mayo) - Posts: 186 - 18/09/2012 12:21:55    1268223

Thursday: Chill, read/watch/listen to all the media build up to the match

Friday: Go for a wee spin around the county with my my brother, to take in the colour and atmosphere. 3/4 pints in local that night to try and relax.

Saturday: Depart Letterkenny at 10 am with a car full and the green and gold hanging out the windows. Enjoy the drive through our Tyrone neighbours county with our flags flying high. Arrive in South Dublin at 2. Shower & change and then into town for pints, god-knows-where. End up in the Harcourt/D2 till the wee hours.

Sunday: Up early with a mild hangover, cook massive fry-up for all in the house. Green and Gold on. 10 am Luas to Stephens Green, then walk to Drumcondra, taking in a few boozers along the way. Hit the Big Tree or another hostelry around 12.30. In for 2nd half of minors and then please god the biggest celebration I've ever seen come 5 pm (I was 10 in 1992).

Monday: Up home regardless of result, but hopefully to celebrations in DL Town.

Tuesday: Dying…………make way back to Dublin for work the next day (hopefully with Donegal as All-Ireland Champions 2012)!!!!!

LetterkennyMan (Donegal) - Posts: 393 - 18/09/2012 12:31:24    1268232

Donegal have not been in an AI Final in 20 years!!.....how do they have a 'ritual'???
What they actually have is: 'what they will do on AI Final day/weekend'!!!!!
....lets get real here like!!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 18/09/2012 13:07:18    1268270

Snuff did you ever hear of a neutral.
I attend the All Ireland Final every year even though we haven't been there since 92 and often go to Dublin on the Saturday without a ticket, usually picking up one in Dublin so I have my ritual, it's probably just another Sunday for you but then the Dubs never do have to travel far for a final!!!

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1677 - 18/09/2012 13:20:13    1268284

Same as yourselves last year Snuf, except it was 16 years. Can we not get a wee bit excited without pedantic posting from the likes of yourself?

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9785 - 18/09/2012 13:23:08    1268289

Who woke snuffy up from his afternoon slumber?

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 18/09/2012 13:51:23    1268322

CheFinny
County: UK
Posts: 1330

1267971 feel a bit guilty that i've two tickets for the Hogan Stand and some boys are still looking..........but survival of the fittest I suppose. Good luck, I usually find though you get a ticket if you've a fat enough wedge of sheets.

well che, they say a fool and his money are easy parted, and only a fool would pay over face value for a ticket

pig.ignorant (Derry) - Posts: 655 - 18/09/2012 14:13:20    1268344

Grey_Wolf
County: Leitrim
Posts: 59
good lad grey, sounds like a decent enough weekend. hope it goes well for you. remember to get the cream in before hand though, cause its not funny afterwards.

pig.ignorant (Derry) - Posts: 655 - 18/09/2012 14:19:57    1268347

Well in fairness snuf the only ritual the Dubs had for most years were gather up some hats,flags.scarves for sale. That was the uppercrust as the other Dubs with an interest in the match were chanting 'apples,oranges,ripe bananas'

Real Kerry Fan (None) - Posts: 2957 - 18/09/2012 14:22:31    1268353

One thing's for certain.....CheFinny is LOADED!!! "Fat wedges of sheets" to secure a ticket. A tout's delight!
Che, a nice place for a meal on Sun evening....Tea & Cucumber sambo's at Leinster Cricket Club Rathmines, old boy.

eaglehaslanded (Cork) - Posts: 135 - 18/09/2012 15:05:32    1268399

pig.ognorant how am I a fool? I want to spend my hard earned cash on a fantastic weekend in Dublin at the AIF. Many begrudgers here typical Irish and GAA boys.

CheFinny (UK) - Posts: 1358 - 19/09/2012 08:24:57    1268738

Hard to have a ritual when it's your first time in 20 years!!!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 19/09/2012 08:46:33    1268745

How original RKF. Hopefully, it will be a long time before you hear those chants again :-)

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 19/09/2012 08:51:28    1268749