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Croke Park expansion - 2 Like(s)
A very interesting article was posted in yesterday's Irish Times dated Aug.29th 2026, it was in fact Kiernan Cunninghams interview with Pat Gilroy,
Pat as we all know has been there done that and wore the jersey for his club and county, successfully may I add, he is also a successful all Ireland winning manager. Coupled with being a successful businessman.
It's a must read but in the meant time here is two of his quotes,
" I had no problem with rugby and soccer being played in Croke Park when they had no stadium, but I'm scratching my head when we cut our calendar back and our kid's are going back to school and talking about going to see Manchester United at Croker."
" For 10 years I have tried to influence the Gaa from inside - - - I could be wrong on the pro thing but my eyes tell me I'm not."
In the greater scheme of things, professionalism is clearly what the association is aiming for. It's a hybrid organization for now.
supersub15 (National) - 30/08/2026 11:43:39
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Man Utd V Leeds Utd - Croke Park - 2 Like(s)
Replying To brayballer: "Thats the Jarlath Burns line Fionn and of course the gaa coaches benefit from money but are you telling me that if Croke park was nt used for other sports the gaa would not have money to coach kids.No money shortage in the gaa." "No money shortage in GAA" because they do a fairly good job in maximising all potential commercial revenue streams.
If they were to deny themselves a €14 million revenue stream but still wanted the same output on Coaching & Games and everything else, well then, they'd have to generate that €14 million elsewhere. And if they didn't have that €14 million to spend, they'd have to cut the budgets for coaching and all sorts of other things.
This is pretty basic stuff.
Pikeman96 (National) - 30/08/2026 13:01:14
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Roscommon GAA thread - 2 Like(s)
Replying To tommyc: "I took the short journey to Elphin match and they certainly proved me wrong too. A powerful performance from them when everyone including me wrote them off. So it's Faithleachs, Clann and Western Gaels or Glaveys for relegation. On your point about it being competitive , yes it is competitive for the ten teams outside of Brigids and Pearses. My comment from a few weeks back still stands. Yes Roscommon is higher quality but it is the least competitive of the county SFC that I go to in terms of likely winners" If things are so non competitive as you claim for Brigids then why haven't they retained the county title for a decade and why didn't they top their group last year?
Same question for Pearses. Before they brought Brigids to a replay last year they needed extra time to overcome Boyle,Oran and this weekend lost to Clann something that should happen if so far ahead of the other ten teams?
That comment you are standing by is underestimating the competitiveness of your county championship and view clouded on wanting more group games it appears.
That generally waters down a championship. Tyrone for example is regarded as the most competitive in the country and they have a straight knock out format. They treat their league football more serious than most counties something than should be looked at for other counties Roscommon included than thinking added more group games to the championship is the way forward.
Drax_the_destroyer (National) - 30/08/2026 13:58:18
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Galway Football thread - 2 Like(s)
Replying To Seniorleague: "St James in a biteen of trouble all of a sudden. Wasnt at it but from the scoreline seemed like a good game.
That oughterard loss is haunting them.
Hopefully as a city club they avoid the drop." They were well beaten by Oughterard in the end, in a game they were favourites for. Very fine margins overall though. Should have closed out the Annaghdown match and a one point loss today. Annaghdown topped the group unbeaten, which very few would have predicted at the start. It was a very competitive group.
The other 3 groups had the favourite finish top comfortably. Tuam now have a preliminary quarter to play, while the other 3 favourites will sit out that weekend. Might be what they need to find some form. Their performances haven't matched the pre-championship expectations for them.
WanPintWin (National) - 30/08/2026 22:04:12
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Wexford Club Hurling 2026 - 2 Like(s)
Replying To Formertownie: "I hope anyone that does go has a ball .
Is nt it better they can go withiut having a choice of letting the team down or let their mates and partners go without them qake up lads its the right thing to do .
Life is fir living nit to be flogged week in week out without any down time" I'll say one complimentary thing about the Electric Picnic that I've often thought but not sure if I've ever actually said here before.
Fair play to the organisers for creating such an aura about it that it's considered so unmissable if you're in your twenties or early thirties - i.e. the age band of 90% or more of our club GAA players.
Just a pity they wouldn't hold it sometime like the June Bank Holiday instead. Or any other one of the 35 weekends in the year that we don't use for club championship matches!
Pikeman96 (National) - 30/08/2026 20:30:02
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Longford GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Gaaforlife2023: "Agree but if they do will win leinster like mulinaghta they will need that for me to topple them" Remember Mullinaughta had won 2 or 3 in a row before they won Leinster. It is a bridge too far to say Clonguish will make an impact on Leinster this year. When they win 2 or 3 in a row they can start talking about Leinster.
B&G (National) - 31/08/2026 10:49:48
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Monaghan GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Hear niall mc kenna flying for Emyvale ... scored goal and 8 there in training and is in top form in the intermediate championship. He could definetly be a potential call up for the monaghan senoir squad. Seems like a like for like replacemnt for our legend conor mc manus. I've been told he's working in active 8 so will have a great relationship with captain Mick Bannigan. His back could be sore from carrying Emyvale year in year out, even though he lives in Monaghan town he plays for Emyvale which is a big loss for the harps
monaghanmad4567 (National) - 31/08/2026 10:40:46
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Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
We are getting to the crucial stage of the championships now but i have to say when you see it in the cold light of day that two out of Lomans,Shamrocks and Garrycastle will go out of the senior football championship is in terms of quality a disaster. Maybe Athlone and Moate might surprise me but surely in terms of merit the board have got it totally wrong.
jobber (National) - 31/08/2026 10:27:33
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Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To RebelAlliance: "I'm sorry but as a neutral who attended the game, Lomans absolutely did not deserve a draw - they were poor and the referee really did bail them out with some strange decisions. The standard of refereeing at both games left a lot to be desired but the second game in particular was scandalous. Numerous missed hits off the ball, baffling decisions and just no consistency whatsoever. Incredibly harsh on Kinnegad, I couldn't make sense of it at all." If you were refereeing a Championship game and one of the managers was your club mate who needed a result or his team were going to be knocked out wouldn't you try help him out?
iarmhiabu (National) - 31/08/2026 10:06:31
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Longford GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Jaysus lads some of ye are getting way too far ahead of yourselves! Clonguish have nothing won yet, they'll beat Ardagh and will then have two massive mental games to win it. Very easy to say they'll win it but the pressure on them with both the expectation and disappointment of previous years will play on their minds. Nothing guaranteed at all.
BallWatching (National) - 31/08/2026 00:06:40
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Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Late drama in the Championship structure, with Killucan pushing through further changes which will come into immediate effect and will see an increase in the number of teams qualifying from Senior Section B from three to four.
iarmhiabu (National) - 30/08/2026 23:18:56
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Man Utd V Leeds Utd - Croke Park - 1 Like(s)
Replying To brayballer: "I am well aware of profits and turnovers but Im just saying that the gaa are very comfortable money wise and can get along fine without premier teams playing in croke park .
The Gaa have big assets and savings also.
On top of all that counties get sponsorship also to help.I know Wicklow get over 300,000 euro per year in sponsorship and Dublin get around 1.5 million euro.
The gaa put back in most of their money but there is plenty of" Putting back even more can only make it stronger. If club and intercounty games are scheduled properly where's the problem from them making more money from vacant assets such as club astro pitches from other sports and intercounty grounds for gigs and other events? Clubs renting out facilities, as long as they're not clashing with club activities, can bring in some extra money and create goodwill. Might encourage parents to bring their kids to give hurling and football a go.
GreenandRed (National) - 30/08/2026 23:13:00
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Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Claretandblue: "Tubberclair Athlone and Moate through in Section B but important games to decide which two get to Section A. Tang vs Tyrrellspass a relegation play off essentially as is Finea vs Maryland. Milltownpass vs Shandonagh a knockout game too as is Ballinagore vs The Bridge. Garrycastle need to beat The Downs which would jeopardise The Downs qualifying." Tubberclair, Athlone, Moate all likely to rest players ahead of quarterfinal the following weekend. Not exactly 'jeopardy' when teams can pick & choose who they play and rest lads in the last round, this wouldn't have been the case under the old format. If the current system is retained, all 3 would be better off in Section B again next year. Tang V Tyrrellspass and Finea V Maryland would have been relegation play offs under the old system too.
WHLeinster2026 (National) - 30/08/2026 21:16:52
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Galway Football thread - 1 Like(s)
St James in a biteen of trouble all of a sudden. Wasnt at it but from the scoreline seemed like a good game.
That oughterard loss is haunting them.
Hopefully as a city club they avoid the drop.
Seniorleague (National) - 30/08/2026 21:03:26
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"It's Worrying For Football That More Rule Changes Are Being Considered!!" - 1 Like(s)
Replying To TsuDhoNimh: "The issue with the width of a pitch isn't that the arc won't fit, it's that the playable area within that new 2 point zone will vary significantly between an 80m pitch & a 90m one. (https://x.com/TsuDhoNim/status/2093390272805679479 an illustration of it helps clear up the meaning)
It means if we're playing on a 90m pitch like Tuam I've lots of space to ping passes into you in that new area to take an advanced mark and have a 2 point shot to nothing while retaining possession with the mark, or 2 shots at the 2 if you take the second one on, but if we're playing in a narrow pitch like say MacHale Park that tactic wouldn't be viable with the minimal space to look for the mark.
It's not a deal breaker by any means, but in a game where there's already a significant difference between how a larger or narrower pitch plays (or a harder surface versus a softer one) we're now introducing even more tactical nuances around it.
Nice to clear up all sidelines being worth 2 (they're foot on or outside of that zone anyway so all should have been 2 already), but not sure the variance within that 'extra' zone has more pros than cons.
@omahant: "Not sure I understand - "illegal" ok +50m, but "legal" tackle should be allowed".
Any tackle within 4m of the person taking the mark is illegal in the context there.
At the moment the 50m penalty only applies if the person raises a hand, claims the free kick reward for the mark and then the free kick is delayed. This would return the rule to the original setup where any foul (or tackle within 4m) on the person choosing to play on after a mark is back to 50m rather than a free from the spot.
There's already a 50m penalty for any foul designed to delay, which nearly all fouls on someone playing on from a mark will potentially fall under, so this could easily have been handled with a small tweak to the interpretation around that." I take your point re. width of pitches but I'd assert that the graphic on the post you link to actually reinforces my point.
Even on a minimum width pitch, kicking a score from one of those light orange areas inside the 20m line would be more difficult than kicking one from the regular green area outside the 20m line and outside the arc. Why then should it be worth only one point when the "easier" kick would be worth two?
Pikeman96 (National) - 30/08/2026 20:06:44
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Roscommon GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Gaa_lover: "I see Brigids Senior All-Ireland Finalists and Strokestown who played Intermediate football last year are level 0-10 each at half. Brigids given their qualities should go on to win but this debate that Roscommon senior club football isn't as competitive as some of counties is rather silly looking and a bit tedious." Dead rubber game. Realistically Brigid's will dismantle them if it was a knockout game.
RossieFan1980 (National) - 30/08/2026 19:04:43
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Man Utd V Leeds Utd - Croke Park - 1 Like(s)
Replying To GreenandRed: "What does 'in partnership with Dalata Hotel Group' actually mean? Are they leasing the land in Clonliffe Road to the owners of Maldron Hotel, are they doing that and getting some share of the hotel profits, what sort of arrangement is it?" My understanding is that the GAA own the hotel buildings and rent them to the two operators (Doyle Collection & Dalata).
Square_B (National) - 30/08/2026 17:51:09
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Man Utd V Leeds Utd - Croke Park - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Viking66: "You are talking turnovers rather than profit there. And you are ignoring the fact that all the profits get ploughed back into the GAA, be it coaching, clubs, infrastructure or whatever. There are very few paid staff in the GAA considering the size of the organisation." I am well aware of profits and turnovers but Im just saying that the gaa are very comfortable money wise and can get along fine without premier teams playing in croke park .
The Gaa have big assets and savings also.
On top of all that counties get sponsorship also to help.I know Wicklow get over 300,000 euro per year in sponsorship and Dublin get around 1.5 million euro.
The gaa put back in most of their money but there is plenty of
brayballer (National) - 30/08/2026 17:22:39
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"It's Worrying For Football That More Rule Changes Are Being Considered!!" - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Freethinker: "I think what you have mentioned needs looking at. A player has the ball and is surrounded by 3/4 players. Can't either hand pass or kick. He gets pinged then for over carrying. What is he supposed to do ? Hand the over the ball ?? Maybe limit the opposing players in a tackle on a player to 2 ?? 3 or 4 players around an opponent leaves plenty of cover for the sneaky closed fist also. I know this isn't one of the proposed changes, but maybe it should. 4 pt goal has been trialled and rejected. The hand pass probably does need attention. I wouldn't be in favour of banning the backward pass, but possibly limiting hand passes to maybe 5 ?" If there are 3 or 4 tacklers around a fella then there are 2 or 3 free teammates somewhere on the pitch. A good player would find one of these before he gets tackled by 3 or 4 lads in the 1st place.
Viking66 (National) - 30/08/2026 16:55:10
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Roscommon GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
I see Brigids Senior All-Ireland Finalists and Strokestown who played Intermediate football last year are level 0-10 each at half. Brigids given their qualities should go on to win but this debate that Roscommon senior club football isn't as competitive as some of counties is rather silly looking and a bit tedious.
Gaa_lover (National) - 30/08/2026 16:38:48
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