LOI at National Ploughing Championships

Just back in the office today after spending two of the best days of my life down at the National Ploughing Championships in Kilkenny. The FAI and National Dairy Council had a joint stand and the CPO's from the League clubs were down promoting the league and hosting a Penalty Shootout Comp. Was amazing. Over 3,000 people had visited the stand and many more had been given leaflets on the league before I left at 3ish yesterday.

The feedback was brill, the amount of people from the farming communities who had an interest in the game shocked me. They were queing up to get in to do the penalty shoot out competition and had great chats with people from all over the country about their local teams. Loads of people got to touch and take pictures of the League trophy and the place was packed out for the "celebrity penalty shoot out" competitions with George Hook and Ray Houghton getting the biggest cheers yesterday. I missed John Delaney taking his shots though as was trying to control the crowds crushing into the tent!

I hope today is going as well for the lads that are down there still.

I feel so good coz leading up to it I was worried that there would be no interest in us but even had a few people comment that it was great to see the FAI there and the overall reaction to us was so positive.

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Originally Posted by Magicme

The feedback was brill, the amount of people from the farming communities who had an interest in the game shocked me. They were queing up to get in to do the penalty shoot out competition .

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I'd say the majority of them took their point.

PS Good atricle for the local paper Magic, cheers and see you there

Ha ha true! It was mad how many Wexford GAA jerseys there were and I made a point of talking to most of them about the Youths. They were all really supportive of ye and most of them have been to their games and some were going to the final on Sat.

Thanks OldYouth. When was it published? How did you know it was me? :D (stupid question!)

There's a picture in the Indo today of Ray Houghton in a pair of wellies taking a penalty. Nice to see the young lad looking on was wearing a Cork City jersey and not a ManU etc one.

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Originally Posted by Magicme

Ha ha true! It was mad how many Wexford GAA jerseys there were and I made a point of talking to most of them about the Youths. They were all really supportive of ye and most of them have been to their games and some were going to the final on Sat.

Thanks OldYouth. When was it published? How did you know it was me? :D (stupid question!)

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It was published in the Wexford Echo yesterday and the underlying clues to your identity were in the article itself. Monaghan......Monaghan......Monaghan..........Mona ghan.......Monaghan........Youths.

I do you a disservice, it was good

Exactly Celdrog. While most of the jerseys on view over the 2 days I was there were GAA (particularly Kilkenny hurling) and a good smattering of English teams I did encounter some Cork City, Wexford Youths (the pink one on a girl aged about 6) and Waterford United jerseys. Many others told me that they were Galway United and former Kilkenny City fans too.

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Originally Posted by oldyouth

It was published in the Wexford Echo yesterday and the underlying clues to your identity were in the article itself. Monaghan......Monaghan......Monaghan..........Mona ghan.......Monaghan........Youths.

I do you a disservice, it was good

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Ha ha. So you think no one else in Monaghan cares about United? You could be right!

Was asked to do the piece due to the history of the two clubs being intertwined with your first eL game being here and am never one to refuse publicity for my club!

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Originally Posted by Celdrog

There's a picture in the Indo today of Ray Houghton in a pair of wellies taking a penalty. Nice to see the young lad looking on was wearing a Cork City jersey and not a ManU etc one.

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It's the CPO Stephen Ryan.

You beat me to it Hitman, only just got to see the pic there a few mins ago and copped it was Stephen.

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Originally Posted by oldyouth

I'd say the majority of them took their point.

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:D That's probably true too

Great to see this happening. Making it evident that there is a league out there.

This really is developing the game at the grassroots!

Sounds excellent and good to take on the GAA in their heartland.

Its not really about taking them on as such just helping GAA fans realise that there is some real football to be watched!

People were very impressed with the league trophy and teenage girls were the most excited about having football in their area. Maybe they all wanna be wags or they just have less interest in the English game!

I can picture it now:

Irish WAGs get the best bargains in Penneys <insert picture of smiling blond bimbo holding up Penneys bag>

Scarlet! My mum by some freak of luck, (or bad luck!) recorded The Afternoon Show today and low and behold they showed a piece from the Ploughing and muggins here can be seen from behind MISSING penalties! When we were waiting for the celeb shoot out to start the CPOs were messing and taking shots and didnt realise they had filmed us. Of course they didnt show when I scored but it was great to see them doing a piece on the NDC/FAI stand!

I have to say it was good to see the FAI at the Ploughing Championships using the opportunity to reach the wider audience, as there were record crowds attending this year's event due mostly because of the fine weather & other agri shows being cancelled earlier in the year.

Working with the NDC on the milk/health/nutrition issue was a good angle. I’m sure it went down well. (No pun intended)

Hopefully MNS will get some more viewers now after all those flyers being handed out to everyone passing by outside the stand.

It was also very nice to finally get my hands the the Eircom League trophy!!

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Originally Posted by Magicme

the amount of people from the farming communities who had an interest in the game shocked me.

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What's so surprising about farmers having an interest in game?

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Originally Posted by amjl

What so surprising about farmers having an interest in game?

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Because they, like most of the country are obsessed with GAA and dont care about the league or so it seemed!

It was great to see the LoI represented at the ploughing. I gave the penos a go, getting 0/3, though in my defence I was wearing wellies!
Just wondering did many people get the 3/3 and win tickets to Ireland v Cyprus?

Were you wearing a Waterford United top? Was that on the Wednesday?

Did someone take a plough to Tolka Park for the derby on Friday? The pitch was a disgrace.