The 2014 GAA Thread

[Real ale Madrid]

If we are to play out a draw next weekend against Donegal and for whatever reason could not play the replay and had to play in Clones there would be annoyance but it wouldn't be this big bru-ha-ha that seems to have developed.

Ah come off the stage - there would be absolute pandemonium if Dublin had to replay outside of Croke Park for whatever reason! Are you having a laugh - It would need a good 2 hours on Joe Duffy for starters!
For the record I think all replays should be outside Croke Park - some all Ireland Semi finals themselves should be outside Croke Park - but saying there wouldn't be the hullabullo if it was the Dublin / Donegal game had to move is complete Tosh! What about tickets! Whara bout playin de all irelunt semi finuls outsodye de capidal ? What about the commercial implications for the GAA!

At the end of the day this (like everything in the GAA these days) was a commercial decision. Bringing College Football to Croke Pk is a commercial decision and not moving a potential 80k crowd to a 40k venue is another commercial decision. Fact is if Mayo / Kerry played in Dublin next Sat night 40 - 45k is about what the expected crowd would be - a number that can be accomodated in Limerick.

[DannyInvincible]

Today's semi-final was terrific. I feared Dublin were all set to steam-roll Donegal after a very convincing opening few minutes from them. Donegal just couldn't get a hold of the game and Flynn was popping them over the bar with ease. Somehow, Donegal gradually came back into it and, to everyone's surprise, had managed to claim the lead by half-time. It was an astonishing turnaround after trailing by about four or five points throughout most of the half. Matching anything Dublin threw at them, they went on to dominate the second half. By the final ten minutes, Dublin had lost their bottle completely and were desperately wasting chances. It was a well-deserved victory for Donegal in the end.

Yesterday's semi-final was also incredibly intense. These scenes at the end were absolutely crazy:



The burly fella in the Mayo cap there has become a minor celebrity. Five stewards on him and, even then, three or four reinforcements had to be called over from behind the goal!

[NeverFeltBetter]

Two great games alright, and was a great occasion for Limerick City.

The burly fella in the Mayo cap there has become a minor celebrity. Five stewards on him and, even then, three or four reinforcements had to be called over from behind the goal!

Hate stuff like that. He should be reviled, banned and generally told to **** off from the GAA in future, instead morons flock around him like he's some kind of hero. Same goes for that twit kid who tried to take a swipe at the ref as he was walking off the field. Was delighted to see a Guard deal with him.

[bennocelt]

Only bit of sport, pub I was in the whole place was laughing, lighten up

[NeverFeltBetter]

It is not "sport".

[bennocelt]

Well in the GAA its fairly common, and the mindset of gah heads wont be losing too much sleep over it. Can imagine the horror if it happened at a LOI game though!

[ArdeeBhoy]

Tbf, it is 'sport' in Mullingar...

[Mr A]

Any fan encroaching on a pitch during a sporting event should be banned. But chances are not a thing will happen here.

Anyhow, two super matches. Can't recall the last time I was as engaged by a match not involving Donegal.

As for yesterday, that was something else.

[BonnieShels]

Ah come off the stage - there would be absolute pandemonium if Dublin had to replay outside of Croke Park for whatever reason! Are you having a laugh - It would need a good 2 hours on Joe Duffy for starters!
For the record I think all replays should be outside Croke Park - some all Ireland Semi finals themselves should be outside Croke Park - but saying there wouldn't be the hullabullo if it was the Dublin / Donegal game had to move is complete Tosh! What about tickets! Whara bout playin de all irelunt semi finuls outsodye de capidal ? What about the commercial implications for the GAA!

At the end of the day this (like everything in the GAA these days) was a commercial decision. Bringing College Football to Croke Pk is a commercial decision and not moving a potential 80k crowd to a 40k venue is another commercial decision. Fact is if Mayo / Kerry played in Dublin next Sat night 40 - 45k is about what the expected crowd would be - a number that can be accomodated in Limerick.

Screw the Joe Duffy listeners. Pond Scum.

If the GAA in whatever unlikely scenario occurred that meant a Dublin replay was outside of Croker then the majority of supporters I would wager would have no problem with it.

We have played 2 championship matches outside of Croker Park since 2003. That's insane!

All moot at this point
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Anyway. That was some SF series.

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Re-watched the game again yesterday and today. I have to say for a neutral it was some game to watch. I rarely enjoy Dublin matches when I'm at them and need to re-watch them.

I said it yesterday that from the moment Connolly went down after the first 20 that's when the game started to head towards Donegal. It's only on the re-watch that I realised that that's when Christy Toye came on. Completely transformed the match.

We all know Spillane is brutal and lines like "If Donegal go on to beat Kerry, then Gaelic football is going to decline as a sport into some horrible spectacle" are just bordering on mental. Yesterday was a fabulous game and watching it again is confirming it.

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A couple of notes on the first half though. Cooper was very very poor and should have been subbed before HT. O'Gara actually did well when he came back into the HF line the couple of times he did.
I was a bit harsh on McFadden in my initial assessment, he wasn't so bad and did great for the first goal.

Out of all of the decisions made by the ref in the first half the free awarded to Leo McLoone that actually led to the first goal was a bad decision and in fact should have been a free to Dublin for over carrying. That is to say Donegal shouldn't have scored a goal from it. Fitzsimons was completely at fault for it in my eyes taking the catch and then losing concentration on Michael Murphy of all players.

Odhran MacNiallas, Toye and McHugh were immense.

Diarmuid Connolly was superb.

Paul Flynn is a frankly unbelievable player. He is one of the best I've ever seen.

Gavin made huge errors keeping COS, Fitz and Philly on. How Fitz wasn't subbed is beyond me. He was woful for all three goals. Not good enough.

Even at this stage of the game (50min) I had the feeling that the game had gone from us and yet Connolly and Flynn kept on going. They were immense. Proud of them like you wouldn't believe.

Flynn is POTY. No question.

McGuinness used his subs superbly. McBrearty was phenomenal when he came on.

And a final note about Spillane's HT analysis; he actually said he was enjoying the game and thought Donegal were good. I have no idea what he's taking.

Final thoughts on us:

1. Can't believe Jonny Cooper lasted til 61st min.

2. Michael Fitz, ROC, MDMA and COS were brutal.

3. Paul Flynn, Paul Flynn, Paul Flynn. With added Diarmuid Connolly.

4. Martin Carney was a disgrace with some of his comments about Dublin.

5. Joe McQuillan showed no mercy in dishing out cards at the times they were needed. A brilliant performance.

[BonnieShels]

Oh and Cormac Reilly and Kerry were a disgrace. ET on Saturday was one of the worst passages of "football" I've seen in years.

[Real ale Madrid]

2 great games - only thing that surprised me about the weekend was the fact that Donegal are still able to psychologically beat teams well before the final whistle. If you look at Dublin’s wide’s tally in the last 20 minutes they had lots of opportunity to tack over scores and get themselves back into the game.

It really pee’d me off 2 years ago when Donegal did something similar to Cork - the fact they were down 7 or 8 points around the 55 min mark Cork really threw in the towel and didn’t have any belief that they could still take the game to Donegal – fact was that day was that Donegal got tired in the last 5 mins, and I remember thinking that if Cork had tacked on a few points, then the late Colm O’Neill goal would have really been important – momentum is everything. Same thing last Sunday 50 odd mins gone 7 points up and instead of keeping the head Dublin start charging around the place and kicking really silly wide’s. Brogan missed a free or two which didn’t help either – but I think I counted 8 wides by Dublin in the last 15 mins – if half of those went over then it could have been a completely different story. Momentum is key and again that Blanket defence gets very tiring and even nervous in the last few minutes of the game – just my two cents anyway. Kerry may not throw in the towel so quickly.

[Mr A]

While Dublin shot a lot of wides, Donegal started taking points where there were goal opportunities towards the end. Had Dublin started to creep back I think Donegal had another gear in reserve.

[Real ale Madrid]

While Dublin shot a lot of wides.

Some of them were really bad wides.

Donegal started taking points where there were goal opportunities towards the end. Had Dublin started to creep back I think Donegal had another gear in reserve.

We will never know I suppose - a 3 point game with 5 mins to go would have been a different story. There was lots of space down the field for Donegal as Dublin started charging forward into the zone between the 65 and 45 - packing it a bit - a more level headed approach may have yielded a score or two more and left them less exposed late on. I just don't think Dublin tested Donegals fitness levels enough at the end.

[BonnieShels]

Last year's finals were amazing...

But that game today was out of this world.

We're blessed in this country. It was a privilege to witness that today.

[Real ale Madrid]

Last year's finals were amazing...

But that game today was out of this world.

We're blessed in this country. It was a privilege to witness that today.

Jesus I love hurling but the "we have the greatest game in the world" spoofery every time there is a half decent game of hurling is getting tedious. All you hear everytime there is good game is "what a game" "what a sport" "We are so lucky here in Ireland"

Donal Og was at it again on the radio yesterday - we have the greatest game in the world Marty!!!!!!!

Someone would want to ask him if hurling was that good then why is it a minority sport in 2/3rds of the only country that plays it?
Rant over.

As for the game itself - well it was gripping but I can't help feeling Cody is going to lay an egg with his defenders when he realises they conceeded 1-28!! 29 scores! - I can't remember them ever conceeding as much under him. They will surely tighten up the next day - how Tipp handle it will define who wins.

By the way - hurling is the most skillful and fastest, bestest ever field sport in the entire universe - FACT.

[DannyInvincible]

I think it's only appropriate that the football final inspired not a solitary comment; it was abysmal. Error-ridden and abysmal...

Anyway, here's something better; it's Balls.ie's 'Top 11 Funniest GAA Championship Moments Of The Year': http://balls.ie/gaa/funny-gaa-moments/

[BonnieShels]

Jesus I love hurling but the "we have the greatest game in the world" spoofery every time there is a half decent game of hurling is getting tedious. All you hear everytime there is good game is "what a game" "what a sport" "We are so lucky here in Ireland"

Donal Og was at it again on the radio yesterday - we have the greatest game in the world Marty!!!!!!!

Someone would want to ask him if hurling was that good then why is it a minority sport in 2/3rds of the only country that plays it?
Rant over.

As for the game itself - well it was gripping but I can't help feeling Cody is going to lay an egg with his defenders when he realises they conceeded 1-28!! 29 scores! - I can't remember them ever conceeding as much under him. They will surely tighten up the next day - how Tipp handle it will define who wins.

By the way - hurling is the most skillful and fastest, bestest ever field sport in the entire universe - FACT.

I know I am miles behind this post but anyway...

Who cares about its status or perceived popularity? The first final was a pure spectacle.
No doubting its quality.

The defending of some of the Tipp scores is moot what are you meant to do when the long distance point taking is so good.

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I have just gotten over the shock of the Football final. And I will never speak of it again.

[BonnieShels]

My friend posted this on FB today. I chuckled mightily.



Taunts from across the pond!

[BonnieShels]

The draws for the 2015 Championships have taken place:

At this pre League stage I'm calling a Dublin v Kerry final.

And Dublin, Kerry, Armagh and Mayo to win their provinces.

http://m.rte.ie/sport/gaa/football/2...football-draw/

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With Dublin hiring Ger Cunningham I see a reinvigoration of the side and at least a Leinster final spot.

I still think that Kilkenny will be in the All Ireland Final and will be beaten by Tipperary.

Munster is looking tasty with Clare and Limerick duking it out to play Tipp.

http://m.rte.ie/sport/gaa/hurling/20...-hurling-draw/

[DannyInvincible]

That angry Mayo semi-final pitch-invading lump reacts to his one-year GAA ban: http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/g...on-291575.html

He said: “I got whispers that something was happening but the first I heard about a ban was in the paper on Wednesday morning.

“I was never called to any meeting or never received any letter or contact about a ban. My plan now is to appeal this ban, but I’m not sure how I go about doing that.

“I don’t think I have done anything wrong. But in saying that, there has been mixed reaction to what I did, here in Mayo — some people thought I did the right thing and others thought I didn’t.

“But the first thing I would say is that it wouldn’t have happened if the game had been played in Croke Park — where it should have been — and not in Limerick. There is no way I would have been allowed anywhere near the pitch in Croke Park.”

After first denying he did anything wrong and despite five puny stewards and his poor screaming daughter trying to hold him back, he goes on to blame others for his presence on the pitch?!... Smooth.