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Post by Ballyfireside on May 19, 2020 22:06:33 GMT
Sorry all, I'm dipping in and out of this every few days, obviously an agenda that I missed out on going on with sandradee. I am concerned about how things move forward not just for the club but for me personally as it is my livelihood. Sad when a thread on a shutdown is shut down and you're as wise as anyone really Jackiel, sandradee had this notion that we should all watch some 1 hour video repeatedly, no idea what 'twas about but he/she then got cross when we didn't oblige, of course they should just have been banned instead of punishing everyone, Control needs to redress the situation I'd say, unless I am missing something!
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Post by Whosinmidfield on May 20, 2020 9:21:21 GMT
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Post by rollingstone on May 20, 2020 11:59:05 GMT
Sorry all, I'm dipping in and out of this every few days, obviously an agenda that I missed out on going on with sandradee. I am concerned about how things move forward not just for the club but for me personally as it is my livelihood. It's the livelihoods of everyone that is at stake but unfortunately I fear the damage is done and that we will only see the real consequences in the coming years. Colm Parkinson made some very good points on his podcast last week asking why the GAA were talking about opening up in October when the government's latest advice was for August. I can't profess to know all the ins and outs of what was and wasn't said by Horan as I don't watch much TV but if there is an inconsistency as Parkinson said, I would wonder why that is. Parkinson suggested the GAA may have taken exception to Varadkar and his cronies making statements without consulting the GAA for political point scoring, no shock there. The government's website on the current statistics is quite an interesting read and shown graphically here, I would recommend that people take a few minutes to review it. I made this point briefly on the other thread but have done some more digging on what the current statistics tell us. Again, any risk to the playing population is practically non existent, at the very worst its as bad as the risk of getting the flu (and even that is pushing it based on the government's own data. The government's data records currently 24,251 cases total or 0.54% of the population, with 1,561 deaths, equivalent to 0.035% of the population. It doesn't give deaths by age but it does give total cases by age. One has to wonder why that deaths by age not stated, surely to generate the existing data it must have that information so why not publish it? Also bear in mind that there are serious questions as to the recording of deaths all over the world, not just here. See a recent exchange here in the MLA north of the border where this very point was brought up. Elsewhere on the same government website here it provides a lot of further statistics related to COVID19 deaths although an age breakdown. It states that 85.5% of deaths had underlying health conditions which are broken down in some detail and include chronic heart, respiratory, and renal diseases, cancer, obesity, diabetes and asthma requiring medication - the people who died were not well people and were very unlikely to be playing any sporting activity let alone GAA. The average age of those who have died were around 83. It also records that 62.3% were in community residential settings or nursing homes, people who were effectively locked down anyway but still unfortunately died. Dublin and the surrounding counties account for over 50% of the cases so one would assume about the same in deaths.
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keane
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Post by keane on May 20, 2020 12:24:49 GMT
Deaths by age is definitely published somewhere, they have given the breakdown in the daily HSE briefing a couple of times when I have been watching it. You're correct though the threat to younger fit & healthy people is miniscule. www.rte.ie/news/2020/0515/1138712-covid-update-ireland/
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Post by Ballyfireside on May 20, 2020 16:57:33 GMT
Deaths by age is definitely published somewhere, they have given the breakdown in the daily HSE briefing a couple of times when I have been watching it. You're correct though the threat to younger fit & healthy people is miniscule. www.rte.ie/news/2020/0515/1138712-covid-update-ireland/But isn't that when practicing social distancing? I'd say we'd all be of a similar enough view but for the different opinions out there about what is an unknown threat. Much as we all miss it, nobody want's anyone to risk their life over sport.
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keane
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Post by keane on May 20, 2020 17:16:14 GMT
Just to be clear, I don't think there should be any football played this year but for healthy people of playing age you are very unlikely to get seriously ill whether you catch this disease or not. Players shouldn't be put in a position to decide whether to play and risk infecting more at risk people belonging to them at the same time. Just cancel it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2020 19:54:30 GMT
Far too early to make any decision about cancelling for the rest of the year
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Post by Mickmack on May 20, 2020 22:30:37 GMT
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Post by Ballyfireside on May 21, 2020 6:17:12 GMT
Poor Tadhgeen getting his P45 goes to show the cut and thrust of professional sport. GAA fellas get it all the time and that they'd be poorly paid by comparison takes the edge from it. Ah he won't go hungry but his options might be interesting, or not? Lots of organisations are rebooting (pun not intended) and getting ready for post-corona so there may be opportunities there - would he be snapped up by another team? Anyone have any firm detail on what kind of money is this Aussie game worth?
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Post by Ballyfireside on May 21, 2020 8:25:49 GMT
Anyone who knew NK football or indeed Bally' will be sad with the passing of Crusher - Noel Boyle. A condolence on RIP.ie by his old pal and Dublin based once county player Barry Walsh is among the very many nice things said. They'd take and break the pledge together, and never fix it, unlike his obliging ways in the garage - ah well, if it works don't fix it and work well it did!
As a fellow retired Petrol Pump Attendant, driving through Bally' will never be the same again. Mention of Crusher was often the ice breaker and subsequent bond when meeting Bally' or indeed NK GAA folk further afield, and I experienced this in numerous instances in London. Another icon now gone, RIP legendary Noel though I'd say you'll be busy for a while catchin up.
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pillar
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Post by pillar on May 21, 2020 10:04:07 GMT
Just to be clear, I don't think there should be any football played this year but for healthy people of playing age you are very unlikely to get seriously ill whether you catch this disease or not. Players shouldn't be put in a position to decide whether to play and risk infecting more at risk people belonging to them at the same time. Just cancel it. Think the Inter County season is trickier cos you have some counties that are doing very well containing the virus and others not so.Further complicated by the 6 counties under the UK jurisdiction. Think we could take a leaf out of the French book.Theyve designated their country into zones.So for example Dublin would be a red zone for high cases,Kerry a different zone cos of lower cases.And different restrictions can be eased off .In short I'd be 100% confident therell be club football in Kerry this year but not so confident of an Inter County season of some kind.
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Post by sullyschoice on May 24, 2020 23:18:20 GMT
I havent watched the 1977 semi final in a very long time but am watching it now on TG4. Classic my arse. The standard of passing and shooting is shocking.
Every challenge should be a free.
Mikey Sheehy missed an inexcusable free in front of the posts when he took about two steps of a run up.
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Post by southward on May 25, 2020 9:07:04 GMT
I havent watched the 1977 semi final in a very long time but am watching it now on TG4. Classic my arse. The standard of passing and shooting is shocking. Every challenge should be a free. Mikey Sheehy missed an inexcusable free in front of the posts when he took about two steps of a run up. Of course it was a classic - sure weren't Kerry beaten.
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Post by Whosinmidfield on May 26, 2020 10:02:06 GMT
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Post by Mickmack on May 26, 2020 20:50:04 GMT
GAA Top 20: O'Shea, Spillane or Sheehy - who is the greatest Kerry footballer of the last 50 years? Jacko won an incredible 7 All-Ireland's, 10 Munster titles and 6 All-Stars during a glittering career. Picture credit; Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE Jacko won an incredible 7 All-Ireland's, 10 Munster titles and 6 All-Stars during a glittering career. Picture credit; Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE
May 26 2020 02:30 AM
Twenty players: 115 All-Ireland senior medals; 86 All Star awards; 13 Footballer of the Year gongs, led by four-time winner, Jack O’Shea and double winner, Pat Spillane. It’s a remarkable haul, but as ever with any ‘best of’ Kerry selections there will be as much focus on those left out as on the chosen ones.
Supporters of Tim Kennelly, Charlie Nelligan and Jimmy Deenihan, who won 17 All-Ireland medals and five All Star awards between them, will have strong views on their omissions. They will, no doubt, raise valid arguments but as always in this situations, it comes down to the question: who should be left out if others are to be included?
That’s especially tricky in Kerry, where there’s always such an extensive array of talent to choose from.
In all other counties, with the possible exception of Dublin, a Footballer of the Year award would almost certainly ensure a top 20 rankings over any period, but it’s not enough in the Kingdom as Tom Prendergast (1970), Paul Galvin (2009) and James O’Donoghue don’t (2014) make our list.
Compiling a running order of the selected 20 brings a whole new meaning to ‘marginal calls’ since sound cases can be made for interchanging many of them.
In the end, we settled for Jack O’Shea at No 1. The dominant midfielder of his era, he brought a new dynamic to the role, ranging from square to square while also imperious in aerial contests wherever they arose.
He holds the record for Footballer of the Year awards, winning four (1980-81-84-85) while also picking up six successive All Star awards in 1980-85.
No 2 in our ranking, Pat Spillane, did even better on the All Star circuit, winning nine awards and also won two Footballer of the Year awards in 1978 and 1986.
Mikey Sheehy versus Colm Cooper; John O’Keeffe versus Seamus Moynihan; was Páidí O Sé better than his nephews, Darragh, Tomás and Marc?
We’ve made our calls: let the arguments begin.
KERRY
1. Jack O’Shea, 2. Pat Spillane, 3. Mikey Sheehy, 4. Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper, 5. John O’Keeffe, 6. Maurice Fitzgerald, 7. Séamus Moynihan, 8. Tomás Ó Sé, 9. Eoin Liston, 10. John Egan, 11. Páidí Ó Sé, 12. Darragh Ó Sé, 13. Marc Ó Sé, 14. Ger Power, 15. Seánie Walsh, 16. Declan O’Sullivan, 17. Paudie Lynch, 18. Kieran Donaghy, 19. Tommy Doyle, 20. Tom Spillane
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Post by Mickmack on May 26, 2020 20:50:57 GMT
GAA Top 20: Conway, O'Sullivan or Brick - who is the greatest Kerry hurler of the last 50 years?
Managers piling on the praise is standard after winning performances, but UCC boss, Tom Kingston took it to a new level after his team’s win over IT Carlow in the Fitzgibbon Cup final last February.
Despite being reduced to 14, UCC battled back from five points down in the concluding quarter to win by a point, with Shane Conway (below) inspirational.
Kingston described the Kerryman as “the Messi of hurling”. “He’s just a different level. His hurling brain is just so far ahead of most guys. I call him the Messi of hurling, and I don’t think I’m too far wrong”, said Kingston.
Conway combined Fitzgibbon duties with his Kerry commitments in HL 2A, helping them into the final, which was scheduled to take place the weekend Covid-19 stopped play. Kerry had won four of five games, their only defeat coming against Antrim, a game Conway missed. In his other four games, his performances merited 8-9-9-9 (out of 10) in the Irish Independent ratings.
It might appear wildly premature to nominate a 22-year-old for the best player award over five decades, but Conway is regarded as a really special talent.
Our No.2, Shane Brick was eyed enviously by stronger counties during his prime years but he stayed with Kerry. His talents drew the attention of the provincial selectors on a few occasions in the noughties and while he didn’t win a Railway Cup medal, he fitted in comfortably with the best from the other Munster counties.
KERRY
1. Shane Conway, 2. Shane Brick, 3. Brendan O’Sullivan, 4. Mike ‘Boxer’ Slattery, 5. Mike Casey, 6. Christy Walsh, 7. Maurice Leahy, 8. Tony Maunsell, 9. John ‘Tweek’ Griffin, 10. DJ Leahy, 11. Shane Nolan, 12. Ian Brick, 13. Mike Hennessy, 14. Johnny Bunyan, 15. John Healy, 16. John Egan, 17. John Hennessy, 18. Daniel Collins, 19. Pat Moriarty, 20. Johnny Conway
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Post by Mickmack on May 26, 2020 21:01:09 GMT
ePaper Anthony Daly: Kerry hurling should be helped build their own kingdomAnthony Daly: Kerry hurling should be helped build their own kingdom
Kerry's James O’Connor, Patrick Kelly and Liam Twomey celebrate after a match. Pic: INPHO/Oisin Keniry
By Anthony Daly
Monday, May 25, 2020 - 12:10 AM
All these years on, those cheeky boyos below in Lixnaw in north Kerry still can’t resist having a go at me.
When Éamonn Fitzmaurice was interviewed for a player profile by the club last week, one of the questions was to recall a funny story/incident while playing for Lixnaw.
“Anthony Daly’s shocked face after we beat Kilmoyley in the 2007 county final,” said Fitzmaurice.
As soon as the profile appeared on the club’s Twitter account, my Twitter handle was tagged to the post. I immediately knew where to fire the first shots back. “Seanie Flaherty is written all over this anyway,” I replied.
Seanie was always slagging me for not going to Lixnaw. His son James was a great corner forward for the club. They were both cut from the same cloth; small in stature but full of heart. Seanie was a great coursing man too. I’ve gone down and presented medals for him a few time. They’re great people in Lixnaw. They couldn’t do enough for you.
The first time I came across Lixnaw was when Clarecastle invited them to a tournament in 2003. There were some quality teams in the competition – Borris-Ileigh and Loughrea are two that come to mind – but we gave Player-of-the-Tournament to Paul Galvin, this tear-away, all-action wing-back. Galvin was an unreal hurler.
I still didn’t know enough about them before that 2007 county final and Fitzmaurice’s comment was probably dead right; I was shocked because the Kilmoyley boys didn’t really feel that a Lixnaw team would turn them over.
They were desperate wary of Causeway and Ballyduff, even Ardfert. When we beat Causeway and Ardfert in the 2008 and 2009 finals respectively, the tension beforehand was savage. The fact that there was no tension before the ‘07 final was one of the reasons we lost to Lixnaw.
Kilmoyley were flat but Lixnaw had great men; the Fitzmaurices and Galvins in particular. Éamonn was a rock solid centre-back. You wouldn’t be passing him easy. He had that cynicism too from the football, in that if you did get past him, Éamonn would haul you down.
He wouldn’t have been bothered by Shane Brick coming out on him either at centre-forward. Éamonn’s attitude would have been “Hi, you may be the best hurler in Kerry but I’ve a bag of All-Ireland football medals”.
Eamonn Cregan was over that Lixnaw team. Cregan would make out that he had no tactics but Lixnaw were the most football-orientated hurling team I ever saw. They’d no problem bringing everyone back behind the ball.
Lixnaw definitely had a hex on me. My last match as Kilmoyley manager in 2010 ended with a defeat to them. It was one of the strangest games I was ever involved in. Kilmoyley absolutely dominated the match but Lixnaw displayed all their fighting spirit and they just hung in.
Martin Stackpoole gave an exhibition in goal. We tattooed him with the ball but we couldn’t get it past Stackpoole. When I went in to congratulate Lixnaw in their dressingroom afterwards, the first thing I said to them was: “Ye f***ers!” I wouldn’t say Kilmoyley got caught again – especially when we dominated the game – but I just sensed that they didn’t have the same bile for Lixnaw that they had for other clubs.
Kilmoyley was in the middle of everywhere. They’re in the same parish as Ardfert. They’re only over the road from Causeway.
Any friction with Lixnaw seemed small-time stuff to me. The two clubs wore the same coloured jerseys and no-one would give in to change before the 2007 final. Coming up to that semi-final in 2010, we made a call and decided to wear the Clarecastle jerseys.
It was the first part of a double-header in Tralee and it was the only time in my four years in Kerry that I ever experienced any personal abuse or vitriol. “Go home Daly and bring your f***ing jerseys with you,” roared one fella from the terrace.
That day was the end of a remarkable journey for me. Kilmoyley started out as therapy. I was low after stepping away from Clare in 2006. I expected Kilmoyley to be a brief fling but it evolved into such a love affair that the club was my mistress for four years. Even when I was appointed Dublin manager in 2009, I couldn’t extricate myself from my relationship with Kilmoyley until the following year.
I fell madly in love with the place and its people. Their warmth and generosity towards me was unconditional. Their spirit crackled like electricity. It lit up my life.
I’ve always had a desperate grá for Kerry hurling because I respected their hurlers long before I landed in Kilmoyley. I’d seen up close how good they were. Clare lost a league playoff to Kerry in 1990, when we were going all out to win the match because the prize for the winners was a trip to London.
When we reached a league semi-final in 1994, we only scraped past Kerry in Ennis in Round 6, a game we had to win to maintain our push for a league quarter-final.
Although we beat Tipperary in the Munster quarter-final that May, we were certainly on edge going into the semi-final against Kerry in June because Kerry had scalped Waterford in Walsh Park in the previous year’s championship, which was possibly the biggest shock ever in Munster hurling.
That afternoon in Austin Stack Park in 1994 was an electric experience. The place was absolutely wedged. A lot of the Clare crowd missed the first 15 minutes because the traffic was backed up for miles heading into the town beforehand.
When I was in Austin Stack Park last year for a Joe McDonagh Cup game between Kerry and Offaly, it was a totally different, and much sadder, experience. The place was near-deserted. Twenty-five years after Offaly had won the 1994 All-Ireland, they were relegated to the Christy Ring, the third tier of the championship.
As I left Tralee that evening, my mind wandered back to that golden Sunday in 1994. I was thinking: ‘Wouldn’t it be great to have Kerry back in the Munster championship again.”
That’s only a remote possibility any time soon because even if Kerry were to win the Joe McDonagh Cup, they’d have to win a play-off with the bottom team in Munster to gain access to the Munster championship. With all due respect to Kerry at the moment, that isn’t going to happen any time soon.
That predicament is in stark contrast to all the other teams in the Joe McDonagh Cup, including Antrim, where winning the competition would secure a place in the Leinster championship. Kerry may be a Munster team but that’s no good to them if they’re effectively denied a passage into the Munster championship.
So in essence, if Kerry win the Joe Mac, they collect the cup, and then go back into the same competition the following year. Deep down, any player would question themselves, and the long-term project, in that predicament.
That’s even harder again for Kerry to reconcile given that they entered the Leinster championship - albeit the early qualification rounds - after winning the Christy Ring in 2015. Yet that potential ticket was revoked and, while Kerry are legitimate Joe Mac contenders, they are still effectively in a long-term no man’s land.
I think the GAA authorities could do more for Kerry. I’m not saying that because I have a soft spot for Kerry but I think the GAA could do more for those counties outside the top ten, full stop.
Where would it start for Kerry? For me, it’s a no brainer – Tralee. The town, with a population of 23,000 people, is right on the hurling border in north Kerry. What’s more, it has a tradition of hurling – the last title may have been 1931 but Tralee has 13 senior hurling championships.
Those titles were won by John Mitchels, Austin Stacks, Tralee Parnells, Tralee Celtic and Tralee. Almost 100 years since their last title, Parnells (it’s now Tralee Parnells Hurling and Camogie club) are back up and running, with some remarkable people driving the project; David Brick is an outstanding secretary; David Reen has done trojan work as Chairman. Ollie Broughton and Mark Ryall are reportedly top-class coaches.
Parnells don’t have their own pitch. They’ve bedded down in Caherslee for the time being, but their numbers are really impressive; Parnells have nine hurling and six camogie teams; the club has 400 members.
There have been some visible green shoots from the tilled new ground. Last December Tralee CBS defeated Mercy Mouthawk (Tralee) in the Munster Colleges E hurling final.
Half the players involved were from Parnells, but for any sport to thrive, the real work has to begin as early as possible. Tralee Parnells have 16 primary schools within their catchment area but the buy-in is always going to be much harder in a football stronghold. And the evangelical work is harder again when the preachers are so few.
Colm O’Brien from Limerick is the sole Games Development Administrator (GDA) covering Tralee and the south of the county. Kilgarvan, which won the Intermediate championship and went up to Division 1 of the league this year, is a beacon of hurling hope. But unless more is done to try and grow more clubs, Kilgarvan will remain a remote oasis in a hurling desert.
Of course, the reasons why that ground will remain barren are the same reasons why there are so many hurling wastelands all over the country. If football people don’t want hurling, they will always find reasons to try and extinguish a flickering flame.
I heard a story recently that didn’t surprise me in the least. The best U-12 hurler in Kerry is a highly talented dual player from Tralee, who hurls with Parnells and kicks football with Austin Stacks. Stacks got such a panic attack that the young lad may become distracted by hurling that they got one of their highly-respected former Kerry footballers to have a word in his ear. How paranoid would you have to be to try and turn a 12-year old?
Should Stacks not be more worried about trying to recruit young lads ahead of O’Rahillys, Mitchels and Na Gaeil – the other clubs in the town - instead of telling one of their own to turn his back on hurling, and his friends?
I know basketball is big in Tralee. I’ve no problem with basketball. I enjoyed watching ‘The Last Dance’ on Netflix in recent weeks. But, as GAA people, should we not want our kids playing GAA as opposed to playing another sport?
I know how this works because I saw it myself first hand. When I moved back to west Clare 20 years ago, Fr Peter O’Loughlin, a local priest and a great friend approached me about a start-up hurling franchise in Kilmihil. Even though I was still playing with Clare, before then managing Clare, I immersed myself in the project for five years.
Although we played under the banner of Kilmihil, we had loads of lads from other west Clare clubs, where hurling isn’t played; Shannon Gaels, Cooraclare, Coolmeen. Even the great Clare footballer David Tubridy from Doonbeg hurled with us up to U16. We started out with an U14 D team before winning U16 C and contesting Minor B county semi-finals. We made massive progress but every step forward felt like a stretching point somewhere else.
The breaking point for me eventually arrived one night in Kilmihil. We had 23 players training in a corner of a field where you wouldn’t play a 5-a-side soccer match. Then some of our young minor players from Kilmihil were told to train with their Junior footballers in the main field. I just turned to Fr Peter: “I’m sorry for the young fellas but I can’t take any more of this. We’re clearly not wanted around here.”
After that team broke up, Ballyea were the biggest beneficiaries. Ballyea already had a strong connection with Kilmihil anyway because Carmel Coughlan, the principal in Kilmihil school, always coached hurling in the school so most of those young lads Went over to Ballyea, the nearest hurling club to Kilmihil. When Ballyea reached the 2017 All-Ireland club final, Stan Lineen from Kilmihil captained the side.
I fully understand why they don’t want hurling in Kilmihil or Doonbeg just like they don’t want football in Sixmilebridge. I saw the other side of it too when I was with Kilmihil. When we started winning, there were plenty of clubs around east Clare that resented us. I heard ‘West Clare United’ muttered out of the side of fellas’ mouths often enough. But when lads are getting sick of you, you know you’re doing your job right.
I struggled to comprehend that resentment. I just don’t understand why, in strong football and hurling areas, there can’t be a space for lads who want to play both codes.
In Clarecastle, hurling is our only religion. But we’ve made a space for football too. We might not take it too seriously, but the option is there for lads who want to play football.
Is Kerry not big enough to reach such an accommodation? Can the GAA not do more to promote the game? Like, how much can one GDA really do for hurling in such a massive area? Almost every club in Dublin has a GDA.
There will always be areas that don’t want hurling. But there are just as many areas that are open to playing both codes. So at least give those kids a chance to make a choice.
Hurling will never prosper in so many counties, but surely there is scope to further develop those counties in the Joe McDonagh and Christy Ring Cups? None of those counties will win a Liam MacCarthy anytime soon but it would be a massive boost to the game to have 13 or 14 counties in the senior championship in ten years-time.
How serious though, are the GAA in trying to make that happen? Martin Fogarty is doing a great job as the National Hurling Development Manager but how much can one man really do? It’s too much of a hit-and-miss approach. If the GAA were really serious about promoting the game, they’d put together a high-powered board, with huge investment - both financial and personnel - and with serious planning, to really make inroads into those hurling wastelands.
I fully accept that even with that approach, there will still always be roadblocks in the way. For all the passion and loyalty and communal spirit within the hurling community, there is an element of snobbery there too. That auld attitude of ‘It’s only Kerry, it’s only Antrim, it’s only Westmeath’. Hurling people can be condescending without knowing it.
I’m not just using it as an amnesty, but I honestly don’t think we in Clare ever looked on those counties in that snobbish manner. We knew the bad days. We suffered the hammerings. We felt the humiliation.
I don’t want to be condescending to the strong counties either, because they won so many All-Irelands. But the natural reflex is often to see those counties as almost not having the right to sit at the top table.
Even when I was Dublin manager, I took fair stick for us losing to Antrim in 2010. It was almost like a stain on my reputation as a manager, but I knew how good Antrim were. I didn’t need anybody to tell me how good Liam Watson was.I know how good Neil McManus is from Antrim now. I saw Shane Brick’s class and genius up close with Kilmoyley. On the victorious UCC Fitzgibbon Cup team this year, Shane Conway from Kerry was their best player.
For now, all Kerry hurling can do is keep on keeping on. Parnells are certainly showing what can be done. After eight years, they are finally up in the Intermediate grade. And I really believe that the stronger Parnells get, the stronger Kerry hurling will become. It would be great to see Kerry back in the Munster championship some day.
They may suffer for a while but didn’t we suffer in Clare for long enough? So did Waterford. Limerick took plenty of hidings too throughout the decades. But we all learned. We built. We came back. We got knocked down again. But we came back again.
CONDOLENCES I was saddened to hear of the death of long-time Austin Stack Park steward Mossie Spillane last week. Mossie was a gentleman in every sense and always extended a handshake and a warm welcome whenever I was on his patch. What I loved most about him was that he treated the hurlers with the same respect and courtesy as the footballers.
My deepest sympathies to his wife Mary and to his children, Michelle, Tracey, Deirdre and Ashling.
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Post by Ballyfireside on May 26, 2020 21:06:06 GMT
GAA Top 20: O'Shea, Spillane or Sheehy - who is the greatest Kerry footballer of the last 50 years? Jacko won an incredible 7 All-Ireland's, 10 Munster titles and 6 All-Stars during a glittering career. Picture credit; Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE Jacko won an incredible 7 All-Ireland's, 10 Munster titles and 6 All-Stars during a glittering career. Picture credit; Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE May 26 2020 02:30 AM Twenty players: 115 All-Ireland senior medals; 86 All Star awards; 13 Footballer of the Year gongs, led by four-time winner, Jack O’Shea and double winner, Pat Spillane. It’s a remarkable haul, but as ever with any ‘best of’ Kerry selections there will be as much focus on those left out as on the chosen ones. Supporters of Tim Kennelly, Charlie Nelligan and Jimmy Deenihan, who won 17 All-Ireland medals and five All Star awards between them, will have strong views on their omissions. They will, no doubt, raise valid arguments but as always in this situations, it comes down to the question: who should be left out if others are to be included? That’s especially tricky in Kerry, where there’s always such an extensive array of talent to choose from. In all other counties, with the possible exception of Dublin, a Footballer of the Year award would almost certainly ensure a top 20 rankings over any period, but it’s not enough in the Kingdom as Tom Prendergast (1970), Paul Galvin (2009) and James O’Donoghue don’t (2014) make our list. Compiling a running order of the selected 20 brings a whole new meaning to ‘marginal calls’ since sound cases can be made for interchanging many of them. In the end, we settled for Jack O’Shea at No 1. The dominant midfielder of his era, he brought a new dynamic to the role, ranging from square to square while also imperious in aerial contests wherever they arose. He holds the record for Footballer of the Year awards, winning four (1980-81-84-85) while also picking up six successive All Star awards in 1980-85. No 2 in our ranking, Pat Spillane, did even better on the All Star circuit, winning nine awards and also won two Footballer of the Year awards in 1978 and 1986. Mikey Sheehy versus Colm Cooper; John O’Keeffe versus Seamus Moynihan; was Páidí O Sé better than his nephews, Darragh, Tomás and Marc? We’ve made our calls: let the arguments begin. KERRY 1. Jack O’Shea, 2. Pat Spillane, 3. Mikey Sheehy, 4. Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper, 5. John O’Keeffe, 6. Maurice Fitzgerald, 7. Séamus Moynihan, 8. Tomás Ó Sé, 9. Eoin Liston, 10. John Egan, 11. Páidí Ó Sé, 12. Darragh Ó Sé, 13. Marc Ó Sé, 14. Ger Power, 15. Seánie Walsh, 16. Declan O’Sullivan, 17. Paudie Lynch, 18. Kieran Donaghy, 19. Tommy Doyle, 20. Tom Spillane I recall a TCD genetics professor laughing at The Kerry Ingredient, an 'is it breed, feed or creed' study we conducted at Ballythefireside. I suppose 2 Spillanes and 4 Ó Sés out of 15 yet again confirms our findings as statistically reliable and haven't they stood the test of time, what with another Spillane about to eclipse Unc Pats and maybe everyone else if Unc Pats is to be half believed. As I led the research team I still await my visiting lecturer call and wouldn't a professorship look nice along with that trophy I got for my visionary goal against Duagh back in the day, the goal that changed the path of Gaelic football - and waiting I’ll be, no justice! For spark 'n' spur of local folkfactlore wisdom, spailpín fánach be long-acred of shanks' mare. Of bray brag boast 'n' blag tone-deaf Jackass, drowns out inspired Einsteins 'n' Shakespeares.
P.S. Jackass refers to a fella who's signs off as DK, we can but assume Don Key is his pen name - the same fella that was kicked out of jail in America and then tried to tell the noble people of Ballydooghue that The New Line separated Hillster and Lowster. Sure he even claimed to be a byproduct of Hegarty's Hall, that he be a throw back of Northern Dancer if ya don't mind, making him a Hillster by his own revisionist delusion. As if they'd have him, no more than the Lowsters would - and Coolmore would hardly claim him, nobody’s child. What ever it is with his ilk but didn’t another wan of ‘em claim to be born twice – it’s a fact! Yerra sure isn’t it something to cheer us up in the times that are in it!
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Post by Mickmack on May 26, 2020 21:22:46 GMT
Not so Dalo: Austin Stacks reject claims of football-only blinkers By Tony Leen Sports Editor Follow tonyleenTuesday, May 26, 2020 - 04:08 PM Not so Dalo: Austin Stacks reject claims of football-only blinkers The Austin Stacks GAA club in Kerry has taken issue with a suggestion in this newspaper by our columnist and All-Ireland winning captain Anthony Daly that hurling doesn’t get a fair shake on Tralee’s famed Rock Street. In a piece from Daly that ran Monday entitled ‘Kerry hurling should be helped build their own kingdom’, the Stacks club claims it was “singled out for unfavourable and inaccurate comment.” Dalo says he “heard a story recently that didn’t surprise me in the least. The best U-12 hurler in Kerry is a highly-talented dual player from Tralee, who hurls with (local club) Parnells and kicks football with Austin Stacks. Stacks got such a panic attack that the young lad may become distracted by hurling that they got one of their highly-respected former Kerry footballers to have a word in his year. How paranoid would you have to be to try and turn a 12-year old?” But correspondence from Austin Stacks, signed by chairman Billy Ryle, vice-chair Eamonn O’Reilly, and Juvenile section chair Tim McMahon says Daly is the one “suffering from paranoia if he believes a tall tale like that”. It points out: “That is not the ‘Rock’ way. Sport is the antidote to antisocial behaviour and we fully support the campaign for sport, recreation, and leisure. Naturally, we hope that football will be the first sport of choice for all our players but we are well aware that the majority of our players enjoy other sports. And so it should be. “Tralee is a mecca of sports to suit all tastes – football, hurling, camogie, handball, basketball, golf, cricket, athletics, cycling, swimming, squash, to mention just a few. “All of the sports clubs in Tralee and Kerry do good work. “Indeed, if our ‘highly-respected former footballer’ had to have a word in the ear of every Austin Stacks player who played other sports, he’d be out and about from first light until the stars come out!” Stacks was founded in 1917 and says it is “particularly proud“ of its Juvenile section – the jewel in the crown. “Mr Daly posed the question ‘should Stacks not be more worried about trying to recruit young lads ahead of (Kerins) O’Rahillys, (John) Mitchels, and Na Gaeil - the other clubs in the town – instead of telling one of their own to turn his back on hurling and his friends.’ “Not at all, we are happy with our fair share and, as mentioned above, hurling is part of the Rock DNA. All of the GAA Clubs in Tralee coexist in a spirit of mutual respect and co-operation. The clubs are rivals on the field of play but there are longstanding acquaintances and friendships off the field.” It accepts there has been a “regrettable decline in our hurling section” but says Stacks are pleased to support the initiative of the new Tralee Parnells Hurling and Camogie Club in promoting those games in the Tralee area. “That club is now effectively doing what Austin Stacks did for many years. We are delighted that any of our players, who are interested in hurling, now have a local hurling club on their doorstep. “To the best of our knowledge, Anthony Daly has never set foot in Connolly Park. He has never seen how our wonderful club goes about its business. He wrote a very poorly researched article based on a nod and a wink. He did Austin Stacks a grave injustice. If he’d like to soak up the exhilarating atmosphere in Connolly Park and meet with the ‘rare auld stock of the Rock’, he’d be more than welcome to visit Austin Stacks at any time.”
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Post by Mickmack on May 26, 2020 21:29:54 GMT
GAA Top 20: O'Shea, Spillane or Sheehy - who is the greatest Kerry footballer of the last 50 years? Jacko won an incredible 7 All-Ireland's, 10 Munster titles and 6 All-Stars during a glittering career. Picture credit; Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE Jacko won an incredible 7 All-Ireland's, 10 Munster titles and 6 All-Stars during a glittering career. Picture credit; Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE May 26 2020 02:30 AM Twenty players: 115 All-Ireland senior medals; 86 All Star awards; 13 Footballer of the Year gongs, led by four-time winner, Jack O’Shea and double winner, Pat Spillane. It’s a remarkable haul, but as ever with any ‘best of’ Kerry selections there will be as much focus on those left out as on the chosen ones. Supporters of Tim Kennelly, Charlie Nelligan and Jimmy Deenihan, who won 17 All-Ireland medals and five All Star awards between them, will have strong views on their omissions. They will, no doubt, raise valid arguments but as always in this situations, it comes down to the question: who should be left out if others are to be included? That’s especially tricky in Kerry, where there’s always such an extensive array of talent to choose from. In all other counties, with the possible exception of Dublin, a Footballer of the Year award would almost certainly ensure a top 20 rankings over any period, but it’s not enough in the Kingdom as Tom Prendergast (1970), Paul Galvin (2009) and James O’Donoghue don’t (2014) make our list. Compiling a running order of the selected 20 brings a whole new meaning to ‘marginal calls’ since sound cases can be made for interchanging many of them. In the end, we settled for Jack O’Shea at No 1. The dominant midfielder of his era, he brought a new dynamic to the role, ranging from square to square while also imperious in aerial contests wherever they arose. He holds the record for Footballer of the Year awards, winning four (1980-81-84-85) while also picking up six successive All Star awards in 1980-85. No 2 in our ranking, Pat Spillane, did even better on the All Star circuit, winning nine awards and also won two Footballer of the Year awards in 1978 and 1986. Mikey Sheehy versus Colm Cooper; John O’Keeffe versus Seamus Moynihan; was Páidí O Sé better than his nephews, Darragh, Tomás and Marc? We’ve made our calls: let the arguments begin. KERRY 1. Jack O’Shea, 2. Pat Spillane, 3. Mikey Sheehy, 4. Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper, 5. John O’Keeffe, 6. Maurice Fitzgerald, 7. Séamus Moynihan, 8. Tomás Ó Sé, 9. Eoin Liston, 10. John Egan, 11. Páidí Ó Sé, 12. Darragh Ó Sé, 13. Marc Ó Sé, 14. Ger Power, 15. Seánie Walsh, 16. Declan O’Sullivan, 17. Paudie Lynch, 18. Kieran Donaghy, 19. Tommy Doyle, 20. Tom Spillane I recall a TCD genetics professor laughing at The Kerry Ingredient, an 'is it breed, feed or creed' study we conducted at Ballythefireside. I suppose 2 Spillanes and 4 Ó Sés out of 15 yet again confirms our findings as statistically reliable and haven't they stood the test of time, what with another Spillane about to eclipse Unc Pats and maybe everyone else if Unc Pats is to be believed. Seeing as I led the research team I'm still awaiting my visiting lecturer call and wouldn't a professorship look nice along with that plaque I got for my visionary goal against Duagh back in the day, the goal that changed the path of Gaelic football, but there is no justice there! For spark 'n' spur of local folkfactlore wisdom, spailpín fánach be long-acred of shanks' mare. Of bray brag boast 'n' blag tone-deaf jackass , drowns out inspired Einsteins 'n' Shakespeares.Kerry ingredient my arse. For years Kerry won several All Irelands when up against counties half its size in terms of population. Dublin was primarily a soccer town till the 70s. The rest of Munster are hurling counties first and foremost. Now, Dublin has been organised and is now the dominant force for the same reasons that Kerry once were. Its not hard to work this out. There is no secret ingredient.
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Post by Ballyfireside on May 26, 2020 21:45:00 GMT
Hey Mickermacker ya havin a right go at all 'n' sundry tonight, have ya lost your marbles, are you like the TCD boyo saying it is a coincidence that precisely 40% are from 2 families? At least he conceded when we fought it out in The Irish Times, the newspaper of us would be academics. 40% is an astounding correlation as anyone worth their salt will vouch. Add in Kennellys, Morans, Walshs, etc, then ya have Lynes/Spillanes, etc! Sure haven't we bred dem Dubs - Brogans, Brian and Nathan Mullins, Cian O'Sullivan, Fenton, etc. Didn't Dan Paddy Andy O'Sullivan even match-make Daddy and Mammy Brogan at a barn dance in the Barony of Lyreacrompane, so the ancestry records confirm.
As regards your own stats, we beat teams of every population, and those that turned up beat populations who didn't. It is not just about Munster Finals and Dublin is and was a city, not a town and as are Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Sligo, Kilkenny, Belfast, Derry .... in fact Dublin was and is as big as a good few cities.
Ah sure I get it, you don't know the secret so you don't believe it exists while others counter that there is an Ingredient, but it is no secret to them as they know it! All makes sense now.
Stay safe people
P.S. Geographic breakdown of our 20 best footballers is interesting - NK 1, Tralee 4 and Killarney 1 - so 'twas a good era for Trá Lí, our very own Leesiders!
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keane
Fanatical Member
Posts: 1,267
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Post by keane on May 27, 2020 9:30:45 GMT
Maurice > Gooch
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Post by southward on May 28, 2020 10:31:51 GMT
Kerry ingredient my arse. For years Kerry won several All Irelands when up against counties half its size in terms of population. Dublin was primarily a soccer town till the 70s. The rest of Munster are hurling counties first and foremost. Now, Dublin has been organised and is now the dominant force for the same reasons that Kerry once were. Its not hard to work this out. There is no secret ingredient. Not the case, Mick. Kerry is only mid-table in population terms. The likes of Cork, Meath, Galway, Donegal, Wexford, Kildare, Limerick, Tipp are all ahead of us. How some of them apply themselves to football is another matter. Dublin's resources, of course, are a different matter altogether - there is a disparity here that is probably unparalleled in any other sport.
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kerryexile
Fanatical Member
Whether you believe that you can, or that you can't, you are right anyway.
Posts: 1,119
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Post by kerryexile on May 29, 2020 0:26:44 GMT
As we all know the Independent has listed the best players to play for each county over the last 50 years.
At the start of the lockdown this forum invited selections for a team of the best Kerry players since 2000. Out of several dozen teams put forward not one included Maurice Fitzgerald. He was a major part of the success in 2000. One has to assume longevity was a part of the criteria.
Maurice was not part of the 1975 to 1986 success. Nothing happened between 1987 and 1996. Maurice had a great season in 1997.
That is 1 season. Not really longevity.
On the Independent list he appears as no. 6 ahead of Séamus Moynihan, Tomás Ó Sé, Darragh Ó Sé, Marc Ó Sé, Declan O’Sullivan and Kieran Donaghy,
This does not at all agree with the teams put forward. And not a word of objection on this thread.
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Post by Ballyfireside on May 29, 2020 12:51:07 GMT
As we all know the Independent has listed the best players to play for each county over the last 50 years. At the start of the lockdown this forum invited selections for a team of the best Kerry players since 2000. Out of several dozen teams put forward not one included Maurice Fitzgerald. He was a major part of the success in 2000. One has to assume longevity was a part of the criteria. Maurice was not part of the 1975 to 1986 success. Nothing happened between 1987 and 1996. Maurice had a great season in 1997. That is 1 season. Not really longevity. On the Independent list he appears as no. 6 ahead of Séamus Moynihan, Tomás Ó Sé, Darragh Ó Sé, Marc Ó Sé, Declan O’Sullivan and Kieran Donaghy, This does not at all agree with the teams put forward. And not a word of objection on this thread. Longevity assumed? - many would have him as the all time greatest and I'd be close enough to that view myself - maybe between himself and Mick O'C with Jack O'Shea not far away; ask me tomorrow and I might put it another way. Then of course you have 'the best to never win a Celtic Cross', or indeed win anything if from a weaker county. We are spoiled for choice and I'd have sensed this crack drove Veteran mad - he couldn't bear to hear tell of the difference between greats and the greatest; hard to blame him really.
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Post by glengael on May 29, 2020 13:22:28 GMT
Nothing happened between 1987 and 1996?
Kerry defeated 3 in a row seeking Cork team in 1991 and claimed a Munster title. I don't know if you were there on the day but it didn't feel like 'nothing' at the time. There was no back-door, 'Super' 8 in those times.
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Post by Mickmack on May 29, 2020 17:20:17 GMT
For 10 years Jacko was unmarkable on a consistent basis. Winter and summer. All the one.
He was born 11 years before Maurice. His timing was better.
If the roles were reversed how would things have worked out. There is one for the fireside in winter. The weather is too nice now for this!
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Post by lilly1 on May 30, 2020 18:32:49 GMT
Darragh O'Se wasn't even on that list, seriously? Please can anyone explain this
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2020 20:14:15 GMT
Tohill and Jack Mccaffrey far greater omissions than Darragh
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Post by Ballyfireside on Jun 1, 2020 1:16:48 GMT
Mandad will have some competition for all time best forum contribution, from himself! Awesome - grunts, groans and grimaces; the widow maker; the list here alone is long! “The farther backward you can look the farther forward you are likely to see” mirrors another great, "It is in experiences of the great depths that a yearning for the great heights is born" - John Moriarty, a Moyvane literary great who is legend everywhere except North Chiarraí and not the obvious reason - maybe that he could write was part, and we wouldn't have that! As for the auld reliable FB, every team had 'em - Moyvane and Ballydonoghue come to mind and no, for the good of my health I won't be naming 'em. But this species wasn't confined to FB - Johnny Bunyan 'played on' at FF with the peerless Ballydonoghue, and unlike Mandad's FB, he could turn, and he'd turn you too if came in the way, and he could turn you around and upside down - the 3D tackle we used to call it when 'we' were practicing, he being as good as 3 men, all long before them Silly Con Valley yobbos and their 3D printers today, if you came out with Johnny's pring then you were made, and shaped your future was laid bare, you in black and he in white -his ilk weren't dirty - many's the game he turned into black and white too! Interesting similarities and contrasts with the FB of the same species, strength being the common factor. Johnny's torso was almost Square, so much so you'd think he wasn't so tall, Jer D O'Connor who played MF with Mick O'Connell was of a similar build, and '47's Mick Finucane of the same cut of a figure. Mind you that roasting Mandad referred to wasn't unlike our young pretenders telling Darragh to draw his pension, DM & co?, we only have Darragh's word, he joked about self-depeciatingly in the paper. Re Mickmack above, is Mandad from a dual club so? Ah privacy is to be respected. And yes, Bellew would be of that mould too, and what with Donaghy poking his eye after that goal, happy days! I knew a fella that grew up with gentle giant Francie, apparently Bellew's 'party piece' was switching sweet wrappers to fool the younger wans! Now I know this is off point but didn't our smart ass townies do similar in lingerie shops - now we'll stop there, suffice as to say some customers couldn't couldn't understand out how their bodies changed shape overnight. 'Twas asier go over 'em than around. as a neighbour would say, that is when you woz between them and the door. The Moyvane FB I was thinking of above was of course the wan and only Pat Joe McEnery, just passed away - hope I wasn't seen to be insensitive as I wouldn't have known he had fallen ill. In himself (Pat Joe that is!) and the Horse there is two right lockdowners having a few jars upstairs tonight, looking down on us, needless to say Paidí and Egan aren't far away either, this quartet always had a good laugh and a right wan they are having tonight, we feeling sorry for them and they at the counter, watching over us. You can hear Horse regaling was it '80 or '81 when he threw the jersey on the ground in front of O'Dewire telling him he had the porter to thank for this one -yip, they all starred on the occasion. The last time I was in Pat Joe's company was in the back of a Morris Minor van, 'owned, trained and ridden' by 'a FG councillor from the midlands', allegedly so though you'd never know. We were making our way from The Trappers Inn in Ballybrit to Galway city- thank God there wasn't a ball around. Some sight with half of North Kerry falling out the door of an auld banger in Eyre Square. 'Twould be great if we were caught on camera, or maybe it wouldn't! Another North Kerry parish icon now on an taiobh eile. RIP Pat Joe - eternally rewarded and stories eternal.
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