county senior championship on a thurs night Dan?
The weird and wonderful world of the Box Office Industries Challenge Match circuit took another strange twist last night when St. Vincent’s of Dublin went down to Tinryland or somewhere in Carlow to face O’Loughlin Gaels of Kilkenny. I’d class this as a ‘Tier 1’ Box Office Industries Challenge Match myself - (Cuala v Na Piarsaigh or Ballygunner v Kilmacud Crokes* would be ‘Hors Category’ or ‘beyond classification’ in Le Tour De France terms - the equivalent of Le Tourmalet or Alpe d’Huez).
Anyway as St Vincent’s were about to warm up one of their players was togged out on the sideline and puffing on a cigarette. I haven’t seen a Junior B puffing on a cigarette before a game since around 2014 and at Senior Club level since around 2007. The player in question was none other than Diarmuid Connolly who went on to have a fine game despite OLG winning out by a few points in the end. Whatever works best for players I suppose.
Other news on the Club scene this week would be Ballygunner winning out over Imokilly 0-29 to 1-20 in a Tournament game (Ballygunner are going well now) while Ballyboden St Endas haven’t gone away you know. Backboned by a load of auld lads like McMorrow, Hammersley, Paul Ryan and Simon Lambert they beat Na Fianna in the Dublin County League Final. Na Fianna did beat Turloughmore of Galway on the much more prestigious Box Office Industries Challenge Match circuit the previous week so they will take satisfaction from that.
17 Likes
Unreal reportage
2 Likes
Outstanding. See this is how you bring value to the forum, a few of you other cunts could take notice
3 Likes
I loved Connolly’s style as a player, I genuinely think he was up there with Clifford in terms of pure ability, and it’s obviously great to have a bit of a maverick in the gaa world but he’s one of the few players who comes across as a bit of a wanker in interviews. I suppose it’s refreshing he doesn’t hide his real personality
1 Like
I’d be surprised if BB win the county but I may be wrong. @Fat_Pox and @binkybarnes would know more. Is Keaney finished hurling?
Still playing too.
Some warrior. Although a forward line of Ryan, himself and the Hammer wouldn’t be the paciest at this stage
1 Like
Keaney was an unused sub for Boden in the league final the other night. I would say he will feature for Boden come championship. I believe he has given up the club football this year though. At 43 he probably feels the dual thing is too big an ask.
4 Likes
Is he 43?! He couldn’t be. I’d have put just 40 on him
Just checked there 41 i think. Won an all ireland u21 football in 2003
Wise move you’d say 
No excuse not to tog for Boden 15th team in the football at that age!
He’s togging for their second team . I’d say he would have stayed with first if he saw any opening for him
I’d be surprised if they win it.
Totally reliant on a cohort of age 33+ players to win it. Shane Durkin, Paul Ryan, Niall McMorrow, Simon Lambert, Conor Dooley, Timmy Hammersley and Keaney. Great servants and hurlers no doubt but a distinct lack of pace there now. I think they only had two lads on the senior panel this year and none on the 20s. Their 2nd team got promoted to Div 1 for next year. Seem now to be developing quantity rather than the quality named above.
Kilmacud Crokes* well beaten by Lucan tonight in the Dublin SHC. 1-18 to 2-11.
The recent pasting they received from Ballygunner on the Box Office Industries Challenge Match circuit seems to have knocked the stuffing out of them. I had provisionally pencilled them in, in the Top 5 of the Power Rankings but i will need to tweak the algorithm now.
Brigids will beat a skeleton Cuala outfit at the weekend I believe and for those who fancy a flutter, you should be getting stuck in at 9/4.
3 Likes
You can forget about Crokes as a club
Abbeydorney bow out after being well bate by Ballyduff in the QF. Another false dawn
Causeway play Crotta today to decide who else joins Lixnaw and Kilmoyley in the semis.
Bookies expect Causeway to progress comfortably enough, Crotta are no push overs though
3 Likes
Crotta win on sudden death penalties.
Box office
big semi final double header next saturday Julio
I am tipping down for it and a bucket of pints