You’re a gas man.
You think Cahill will be back?
Do you know if the two lads from last year’s minors- Ryan & Kelly are involved? I think they’ll be big players in years to come. If you have ballwinners, you’ll always be a threat. Hegarty is a huge loss in that regard, and it’s a pity O’Donoghue isn’t interested either.
Excellent detail as always dk 
Ryan playing 21s. Saw him recently and he is a huge man.
Kelly is not playing 21s
Lost Sean Finn last year because of it and bound to pick up more injuries this year. Surprised intercounty managers just don’t pull the plug and impose a blanket ban on players in their senior squad playing in that Mickey Mouse competition.
All this talk of burn out and lads flogged in February so they can reach the promised land of a Fitzgibbon Cup final in front of 37 people at “The 'Dyke” or some other deserted kip. Fuck off.
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Intercounty managers have little choice but to suck it up, unfortunately. Many of the players are on GAA/GPA/business-sponsored “bursaries” and he who pays the piper etc…
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Spot on. Half the lads going to certain colleges are there in some part to hurl Fitz.
It’s a rotten state of affairs though, isn’t it. Money really is the root of all evil. It’s going to kill the GAA in the long term. Can’t even imagine what the organisation will be like 20 or 30 years down the line.
Would have loved to have got a scholarship myself to be fair! Huge carrot and wouldn’t begrudge any young lad benefitting from one. You’d wonder where they find the time to study and lead a “normal” student life though when they are training with an intercounty team, gym sessions, team meetings, physio appointments, training for the Fitzgibbon Cup etc.
I couldn’t find the time to study and I did none of the above 
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Ditto and came out with a 2.1 - smallest modicum of study and it could have been a first class honours! 
They have fucking excellent social lives don’t you worry.
Pretty much, and there’s a fair bit underlying the whole set-up that requires serious questions to be asked.
For example, I’m aware that one of the categories of bursary is co-sponsored by a large financial institution. One of the conditions of the bursary is that the college has “first-call” on the player. There was an issue with a player in Limerick whose club were due to play a game on the same day as a third-level league game. The college dug their heels in and ended up getting their way. The GPA can pontificate all they want about not looking for pay-for-play - it already exists on a large scale. Nationally, the GAA have seriously buried their heads on this one. It is in flagrant violation of their own rules, yet they are the ones standing over and promoting it. The only difference is in the semantics.
If that’s the way things are going, fine. Nobody is going to deny these lads their bursaries but there needs to be far greater transparency and accountability regarding how these things are handled.
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Do they really, though?
When most of the rest of the people on their course are out getting plastered on a Wednesday or Thursday night every week during the year I doubt they’d be out to the same extent. Maybe naivity on my part.
No one in Mary I gets a bursary… UL came in for Cian Lynch when he was in first year but he turned it down . He probably didn’t want all the shite that goes with it… He also hates Mary I tho .
Take @anon32894817 for example, successful IC hurler with a good gambling, drink & drugs habit. Win win win is all I see there. Hopefully he’ll find a good job next year.
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You’re right. They definitely have a few class nights out at Christmas.
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What do these bursaries involve generally, pal? Is it just a cash payment the student receives directly at the start of the academic year or is it that their registration fees are paid for on their behalf etc?
Bit unrelated to GAA per se but when I was in college I knew some of the lads involved in the students union and who ultimately got themselves elected as president, welfare officer etc. Prime Time would have a field day if they ever did an expose. Hardly had to put their hand in their pocket for the year. Out most nights of the week, had deals with the local night clubs so always had drink vouchers and entry passes coming out their ears. They had the year of their lives.
Third level colleges must be ripe for funds being “misplaced”…
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They don’t need to go out boozing to get their hole though
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Show some respect to your fighting men
The footballers remain unbeaten while the well funded specialists in failure do what they do best.
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