The GAA thread - part deux

121

I thought the hAilpn programme was shite…just a good excuse for Pat Comer to go on a holiday to Fiji and Aussie land. What was learned that we didn’t know already? The hAilpns are decent lads, dedicated sportsmen, they love their Ma to bits and she’s a good cook.

I mean, what’s the story with their Da? If he’s a quiet man who simply hates publicity, then it should have been said in the programme. Does anyone know the story with Papa hAilpn?

I got bored with Setanta telling us how he’s living his dream, waking up in the morning and getting paid to play sport. Saying it once was enough, he was still on about it near the end driving around in his car.

122

Fair enough smelly, but I still thought it held the viewer’s interest right to the end. Sean Og going back to Fiji was very interesting and we also saw that Setanta actually broke into the team by the end of the season. I do take the point that he found 35 different ways of saying he didn’t regret missing out on 2 All Irelands so he could have a lifestyle as a professional athlete. Trying to convince himself perhaps?

123

I heard Wexford beat Toomevara yesterday. Anyone back in the home land with any news on this?

124

After seeing the pictures of a high profile rugby player flying into the stand to attack supporters who were allegedly abusing him in a sectarian manner I wonder if this type of pond life is what we want gracing the sacred turf of Croke Park.

I await all the ‘sport feature writers’, rugby correspondents and other assorted idiots to get stuck into this incident as they did with the stremash in Omagh around this time last year. Like fook they will.

125

Instead of all the focus being on Trevor Brennan, they should try finding out what the Ulster-supporting smart alec said. Brennan was wrong, and so was Cantona back in the day, but I’m sure there were damn good reasons for them to fly off the handle.

Wexford’s hurling results from the past week:

Beat U.C.D. 7-14 to 2-12 (Bandage, an inhabitant of number 46 played in the U.C.D. defence)
Beat Garda 1-17 to 0-17
Beat Toomevara 4-14 to 3-7

Clive Lawlor of the Shels is shaping up very well at corner-back I’m told, I wasn’t at any of these. Robbie Codd is going well too and may end up being the captain.

Still, it must be said that there are at least ten players being tried at present who wouldn’t deserve to get an Intermediate jersey, let alone a Senior one.

They’re playing Antrim in the Walsh Cup in Piercestown on Sunday at 1.30 p.m., I’m not going, couldn’t be arsed, going to the Jim Byrne Cup Minor final between the Shels and Taghmon in Clongeen instead which will be a far better game.

Message to Appendage (I haven’t the enthusiasm to send a PM): Stop checking out the Australian ass for a moment and answer this for me, because these coonts around here can’t tell me - why did we watch a documentary last week on the hAilpns where their Ma featured prominently, as usual, but there was neither sight nor sound of their Da. What’s the story there? Even a simple explanation would have sufficed if he’s publicity-shy or something.

126

Thanks for the update smelly. I read on another forum that their father is publicity shy as are the sisters who weren’t shown on camera either but they’re to be seen at all their games though. It doesn’t really matter anyway to be honest.

To keep Robbie Codd off alcohol long enough for him to get through the Walsh Cup will be an achievement in itself. We can consider the captain for the league campaign then. Lawlor was excellent for the minors a couple of years back and is a definite prospect.

There’s only one stevie g.

127

Were Antrim always in the Walsh Cup or is this a new development?

128

They were in it last year anyway and maybe even the year before that. Just to give them some competitive games before the league.

129

Anyone watch Wicklow v Dublin on Setanta?

Question? Out of all the ex-footballers in the country, why do they get one with a speech impediment as a co-commentator…Way Silke.

What a tool. Two comments he made had me wanting to depart immediately for Aughrim and kick the shite out of him.

  1. After Wicklow got their goal in a game they were clearly going to lose - ‘a goal isn’t worth three points, it’s actually worth five’. Eh, no Way, I think you’ll find it’s worth three.

  2. Analysing a Cluxton save - ‘that’s what he gets the big bucks for’, followed by smarmy grin towards Paul Earley. Will you ever fuck off back to Galway.

On another topic, a question? Do those Irish Sports Council lads still do random tests in GAA dressing-rooms after championship games? If so, could be an interesting year for the Wexicans. I’ll say no more.

130

I watched some/most of the game. Decent display by Dublin, in the first half particularly obviously.

Ray Silke is a fool.

Was he implying Cluxton is getting paid or was he just being ironic?

131

You can’t make a comment like that about drug testers and then not divulge more.

They still do the tests alright by the way.

132

Well, I can hardly divulge more, unless you want this site shut down.

133

PM me then. Are you implying it’s something stronger than creatine?

Meyler thinks lsd, ecstasy and speed will help us close the gap on Kilkenny?

134

Row last night:

We’re talking Gaelic Football here - if you had to pick the best full back since the mid 1990s then who would it be?

135

Not Moynihan anyway. Christie was a smashing player but it’s nice to have a tough full back sometimes. Darren Fay was decent back in the day.

I wonder which Leitrim hero Farmer will opt for?

136

Interesting. Anybody else want to wade in here with a nomination?

137

smellthebenjy, did you know about this!!!

Bealin must have spotted a ‘window’ of opportunity to get Scotty back into the squad.

What a footballer in his day though.

From hoganstand.com:

Doran is back in step

Ace attacker Scott Doran is back in training with Wexford senior footballers and trained with his team-mates last night (Thursday).

Doran emigrated to England in 2004 when Pat Roe was county boss and played for London that summer. Current Wexford boss Paul Bealin is glad to welcome the skilful forward back into the fold.

"In the past I felt that sometimes Dublin let players go too early and I feel Scott can still do a job for Wexford. Hes only 32 and has proven himself to be a good footballer.

“We had a chat and afterwards decided to give it a go.”

138

Course I fookin knew, I know everything.

Best full-back of that era: Paddy Christie for me, with Fay not too far behind.

One of the greatest full-back displays I ever saw was by Matt Gallagher of Donegal in the 92 All-Ireland final. Vinny Murphy was doing his stuff for the Dubs all year and Gallagher didn’t give him a sniff of it. The remarkable thing about Gallagher’s performance was that he didn’t kick the ball once in the game (this is fact) - he beat Murphy to every ball and handpassed every one of them to a colleague.

As a by the way, Barry McGowan of Donegal was the best wing-back I saw throughout the 1990s, a hugely under-rated player.

And the best score I ever saw on a GAA field was Kevin Foley’s goal that decided the four-game Meath-Dubs saga in 1991. I was sitting in the Lower Hogan, it wasn’t that it was spectacular, it was just that it was so beautifully crafted from a move which started on their own endline, under extreme pressure. Absolutely magnificent.

Going back to the full-backs, John O’Gorman was the most complete footballer I ever saw playing for Wexford, although he was past his best by the early to mid-90s, and that includes Matty, Scott and all the rest.

139

Only for the free under the Hogan Stand that momentarily slowed down the move that Foley goal was sheer perfection.

I don’t go to that many games as a neutral but I’ve been lucky to witness 2 last gasp ones scored by Wexford that will live with me forever (and ever) - Rory McCarthy against Cork in 2003 and Michael Jacob against Kilkenny in 2004.

Good to see the ‘Pints later?’ thread linking into this one - cullyeile mentioned Gallagher in that. Was he consistently good for a number of years or just outstanding in that final?

I still think Fay is better than Christie but I’m not as familiar with Gallagher.

140

From the Indo. Hopefully Robbie Codd can be kept off the beer for a while though I doubt he’ll still be on the panel by the time the League is over.

Wexford 3-20 Antrim 1-14

JOHN MEYLER began his reign as Wexford manager on a winning note when his new-look side fashioned a 12-point victory over Antrim in the Walsh Cup at Piercestown yesterday.

Meyler opted for many new faces and the youngsters showed great heart as they battled back from a point adrift at the break before turning on the style in the final 20 minutes.

Antrim led by 0-9 to 0-8 at half-time, with Liam Watson and Barry Lambert trading tremendous points.

A shock looked on the cards until Wexford’s Robbie Codd crashed home a goal inside four minutes of the restart.

Paul Shields brought Antrim back into the game when he crashed a low shot past Dermot Flynn in the 50th minute to leave just two points separating the sides.

However, Wexford upped the tempo and Codd added his second goal eleven minutes from the end, while substitute Rory Jacob found the net from an acute angle one minute into injury-time. Wexford now meet Laois in the semi-final.

SCORERS - Wexford: R Codd 2-2, B Lambert 0-5 (4f, 1 ‘65’), R Jacob 1-2, M Jacob 0-3 (1f), M Jordan 0-3, M Doyle 0-2, E Quigley, C Kenny, D Lyng 0-1. Antrim: P Shields 1-2, L Watson 0-4 (4f), N McCauley 0-2, C Herron (65), M Herron, K Stewart, P Richmond, C Duffin, J McIntosh, S Burke 0-1 each.

WEXFORD - D Flynn; C Lawlor, R Kehoe, P Roche; PJ Carley, K Rossiter, C Kenny; D Lyng, R McCarthy; M Jacob, E Quigley, M Doyle; M Jordan, R Codd, B Lambert. Subs: R Jacob for Lambert; T Mahon for McCarthy.

ANTRIM - D D Quinn; B McAuley, J McKeague, J Campbell; M Molloy, C Herron, N McCauley; C Cunning, B Herron; L Watson, K Kelly, M Herron; K Stewart, P Richmond, P Shields. Subs: J McIntosh for Stewart; M Scullion for Cunning; C Duffin for Kelly; S Burke for B Herron.

REF - J Guinan (Kilkenny).

http://www.unison.ie/