Closed and being renovated.
Feck, the oul memory is getting worse so.
Can’t see us getting too many out of this. Also, Graham Canty at 7 - did he play there at all this year?
Opel Gaelic Players’ Awards announced
Wednesday, 8 October 2008 12:58
The official nominees for the 2008 Opel Gaelic Players’ Awards for football have been announced on Wednesday by the Gaelic Players’ Association.
A total of 45 players have been named on the shortlist for the Opel Gaelic Team of the Year, with four players also nominated for the Opel Gaelic Player of the Year award.
The shortlist for the Opel Gaelic Team of the Year includes 45 players - three players for each position. The shortlist contains players from 15 counties including; Tyrone, Kerry, Wexford, Dublin, Westmeath, Kildare, Galway, Mayo, Cork, Limerick, Monaghan, Fermanagh, Armagh, Down and Derry.
The Opel Gaelic Team of the Year shortlist reflects the most successful counties in this year’s championship with All-Ireland champions Tyrone receiving a total of 9 nominations. Losing All-Ireland finalists Kerry received 8 nominations while All-Ireland semi finalists Wexford received 4.
Dublin, Westmeath, Galway, Cork, Fermanagh and Armagh all received three nominations each.
The four nominees for the Opel Gaelic Player of the Year as chosen by the Football Selection Committee are: Sean Cavanagh (Tyrone), Brian Dooher (Tyrone) Tomas S (Kerry) and Declan O’Sullivan (Kerry).
The shortlists were drawn up by a selection committee consisting of Chairman Jack O’Connor, along with Keith Barr, Martin McHugh and Paddy Heaney. The winners will be selected by GPA members, all of whom have been issued with voting cards.
Commenting on the announcement, Chairman of the Football Selection Committee, Jack O’Connor said: 'Gaelic football is a team game, but as we all know individual contributions throughout the year are deserving of recognition.
‘As always with these type of awards, they are entirely subjective and are sure to generate debate. However, the committee feels the 45 players we have chosen have earned their selection.’
Dave Sheeran, Managing Director Opel Ireland, said: 'The shortlist announcements reflect the fact that this season’s championship touched every community across the country. The breadth of the nominations recognises the contribution of local heroes to the 2008 Football Championship.
‘Opel is delighted to be in a position to reward their efforts and I look forward to meeting the winners at the awards ceremony on November 7th.’
Dessie Farrell, Chief Executive of the Gaelic Players’ Association said: 'There was clearly a high level of competition for places in this year’s Opel Gaelic Team of the Year and that is reflected in the calibre of candidates that have been included.
‘I would personally like to thank Jack O’ Connor and his committee for the work they have put into drawing up the nominations and I look forward to the next stage of the process when the players vote for their peers to pick the final 15.’
The shortlist in full for the 2008 Opel Gaelic Team of the Year consists of:
1 Ronan Gallagher (Fermanagh), Gary Connaughton (Westmeath), Anthony Masterson (Wexford)
2 Marc S (Kerry), Dessie Mone (Monaghan), John Keane (Westmeath)
3 Justin McMahon (Tyrone), Francie Bellew (Armagh), Finian Hanley (Galway)
4 Conor Gormley (Tyrone), Anthony Lynch (Cork), David Henry (Dublin)
5 Tomas S (Kerry), Davy Harte (Tyrone), Michael Ennis (Westmeath)
6 Ryan McCluskey (Fermanagh), Philip Jordan (Tyrone), Aidan O’Mahony (Kerry)
7 Ryan McMenamin (Tyrone), Ciaran McKeever (Armagh), Graham Canty (Cork)
8 & 9 Enda McGinley (Tyrone), Darragh S (Kerry), Shane Ryan (Dublin), Dan Gordon (Down), John Galvin (Limerick), Martin McGrath (Fermanagh)
10 Brian Dooher (Tyrone), Alan Dillon (Mayo), John Doyle (Kildare)
11 Declan O’Sullivan (Kerry), Padraic Joyce (Galway), Pearse O’Neill (Cork)
12 Joe McMahon (Tyrone), Redmond Barry (Wexford), Alan Brogan (Dublin)
13 Colm Cooper (Kerry), Paddy Bradley (Derry), Ciaran Lyng (Wexford)
14 Sean Cavanagh, (Tyrone), Kieran Donaghy (Kerry), Ronan Clarke (Armagh)
15 Tommy Walsh (Kerry), Michael Meehan (Galway), Matty Forde (Wexford)
Meyler will probably be on Off The Ball at 7pm. He’ll spend the next week whining to any media outlet that will have him. Fair enough, his departure could have been handled better but the actual fact that his tenure wasn’t extended upon the competion of his first 2 years and at the point of his 2-year review period is by no means unprecedented and I repeat that I’m not displeased that he’s gone. The likely candidates to replace him are what concerns me.
I heard Myler on the radio this morning and boy did he sound angry. He was well and truely shafted by Ger Doyle and his cohorts. I’d love to know who these players were, any hints Gavin. I have my suspicion this could be an oulart coup, with the coup de grace delivered by the Oulart fatso Doyle.
Surprise, surprise, surprise - Eoin McDevitt has just announced that Meyler will be on Off The Ball in the first hour of the programme.
AFAIK, none of the players are hiding behind this ‘remaining anonymous’ excuse as has been reported.
Ger Doyle didn’t handpick the 4 players either and it doesn’t now appear there was a load of plotting against Meyler in the background.
Doyle sought the counsel of 4 reps from both the hurling and football panels as part of the process to reappoint the managers.
The players that went along spoke frankly about the set-up but didn’t say anything that wasn’t already said to Meyler’s face at the post-championship meeting they held a couple of months back and there wasn’t a pre-arranged or concerted effort to push for his removal.
At the end of the day (there’s always time for a clich), the players don’t appoint or sack the manager (unless they’re from Cork) and Doyle took their opinions on board and used these, and whatever other factors he was considering, to come to his decision.
I do think the process should have been completed/finalised quite a bit prior to now though and it hasn’t been fair to leave Meyler stringing along and attending club games for the last number of weeks.
Meyler’s now going from one media outlet to another and the spin is being put out there that he was shafted by a conniving group of players. But they were just an element of the decision making process used by the County Board.
I expect the players will clear the air with Meyler privately and then put their stance across in the media later in the week.
From the indo
Another hurling manager became the victim of player power yesterday when John Meyler was forced to step down in Wexford.
Meyler met the Wexford County Board yesterday morning to discuss plans for 2009 under the assumption that he was still manager.
But as the meeting unfolded it became clear that his time was up as he was informed that players and the County Board no longer had confidence in his ability to manage the affairs of the team.
Meyler, based in Cork, has been in charge of Wexford for the last two years and appeared to have brought some stability to the team despite some terrible drubbings at the hands of Kilkenny.
They reached an All-Ireland semi-final in 2007 under his command and a quarter-final this year when they were unlucky to lose to Waterford. But it appears that the Wexford hurlers and their board were anxious for change.
“I was told that some people didn’t want me, players didn’t want me and that they had lost confidence in me,” said a disappointed Meyler last night.
“Maybe I could have done things better, I accept that. But that’s the way it goes.”
One of the Wexford selectors, who did not want his identity to be revealed, said last night that he was totally stunned when informed of the decision.
“I was contacted by John around 1pm. He asked if I was sitting down, then he went on to inform me that we were sacked,” the selector said.
Stunned
“I was totally taken aback and stunned. No one from the County Board has telephoned me. Only for John I would not know we are gone.”
Meyler had a debriefing session with the players just a few days after the defeat to Waterford and they all appeared in an upbeat mood after a decent performance.
But with ratification of his position up for discussion on Tuesday night next, the plug was pulled on Meyler after consultation between the board and the players.
“The players did express an opinion but we took the decision after reviewing everything,” Wexford chairman Ger Doyle said last night.
"We had discussions with the football squad too. This (Meyler’s removal) was the consensus we took.
"Normally, a manager in Wexford gets two years with a review after that before a third year is granted. We wish John well."Meyler’s departure came as the most high-profile victim of player power in 2008, former Waterford manager Justin McCarthy, was being rubber-stamped as the new Limerick manager at a County Board meeting.
McCarthy takes over from Richie Bennis, who re-applied for the job after two and a half years in charge. The new boss will be assisted by selectors Liam Garvey (Hospital-Herbertstown) and Brian Ryan (South Liberties).
Meanwhile, in Cork, the County Board did not raise the issue of Gerald McCarthy’s management future and will discuss it at their next meeting in two week’s time. The ratification of football manager Conor Counihan has also been deferred until then.
- Colm Keys
Who are the players then?
They’ll be revealed in time. Meyler’s playing the sympathy card now on RTE Radio, RTE, Newstalk, Today FM and there’s no point in them getting embroiled in a public slanging match with him. They’ll speak to him in private and then reveal exactly what went on.
The decision to replace him coincided with his review post his second season and I don’t have any qualms with him being let go. For me, we didn’t properly recover from the League semi-final defeat to Kilkenny in 2007 (bar an upset win against an appalling Tipperary team later that season) after a promising debut League campaign and we regressed a lot this year.
But I don’t want Davy Morris or someone like that taking over.
I wasn’t a fan either but i hate Ger Doyle more
I left out TV3. I reckon he’ll be on Sports Tonight later.
[quote=“Bandage”]Surprise, surprise, surprise - Eoin McDevitt has just announced that Meyler will be on Off The Ball in the first hour of the programme.
AFAIK, none of the players are hiding behind this ‘remaining anonymous’ excuse as has been reported.
Ger Doyle didn’t handpick the 4 players either and it doesn’t now appear there was a load of plotting against Meyler in the background.
Doyle sought the counsel of 4 reps from both the hurling and football panels as part of the process to reappoint the managers.
The players that went along spoke frankly about the set-up but didn’t say anything that wasn’t already said to Meyler’s face at the post-championship meeting they held a couple of months back and there wasn’t a pre-arranged or concerted effort to push for his removal.
At the end of the day (there’s always time for a clich), the players don’t appoint or sack the manager (unless they’re from Cork) and Doyle took their opinions on board and used these, and whatever other factors he was considering, to come to his decision.
I do think the process should have been completed/finalised quite a bit prior to now though and it hasn’t been fair to leave Meyler stringing along and attending club games for the last number of weeks.
Meyler’s now going from one media outlet to another and the spin is being put out there that he was shafted by a conniving group of players. But they were just an element of the decision making process used by the County Board.
I expect the players will clear the air with Meyler privately and then put their stance across in the media later in the week.[/quote]
this blows a gaping hole in your argument bandage about it not being a covert op by the gang of four and doyle
Wexford hurling star Damien Fitzhenry has lashed the removal of John Meyler as county manager.
And the reaction from the public on local radio yesterday also indicated that next Tuesday night’s County Board meeting could be a fiery one.
With Wexford getting relegated to Division 2 last season and facing a beefed-up Leinster championship, there is a feeling that the county will find it difficult to find a replacement.
“I was at the (initial) players meeting in Gorey with the management after the Waterford game,” Fitzhenry said. “We had 10 or 12 points which we put to management and they (management) went away and were dealing with them. On the night the squad was totally behind John, the selectors and back-up team.”
Fitzhenry said he would suspend a decision on his own future with the county until a new manager is appointed.
[quote=“artfoley”]this blows a gaping hole in your argument bandage about it not being a covert op by the gang of four and doyle
Wexford hurling star Damien Fitzhenry has lashed the removal of John Meyler as county manager.
And the reaction from the public on local radio yesterday also indicated that next Tuesday night’s County Board meeting could be a fiery one.
With Wexford getting relegated to Division 2 last season and facing a beefed-up Leinster championship, there is a feeling that the county will find it difficult to find a replacement.
“I was at the (initial) players meeting in Gorey with the management after the Waterford game,” Fitzhenry said. “We had 10 or 12 points which we put to management and they (management) went away and were dealing with them. On the night the squad was totally behind John, the selectors and back-up team.”
Fitzhenry said he would suspend a decision on his own future with the county until a new manager is appointed.[/quote]
It actually doesn’t art and it’s a pretty sensationalist headline from The Independent for a mere 1 paragraph worth of quotes from Fitzhenry. It just confirms, like as has been said, that they had that previous meeting with Meyler and spoke frankly about the areas where improvements were needed. In the absence of being given an indication back then by the county board that he was going to be sacked, Meyler went away from this meeting working under the assumption he’d be in charge next season. But subsequent to that reps from the playing squad were invited to attend a meeting with the county board, same as the footballers, and there they raised the same issues. Fitzhenry wasn’t in the group of 4 players that attended the meeting but nothing that was said wouldn’t have already have been raised at the full squad meeting he attended. Ger Doyle then went and made his decision and I presume the players’ opinions were one of a number of factors he took into consideration.
but he mentions nothing of this review or a meeting with the 4 players supposed to be reporting back to the CB on this matter
and do you not think that if there was a genuine review that fitzy as the most senior player would be on that panel of 4 players ?
[quote=“artfoley”]but he mentions nothing of this review or a meeting with the 4 players supposed to be reporting back to the CB on this matter
and do you not think that if there was a genuine review that fitzy as the most senior player would be on that panel of 4 players ?[/quote]
Well they only quoted a couple of sentences from him so who knows what else he mentioned? Ger Doyle was scheduled to meet both football and hurling panels and that was common knowledge at home. He mentioned it at a county board meeting last month when questioned about ratifying the appointments of both mangers, i.e. he said he needed to finalise a few things and meet with the managers and squad reps before it could be completed. The players were aware it was taking place but I can’t second guess Fitzy as to why he wasn’t one of the 4 players. But if I was - I’d say he didn’t forsee that Meyler would be sacked and therefore felt other players could repeat the message that was delivered to Meyler’s face previously. It’s unfortunate that he was sacked the very next day and the players have been used as pawns in it.
I dont know where you are coming from either Art. It stated 4 players from hurling and football met to talk about last seasons campaigns. It sounds to me like Doyle is hanging players to make it seem like it was them who wanted him out. Fitzhenry stated the players already had a meeting. Unless Doyle comes out and opens up propoerly, then we wont know, but I doubt he will after the way he handled the similar situation with the football manager last year.
I’m feeling it in my water lads
A big name could be on his way East.
Who maire…no need for secrets around here…Babs or richie…]
to the wexicans out there:
who from inside the county would be interested in the job…some of the heroes of 1996…dunne, storey, dempsey etc…
[quote=“The Puke”]Who maire…no need for secrets around here…Babs or richie…]
to the wexicans out there:
who from inside the county would be interested in the job…some of the heroes of 1996…dunne, storey, dempsey etc…[/quote]
hardly call those 2 blundering buffoons big, and if they took over Wexford we’d be even more of a laughing stock!
The 3 lads you mention have been doing a lot of work with underage in the county. Dunne and Dempsey over this years minors, and Storey over the Under 16’s who won the national Arrabawn thing (I think it was that anyway, they won something anyway). I think I’d nearly prefer them to stay with those age groups for another few years and blood them in properly, both players and management. D & D were caught out badly with their tactics against Galway when they had 2 sent off and we persisted with keeping our spare men too deep and thus having no effect on the game. Things like that they need to learn and gain experience in, its too cut throat at senior level to be learning as you go along.
I cant see many tho being too interested in the job either, especially if they believe the media and that it was a coup by the players (which I also believe it was not and Doyle is hanging players to save himself)
I’m throwing my hat into the ring and I also believe Davy Morris is interested. Davy Morris is always interested though and that’s quite a problem.