The GAA Off Topic Thread - Hurlers Appreciation <3

Daysha

Dearest moderators and anyone else vaguely interested,

What would the general consensus be regarding the creation of an off-topic thread for the Championship months? A place us Gah-heads can go blow off some steam and just chat to each other about anything and everything really. It'd be nice to get to know everyone a bit better since we usually have quite a few new posters around this time of the year, and you could also use it to organise some GAA forum beers before a Dub match or otherwise.

I know both the Soccer and Poker forums have their own threads like this and they've both been a huge success. And given the torments and triumphs we'll all experience following our county in the summer (some more so than others!) now would seem like the perfect time to start one up.

It's just an idea I've got floating around in my head. Any thoughts?

kerry4sam

Daysha wrote: »

Dearest moderators and anyone else vaguely interested,

What would the general consensus be regarding the creation of an off-topic thread for the Championship months? A place us Gah-heads can go blow off some steam and just chat to each other about anything and everything really. It'd be nice to get to know everyone a bit better since we usually have quite a few new posters around this time of the year, and you could also use it to organise some GAA forum beers before a Dub match or otherwise.

I know both the Soccer and Poker forums have their own threads like this and they've both been a huge success. And given the torments and triumphs we'll all experience following our county in the summer (some more so than others!) now would seem like the perfect time to start one up.

It's just an idea I've got floating around in my head. Any thoughts?

Good morning & Good man Daysha. +1 from me anyways on the idea.

It would seriously reduce the off-topicness on the various GAA threads for starters, not to mention giving people the opportunity to get to know fellow GAA-heads on a general level without serious debating/discussing in the various threads.

blackbelt

Definitely has my backing.A good thread to get this forum a bit more interactive.

Might as well get the ball rolling but the Dublin-Meath match is on next Sunday week and the tradition is to go for beers in Madigans on O Connell Street after the game.

Maybe the Ulstermen can organise a beers in Clones after Tyrone v Armagh.:D:D I would gamble a fiver to see that.;)

smashey

I like this idea and it seems to work well elsewhere on this site.

kerry4sam

Anyone planning on heading to Killarney on June 7th for the Kerry -v- Cork match...just gimme a shout. The weather is supposed to be glorious so a beer-garden awaits after the match me thinks


edit: I'm posting this after two approvals from GAA Mod's in relation to a general thread

smashey

kerry4sam wrote: »

edit: I'm posting this after two approvals from GAA Mod's in relation to a general thread

Orly?

I just edited the thread title so we can use this one.

Daysha

Great stuff. Thanks for that guys. Hopefully we can all do a bit to keep the topic going and not just letting it fall into the gutters.

kerry4sam

I can't quite fuigure out why but interest at local club games down these parts seems to have fallen big-time lately compared to previous months.

What's it like elsewhere folks?

Supermanscat

Our Club games are dead, feck all there at all! I suppose the recession, crap weather too!

On a sidenote, off playing ball for the summer in the states! Can't wait!

blackbelt

Here in Dublin the attendances at club level is quite good.It is the earlier rounds of the club championships but even at junior level,there does be a good turnout.

I was refereeing a championship match in Clontarf 2 weeks ago in dreadful conditions but there was a good turnout and a lot of noise.Not primarily at me though.:D:D

Erin Go Brath

Nice weather isn't it.

Daysha

Our clubs seem to be doing ok. A lot of it is down to a major shack up in the hurling landscape here though, because it's no longer just Ballygunner and Mount Sion dominating everyone else (MS even had to play a relegation play-off last year!). This year's championship in particular seems very open, a number of teams have a genuine chance of winning it.

Supermanscat wrote: »

Our Club games are dead, feck all there at all! I suppose the recession, crap weather too!

On a sidenote, off playing ball for the summer in the states! Can't wait!

Nice one! Where abouts are you heading? Make sure you find yourself a good Irish pub for one of your counties games. Obviously it doesn't compare to actually being there but it's usually great craic if there's a bit of a crowd. I was in this Irish pub in Orlando for the Waterford/Kilkenny AI semi in 2004, and there was a good mix of both sets of supporters. The slagging during the match was brilliant though, the Waterford guys telling Kilkenny people they must be all working in Waterford City to afford a place like this

blackbelt wrote: »

I was refereeing a championship match in Clontarf 2 weeks ago in dreadful conditions but there was a good turnout and a lot of noise.Not primarily at me though.:D:D

Didn't know you ref games blackbelt. Was that a once off helping out or do you do it often?

Erin Go Brath wrote: »

Nice weather isn't it.

Pfft, we'll take of that. Although it looks like it'll be a nice for the Championship matches at the weekend.

blackbelt

Daysha wrote: »

Didn't know you ref games blackbelt. Was that a once off helping out or do you do it often?

I do it often Daysha.I'm a qualified referee in football and hurling although I have never actually refereed a hurling match.I've been refereeing since March 2008.I referee most weeks.Getting into the summer now,I may referee even twice a week with mid-week games.

Pride Fighter

Apparently Aisake O hAilpin is starting for Cork this weekend.

Seems strange to me someone who has not hurled competitively for 4 years is getting a game.

Daysha

blackbelt wrote: »

I do it often Daysha.I'm a qualified referee in football and hurling although I have never actually refereed a hurling match.I've been refereeing since March 2008.I referee most weeks.Getting into the summer now,I may referee even twice a week with mid-week games.

That's really cool. So does that mean you're one to never criticise a ref's performance cause you "know what he's going through"? :P

Pride Fighter wrote: »

Apparently Aisake O hAilpin is starting for Cork this weekend.

Seems strange to me someone who has not hurled competitively for 4 years is getting a game.

Could be down to his physical presence more than anything. It's extremely handy having a 6'6' very athletic stature in that part of the field. I don't think we'll see him doing lots of running on the ball or anything, he'll be there to claim the high balls and ruffle a few feathers in the Tipp full back line.

blackbelt

Daysha wrote: »

That's really cool. So does that mean you're one to never criticise a ref's performance cause you "know what he's going through"? :P

That is true to a certain extent Daysha although when I'm watching Dublin and St Vincents play,I do complain when I notice some "discrepancies".;)

Otherwise,sometimes I do be down in Parnell Park at club games taking notes on the referee with regard to positioning and handling scenario handling.I've learned a lot from that and it pays dividends.

My first objective or goal is to referee a Senior Football Club Championship Final in Parnell Park and then referee at intercounty level.

premierstone

Pride Fighter wrote: »

Apparently Aisake O hAilpin is starting for Cork this weekend.

Seems strange to me someone who has not hurled competitively for 4 years is getting a game.

Fit right in with the rest of them so Go on the premier!! Put em on strike for good this time :P

cruiserweight

Pride Fighter wrote: »

Apparently Aisake O hAilpin is starting for Cork this weekend.

Seems strange to me someone who has not hurled competitively for 4 years is getting a game.

premierstone wrote: »

Fit right in with the rest of them so Go on the premier!! Put em on strike for good this time :P

He played there in a challenge game against Wexford a while ago and did not to badly apparently

Flukey

This thread is a good idea. Certainly we should get a few more GAA Beers going. The ones in Dublin have been going for almost two years solid now. Occasionally we get a few different people at them, but it generally has been a hard core of people. All are welcome though. You'll have often seen us pushing more people to come along, especially when we know others posting here are going to the matches that we are having a beers after. Unfortunately we don't always get a good response. (We're not that bad, honestly!) Obviously people want to go off for a few of their own mates, rather than people they've never met, but they are always a chance of extending your circle of GAA pals, and other friends are welcome too.

Also it would be nice to see a few franchises of our GAA beers. There are plenty of people going to matches in all parts of the country which other posters are attending too. So why not arrange to meet up? In our experience it has been great fun meeting. It is a little strange at first, but you've already chatted here regularly and you know you have the GAA in common and you'll have the matches you just attended to talk about too. Once you identify each other and start talking, that awkwardness very quickly disappears. We all talk to strangers after matches anyway, ones we know nothing about at all, so it should be a bit easier. Like this thread is intended to do, you'll also start talking about all sorts of other topics too. You often find out you have a lot more in common than the GAA. So come on guys, both newbies here and the posters that are here all year round: Go to a GAA Beers this summer, or even organise one. Believe me, you won't regret it. Anyway, lets get back to topic, which is being anything off-topic.

cruiserweight

Stuck in the house preparing for an interview on Monday on the nicest day of the year But I have found a stream to watch the Wexford game

Daysha

I'd love to try and make a beers this year. The problem is I haven't seen anything from my county this year that makes me believe we'll even be reaching Croker in the first place!

Oh, and sitting outside in the gorgeous weather enjoying an ice cold bottle of Miller and a barbeque with the match on in the background was utter bliss.*






*:o
sorry cruiser

cruiserweight

For anybody that is interested I heard that Wexford and Westmeath will be playing a challenge game on Monday at 7pm at Kilmacud Crokes in Dublin

smashey

I shall endeavour to join you all at a beers leter this summer in Dublin.

Mostly for dishing out some abuse to the Dubs.

cruiserweight

smashey wrote: »

I shall endeavour to join you all at a beers leter this summer in Dublin.

Mostly for dishing out some abuse to the Dubs.

Will be good to get some support

keane2097

Is it Tyrone vs Armagh today yeah?

smashey

keane2097 wrote: »

Is it Tyrone vs Armagh today yeah?

It sure is. Gotta fancy Tyrone in this one.

keane2097

smashey wrote: »

It sure is. Gotta fancy Tyrone in this one.

Yeah big time alright. Still though these games tend to throw up the odd surprise. Armagh very weakened this year, but with some of the forwards they have they can't be discounted...

What times it starting?

cruiserweight

keane2097 wrote: »

Yeah big time alright. Still though these games tend to throw up the odd surprise. Armagh very weakened this year, but with some of the forwards they have they can't be discounted...

What times it starting?

2pm, it is on RTE and BBC NI

keane2097

cruiserweight wrote: »

2pm, it is on RTE and BBC NI

Nice one - off up to the sitting room so

Talk to ye at half time.

homerjay2005

well lads, good idea. sometimes this place is a bit quite, though that should change now. im missing all the championship at the moment, im awya with work for 2 months, will miss the cork game on sunday next, its the first time that ive missed a kerry v cork game in about 6 years and that was work related too.

probably wont even get to see it either where i am .

anyway, this is not for talking about gaa really is it!?

Marse

Pride Fighter wrote: »

Apparently Aisake O hAilpin is starting for Cork this weekend.

Seems strange to me someone who has not hurled competitively for 4 years is getting a game.

I heard, he's been doing really well for them in fullforward since he came back!!!

Flukey

homerjay2005 wrote: »

im missing all the championship at the moment, im awya with work for 2 months, will miss the cork game on sunday next, its the first time that ive missed a kerry v cork game in about 6 years and that was work related too.

probably wont even get to see it either where i am .

Tut, tut! You need to get your priorities right.:)

Daysha wrote:

I'd love to try and make a beers this year. The problem is I haven't seen anything from my county this year that makes me believe we'll even be reaching Croker in the first place!

They don't have to be in Dublin. As I said, anywhere that anyone is at a match where someone else is also going is a place to have a GAA beers. Having said that, I hope we do get to have our lovefest this year.

Cruiserweight, seeing as it is only down the road from me, I might drop down to that Wexford v Westmeath game. Are you going? Anyone else up for it?

cruiserweight

Flukey wrote: »

Cruiserweight, seeing as it is only down the road from me, I might drop down to that Wexford v Westmeath game. Are you going? Anyone else up for it?

Can't I am afraid I am in Preston for an interview today and tomorrow. Made it through the first round today, so maybe missing the weekend was not such a waste

kerry4sam

smashey wrote: »

I shall endeavour to join you all at a beers leter this summer in Dublin.

Mostly for dishing out some abuse to the Dubs.

Oh you can make that two of us, for the dishing out the banter to the Dubs aswell

kerry4sam

cruiserweight wrote: »

Stuck in the house preparing for an interview on Monday on the nicest day of the year But I have found a stream to watch the Wexford game

cruiserweight wrote: »

Can't I am afraid I am in Preston for an interview today and tomorrow. Made it through the first round today, so maybe missing the weekend was not such a waste

ah nice one cruiserweight .. you must be thrilled about getting through the first round. Now, the real fun begins though , keep us posted

Daysha

Glasgow to Preston?! :eek: And there was me complaining bout having to go up to Dublin for a 15 minute interview tomorrow! G'luck with it anyway!

cruiserweight

kerry4sam wrote: »

ah nice one cruiserweight .. you must be thrilled about getting through the first round. Now, the real fun begins though , keep us posted

Yeah will be fun, but I have a funny feeling that the internal candidate might win out in the end;)

Daysha wrote: »

Glasgow to Preston?! :eek: And there was me complaining bout having to go up to Dublin for a 15 minute interview tomorrow! G'luck with it anyway!

Only two and a half hours on the train.

Anybody make the Wexford vs Westmeath challenge game?

gucci

I see now why they lost to Roscommon, it wasnt anything to do with the wides they kicked, it was because someone put [B]FACTS[/B] in the match programme....disgraceful carry on!!

LEITRIM JOINT manager John Morrison has launched a stinging attack on the match programme produced for Sunday’s Connacht football championship quarter-final with Roscommon.

Morrison said the programme highlighted Leitrim’s poor record in their home patch at Páirc Seán MacDiarmada and other negative results down through the years.

“Who put those articles in the programme? ‘Leitrim never win at home’, ‘Leitrim have never beaten Roscommon’ and so on. They might have just said ‘lie down there until we whip you again’.

“Outside our dressingroom plenty of people might have thought we were beaten before we went out, but inside the dressingroom we believed we could do it. But the mindset and perception has to change in Leitrim and the likes of that programme do little to change attitudes,” he said.

Under the heading “Seán not a happy hunting ground for home team”, the programme highlighted a string of poor results for Leitrim which Morrison felt added fuel to the “lack of self-belief” in the county.

Leitrim have won just seven of the 49 championship games played at the Carrick-on-Shannon venue, and have not won at home since 2005.

“A record of seven wins, three draws and 37 losses hardly inspires confidence,” the programme article concluded.

Connacht provincial secretary John Prenty said that match programmes are produced by Dublin-based publishers DBA.

“The records over the years and the results at a particular venue are included in each of the programmes. We cannot help it if the results have been poor for one team,” said Prenty.

cruiserweight

Did not get the job in Preston, but I had another interview in Sunderland yesterday.

Anyway I am to Texas for a week via Dublin for the day. Will be working so not much time for site seeing, maybe a good thing given that it should be 35-40 degrees celsius during the day

Daysha

cruiserweight wrote: »

Did not get the job in Preston, but I had another interview in Sunderland yesterday.

Anyway I am to Texas for a week via Dublin for the day. Will be working so not much time for site seeing, maybe a good thing given that it should be 35-40 degrees celsius during the day

Well for some! Haven't heard back about my own interview yet, but from what they've told me that could be a few more weeks yet.

On a more sombre note, I've had to cancel my planned trip to Thurles to the match tomorrow due to a family bereavement. Was really looking forward to the match, should be a cracker, but it doesn't exactly take priority at the moment. Fingers crossed I'll still be able to see us in Thurles for a Munster final next month.

cruiserweight

Presentation over, now time to chillax It is about 37 degrees here today, I guess I will have to have a beer to keep cool

Daysha

I was thinking of ways we could get more people posting in here. Maybe I'll start by asking people is anyone heading off anywhere for the summer?

It looks like I'll be staying at home this year me thinks. Me and a few friends were hoping to get away to a place like Prague for a week but it's just been a bitch to organise. I'll be staying in Limerick for a week starting Saturday though so that'll probably be the extent of my excursions this year!

Anybody going anywhere exotic or anything?

cruiserweight

Daysha wrote: »

I was thinking of ways we could get more people posting in here. Maybe I'll start by asking people is anyone heading off anywhere for the summer?

It looks like I'll be staying at home this year me thinks. Me and a few friends were hoping to get away to a place like Prague for a week but it's just been a bitch to organise. I'll be staying in Limerick for a week starting Saturday though so that'll probably be the extent of my excursions this year!

Anybody going anywhere exotic or anything?

I am sitting in Dublin airport now, on my way back to Glasgow from Austin, Texas. That was for work though, but with a little bit of time for sight seeing. I am going to Santorini in Greece in a couple of weeks, again for work. Might have to go to London at the end of next week, I will find out when I am back in the office tomorrow.

Holidays will be in Ireland, still have to book the ferry, will do that in the next couple of days.

cruiserweight

Hmmm going to try and resurrect this thread, as it is a good idea but I guess that we just have boring people on the GAA forum

Next month is going to be a pain in the hole with work and looking for a new job, with my only breaks being to watch sports. Was at the Celtic vs Arsenal game last week and I have tickets for Scotlands next 2 world cup qualifiers against FYRM and Holland. So all games look like they will be disappointing

homerjay2005

Scotland v holland could be decent, tho i think the dutch have qualified already.

im off to united v arsenal on sat evening and then back at 8 sunday morning for croker. promises to be a serious weekend...

cruiserweight

homerjay2005 wrote: »

Scotland v holland could be decent, tho i think the dutch have qualified already.

Yeah they are through, to have any chance of finishing second Scotland must first beat FYRM and then beat Holland. Then they must hope for other results to go their way in a hope of not being the worst runner up. But with David Weir and Kevin Kyle being recalled I am sure the opposition are quaking in their boots

homerjay2005 wrote: »

im off to united v arsenal on sat evening and then back at 8 sunday morning for croker. promises to be a serious weekend...

Having done many weekends like that I hope that you have Monday off work

soccymonster

cruiserweight wrote: »

Hmmm going to try and resurrect this thread, as it is a good idea but I guess that we just have boring people on the GAA forum

Me, boring, no way!

On my way up to mayo for the day. This is my familys idea of a "holiday"..
I never saw this thread before. Nice thread .

premierstone

soccymonster wrote: »

Me, boring, no way!

On my way up to mayo for the day. This is my familys idea of a "holiday"..
I never saw this thread before. Nice thread .

Cud be worse Soccy imagine if you were from Mayo and your family's idea of a holiday was to go to Limerick :eek:

soccymonster

premierstone wrote: »

Cud be worse Soccy imagine if you were from Mayo and your family's idea of a holiday was to go to Limerick :eek:

oh, thats harsh premier!
and my cousins from mayo love limerick thank you very much .
You know any tipp hurlers, premier? I love seeing if people know...people :pac:

premierstone

soccymonster wrote: »

oh, thats harsh premier!
and my cousins from mayo love limerick thank you very much .
You know any tipp hurlers, premier? I love seeing if people know...people :pac:

Would know a few alright, mostly the lads from the north of the county around the Nenagh area, my club is Kildangan - Daragh Egan is a panelist from our club.

soccymonster

premierstone wrote: »

Would know a few alright, mostly the lads from the north of the county around the Nenagh area, my club is Kildangan - Daragh Egan is a panelist from our club.

Well I know paul brownes sister and tony griffin lives over the hill from me so...yea :cool:
i bet someone i know will put two and two together and figure out who i am now .
any chance ya know seamus callanan? :P LOL!