Interprovincial Championship

Lemlin

Not sure if many people know, with the Aussie Rules overshadowing it, but the Interprovincial Championship is in full swing with the final set for November 13th.

Leinster beat Connacht 1-14 to 3-7 in the first semi and Ulster beat Munster 2-13 to 0-9 in the second match.

I'll like to see alot more emphasis put on this Championship by the GAA. Very few people know these games even happen and its not fair on supporters if you ask me. After all, what other match would allow you to see a dream team full-forward line of Stephen McDonnell, Paddy Bradley and Tommy Freeman or a midfield of Noel Garvan and Ciaran Whelan?

Just 2,500 fans watched the game between Ulster and Munster in Crossmaglen and just 3,000 watched the Leinster vs. Connacht game in Parnell Park.

Geg124

All the GAA have to do is advertise this championship more and they would get great crowds at the games. Who wouldnt go to a match with so many good players playing.

I was watching the Leinster and Connacht match and the amount of class players playing in that match even with most of the best players in the country playing in the international rules.

A bit more advertising and you might get a full house at nearly all the match's. U never know unless it happen's

mchurl

with all the quality on show the crowds should be a lot bigger at these matches. the gaa really need to think about the best way forward for this competition

StupidLikeAFox

Agree completely. Btw, is it still called the railway cup?

stevemac

no its the mdonnelly cup now.

don't forget that the leinster midfield was Clancy, Whelan and Garvin. And they brought Thomas Walsh from carlow on as well who is a good midfielder.

Geg124

stevemac wrote:

no its the mdonnelly cup now.

don't forget that the leinster midfield was Clancy, Whelan and Garvin. And they brought Thomas Walsh from carlow on as well who is a good midfielder.

That was only the midfield for leinster. Just think of all the other players for the other counties in every position. The amount of good players playing in one match. The crowds should be much bigger than they currently are

Lemlin

stevemac wrote:

no its the mdonnelly cup now.

don't forget that the leinster midfield was Clancy, Whelan and Garvin. And they brought Thomas Walsh from carlow on as well who is a good midfielder.

Sorry if the point that you were making was that Walsh and Clancy also played. I couldn't actually tell you much about the Leinster game but was quoting what I heard was the starting line-up at midfield and what the Indo described as a "dream-team midfield partnership". Ulster are amy team

That was only the midfield for leinster. Just think of all the other players for the other counties in every position. The amount of good players playing in one match. The crowds should be much bigger than they currently are

That's my point exactly. I'd prefer to see alot more emphasis on this Championship than the Aussie Rules. I know that the Aussie Rules promotes the game abroad and that's all well and good, but the interprovincial championship shouldn't be IMO be shunted to the side like it has done this year.

Congrats to my own county of Cavan btw. Pleased to see three players made the Ulster team from the country - Mickey Lyng, Anhtony Forde and James Reilly. Apparently Reilly made the starting line-up ahead of Paul Hearty, who he's up against for an All-Star.

dcr22B

They're holding the football final under lights in Parnell Park on Saturday week the 12th November and I reckon they might pull in a reasonable sized crowd. I'll definitely be there cheering the Leinster lads on (except the Meath contingent!)

Geg124

dcr22B wrote:

They're holding the football final under lights in Parnell Park on Saturday week the 12th November and I reckon they might pull in a reasonable sized crowd. I'll definitely be there cheering the Leinster lads on (except the Meath contingent!)

No doubt there will be a big crowd there for that match. Might even get a full house if it is advertised properly. Leinster to win.

LOL (except the Meath contingent!)

Lemlin

Geg124 wrote:

No doubt there will be a big crowd there for that match. Might even get a full house if it is advertised properly. Leinster to win.

LOL (except the Meath contingent!)

Not too sure about that, the Ulster forward line is like a 'who's who' of top forwards and the backline were the only provincial team not to concede a goal in the semis. Not too shabby at all!

cournioni

Lemlin wrote:

Apparently Reilly made the starting line-up ahead of Paul Hearty, who he's up against for an All-Star.

Strange that, for a goalkeeper supposedly inferior to Hearty and Murphy.

Geg124

Lemlin wrote:

Not too sure about that, the Ulster forward line is like a 'who's who' of top forwards and the backline were the only provincial team not to concede a goal in the semis. Not too shabby at all!

Ye they do have a great team but i have confidence in the Leinster boys that they will do the business

Lemlin

PORNAPSTER wrote:

Strange that, for a goalkeeper supposedly inferior to Hearty and Murphy.

That's what I thought

cruiserweight

Lemlin wrote:

Apparently Reilly made the starting line-up ahead of Paul Hearty, who he's up against for an All-Star

PORNAPSTER wrote:

Strange that, for a goalkeeper supposedly inferior to Hearty and Murphy.

Yeah but the last time I checked Hearty was in Australia and Kerry was not in Ulster

Might get another chance to see him play in the final, and see what all this hype is about!

Lemlin

cruiserweight wrote:

Yeah but the last time I checked Hearty was in Australia and Kerry was not in Ulster

Might get another chance to see him play in the final, and see what all this hype is about!

He was named in the provisional panel but are you sure he went?

cournioni

No, Mickey McVeigh and some other guy was on the International Rules panel. Not Hearty.

Lemlin

PORNAPSTER wrote:

No, Mickey McVeigh and some other guy was on the International Rules panel. Not Hearty.

And I'd imagine McVeigh only made it due to McGrath being a fellow Down man.

cournioni

It probably helped alright. But I rate McVeigh, he's a very good goalkeeper.

cruiserweight

Sorry they only brought 1 keeper! Murphy and Hearty were called up to the provisional panel though!

The final of the inter-provincial hurling championship sounded like a good match though
http://www.unison.ie/sportsdesk/stories.php3?ca=14&si=1501675

Lemlin

cruiserweight wrote:

Sorry they only brought 1 keeper! Murphy and Hearty were called up to the provisional panel though!

The final of the inter-provincial hurling championship sounded like a good match though
http://www.unison.ie/sportsdesk/stories.php3?ca=14&si=1501675

And there was uproar from many that Reilly wasn't.

cruiserweight

Lemlin wrote:

And there was uproar from many that Reilly wasn't.

Sorry I must have missed that, do you have links (I am not being smart just curious)?

Lemlin

cruiserweight wrote:

Sorry I must have missed that, do you have links (I am not being smart just curious)?

Nope, just the local papers here in Cavan and alot of people on local radio. Suppose you could call it Cavan bias.

*marie*

Any word on the match? Wanted to go, but had to work.
EDIT: Never mind-well done Leinster!:

From rte.ie:
Leinster win Railway Cup after extra-time
Saturday, 12 November 2005 11:05

Westmeath attacker Dessie Dolan produced an exquisite display of finishing, kicking 11 points as Leinster collected their 27th Railway Cup football title tonight and drew level with Ulster in the inter-provincial roll of honour.

A crowd of 5,824 witnessed Leinster win 0-20 to 0-18 after extra-time in a Parnell Park thriller which has given the ailing competition a huge boost.

Val Andrews' charges displayed passion and commitment in holding off the determined challenge of the Northerners, and fully deserved to reverse the result of last year's M Donnelly decider, played in Paris.


This time it was the floodlights of north Dublin which replaced the sparkling illuminations of the French capital, and it was the Leinster men who shone the brightest.

Ulster made a lively and creative start, easing ahead with scores from Steven McDonnell, Paddy Bradley and Dick Clerkin, and with the Leinster attack looking strangely sluggish, it was left to Padraig Clancy to keep them in touch, with two points.

His second score, in truth, should have been a goal, fisted over the bar with the net gaping after he was sent clear by Laois team-mate Noel Garvan.

The Northerners led by 0-4 to 0-2 after 12 minutes, but Clancy's move to midfield and Dessie Dolan's spectacular emergence as a potent attacking force contrived to spark their challenge.

Dolan hammered over five quality scores, and substitute Mattie Forde knocked over a couple as Leinster forged ahead.

Michael Ennis and Tom Kelly were solid in the Leinster full-back line, and Ulster were in alarming decline, Bradley missing a couple of straightforward frees.

While Aaron Kernan and Toye did pull back points, they were on the wrong side of a 0-11 to 0-7 scoreline at the break.

The holders made a promising start to the second half with scores from McDonnell and Toye, whose zipping shot was fingertipped just clear of the bar by a diving Fergal Byron.

And with Aidan O'Rourke coming in to bolster a shaky defence, they succeeded in stifling a fast-moving Leinster attack.

Ronan Clarke also made a big impact when sprung from the bench, setting up scores for Armagh colleagues McDonnell and Kernan as the deficit shrunk to a single point midway through the half.

McDonnell's fourth score, from a long range free, brought the sides level on 0-12 each.

Ulster were clinging on by a point when Graham Geraghty sent Jason Sherlock through on goal, but his effort was superbly kept out by James Reilly.

Enter John Doyle, the Kildare man coming off the bench to kick two precious points, one of them from a free, but Toye swept over a long range effort to tie it up at 0-15 each and send the game into extra-time.

Dolan added two more to his mounting tally as Leinster turned around with a 0-18 to 0-17 lead midway through extra-time, and sealed a wonderful individual display with a gem which sealed it.

Leinster: F Byron; M Ennis, T Kelly, D Healy, B Cahill, C Moran, P Andrews; T Walsh, N Garvan 0-1; A Mangan 0-1, R Munnelly, P Clancy 0-2; D Dolan 0-11 (7f), G Geraghty, J Sherlock.

Subs: M Forde 0-3 (for Walsh 17 mins), J Doyle 0-2 (1f) (for Munnelly 42 mins), B Sheehan (for Mangan 57 mins), S Ryan (for Garvan 63 mins), Garvan (for Sherlock 80 mins), D Regan (for Forde 87 mins).


Ulster: J Reilly; K McGuckin, K McCloy, E McNulty; A Kernan 0-2, C Gormley, A Mallon; D Gordon, S Cavanagh; B Dooher 0-1, C Toye 0-4, D Clerkin 0-1; T Freeman 0-1, P Bradley 0-2, S McDonnell 0-6 (4f).

Subs: A O'Rourke (for McCloy 27 mins), R Clarke 0-1 (for Clerkin (43 mins) D Diver (for Gormley 47 mins), R Mellon (for Bradley 65 mins), P Hearty (for Reilly 70 mins), Bradley (for Clarke 80 mins), C Holmes (for Bradley 89 mins).

Referee: P Russell (Tipperary).

Culchie

It was a tremendous match, fair play to both teams, they really gave it 100%.

A few rough tackles/hits as well.

cournioni

*marie* wrote:

Ulster were clinging on by a point when Graham Geraghty sent Jason Sherlock through on goal, but his effort was superbly kept out by James Reilly.

Culchie

PORNAPSTER wrote:

It was a good save, brave more than anything else.

Geg124

Great match. both teams were fully commited which was good and lead to the great match. Well done to Leinster for winning . I had faith in them as i said before

Lemlin

Great game. Was looking forward to going but had to attend a graduation so couldn't make it.

Hopefully James did well.