Off Topic Thread 4.0

sydthebeat wrote: »

do you not think the county board have health and safety officers, liaison officers etc and yet none of these avenues were explored before a mass walk out?

I have no idea what sort of provisions are made to female GAA players. I know that other women’s athletes in fully professional setups have not had this sort of support extended to them though, so I’m not assuming that Mayo GAA are any better resourced. If they are, that’s great.

Do I think that any athlete takes the decision to wall out on their team lightly? Absolutely not. So I definitely think an entire group of athletes and back room staff take the decision far more seriously.

I know a lot of athletes across many sports, albeit not really the GAA I should stress, and I would be extremely surprised to see your characterisation of these women that hold true. I find in general that elite amateur athletes (regardless of gender) are some of the most mentally strong people I know.

But yeah, I don’t know them. It could be that they are precious. I just find it extremely unlikely.


Also the examples they’ve given are completely adequate. Players asking for feedback and being ignored is unacceptable. And they stressed there were more serious issues they didn’t want to go into.

Podge_irl wrote: »

If that is the case they probably shouldn't have highlighted anything, cause the examples they did give make them seem like they are wildly over-reacting. Cause of some grievance sure - a mass walkout absolutely not.

I don't have any major problem believing it could have been a power play. These things can take on a life of their own and get blown out of proportion without anyone really intending it. The fact there is such a large representation from one club in the panel probably doesn't help in that regard.

Yeah it was probably a mistake by Staunton to say anything at all, but you're always going to have that when you're talking about isolated individual amateur athletes coming up against the media.

If it was an unmotivated power play, which I don't believe, then his position should have been entirely untenable anyway. He's failed massively there.

sydthebeat wrote: »

https://www.sportsjoe.ie/gaa/complete-timeline-of-mayo-ladies-football-saga-177695

A very good sypnosis of the situation.....

its surprising that there didnt seem to be any voiced issue between Leahys first training sessions in january 2018 and July 2018...... what changed in the run up to the connacht final?

personally i think the statements coming from the Mayo LGPFA Board are the most telling here, and their defence of the coach is strong.

It’s not a synopsis of th situation though because 90% of the relevant issues happened behind closed doors and will likely never come out.

It’s a synopsis of the media coverage of the situation which is a very very different thing.

Also the Mayo LGFA are hardly a beacon of decency to be following given their handling of everything!

sydthebeat wrote: »

I didn't think I'd have to say "synopsis of what we know" as I thought that was self evident.

Anyway, I'm sure it will all come out in the wash and I'd be fairy certain leahy won't be retained after next season...... But from what I've heard in the grapevine certain players didn't like to be told what to do and it developed into this debacle....

Yeah, I just don’t buy it. If it was an individual having a problem there wouldn’t be 12 players and back room staff gone from the panel. That would be unprecedented, and not just in the GAA

Zzippy wrote: »

I heard a certain player from Carnacon was told she was benched for the Connacht final and that sparked the walkout. Local gossip, no idea how true it is.

Staunton is a peculiar character. Any other successful veteran star in a county is revered but she is a polarizing figure in Mayo. A lot of the supporters have very little time for her and that goes well back beyond this summer. Compare her to how Briege Corkery is viewed in Cork.

I feel the entire thing has been handled terribly. There's absolutely more to the story than we are hearing and I suspect we'll never know full details. I've plenty of friends and family in Mayo and the rumours are all fairly consistent and rife, matching a lot of what's being posted on the Mayo thread over on the GAA forum but, as I said, people already struggled to like Staunton much so it's hard to know if this is just a vehicle for that. In her final appearance which was the Connacht final, Staunton clearly had an issue with the free taking situation and took the ball from Sarah Rowe when Rowe was set to take a free kick so there absolutely appears to be a split in the camp to my mind.

In terms of the actual walk out, it was horrendous decision making from them regarding how they presented it. They walked, cited H&S without any further comment which is a heavy accusation to make. When rebuffed, this changed to mental health and accusations of intimidation. The Mayo LGFA has publicly come out and stated that they met with the players after the walk out and there was never any mention of mental health issues. They need to get a clear understanding of the issue and state their case because, currently, they're being decimated in terms of public image.

I feel extremely sorry for a number of those who have departed. They're young players who have followed 2 or 3 leaders including a few Carnacon players who are in their thirties, have their best days behind them. A couple of those who walked already have an All Ireland medal in their pockets. These younger players will possibly never get that. There are three of them who were on the Mayo minor side last season and were tipped for big futures in Mayo GAA. I really hope this isn't going to cost them long term but memories are long and I reckon some of those players aren't going to see an intercounty jersey again for a long, long time.

Squidgy Black wrote: »

I think the reason Staunton became the main point of focus is because she had floated back into the setup after her stint in the AFL, and had signed a contract to go back after the championship.

She wasn't going to be hanging around for much longer, whereas for a lot of the girls this was going to have a more long term affect on their careers and future in the GAA at inter county level.

So the fact she was seen as leading the charge for the group who walked out, seeing as she would only be in the setup for another few months after only recently walking back into it, didn't seem fair.

On the surface, that might seem the way but there were a number of them with vast experience and, with a potential media career, Staunton still had something to lose. Fiona McHale is 31 and has been there for about 14 seasons. Martha Carter is 34 and has been around for the same length. They're both Carnacon players and the most senior figures. The "selectors" who walked were McHale's father (who is actually only the kitman) and Denise McDonagh, a former long term Mayo player and team mate of the above veterans.

To me, that just says there's a split in the camp and it's largely based around Carnacon and their senior figures who are all closely aligned. The fact that the other major senior figure in the team, Sarah Rowe, was the one who publicly came out defending the set up says to me that the incident in the Connacht final where Staunton demanded to take frees instead of Rowe was an indication of where things were/are.

Deleted User wrote: »

I see Paisley Jnr has pulled a Lowry and held onto his seat. He's now proclaiming it a massive 'win'. What an odious, shameless individual. Politician

FYP

Deleted User wrote: »

At one time I'd have agreed with you and I find the majority of politicians to be irksome in one way or another. But it's definitely long passed the point of saying 'they're all bad' when some are demonstrably much, much worse than others.

Paisley took a free holiday worth a substantial amount and then campaigned for non disclosure of a genocide. He should not only be un-electable but a borderline pariah within his community.

Yet here he is, celebrating barely not having to stand for election again as if it's a personal victory.

I really wish people would vote with a bit more honesty and conviction.

Like many politicians he survives on the complete polarization of his electorate. No matter how bad he is, removing him would be seen as a victory for the other side.

I actually don't think all politicians are as bad as each other, but I do think most are self serving and at best questionable.


Once again not sure if this is politics or news, if the mods think it's politics please remove.

awec wrote: »

Ive kind of just been reading about this in recent days, but if it were me none of the players who walked out would ever play for Mayo again.

That's a hard stance to take. Remember, some of those Carncanon girls aren't much more than kids. Doireann Hughes is 22 and then there are three of them that are still teenagers. They were faced by 3 extremely senior players who have over 50 years of intercounty experience between them who happen to play for the same local club as them.

That potentially puts them in a horrible position. They turn their backs on their clubmates and represent their county, leaving them open to being shunned in their own community (and the standard opinion in Mayo is that you only cross Cora Staunton once) or they side with the senior players which has possibly ruined their intercounty careers before they're started and made them figures of ridicule across the country.

I have huge sympathy for those players. People are talking about mental well being. The real concern to me would be the three youngsters who are having a load of rubbish thrown at them as well as potentially having to face up to losing their intercounty careers. Oh, and now a 4 week suspension too for bringing the game into disrepute.

If they're good enough, I'd definitely leave the door open for a return to them. But local GAA is neither a forgiving nor a forgetful place.

shootermacg wrote: »

I've been through a lot of coffee makers. Problem for me is, for the day's I'm in the office, I just drink the stuff in there. It's pretty good (black no sugar). So I only have to make it at home four days max and sometimes just the once.

I finally bought one of these and I really just can't believe why I didn't do it earlier.

Link

No fuss, if you're in a rush use hot water, if you're a zombie in the morning like me, just cold. When done, bang out the coffee, bung it in the dish washer.

Sometimes you get caught up in the bells and whistles when the answer has been around for ages. As for the frothy milk ****e, just fart through a straw or something, I wouldn't know anything about that, I'm not from Dublin and I don't have a beard or skinny jeans.

I bought one of these over the summer and it has really changed how I have my coffee. Cheaper than nespresso and more environmentally friendly too!