Mayo GAA Discussion

Still no statement/post from the county board on Kevin. Would have thought they would have put up something, even just a general good wishes and in our thoughts type message. Hope he's doing OK.

The sideline is the problem there with so many not playing this yr,should not have got it in the 1st place.

Wishing Kevin a swift recovery

Maurice Brosnan is relaying stuff from the county board meeting with Jarlath Burns and Tom Ryan. Some strange story about 5 mayo players living in Dublin.

https://x.com/m_brosnan

The most complete coverage I've seen specifically around the emails end of things.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/mayo-and-jarlath-burns-condemn-toxic-online-campaign-aimed-at-county-board/a1780821768.html

Detail of all items covered in his article

I don't know who raised it but MacKenna seems to be devoting a lot of time to this story. Someone is really out to get the board. I feel sorry for them as they seem to be doing their best. I don't think they are corrupt at all. People want the manager gone and others want the board gone. I don't know if anyone will want to do these jobs on the future. It's not good for football or the county.

It's obviously Tim O'Leary who is behind all of this. But someone (or more than one) with knowledge of county dealings is supplying him with the info.

Like most people, I'd have concerns about how some aspects of the board's business is run - how we still have no proper training facilities, our woeful levels of fundraising to name a couple.

But let nobody think O'Leary is doing any of this in the best interests of Mayo football - its pure vengeance.

Why would he bother reporting the 5 players living in Howley's building? How would that benefit anyone?

It's just another instance of him trying to make life as difficult as he can for those he's harassing.

He's a malignant presence.

Completely agree with all that, I just don’t know how we ended up with a stand that appears to one of the most expensive in the country, yet bears more resemblance to something from the 1970s than anything from the modern era and with the blue seats, holds absolutely no connection to the county team.

By the time the loan is paid off, it’ll need to be upgraded again.

I doubt anyone was profiting from the players living arrangement. On the contrary, I'd say the accommodation was made available to them for very little, if anything.

The owner of the property is a long time financial supporter.

How is it imaginative? It's exactly the case with many young people in Dublin today in a very exploitative rental market.

I don't get the impression that anyone was profiting from the accommodation, otherwise that's what the allegation would be rather than the planning illegality of it

Not the only county in a similar boat but doesn't excuse what might have gone in. It's a pity as there are no doubt plenty innocent hardworking volunteers from these times whose names are getting tarnished with this kind of thing.

In relation to 'structures' and Horns comments on 'investment'

I don't buy a lot of that. Smoke and mirrors to keep some paid sports administration and statistics guys etc paid and ultimately leading to an arms race(if it is t bad enough already) for the elite in what is still an amateur sport. It's kinda pointless. Now if the money were gone into more GAA coaching/development officers for grass roots/grants for clubs etc I do think it has more benefit for more people on the grass roots level.

Counties outside of Dublin are still getting very little for that side of things.

Someone said earlier that we'd been in as many finals in the last 30 years as Dublin and Kerry and when you look at how we lost some of them you couldn't really say it was a result of some centre of excellence etc not existing.....

He is engaging in the promotion of an arms race at the elite level of an amateur sport.

People talk about structures and COE's and paying lads to do XY and Z but the funding for all of this is extremely limited outside of the big counties/Cities.

Directors of football (such a soccer nonsense) don't engage with clubs on training plans nor should they. We don't need these roles in GAA. It's a complete waste of money.

The better the coaching is at club level and the more kids you have playing through game through to teenage years and enjoying it, the more likely you will have success. A director of football doesn't help here when you'd again be better pay full time games promotion officers/coach trainers to work with the clubs to do these things.

You seem to think that with these 'structures' in place we might have won an all Ireland. I don't. I think the core work needed and what is of most benefit to the GAA and its members is continued investment in the clubs. Not for the elite few.

This 'arms race' talk is a bit overdramatic. Horan isn't proposing anything unreasonable. More coaches are needed but throwing money at new coaches without having the coaches drilled in what way we want our young players trained will yield little. Who will decide on suitable coaches or ensure they are coaching with the same philosophy. One coach could be training a group to play a short passing game and neglect kick passing. Another coach may do the same. Dublin realised this and developed the 'blue book' which was used a a handbook for every coach in schools and clubs. The board members are amateurs and won't be able to develop this on their own.

They probably won't be able to recruit these people as money isn't there. The COE will probably take precedence as pitches can be developed initially with other facilities to follow. Extra pitches are critical so they might as well develop them where they have the land.