In case you haven’t heard about it already, you’ll be interested to know that the progressive (and oh-so-nearly All-Ireland champions) GAA club in Kiltimagh have organised a very timely pre-championship forum, to be held in the Park Hotel on Saturday 8th May, for which they’ve assembled quite an illustrious cast. Johnno will, of course, be there and so too will Páidí Ó Sé so, with a bit of luck, that spat the two had earlier in the year could get reignited on the night. In case it doesn’t, I see that that combustible Herrin Choker, Brian Talty, is also on the evening’s card, as are ex-Mayo (and Clare, Roscommon and Fermanagh) bainisteoir John Maughan and ex-Galway (and Sligo) boss Peter Forde. The compere for the event is Martin Carney.
That’s a cracking bloody line-up and fair play to the Coillte lads for getting them all together on the one podium. So, if you’ve nothing better to do (or something that could be put off ’till another time) on Saturday week, you could have yourself an entertaining evening at the Park Hotel (which, if I’m not mistaken, is located on the edge of the town out the Swinford road). Throw-in will be at 8 pm and tickets for the event cost €20. Further info on the do is available on the club’s website.
Sounds like a cracking night alright. It’s events like these that really make me sick I’m exiled in a different country.
Hopefully one of the Kiltimagh lads can post a review on here, would be very interesting to hear what was said. You’d hope they won’t all just spout the usual boring soundbites.
Johnno wants to watch it, two or three canditates that might be tapped up if we continue like we did last Sunday.
hope they all get loaded beforehand and we get a schmozzle on the stage…
sounds a great night , personally i would like to hear more about the story of maughan vetoing johnnos note to the players on the night of the 2004 final…
Roger I doubt if Maughan wanted O Mahony sharing in any of the kudos that might come the way of Mayo. As the media used to describe it, it was “John Maughans Mayo”. It has now become “John O Mahonys Mayo” so he can read the note straight out to them in person. By the way I never heard Tyrone or Kerry called “Jack o Connors Kerry or Micky Hartes Tyrone” but we are special cuddley little fellas.
Alot of people have been here naming their opinion (some truely awful) of mayos best 15 for the championship but everyones entitled to their opinion, just wondering if you would put your neck on the line now the league is done with and name your best 15 wj?
Not stealing WJs thunder JJ but I consider only the following as certanties to start v Sligo. Clarke, Barrett, McLoughlin, Seamus O Shea, Dillon, Aiden O Shea and Conor. I believe every other spot is up for grabs. That O Mahoney is cautious means that Keith higgins comes back (a plus). But I have serious worries about Howleys positioning, Andy Moran has been found out, McGarrity will probably come in but he is no leader, Harte and barry Moran along with Kilcoyne are worth starting. Gardiner will come back. Basically we are in a poor enough place but because of all the heat and s***T generated after Cork in a funny way this will make Sligo the favs and lift the pressure of us. We could beat Sligo handily enough because history is our friend on this one and because we have no choice. After that….its Mayo we are talking about , anything can happen!
No problem on the road, you know its not as bad people think.We topped the league with alot of players missing, if we could have got to grips at mid field ,it would have been, but with parsons,moran and trev we never stood a chance there.I agree about the players you have selected.My team would be
clarke,vaughan,cafferky,higgins,mcloughlin/cuniffe, bj padden,gardiner,mc garrity,harte,killer,sos,dillon,twin towers and c.mort.. Ronan mc garrity may not be as physical as most but he has a great catch,great worker and reads the game well.Harte is a class act, but hes not a wing forward and with sos we have 3 great kick out targets.ff line, barry moran would take the heat of aos, we would have two targets all the time for plan b, c mort is our best forward..B joe padden was a decent midfielder for mayo but lacked heigh… he has been played out of position in the forwards,hes a worker who brings a bit of physicallity to the team…
Hi JJ – naming possible teams isn’t, I’m afraid, one of my favourite pastimes (it used to be back in the 1980s but it’s something I’ve since grown out of!) and, in any event, I think we know enough about Johnno at this stage to know that any changes from the NFL final line-up will be minimal enough. As I said in the immediate aftermath, I think changes are needed at CHB, midfield and a few of the forward positions but I’d be very surprised if we see changes of this order to the starting fifteen when the Sligo game comes around. I guess the upcoming challenges (there’s one in Donegal this coming week and we’re due to play Cavan in a fortnight’s time, i.e. right after the Portugal trip) might tell us something as regards possible changes to the line-up but I’d say it’s safe to assume that change will not be uppermost in Johnno’s mind over the coming weeks.
By now we should know our best 15. Most successful teams pick themselves except for maybe one or two places. But right now I couldnt predict with any confidence 7 or 8 of the positions let alone 15!
The team seemed to be shaping up reasonably well until the League final but that defeat has raised really major questions. And I feel Johnno has to face that reality now – not later in the summer.
Maybe the bigger picture is that we have 30 good footballers but very few top class IC players!
Also size matters. If you lack size then you must have some other compensating capability like amazing speed and outstanding skill and determination. How many of our smaller men could you say that about?
Perhaps we need to be more realistic about the talent available to us – it may not be as good as we had begun to believe! And this is not discounting the obvious dedication and hard work of everyone involved in the panel. I believe these lads give of their best and should be given every encouragement and support. But there is only a certain amount they can do.
And boy wouldnt I love to be proved wrong next Sep!