Right, yesterday’s tempest appears, thankfully, to have abated. Let’s keep it that way now, eh?
Sometimes – especially at a time like this – the best thing to say is to say nothing at all. So I thought the nice photo above – one of Lough Tay that I snapped on a gruelling but great 80km spin on the bike in the Wicklow mountains last Sunday morning – should have a suitably soothing effect.
As has already been stated this morning, though, nature abhors a vacuum so here are a few GAA-related things to chew over in the absence of anything else.
On-field activity is at a bit of a premium right now and the only proper morsel on offer this coming weekend is the Connacht intermediate club semi-final between Hollymount-Carramore and Leitrim’s Melvin Gaels. This takes place at MacHale Park on Sunday, throw-in 2pm. If you can’t rouse yourself to get to Castlebar for the match, it’s also being streamed live by Local Streaming – full details here.
For us expats up here in the capital, meanwhile, this Sunday is, of course, Dublin champo final day, with my local club St Vincents chasing their third senior county title in a row and their 28th in all. Vinnies’ cup is fairly overflowing at the minute as they also won the intermediate football title (for the first time since 1991) a few weeks back. Their opponents in Sunday’s senior final are Ballyboden St Enda’s and the match throws in at Parnell Park at 4pm.
If you really want to stray onto off-field matters, then the GAA’s discussion document on possible revisions to the football championship structure might fit the bill. The context for this document is set out in this piece by John Fogarty in the Irish Examiner yesterday and a copy of the document itself is available (in pdf form) here.
That’s all for the minute. Keep keeping the peace now, y’hear?
Thats a nice relaxing Photo willie joe it reminds me oif the time i brought the Caillin from Claregalway to the Lakes of Killarney nothing would do her until she’s go to Ventry to see Paidi O Shea’s pub, we miet the great man himself and been an Erris man we conversed about fooball and the other Willie Joe the bould bullet from Belmullet I have to say what a gentleman Paidi was that day and made time for us and was very hospitible it goes to show that we in the GAA community have more in common that unites us than divides us
Willie Joe, what beautiful and well taken photo, and as a regular walker of the Wicklow Way, Lough Tay is a very familiar and welcome sight as we come over the Mountains on a Sunday morning. But I have to say, I’m far more impressed with that little 80k spin you took on the bike. It’s tough enough to drive don’t mind having to cycle it – you must be one fit lad 🙂
I went to the Meath final on Monday.OMahoneys were 10 points a better team & almost lost the game. Stephen Bray was the best man on the field. I can not see Meath worrying Dublin any time soon.
Nice pic of Lough Tay there Willie Joe – was looking down on it when I climbed Djouce in August.
On matters pressing, I am getting itchy fingers; feel there should be something emerging from Crossmolina tonight. Don’t know anything (!!), but Thursday seems a plausible night for all things committee; after that you are into the weekend and committees don’t usually meet then.
Anything to do with Mayo GAA I wonder, I wish !!!
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Business moguls on ‘hush hush’ visit to Mayo
FOUR Gulfstream jets on the apron at Ireland West Airport Knock (IWAK) today (Thursday) is testament to the burgeoning success and importance of the facility 30 years after it was officially opened. The multi-million euro fleet dropped an elite group of business executives off at the airport some days ago and is expected to fly them out again before the weekend. The visit by the executives is all ‘hush hush’ but they are believed to be having a get together in Westport where certain premises have been block-booked for their stay. IWAK is refusing to give out any information regarding the VIP visitors. Gulfstream prides itself as “manufacturer of the world’s most advanced business jet aircraft”.
P.S. Anyone living near to Knock Airport could maybe turn up with a very big Biscuit Tin when these boys or girls are taking off and try to get a few quid out of them for Mayo GAA before they leave!
These jets must be the Pfizer bucks that are visiting Allergen. Maybe Pfizer could be persuaded to sponsor Mayo GAA.
Think about it.
Pfizer: Official providers of Viagra to the Mayo County Board
Maybe not
🙂
I thought Ardnaree were to play Aghavas in the Junior Championship this weekend. Aghavas are not the Leitrim Junior champions but are the only club in the county eligible for the championship. Maybe Aghavas conceded.
[All other teams in the Leitrim Junior A championship are second string teams].
Could one of those jets at Knock belong to José Murinho? I hear he is looking for a new team to manage. We might need a bigger biscuit tin!
The comment here from catcol about something emanating from crossmolina this week begs a question about how clubs actually participate in matters like this. The same applies to motions for convention etc. I would bet that less than ten clubs have discussed this in the time since the vacancy arose. Club administrations are in wind down mode before AGMs. I don’t know how many who contribute here are active in a club in the county. This is not a criticism, obviously many posters and our moderator work outside Mayo. Even if you’re in mayo being involved in clubs doesn’t suit some people fora variety of reasons.
Furthermore, the best people often wait with their club and the next level goes to CB.
So, and this is a long term project, clubs have to get better and better not just in putting out teams and coaching etc, and putting good facilities in place, but in being a better part of the county structure, sending good people to the CB and divisional boards, promoting good debate within their memberships and so on. The better these aspects become, the better will the CB be.
At the risk of sending ripples across Lough Tay but are County Board delegates entitled to All Ireland tickets when Mayo qualify? It might explain why a certain type are delegates while the true blue Gaa lifer slogs away at the coal face!!
I know lough Tay so well. I’ve often painted up there. It can take you away from football but never from the sacred soil of my beloved mayo
According to the Mayo News Sport twitter account:
Stephen Rochford has confirmed that he ‘accepted a nomination’ today to allow his name go forward for the Mayo manager post.
Mayo News reporting that Stephen Rochford has accepted a nomination and is letting his name go forward as a candidate for manager.
Looks like the deal is done.
Being smug is a pain, but smug is what I am going to be, if the Mayo News tweet on Rochie accepting a nomination is accurate – and why wouldn’t it be?
See my earlier speculative post betting on a Thursday night meeting of the relevant club!!
Hat tip to you Catcol.
What about the FOUR Gulfstream jets at Knock Airport, surely that had something to do with it as well. One each for Stephen Rochford, Tony McEntee and Donie Buckley with the last one going to Maurice Horan, now that won’t come cheap!
Can I be the first to call for Stephen to step down, seriously though he is a very good gaa man,a great great crossmolina man who won wn all Ireland under Tom Jordan, and a very underrated coach Jarlath Cunningham,and before that Greg Burke, who was a very good manager, hopefully mayo gaa will go with him and hope he gets us over the line , and I will be at corrick bridge to cheer him over the line and I might be there to put that stone in place , up,up mayo
Hopefully J Cuffe is there to join me at corick bridge, many many times his dad Tom rip , brought us us over that landmark, on the blacksod bus
Lough Tay looks just as I remembered it a long time ago, that picture brings me back. Wicklow is such a picturesque county, you are so lucky to have it on your doorstep.
Melvin Gaels were playing senior football not to long ago. They are big strong side and should put it up to Hollymount Carramore on Sunday. I believe Moycullen will be the team to beat this year in the Intermediate Championship. Saw them a couple of months ago and they were flying then. Anybody know what is the story with Aghavas and Ardnaree, they are due to meet also
Thanks Corick Bridge for the recall . Appreciate it. Long time ago sir.
@ Luigi, that could be a hard pill to swallow alright for the County Board, having the makers of Viagra, Pfizer as our sponsors, but you never know they might be up for it.
Greenway next on the agenda plenty of breath taking views on that route Willie Joe. Let’s be true to our own country. Don’t get me wrong it is lovely but so to are many sites to behold in Mayo.
It’s still on the to-do list, I’m afraid, John, though hopefully I’ll get to do it (but not on my roadbike, it’s not that kind of surface) at some point. I did manage to sample some breathtaking views in the west over the summer, however, on the Westportif cycle. The scenery was awesome, the same couldn’t sadly be said about the weather on the day!