Just in case you thought that I’d jumped ship ahead of the budget or something, you may rest assured that it was instead just a bit of R&R down in what proved to be a rather wet part of Clare over the last few days. It hardly let up at all while we were down there and now, back at work and with the chisellers packed off to school once more, there’s hardly a cloud in the sky.
Oh well, at least the kids did get to have an audience with Santie deep inside the bowels of Ailwee Caves yesterday evening (an outing I’d recommend highly, by the way) before we pointed the car back towards the east. And Christmas is coming (though not before this frigging budget that we’ve been gearing ourselves up for over the past six months or so).
So what’s there to talk about of the non-budget variety, then? Well, the Mayo News has its normal weekly glut of GAA stories and a few are worthy of mention. Top of the list is the one about the runners and riders who took part at a trial match in Castlebar last weekend (two such events, which can only involve players who weren’t part of the 2009 panel, can, apparently, be held during the GAA’s equivalent of Ramadan) where a grand total of 35 players togged out.
Here’s the list in full: Michael Schlingermann (Kiltimagh), Robert Hennelly (Breaffy), David Gavin (Breaffy), Shane McHale (Knockmore), Pat Mulchrone (Burrishoole), Liam Feeley (Claremorris), Jason Healy (Kiltane) Shane Nally (Garrymore), Alan Feeney (Castlebar), Kevin Keane (Westport), David Kilkenny (Aghamore), Richie Feeney (Castlebar), Lee Keegan (Westport), Eoin Hughes (The Neale), James McAndrew (Cill Chomáin), James Kilcullen (Ballaghaderreen), Alan Freeman (Aghamore), Michael Gallagher (Achill), Cathal Carolan (Crossmolina), Jason Doherty (Burrishoole), Conor Keane (Ballinrobe), Chris Walsh (Ardnaree), Andrew Farrell (Killala), Damien Keane (Westport), Enda McManamon (Burrishoole), Jimmy Killeen (Garrymore), Kevin Walsh (Shrule/Glencorrib), Enda Varley (Garrymore), Paul Doherty (Kilmaine), Cormac Healy (Moy Davitts), Michael Walsh (Ardnaree), Sean Morris (Charlestown), David Dolan (Garrymore), Caolan Crowe (Garrymore) and Alex Quinn (Killala).
That Mayo News report also states that a number of others would have been in action but for injury or other commitments and that this cohort includes Neil Douglas, Aidan Walsh and Ger McDonagh (Castlebar), James Burke (Ballymun Kickhams), Gerry Higgins (Knockmore), James Mulderrig (Moy Davitts), Marcus Hannick (Killala), Alan Egan (Bonniconlon) and Cathal Freeman (Aghamore).
A panel for the FBD League will be announced early in the New Year (it’d want to, as the FBD starts early in the New Year) and I guess that a good number of the above could well feature in that campaign (not forgetting, of course, the Tim Kelly Engineering Floodlit Cup).
Next up is Mike Finnerty’s interview with the back-at-home Aidan O’Shea, who is at pains to point out that no deal has yet been done for him to switch to Aussie Rules at the end of the coming season. Aidan says that he’ll be “playing for Mayo next year and not looking beyond that at the moment” and I suppose that’s all that the rest of us can do as well, regardless of what we think about what might happen longer term.
The annual County Convention was great crack entirely, by the sounds of Daniel Carey’s report. Sean Feeney had to eat humble pie for the pop he’d had in his report about the residents of McHale Road and James Waldron also took issue with him over his assessment of the manner of our defeat to Meath (I see that the Chairman and I are at one on that issue). And there was a walkout. And sure why not: if you’re not going to make your own entertainment at this time of the year, who’ll make it for you?
I know that we’ll have more than enough sober talk of figures when Brian Lenihan arises from his posterior later in the day but Mike Finnerty’s report on his examination of the County Board’s accounts is still worth looking at. As Mike points out, the McHale Park redevelopment has left the Board with ongoing debts of over €5 million to service and, not unlike NAMA, this one is a millstone we’ll be stuck with for quite a while, I fear.
On the day that’s in it, it would, I reckon, be a tad mean-spirited to end on such a downbeat note. Drama would be better, I think, and so here’s some drama of the natural variety in the shape of a video clip I took the other day of a whole bloody load of water coming cascading down the mighty falls at Ennistymon:
well WJ whatever about the antics at C B level or the upgrade to the field beside Mc Hale rd . The video of the falls shows off an upgrade of your own by the look of that vid you didnt spare the megapixels and I look forward to some fine footage in 2010 at least up to Reek Sunday!
I’ve had more than one upgrade this year, unfortunately – I bought a nice, new Panasonic Lumix in January but I then left it after me on a plane in May. I then bought another one, which came to grief when I fell on my arse coming down the Reek in September. This is Mk III for 2009 – I hope it’ll see me to Christmas and beyond!
Thats some squad that had trials. Would rather see maybe five or six of the best slotted in with the actual team to test them rather than a meaningless free for all. No Ciaran Mac or Jason Gibbons I see. Johhno’s goal should be to win the next match and not to fret too much about rebuilding. Its amazing how a team that wins matches get success. I have to stop now. Got lashed on Hoganstand for being too negative on your site Willy. Will always be positive when I buy into whats being sold. Not convinced at the moment.
Never mind them, ontheroad – We can’t all be Pooh Bear or Tigger, some of us are fated to be Eyeore (at least some of the time). There’s always room in this world, I reckon, for a bit of well-intentioned grumbling, as long as things don’t get out of hand (as they appear to have done on a certain message board, I don’t know which one, where untoward comments were apparently made about members of the Galway hurling team with the result that the Guards have now been called in).
bad times in Erris with only 1 man on that panel..
Billy joe and the sweeney lad making it a grand total of 3 erris men among the nominal best 70 players in the county…
I might mention WJ if anyone wants to follow in your subterranean Santa-visiting footsteps, but doesn’t fancy the trek to the Burren, they are running that in the Arigna Mining Centre near Boyle, Co. Roscommon for the festive season. On football matters, For all the talk of committment and dedication 90% of the nations footballers are doing nothing this time of year, and the remaining 10% are in nice warm gyms. Contrast this with long distance athletes who take 3 weeks off, are currently building stamina and clocking up 100+ miles in the week, and who must fund trips to international competitions themselves. It’s worth remembering that representing your country is an honour & not a chore.
Try tell that to the GPA
Let`s hope there are a few lads among them that can mark their men and not end up 15 feet away from their man while he sticks it in the net which has happened more than once in big games.Where are all the corner backs gone men like Dermot Flannagan Jimmy Browne Gary Ruane Martin Carney when he was asked in 85.Out of 70 players lets hope there are 4 corner backs and sort out the sucker punches we often suffer.I guess we could start from there for 2010 UP MAYO!