Donegal GAA Discussion Thread

Nidgeweasel

Jayop wrote: »

Pity to hear about the boys retiring. Great footballers and servants to your county. I knew Christy a bit when he was in college and he was a sound skin too.

There was some spoofing done in Sligo back then.

All of a sudden I'm starting to feel very old.

Redsoxfan

Brego888 wrote:

What's the scoop on Leo being forced out of the squad?

#roryout

rightyabe

I'd say Leo and Thompson will be back for ulster. Didn't they do that before?

Also I'd say since Jim left the Glenties boys might of lost a bit of heart..

charlie14

rightyabe wrote: »

I'd say Leo and Thompson will be back for ulster. Didn't they do that before?

Also I'd say since Jim left the Glenties boys might of lost a bit of heart..

After the way he was treated last year by Gallagher, I doubt Leo Mc Loone will be back and I for one wouldn`t blame him for that.

rightyabe

Why what did Rory do to Leo?

charlie14

rightyabe wrote: »

Why what did Rory do to Leo?

Were you at any of the championship games last year ?

If you were it should be self-explanatory.

rightyabe

So you feel Leo was treated differently to any other member of the panel last year?

Redsoxfan

rightyabe wrote:

So you feel Leo was treated differently to any other member of the panel last year?

Were you at the games?

rightyabe

Yes.

Redsoxfan

rightyabe wrote:

Yes.

Did you notice Leo warming up and bring brought over to the halfway line ready to go on, then being left off for no obvious reason?

Did you notice when he was brought on and then taken off again fairly quickly?

He is an All Ireland winner, we didn't have many others on the bench last year.

He was treated poorly vs others who, in the opinion of most of the rest of us IMHO, feel he deserved more game time over others who don't have as much too offer.

But I'm sure the manager knows best. It's not like he had to be talked into taking Leo back into the squad or anything.

downthemiddle

Okay lads, own up. Who was it?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxi_Curran

Maxi Curran or the mad man in Donegal is a Gaelic football manager from Downings, County Donegal.
He is generally considered to be not right in the head.

charlie14

downthemiddle wrote: »

Okay lads, own up. Who was it?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxi_Curran

Maxi Curran or the mad man in Donegal is a Gaelic football manager from Downings, County Donegal.
He is generally considered to be not right in the head.

First accurate profile I have seen on Wikipedia.:)

rightyabe

Like you say Rory is the boss, I'm sure he has a better insight into a players mindset/frame of mind. Also the game is fluid, things change from minute to minute. Rory probably just changed his mind about the substitution on the hop.


Rory obviously doesn't rate him as much as jim did. Leo's a great player and a huge loss but like I said Rory doesn't seem to like what he sees in him.

downthemiddle

rightyabe wrote: »

Like you say Rory is the boss, I'm sure he has a better insight into a players mindset/frame of mind. Also the game is fluid, things change from minute to minute. Rory probably just changed his mind about the substitution on the hop.


Rory obviously doesn't rate him as much as jim did. Leo's a great player and a huge loss but like I said Rory doesn't seem to like what he sees in him.

Some of us don't like what we see in Rory either.

charlie14

rightyabe wrote: »

Like you say Rory is the boss, I'm sure he has a better insight into a players mindset/frame of mind. Also the game is fluid, things change from minute to minute. Rory probably just changed his mind about the substitution on the hop.


Rory obviously doesn't rate him as much as jim did. Leo's a great player and a huge loss but like I said Rory doesn't seem to like what he sees in him.

Well I dont like what I`ve seen of Gallagher and from what I`ve seen I wouldn`t rate him as any great loss.

Curran the same.

Nidgeweasel

I'm collecting my thoughts on this on where we are at and will revert over the weekend.

My thoughts prior to the mass exodus were that we've been running on fumes from McGuinness and that has got us to two finals which Fermanagh (the most derogatory thing I can call RG without being sanctioned) cocked up. We are further down the road now and probably at the point where that reliability starts to wane.

Post departures I need a good think and get my expectations (none) appropriately set out.

Maxi is a clouster. Needs to be tied to one of the goals stop his futering about.

charlie14

Nidgeweasel wrote: »

I'm collecting my thoughts on this on where we are at and will revert over the weekend.

My thoughts prior to the mass exodus were that we've been running on fumes from McGuinness and that has got us to two finals which Fermanagh (the most derogatory thing I can call RG without being sanctioned) cocked up. We are further down the road now and probably at the point where that reliability starts to wane.

Post departures I need a good think and get my expectations (none) appropriately set out.

Maxi is a clouster. Needs to be tied to one of the goals stop his futering about.

Far as I`m concerned we won two Senior All Irelands on the back of three U21 teams. (Winners 1982 & 1987. Losing Finalists 2010).

In Bonner, jury is still out for me, but this carry-on with him not getting the U21 squad he wants for training because of Gallagher having called up so many to the senior panel isn`t going to help our cause in years to come.

Stoner

http://www.donegalsporthub.com/33364-2/

According to this only half of the 19 lads who featured in 2012 are available now

Redsoxfan

Stoner wrote:

According to this only half of the 19 lads who featured in 2012 are available now

That's right Stoner. Here is the rundown.

Papa - a huge loss - not clear to me why he left - if he really wanted to stay in Ireland I woukd have hoped that someone would have found work for him. Perhaps he just wanted to see a bit of the world. Obviously still loves playing. Nobody comes close to replacing him at this stage.

E McGee - had a decent year last year and it was a bit premature to see him go but not a huge surprise given his outlook on life. Good luck to him.

A Thompson - maybe we will see him back. I think he is in decline however. Between young Gillespie and Eoin Ban Gallagher think we can cope with the loss of McGee and Thompson.

Kavanagh - deja vu. Had his moments last year but the time is probably right. No obvious replacement.

Ryan Bradley - a player re-engineered under McGuinness he had his moments and we aren't blessed with players of his size and strength but he is long gone and I don't know what he would have contributed had he stayed.

David Walsh - his time had come. My views on him above. Marty O'Reilly and Eoin McHugh are decent replacements.

Leo McLoone - gone too soon and for no good reason.

Colm Anthony - the time was right. Paddy McBrearty has a higher ceiling, but hasn't reached the heights McFadden did in 2012.

Brick Molloy - he was very hit and miss. Not sure he warranted a place as a starter.

Christy - an emotional loss. His impact in recent years was more than most of us had ever hoped. We are sad to see him go but again the time is probably right. There may never be another like him.

The current manager is directly accountable for the loss of McLoone.

For the rest, it's just a case of the right time to go for most, Donegal had a good few experienced players in 2012.

If Big Neil hadn't lost a year to injury, you would wonder if he would be back this year.

Lacey, I don't know - he has nothing left to prove and in reality, I do not think he has the legs to start this year.

There have been rumours about Frank for a while now, but he's still got a lot to offer.

Not sure about Neil McGee, what else would he do?

The rest, who are a bit younger than all bar McLoone:

Paddy McGrath had his best year ever last year.

Michael Murphy, well, he will be around for a while. We hope.

Martin McElhinney is a decent squad player.

Paddy McBrearty will hopefully get better. He has the scope to do so.

Mark McHugh - Meh.

charlie14

Redsoxfan wrote: »

That's right Stoner. Here is the rundown.

Papa - a huge loss - not clear to me why he left - if he really wanted to stay in Ireland I woukd have hoped that someone would have found work for him. Perhaps he just wanted to see a bit of the world. Obviously still loves playing. Nobody comes close to replacing him at this stage.

E McGee - had a decent year last year and it was a bit premature to see him go but not a huge surprise given his outlook on life. Good luck to him.

A Thompson - maybe we will see him back. I think he is in decline however. Between young Gillespie and Eoin Ban Gallagher think we can cope with the loss of McGee and Thompson.

Kavanagh - deja vu. Had his moments last year but the time is probably right. No obvious replacement.

Ryan Bradley - a player re-engineered under McGuinness he had his moments and we aren't blessed with players of his size and strength but he is long gone and I don't know what he would have contributed had he stayed.

David Walsh - his time had come. My views on him above. Marty O'Reilly and Eoin McHugh are decent replacements.

Leo McLoone - gone too soon and for no good reason.

Colm Anthony - the time was right. Paddy McBrearty has a higher ceiling, but hasn't reached the heights McFadden did in 2012.

Brick Molloy - he was very hit and miss. Not sure he warranted a place as a starter.

Christy - an emotional loss. His impact in recent years was more than most of us had ever hoped. We are sad to see him go but again the time is probably right. There may never be another like him.

The current manager is directly accountable for the loss of McLoone.

For the rest, it's just a case of the right time to go for most, Donegal had a good few experienced players in 2012.

If Big Neil hadn't lost a year to injury, you would wonder if he would be back this year.

Lacey, I don't know - he has nothing left to prove and in reality, I do not think he has the legs to start this year.

There have been rumours about Frank for a while now, but he's still got a lot to offer.

Not sure about Neil McGee, what else would he do?

The rest, who are a bit younger than all bar McLoone:

Paddy McGrath had his best year ever last year.

Michael Murphy, well, he will be around for a while. We hope.

Martin McElhinney is a decent squad player.

Paddy McBrearty will hopefully get better. He has the scope to do so.

Mark McHugh - Meh.

Great post Redsox.

Spot on imo.

Mrs Papa getting a teaching job in one of the oil states was mainly the reason for him moving, plus he qualified as a quantity surveyor and there wasn`t much happening here in the building trade. Faik

Redsoxfan

charlie14 wrote:

Mrs Papa getting a teaching job in one of the oil states was mainly the reason for him moving, plus he qualified as a quantity surveyor and there wasn`t much happening here in the building trade. Faik

Aye, I heard something along those lines too.

charlie14

Anyone read the interview with Donal Reid in the Irish Times today ?

I am not originally from near where he is from and have been gone from the county other than a few visits a year, but I had no idea of what he went through in the years after that incident in a championship match v Termon in 92.

jjdonegal

charlie14 wrote: »

Anyone read the interview with Donal Reid in the Irish Times today ?

I am not originally from near where he is from and have been gone from the county other than a few visits a year, but I had no idea of what he went through in the years after that incident in a championship match v Termon in 92.

Brilliant article and a great book too.

Redsoxfan

Remind me again what happened?

Nidgeweasel

Redsoxfan wrote: »

Remind me again what happened?

Got a dirty slap in a club game before the AI semi final in '92. I knew about that but didn't know he suffered so badly with his mental health.

Good on him for being so open about it. Especially given what Donegal is like.

charlie14

Redsoxfan wrote: »

Remind me again what happened?

Championship game v Termon 3 weeks before Semi final v Mayo 92 got punched in the face. 18 stitches in his gum, lost three teeth and still has problems with his teeth.The beginning of serious mental health problems going back as far as the night o the 92 final.Spent a year he could not be left on his own for fear o him committing suicide.

charlie14

jjdonegal wrote: »

Brilliant article and a great book too.

Duggan is an excellent sports journalist, but that picture v Down 91 looks more like Joyce Mc Mullin that Donal Reid.
I had no idea of the problems he`s had.
Book is definitely on the shortlist.
Great gesture by him to donate the proceeds to Pieta House, and very brave to highlight what he went through.

Redsoxfan

Yeah, it's Joyce in the picture.

Shameful episode. I don't remember it but it's not hard to see why.

Wouldn't be the biggest fan of Reid's columns but this puts it in perspective. The donation to Pieta House is a wonderful gesture.

doc_17

I think it's Reid in the picture!

Murt15

doc_17 wrote: »

I think it's Reid in the picture!

I agree