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Cloughaneely I hear are losing a player this year to a transfer

Whyme923 (Donegal) - Posts: 25 - 21/01/2025 13:49:11    2586792

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Yeah while it might be a good time to play Kerry, we rarely (if ever?) win down there. A draw would be a great result.
Think we need to be looking to win the home games.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9551 - 21/01/2025 14:13:13    2586798

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Replying To Whyme923:  "Cloughaneely I hear are losing a player this year to a transfer"
A big one? To who?

peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1083 - 21/01/2025 14:22:17    2586803

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Replying To Whyme923:  "Cloughaneely I hear are losing a player this year to a transfer"
That is the rumour swirling around down here too.

Deadballmerchant (Monaghan) - Posts: 10 - 21/01/2025 16:05:04    2586819

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Replying To PeterQ92:  "Great to see 2 teams in McRory Cup Semi Final. I guess this is a sign of how strong underage football in the county?? Yet this doesnt seem to be transferring to county level as we are not seeing Minor or U20 success. Why is this?"
I think the work in Four Masters speaks for itself given their recent wins. But the SW team isn't really a sign of strength of underage football in the county. A team pulled from about 10 clubs, strong ones at that, is overdoing it a little I think. And as someone else said, the big schools in Ulster probably will try and take steps to stop in happening again.

Imagine they beat the Abbey by a point and then run away with the final? Then the losing finalists get to go forward to play in the All Ireland!

But then I suppose the likes of Omagh are pulling from lots of clubs as well. And maybe even going far afield and recruiting players. I just don't think it's fair on the Abbey, from a Donegal perspective. I have zero sympathy for the big schools in Ulster.

ThroughTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 60 - 21/01/2025 17:17:10    2586837

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Replying To ThroughTheGap:  "I think the work in Four Masters speaks for itself given their recent wins. But the SW team isn't really a sign of strength of underage football in the county. A team pulled from about 10 clubs, strong ones at that, is overdoing it a little I think. And as someone else said, the big schools in Ulster probably will try and take steps to stop in happening again.

Imagine they beat the Abbey by a point and then run away with the final? Then the losing finalists get to go forward to play in the All Ireland!

But then I suppose the likes of Omagh are pulling from lots of clubs as well. And maybe even going far afield and recruiting players. I just don't think it's fair on the Abbey, from a Donegal perspective. I have zero sympathy for the big schools in Ulster."
Id imagine when you look at the 20 odd clubs in the Mc Rory this year, the two Donegal teams have the least amount of clubs to pick from in comparison to the other 16-18 schools in the north. Credit to Abbey who are pulling from 3/4 clubs and also to SW who have six clubs in their panel.

Each Mc Rory team in the competition has about 10-20 clubs in their squad. Sometimes more. So both Donegal teams are doing well to compete against numerical disadvantages.

Abbey defeated Newry in the 1/4 finals. Newry had 20 feeder clubs in their entire squad so this is an achievement that can't go unnoticed. While the SW team bet a Omagh school with 14 different clubs in their squad going by the online match programme on Ulster GAA TV.. Some of these 14 clubs would be well away from the Omagh catchment area also, schools in the north recruit players from anywhere and everywhere.

Most of the schools in the north have several thousand boys in attendance so when you consider Abbey and the SW are mixed gender schools, both schools would fall way behind in terms of student population in addition to the amount of clubs they can pick from as highlighted above.

I read an interesting article about St Pat's Cavan who were in the Mc Rory this year. Their second squad/development squad, players 27-50 who didn't play Mc Rory football this year took to the field against Virginia College, the next highest-ranked secondary school team in Cavan, in the C Ulster competition. Pats Cavan were playing without 26 of their panel available due to then being ineligible due to the Mc Rory Cup.Remarkably, St Pat's came away with a two-point victory. Pat's have around 20 feeder clubs also. This shows that Mc Rory teams in Ulster go recruiting for the best players in that county, no matter the club/area they are from and players want to join these schools to play at the highest level.

Both Donegal schools are doing well to compete at this level.

TheRock2121 (Donegal) - Posts: 1197 - 21/01/2025 18:48:54    2586855

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Replying To TheRock2121:  "Id imagine when you look at the 20 odd clubs in the Mc Rory this year, the two Donegal teams have the least amount of clubs to pick from in comparison to the other 16-18 schools in the north. Credit to Abbey who are pulling from 3/4 clubs and also to SW who have six clubs in their panel.

Each Mc Rory team in the competition has about 10-20 clubs in their squad. Sometimes more. So both Donegal teams are doing well to compete against numerical disadvantages.

Abbey defeated Newry in the 1/4 finals. Newry had 20 feeder clubs in their entire squad so this is an achievement that can't go unnoticed. While the SW team bet a Omagh school with 14 different clubs in their squad going by the online match programme on Ulster GAA TV.. Some of these 14 clubs would be well away from the Omagh catchment area also, schools in the north recruit players from anywhere and everywhere.

Most of the schools in the north have several thousand boys in attendance so when you consider Abbey and the SW are mixed gender schools, both schools would fall way behind in terms of student population in addition to the amount of clubs they can pick from as highlighted above.

I read an interesting article about St Pat's Cavan who were in the Mc Rory this year. Their second squad/development squad, players 27-50 who didn't play Mc Rory football this year took to the field against Virginia College, the next highest-ranked secondary school team in Cavan, in the C Ulster competition. Pats Cavan were playing without 26 of their panel available due to then being ineligible due to the Mc Rory Cup.Remarkably, St Pat's came away with a two-point victory. Pat's have around 20 feeder clubs also. This shows that Mc Rory teams in Ulster go recruiting for the best players in that county, no matter the club/area they are from and players want to join these schools to play at the highest level.

Both Donegal schools are doing well to compete at this level."
Spot on. Recruitment is a big thing with those schools you mentioned. A look at last years McRory cup final shows Omagh CBS had 14 clubs representing them. Plenty of other clubs in that area too that had no representatives on the panel. St Pats, Dungannon had 19 clubs representing them on their panel. These are huge schools. Some of South Wests schools are very small. Are there even 200 pupils in Carrick? 300 maybe in Kilybegs. Still not sure about the name though as their isn't much Sorth-West about Gaoth Dobhair!!

HandballRef (Donegal) - Posts: 523 - 21/01/2025 20:52:08    2586869

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Replying To TheRock2121:  "Id imagine when you look at the 20 odd clubs in the Mc Rory this year, the two Donegal teams have the least amount of clubs to pick from in comparison to the other 16-18 schools in the north. Credit to Abbey who are pulling from 3/4 clubs and also to SW who have six clubs in their panel.

Each Mc Rory team in the competition has about 10-20 clubs in their squad. Sometimes more. So both Donegal teams are doing well to compete against numerical disadvantages.

Abbey defeated Newry in the 1/4 finals. Newry had 20 feeder clubs in their entire squad so this is an achievement that can't go unnoticed. While the SW team bet a Omagh school with 14 different clubs in their squad going by the online match programme on Ulster GAA TV.. Some of these 14 clubs would be well away from the Omagh catchment area also, schools in the north recruit players from anywhere and everywhere.

Most of the schools in the north have several thousand boys in attendance so when you consider Abbey and the SW are mixed gender schools, both schools would fall way behind in terms of student population in addition to the amount of clubs they can pick from as highlighted above.

I read an interesting article about St Pat's Cavan who were in the Mc Rory this year. Their second squad/development squad, players 27-50 who didn't play Mc Rory football this year took to the field against Virginia College, the next highest-ranked secondary school team in Cavan, in the C Ulster competition. Pats Cavan were playing without 26 of their panel available due to then being ineligible due to the Mc Rory Cup.Remarkably, St Pat's came away with a two-point victory. Pat's have around 20 feeder clubs also. This shows that Mc Rory teams in Ulster go recruiting for the best players in that county, no matter the club/area they are from and players want to join these schools to play at the highest level.

Both Donegal schools are doing well to compete at this level."
Yeah, I agree with a lot of that. But my point remains the same…..if you're the Abbey, and you are knocked out by an amalgamation put together by your own county board that's twice the size of you, you will be annoyed. And rightly so.

ThroughTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 60 - 21/01/2025 21:00:56    2586871

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Replying To AudiMan:  "Hi panamasam: Great result. Donegal SW had 4 on the line last night, I recognised Murrin, Boyle and Friel but there was another man who seemed very prominent and really driving them on. Who Is this 4th man do you know?"
Hi Audi hope you're keeping well. No I don't know who the fourth manager man you speak of is. I only seen brief highlights on YouTube so I haven't been to games.

panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2824 - 22/01/2025 10:06:12    2586906

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I've heard a few smart comments from outside the county about the South-West Donegal schools team and all you could do was laugh at the ignorance. Others have rightly highlighted the fact that the big schools in Ulster cast their net wide when it comes to players from different clubs. I take the point about Abbey VS though - they're doing remarkably well when playing resources are considered in comparison to the other McRory teams.

I see Barry Dunnion has been appointed senior manager at Four Masters. It will be interesting to see if he can push them on now to be serious contenders alongside the usual NC, Eunans, Gaoth Dobhair etc. A long way away yet of course but the senior club championship could be more interesting this year. You'd hope the likes of Dungloe, St. Michaels and Glenswilly will also keep up their 2024 momentum, and there will be the new playing rules as well of course.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9551 - 22/01/2025 10:49:41    2586918

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Replying To peiledoir20:  "A big one? To who?"
A rather tall one, Corduff in Monaghan apparently

dgcrusader (Donegal) - Posts: 54 - 22/01/2025 10:50:49    2586919

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Replying To panamasam:  "Hi Audi hope you're keeping well. No I don't know who the fourth manager man you speak of is. I only seen brief highlights on YouTube so I haven't been to games."
The Dungloe minor manager from last year is part of that set up also.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8210 - 22/01/2025 10:56:19    2586922

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Replying To ThroughTheGap:  "Yeah, I agree with a lot of that. But my point remains the same…..if you're the Abbey, and you are knocked out by an amalgamation put together by your own county board that's twice the size of you, you will be annoyed. And rightly so."
Surely that is something that should have been considered when approving any amalgamation, as otherwise the rest of Ulster will be in up in arms about it too if a Donegal South West actually win it.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1223 - 22/01/2025 11:00:01    2586923

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Replying To dgcrusader:  "A rather tall one, Corduff in Monaghan apparently"
Ah jesus, I hope to God it's not true.

Who would want to be associated with that club.

peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1083 - 22/01/2025 13:22:09    2586946

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Replying To peiledoir20:  "Ah jesus, I hope to God it's not true.

Who would want to be associated with that club."
Nothing on the GAA Transfer Live tracker yet anyway...

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9551 - 22/01/2025 14:05:17    2586961

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Banty some boy. I would say Rory not far away either

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2583 - 22/01/2025 15:47:10    2586981

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Replying To peiledoir20:  "Ah jesus, I hope to God it's not true.

Who would want to be associated with that club."
Unfortunately it appears to be true.

themaddog (Wicklow) - Posts: 137 - 22/01/2025 15:52:50    2586985

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Would anyone happen to know if any of our young players are on any Freshers panels across the country, fairly hard to find any info about that championship. Only one I've really seen is Senan Carr impressing for DCU

NPadraigAbu (Donegal) - Posts: 90 - 22/01/2025 16:23:15    2586990

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Replying To rorysboys:  "Banty some boy. I would say Rory not far away either"
Yes , tall lad he is. Be interesting if he plays any club this for whichever club. Tends to down the tools at club level.

Whyme923 (Donegal) - Posts: 25 - 22/01/2025 20:21:06    2587036

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Replying To dgcrusader:  "A rather tall one, Corduff in Monaghan apparently"
More or less official then, bad loss for Cloughaneely.

https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1710352/donegal-midfielder-jason-mcgee-set-to-transfer-from-cloughaneely.html

dgcrusader (Donegal) - Posts: 54 - 23/01/2025 14:05:52    2587142

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