National Forum



Most Popular Posts in the last 24hrs

Click on the subject to bring you to the county where the message was originally posted 
(this page is sorted with the most popular posts at the top)

Leitrim GAA thread - 3 Like(s)

Replying To IronSleeve:  "While they're at it, they might ban people who post under multiple user names as well."
Amen to that … Inter-county banter is perfectly acceptable but when it descends to the levels we've seen here in recent months it's simply pathetic. Posters ramping up post counts talking to themselves….ridiculous.

Boxtyeater (National) - 19/03/2026 11:17:33

National Football League 2026 - 2 Like(s)

Replying To S1234:  "What have Galway done to prove they are top 4 and Armagh ??.. galway the most overated team ever !"
Need to be more humble Ms Kennedy

Drax_the_destroyer (National) - 19/03/2026 14:00:48

Clubber - 1 Like(s)

Replying To Viking66:  "You get underage intercounty championship games, schools games, etc too"
That's fine but not everyone will pay for streaming all that. Clubber should have a county championship offer.

legendzxix (National) - 19/03/2026 11:29:38

Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)

Replying To iarmhiabu:  "Congratulations Coláiste Mhuire. Great work being done by the Schools and Clubs. The future is bright for this talented group, not so much in a Westmeath jersey. All Westmeath players are hamstrung by inadequate facilities, being treated like second class citizens compared to other Counties, begging Clubs for pitches to train on, not knowing for definite where they will train next week. How are Westmeath players meant to train as hard as any other county without the proper structures and denial of basic needs? It should probably not come as a surprise that Westmeath teams from underage to Senior are struggling to make any kind of progress. Significant investment in facilities (a Centre of Excellence) is needed if the likes of the Coláiste Mhuire players are going to develop and reach their true potential as Westmeath Seniors. As long as the current regime is in power, we will continue to struggle and lag further behind the rest."
I'd agree with parts of that, but not all of it.
Those CBS lads trained a lot on the Shamrocks back pitch which, to be fair, isn't a great surface, and even places like The Downs or Shandonagh would be better grounds. But I don't think the pitch is the main factor here.
For me, it's down to the coaching. You've a group of young coaches there who are either still playing or only recently finished, so everything they're doing is modern, sharp, and very game-focused. The patterns of play, movement, and decision-making those lads showed against Tralee were top class, and that doesn't happen by accident-that's coaching and proper training.
Don't get me wrong, a COE would be massive and would bring the county on hugely, no doubt about that. But even with facilities, if the coaching and setup aren't right, you won't see the full benefit.
Another thing I noticed-Granard winning the All-Ireland B at the weekend. A lot of that team were part of the Longford minor side that won Leinster recently. That's no coincidence. They're coming from a strong, well-coached setup.
Then you look at CBS-they had a good few lads involved with Westmeath minors, who didn't get out of the group from what I remember. That kind of tells its own story.
So overall, I'd lean towards it being more about coaching and the structures in place rather than facilities alone-though both obviously matter.
Could be wrong, just something I picked up on. And fair play to Granard as well, great win.

Fighting-Cocks69 (National) - 19/03/2026 11:40:39

Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Has Westmeath GAA released their U20 panel for this year? I've noticed most other counties already have theirs announced, especially with the first round coming up next Wednesday.

You'd imagine we have a strong squad hopefully they can put together a solid campaign.

Looking ahead, next year could be very promising. With players coming through systems like CBS and Marist, there's the potential for a really strong U20 team. It might be worth the county board considering Dean McNicoll for the manager role, given the work he's done with CBS. Someone like Eoin Jordan, who has managed Athlone seniors in recent years and teaches in Marist, could also be a great addition to the coaching setup. Add in Fergal Wilson, and you'd have a management team that has worked closely with many of the county's top players at this age group.

While we don't have a Centre of Excellence, the work being done in schools across the county over the past 15 years has been exceptional. The level of commitment early morning sessions and after-school training has been huge. Schools like Moate CS (finalists in 2017), Marist (finals in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2026), St Joseph's Rochfortbridge (winners in 2020), and CBS Mullingar (final wins in 2025 and 2026, followed by Hogan Cup success) highlight the strength of development at that level.

We have struggled to gather this success into our 17s/u20s teams but I believe this is because of the disconnect with our county board.

While some schools draw players from outside Westmeath, there's a strong case for bringing more of these coaches and teachers into county development setups. Schools football has proven to be one of the most effective and efficient pathways for developing talent and it's something we should continue to build on.

Temple56 (National) - 19/03/2026 11:45:12

Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)

Replying To Mooo:  "most of the lads that played last tuseday for CBS are over age for minor county" so whatever about the minors doing the business this year I don't know" but you would expect the under 20s to make huge strides this year or nextyear in the championship"
The lads in the cbs will not be dealing with the same management team as they have in school. The 3 lads got the very best out of them

mickcunningham (National) - 19/03/2026 18:41:56