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6 Teams Left In A Hurling May 24Th - 5 Like(s)

Replying To Viking66:  "Play the Provincial Championships as straight knockout, then a 12 team AI round robin, 2 groups of 6. Just get rid of League finals."
The 12 teams should get 12 cups and 'middles' too, just like the young lads. No one should ever be knocked out, it could be bad for mental health too.

Pope_Benedict (National) - 27/05/2026 19:04:50

Mayo GAA Thread - 3 Like(s)

Replying To Gaa_lover:  "Let's be honest Morans one year as a coach with Monaghan was totally overblown by the media."
Oh no it wasn't.

ORIELMAN85 (National) - 27/05/2026 20:08:00

Donegal GAA thread - 3 Like(s)

Replying To Lockjaw:  "For years Donegal were seen as a soft touch. We could always produce good footballers but the preparation and commitment was often chaotic and ad-hoc. On our day we'd give anyone a game, but when it came to the serious stuff we were swatted aside more often than not, and the players would go on a bender for a few days.

Since Jim took over though, standards have improved beyond all recognition. Our county players are looked after and better prepared than any previous generation could've dreamt of. That had led to a serious uptick in provincial honours, one All Ireland, and we consistently compete at the top table now.

There is a narrative in the GAA that Kerry-Dublin is the quintessential All-Ireland final. When upstarts upset that so-called natural order, just watch the columnists from the Kingdom and the Pale get busy with their pens and microphones!

If Donegal weren't such a threat to Kerry there'd have been barely a peep about it."
Realistically you haven't been consistently competing for all Irelands. Its only during Jims first stint and his second coming (after his soccer career didn't take off) that youve been competing.

And stop with the persecution complex .
Kerry and dublin are the two counties most "neutrals" enjoy seeing beaten (success breeds envy).
Youd probably like to think that it's yourselves or another Ulster team but...

Seniorleague (National) - 27/05/2026 17:32:22

Football Championship 2026 - 2 Like(s)
There are a few simple facts to the Kerry Donegal match

Kerry gave Donegal a lesson in football during the All Ireland final
Donegal have made a few changes and are now a better team (especially looking at Kerry - 5 all stars)


Murphy should have been sent off.

The Kerry supporters were all about Murphy the last day and so were the Kerry defenders - its not the first time he has got that. Diarmuid Connolly, Lee Keegan, Francie Bellew, Aiden O Shea, Liam McHale, Graham Geraghty, Donaghy etc - there has always been lads who get the crowd riled up and bring a bit of extra heat from the opposition. Anyone getting on their high horse over the Kerry support at home championship match doesn't go to too many Gaelic Football (or any other sport) matches. Nothing happens in Cricket, but the crowd still love a panto villian and there is plenty sledging, crowd cheering etc.

Murphy doesn't help himself either - he ran the whole length of the pitch to get involved with Clifford - evening ploughing on past McHugh and leaving him to be man handled by 2 kerrymen (and ultimately punched). He did it knowing he would attract Kerry men and maybe get one or two carded, not necessarily to hit anyone - he simply walked straight through the melee - which kept it going after Clifford had started it and got out of there.

Jim McGuiness (and the Maor Uisce) embarrassed themselves on the pitch (and in the post match interview) the last day. McHugh got a cut above his eye - rather than let the doctor deal with in properly, McHugh was rubbing his hand on the cut and showing it around, making it look worse that it was. Then all the Donegal lads got up in arms shouting at the ref. It was an embarrassment, if even one of them says they never saw a lad get a punch like that, they are lying. Yes is shouldn't have happened, but let the ref deal with it. If the ref doesn't deal with it - then sort it yourself later. Running around pointing fingers and shouting like its school yard is embarrassing for everyone.

Donegal got under Kerrys skin in the last few matches - Kerry lost their heads on the day. Kerry now need to regroup and find a solution before they meet again. None of these last 3 wins by Donegal will mean anything if Kerry figure it out and come back and beat them in the All Ireland.

We used to see the same carry on in the Dublin - Mayo matches 10 years ago - it was enthralling, exciting and well worth watching. Now we have it again between Kerry and Donegal - long may the rivalry continue.

tirawleybaron (National) - 28/05/2026 10:17:49

Football Championship 2026 - 2 Like(s)

Replying To peiledoir20:  "Can you highlight to everyone who Murphy preformed 'another' closed fist tackle on and at what stage of the game? Must have missed that one myself as well as everyone else in the country because you're the first one to mention it.

To justify booing as well I must add. You Yerra boys are some craic."
Oh stop with the self righteous pontificating.

This forum is reaching rugby level pretension.

Too bad were not so outraged about onfield violence,diving,feigning injury and sledging.

Seniorleague (National) - 27/05/2026 16:46:13

Donegal GAA thread - 2 Like(s)

Replying To Seniorleague:  "Realistically you haven't been consistently competing for all Irelands. Its only during Jims first stint and his second coming (after his soccer career didn't take off) that youve been competing.

And stop with the persecution complex .
Kerry and dublin are the two counties most "neutrals" enjoy seeing beaten (success breeds envy).
Youd probably like to think that it's yourselves or another Ulster team but..."
Donegal has maintained Div 1 status bar 2 temporary drops since Jim's first stint. We've competed in most ulster finals since 2011, winning 7. That's consistent for a county like Donegal, he never said we have been winning all irelands. You couldn't just make your comment without having a dig at Jim's soccer career. Speaks volumes really.

WeGoAgain (National) - 27/05/2026 22:04:05

Galway Hurling thread - 2 Like(s)

Replying To WanPintWin:  "True, but it doesn't mean management are always right. Like all of us they make mistakes and have errors of judgement."
True, but unlike any of us they have far more data points. Training performances, fitness tests, GPS, Performance against peers, attitude, dressing room fit etc

It's convenient for people to believe that management have it out for certain clubs rather than consider any of that

Kinvara (National) - 27/05/2026 18:16:07

Dublin GAA thread - 2 Like(s)

Replying To systematic:  "This muck about gaa not coming down on a star player is muck spread by Donegal supporters to distract from McGuinness's potential suspension. Any ref that would have given a red card to clifford over that challenge is ridiculous regardless of whatever still frame, it's a normal shoulder challenge. He doesn't go in with raised arm, it happens to make contact. That happens all the time in shoulder challenges that they hit shoulder first and then maybe hit cheek or face - those are never red cards, they are yellow cards at most."
I think you're referring to the wrong incident. Nobody was calling for a red for Clifford's shoulder, even though it was after the hooter.
The potential red was for his elbow on McGonagle off the ball at the start of the game. It caught him on the neck and chin and if seen properly by an official would likely have resulted in him getting sent off.

WanPintWin (National) - 28/05/2026 12:26:10

Football Championship 2026 - 1 Like(s)

Replying To Seniorleague:  "Is it acceptable to boo a ref or an official after they give a wrong decision?

Assuming you dont think it is,, have you ever called out a group of fans who did ?"
You're comparing apples and oranges. Kerry were booing him because he didn't get sent off in the league final. That's up to the ref and linesman on the day, not the player himself.

Maybe it's time you move on from this now. Love Island will be starting next week, focus on that.

peiledoir20 (National) - 28/05/2026 13:41:58

Galway Hurling thread - 1 Like(s)

Replying To WanPintWin:  "I don't think they have it in for anyone. Mícheál Donoghue has always come across as a very genuine man and has put massive amount of work into Galway hurling. He makes his decisions as he's best, but I've no doubt he has made mistakes at times in terms of selection.
I think it's often valid to question why a player who has performed very well at various levels and hasn't received much of a chance with the county team, isn't getting an opportunity.
There should always be debate about these things. Saying the manager knows best and that's that isn't really much of an answer.
Managers can have blind spots for certain players. We've seen it all levels. I have no skin in the game club-wise, but I do think Morgan would be worth giving a chance to. Probably more difficult to do it at this stage of the championship though."
I wasn't saying the management is always going to get it right, I was saying that poster constantly insinuates that there is an anti-loughrea bias when there is a much easier answer for why the players that are picked get picked

Kinvara (National) - 28/05/2026 13:49:56

Galway Hurling thread - 1 Like(s)

Replying To Watchthepost:  "Mícheál did ruffle a few feathers the way he left Dublin and treated a number of players in his tenure here. This may come back to bit him now but if this is a trend to his management he will struggle for any success.
I am a Galway man true and true and live in Dublin now. Mícheál is a real motivation here for the Dublin players in the Leinster Final.
It doesn't make great reading Killeen starts, Halloran gets limited runs and has looked super, Morgan sees nothing, Byrnes has walked away and young Shaughnessy wasn't even brought in at the start of the year?
A manager surly is there to manage men not split and divide."
Right I'm in no way a Donohue superfan but;

"It doesn't make great reading Killeen starts -What's the problem here? he shouldn't start? are you trying to peddle an anti loughrea narrative or not?,

Halloran gets limited runs and has looked super - Hanrahan I assume you mean? Do you want him geting runs or not? First year on the panel he's played plenty, now he's unfortunately injured. Or is that management's fault as well? ,

Morgan sees nothing - incorrect, has played as much as he has deserved to play, will get more chances,

Byrnes has walked away - Think it's fairly well known Burns doesn't fancy intercounty hurling and the commitment involved. Got plenty opportunity last year

and young Shaughnessy wasn't even brought in at the start of the year Yes he was "

Overdahill (National) - 28/05/2026 12:18:46

Football Championship 2026 - 1 Like(s)

Replying To tirawleybaron:  "There are a few simple facts to the Kerry Donegal match

Kerry gave Donegal a lesson in football during the All Ireland final
Donegal have made a few changes and are now a better team (especially looking at Kerry - 5 all stars)


Murphy should have been sent off.

The Kerry supporters were all about Murphy the last day and so were the Kerry defenders - its not the first time he has got that. Diarmuid Connolly, Lee Keegan, Francie Bellew, Aiden O Shea, Liam McHale, Graham Geraghty, Donaghy etc - there has always been lads who get the crowd riled up and bring a bit of extra heat from the opposition. Anyone getting on their high horse over the Kerry support at home championship match doesn't go to too many Gaelic Football (or any other sport) matches. Nothing happens in Cricket, but the crowd still love a panto villian and there is plenty sledging, crowd cheering etc.

Murphy doesn't help himself either - he ran the whole length of the pitch to get involved with Clifford - evening ploughing on past McHugh and leaving him to be man handled by 2 kerrymen (and ultimately punched). He did it knowing he would attract Kerry men and maybe get one or two carded, not necessarily to hit anyone - he simply walked straight through the melee - which kept it going after Clifford had started it and got out of there.

Jim McGuiness (and the Maor Uisce) embarrassed themselves on the pitch (and in the post match interview) the last day. McHugh got a cut above his eye - rather than let the doctor deal with in properly, McHugh was rubbing his hand on the cut and showing it around, making it look worse that it was. Then all the Donegal lads got up in arms shouting at the ref. It was an embarrassment, if even one of them says they never saw a lad get a punch like that, they are lying. Yes is shouldn't have happened, but let the ref deal with it. If the ref doesn't deal with it - then sort it yourself later. Running around pointing fingers and shouting like its school yard is embarrassing for everyone.

Donegal got under Kerrys skin in the last few matches - Kerry lost their heads on the day. Kerry now need to regroup and find a solution before they meet again. None of these last 3 wins by Donegal will mean anything if Kerry figure it out and come back and beat them in the All Ireland.

We used to see the same carry on in the Dublin - Mayo matches 10 years ago - it was enthralling, exciting and well worth watching. Now we have it again between Kerry and Donegal - long may the rivalry continue."
You left out the bit of what preceeded McHughs blood stained head i.e. one Kerry man held him and the other gave him a good old fashioned upper cut.

Mayo might be happy enough to have let teams walk over them in the past but Donegal certainly wern't going to let it happen on Saturday.

peiledoir20 (National) - 28/05/2026 14:31:10

Donegal GAA thread - 1 Like(s)

Replying To JimB1991:  "Noone is talking about neutrals, there talking about the Gaa medias obession with Kerry and Dublin and as the other poster said that them competing for All Ireland's is seen as the natural order of things and other counties that 'get in the way' are looked down at a little. Its a very true point.
Most obvious and nauseating example of this I can think of was during the dubs domination, Mayo were quite clearly there nearest challengers for several years but all the media could talk about each year was whether 'Kerry could stop Dublins dominance' ***** talk basically.

Being from Galway I can see how its easy to buy into cuz ye also get a bit of this 'traditional county' privelege in the Gaa Media when you're going well."
Seeing as how Dublin and kerry are the two most successful counties in the championship and have arguably the fiercest rivalry outside of neighbouring counties,and consistently reach the business end of things,,well then of course they're going to get lots of attention. It would be ridiculous if this wasnt the case.


Now that Donegal are back and at the business end of things again you guys are getting the headlines,(and despite what you might think,most people will be rooting for ye if ye play kerry again in the final)no one cared much about Limerick hurling until this particular team came long around 2018, it's the most natural thing in the world for teams to get more attention the further up the pecking order they go. Its the nature of the beast that also rans are largely forgotten.

Seniorleague (National) - 28/05/2026 12:08:03

Mayo GAA Thread - 1 Like(s)

Replying To Gaa_lover:  "It very much was."
He was a forwards coach. He helped Monaghan to become a good 2 point scoring team in the first year of the 2 pointers. They reached the last 8. Nothing amazing there. So in his one year as a coach with Monaghan was totally overblown by who in the media?

GreenandRed (National) - 28/05/2026 12:02:57

Hurling Championship 2026 - 1 Like(s)
I think we are really in for a great Leinster final this year.

I've said all year Galway remind me a lot of Tipperary last year. They have a game plan and when it clicks they are brilliant to watch. Some of the movement and passing they do is a sight to behold. If they can produce it for the full 75 minutes they could beat anyone

Dublin have impressed me no end. They seem to have built nicely throughout the Round Robin and I think there performance last time out against Kilkenny is worlds away from their league final performance. A serious team with serious depth. Dublin possess a goal threat that will win a lot of matches. If they can tidy up some of the short passing amongst the backs and half backs they too could beat anyone.

LimerickandProud (National) - 28/05/2026 12:01:03

Hurling Championship 2026 - 1 Like(s)

Replying To richiepmurphy:  "What nobody has mentioned about the leinster final is injuries to key player's. Dublin coped well without rushe and o donnell on Sunday but having one or both back would be a massive boost especially rushe.
If Galway are missing rory Burke and Aaron niland as seems likely that would tips it towards Dublin. Although Galway put up a huge score against wexford without them. Both got impact off yhe bench especially ronan Hayes and conor cooney.
Galway will have no choice but to put daithi back on hetherton. Trayers will be fine at 6. Slowing down Brian Hayes another challenge. Would they start sean linnane for that specifically?
All in all if I had to call it at the moment I'd go Galway."
The late changes might have worked out well. I thought John Bellew had been unfortunate to lose starting spot to O'Donnell and surely did enough to take it back.

Hayes was the first choice sweeper before Rushie came on late v Kildare. He is solid but Hayes has that pace that adds an added dimension if he is cleaning up behind the half backs and breaking at pace.

For once we have have a headache of a strong 20+. Normally we struggle in starting spots and in replacements. Been blessed with injuries - lack of - so far too.

Hard one to call. Might well come down to which sideline has the best gameplan. "Hurling is a simple game".... they used say!

BarneyGrant (National) - 28/05/2026 11:18:42

Non-Gaa Forum - 1 Like(s)

Replying To Pikeman96:  "also @BarneyGrant -

Ah lads. Let's not delude ourselves. Fact of the matter is:
The Republic of Ireland is an independent, sovereign country.

Much as you dislike the term or the reality of it, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (of which Northern Ireland is obviously a part) is a separate independent, sovereign country.

It therefore clearly follows that people from Monaghan and people from Tyrone are from two different countries, no mater how much you or they would like to be regarded as being from the same.

If it really was all the same country, how then do you explain the two different governments, different currencies, different education systems, different healthcare systems, different policing systems, etc., etc.?"
I can't speak for others, but most Republicans and Republican families I know, do not recognize Northern Ireland as a legitimate state and haven't for generations, for two good reasons.

1. The Government of Ireland Act 1920 divided the Island into two distinct self-governing regions within the UK. This partition was not put to a public vote, it was imposed by Westminster (No public vote, No border poll). The border included Counties with Nationalist majorities, who had no say in matters.

2. The Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921/1922 gave the Parliament of Northern Ireland the right to vote to stay in the Free State or Opt out of it, after the UK government had strategically set the border to ensure Unionist/Protestant majority in any vote.

Unfortunately the narrow 64-57 passing of this Treaty by Traitor TDs in the Republic help vindicate a Unionist State up North, and allow the two states you see today,

Commodore (National) - 28/05/2026 15:47:39

16 Team Hurling Championship - 1 Like(s)

Replying To Pikeman96:  "@tirawleybaron - correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the whole idea of people looking for a way to have a 16-team All-Ireland (Liam McCarthy) Hurling Championship was in order to give Tier 2 teams more matches against opposition of higher standard, to set a bar for them to work towards.

But under your proposal, you have Carlow, Down, Laois and Kerry all together one group, with just one to progress to a match where they could quite likely face a tanking. Little or no benefit for that Tier 2 team there, and no benefit at all for the other three, who still don't get to play other opposition at all.

In essence, your idea isn't far removed from what we've just gone away from, where Joe McDonagh Cup winners would come into the Liam McCarthy Cup, for just one match (in all bar that one famous case where Laois beat Dublin in 2019), and more often than not for a heavy defeat.

Going back to it would hardly be progress."
The reality is there are about 6 counties who can win Liam in the next few years
There is another 4 who fancy themselves as top tier but dont have the results to back that up.

16 is way to many in Liam McCarthy - 12 is the right number really.
Adding 4 more to get a clipped by the top 6 wont go well for anyone

tirawleybaron (National) - 28/05/2026 10:32:04

Non-Gaa Forum - 1 Like(s)

Replying To GaryMc82:  "I agree that until a credible alternative emerges, this current political situation probably will continue, and more FF & FG isn't healthy. We need to get away from personality politics, if the current crop spent as much time dwelling on how to make the Country more efficient and successful, and less time rehearsing how to dodge questions, we might get somewhere.

SF for a while looked like a viable alternative in terms of vote percentage, but have stagnated, in their efforts to grow their voter base they have left some of their legacy supporters disillusioned. They need to refresh and develop a roadmap that differs completely from the FF & FG manifestos, but I suspect they would be afraid to do that.

Social Dems are growing, but the height of their ambition is to maybe be a junior coalition partner and score a couple of pension building ministerial jobs for the hierarchy. I don't see any alternative roadmap for the Country, just individual tweaks..

Labour lack the leadership and long-terms strategic planning to become a major player, too happy to settle for junior coalition partner and that kills small parties. PBP, Green Party, none of them appeal the broader public."
The only time Sinn Fein mentions Irish unity these days is two minutes at the annual Ard Fheis.

tireoghainabu (National) - 28/05/2026 15:53:10

Leitrim GAA thread - 1 Like(s)

Replying To lecture250:  "Great win against Carlow, sat in the stand behind Stephen Poacher and saw first hand his unquestionable passion for this team, Correct me if I m wrong but I think it's 2018 since we won two championship games, I think playing at home is a great advantage and hopefully this young team can make their own bit of history by winning Silverware for the first time since the FBD in 2013."
Poacher is great entertainment on the line, his passion is being passed on to the players. I hope Pairc Sean is packed next week, this young team is a team we can be really proud off. They deserve big support.

3rdmidfielder (National) - 28/05/2026 10:30:22