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Donegal GAA thread

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Replying To naomh_conaill_4: "I'm all for the lavish trips. These lads give up so much of there personal time for Donegal Gaa that they deserve to be rewarded with a trip. Also its Jim McGuinness we all know they will be worked to the core while over there but it will bond the team closer." Still ridiculous money. But that's the way football has gone. Gone are the good old days when you trained a few times a week and mixed with the fans after the games. Sad really rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2569 - 12/12/2024 08:13:54 2583239 Link
I'd have no issue with the team heading away for a holiday. Jim probably had a hand in raising the dough. It can't really come from clubs these days anyway, the lack of county players for 90% of the season has a real impact on gate receipts. ThroughTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 55 - 12/12/2024 09:45:54 2583250 Link
Replying To rorysboys: "Still ridiculous money. But that's the way football has gone. Gone are the good old days when you trained a few times a week and mixed with the fans after the games. Sad really" Its getting more elite by the day sadly. I hope I'm wrong but I can see the day coming where it will end up like the rugby - players playing for provinces (counties) and rarely if ever playing for clubs. peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1066 - 12/12/2024 09:50:46 2583253 Link
Great to see a lot of the executive retained at last night's convention! A lot of women now on board which is great to see. On a separate note, I see ''Killybegs'' proposing 7 of the 11 motions, majority of them having no seconders! Took up a lot of time last night when there wasn't any need for it. dgcrusader (Donegal) - Posts: 46 - 12/12/2024 09:54:12 2583254 Link
Replying To PeterQ92: "Most counties have lads travelling from all 4 corners. Donegal no greater spend in that regard than anyone else. However, the spending on a training camp is crazy. When I think of the money shortages for other things in the county then a 5star trip to Abu Dabi seems ridiculous. 100k in a 5 star hotel for a camp? I'm not against going away for a sun camp but lavish spending seems overly excessive." While the trip may have cost €100k, we are talking a group of probably 40-50 people here heading to Dubai for a week or whatever, so €2000 - €2500 isn't bad for that kind of trip. If they had booked a hotel near Dublin, Kildare or Meath for 6-7 days of Bed, Breakfast, lunch and dinner, they probably would be paying more than $2000 per person without the flights. It may be a trip away, but it will be a hard training trip, a tactical planning trip, full of workshops etc. Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1212 - 12/12/2024 11:49:26 2583276 Link
Replying To peiledoir20: "Its getting more elite by the day sadly. I hope I'm wrong but I can see the day coming where it will end up like the rugby - players playing for provinces (counties) and rarely if ever playing for clubs." I agree, I think its necessary in order for GAA to compete on a National level with Soccer and Rugby long-term. I heard from a friend of mine who is involved with the Rugby that the IRFU are expanding their underage investment into Donegal and other rural places that previously had little or no Rugby cover, with significant investment likely. So I think the GAA will need to consider the competition at underage levels etc, to ensure long-term we remain relevant. Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1212 - 12/12/2024 11:55:36 2583277 Link
Replying To Commodore: "I agree, I think its necessary in order for GAA to compete on a National level with Soccer and Rugby long-term. I heard from a friend of mine who is involved with the Rugby that the IRFU are expanding their underage investment into Donegal and other rural places that previously had little or no Rugby cover, with significant investment likely. So I think the GAA will need to consider the competition at underage levels etc, to ensure long-term we remain relevant." Yea but this amount of money is not sustainable in an amateur game. It'll be fine for another few years but I fear for down the line. rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2569 - 12/12/2024 12:21:43 2583281 Link
Replying To dgcrusader: "Great to see a lot of the executive retained at last night's convention! A lot of women now on board which is great to see. On a separate note, I see ''Killybegs'' proposing 7 of the 11 motions, majority of them having no seconders! Took up a lot of time last night when there wasn't any need for it." "Killybegs" having as much success at convention as they are on the pitch these days. Not fair on delegates who travelled from the other end of the county to be held up by these nonsense motions. peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1066 - 12/12/2024 12:46:15 2583290 Link
Replying To peiledoir20: ""Killybegs" having as much success at convention as they are on the pitch these days. Not fair on delegates who travelled from the other end of the county to be held up by these nonsense motions." We all know who it is too, just look up Ocean FM Sport on twitter and you'll see who it was wasting everyone's time, took so long last night too, felt sorry for everyone who travelled far to get there. dgcrusader (Donegal) - Posts: 46 - 12/12/2024 13:01:52 2583297 Link
Replying To peiledoir20: "Its getting more elite by the day sadly. I hope I'm wrong but I can see the day coming where it will end up like the rugby - players playing for provinces (counties) and rarely if ever playing for clubs." Aren't we there already? Some county men didn't play a game for their club this year despite playing almost every minute for Donegal. Others played 1 game, some 2. Clubs can't reallly afford to contribute any more to this, they get less and less each year in return. I'd like to see county players playing in league matches for their club. But counties don't even let their extended panel players play for the club. And these lads are getting no game time in the national league. Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticising Donegal for doing it, I'm criticising the GAA for allowing it to happen. ThroughTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 55 - 12/12/2024 17:34:13 2583349 Link
One man has to much say on current structures in Donegal in regards to player availability. Lads should be allowed to play league games if not in first 25. Simple as that. I notice underage less lads are playing as not enough games and way too much training. Whyme923 (Donegal) - Posts: 18 - 13/12/2024 09:41:23 2583409 Link
Replying To Whyme923: "One man has to much say on current structures in Donegal in regards to player availability. Lads should be allowed to play league games if not in first 25. Simple as that. I notice underage less lads are playing as not enough games and way too much training." The turkeys have already voted for Christmas totalrecall (Leitrim) - Posts: 998 - 14/12/2024 08:46:11 2583501 Link
No, this was happening since before COVID, it's not that man's fault. It's happening in all counties. ThroughTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 55 - 14/12/2024 11:31:13 2583510 Link
Replying To Whyme923: "One man has to much say on current structures in Donegal in regards to player availability. Lads should be allowed to play league games if not in first 25. Simple as that. I notice underage less lads are playing as not enough games and way too much training." McGuinness started the trend in 2011, subsequently Gallagher/Bonner were never challenged by the clubs. It's been hugely detrimental to our club game and our county sides. It's a cycle that's near impossible to break, as today's club delegates are the same group for the most part that initially bent to Jim's will, and they been patting themselves on the back for 3 years of success since. Should be a two-year lifetime limit on all delegate positions. SurelyToGod (Donegal) - Posts: 443 - 14/12/2024 15:13:05 2583520 Link
Oisin Gallen played 1 minute for his club in his club ground this year. It's a disgrace. The players aren't allowed play until the all Ireland is over. Then they head on holidays, have surgeries, take a break…scores head off to the states, our club leagues are a joke, and they are treated as Singh by clubs and supporters. Nobody watches these games anymore, and even the teams that get to a league final play dummy teams. ThroughTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 55 - 15/12/2024 12:01:45 2583592 Link
Replying To ThroughTheGap: "Oisin Gallen played 1 minute for his club in his club ground this year. It's a disgrace. The players aren't allowed play until the all Ireland is over. Then they head on holidays, have surgeries, take a break…scores head off to the states, our club leagues are a joke, and they are treated as Singh by clubs and supporters. Nobody watches these games anymore, and even the teams that get to a league final play dummy teams." Totally agree a complete disgrace. rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2569 - 15/12/2024 12:41:08 2583599 Link
Replying To SurelyToGod: "McGuinness started the trend in 2011, subsequently Gallagher/Bonner were never challenged by the clubs. It's been hugely detrimental to our club game and our county sides. It's a cycle that's near impossible to break, as today's club delegates are the same group for the most part that initially bent to Jim's will, and they been patting themselves on the back for 3 years of success since. Should be a two-year lifetime limit on all delegate positions." Absolutely agree. Well said. County managers have too much say in all counties but McGuinness in particular dictates far too much in Donegal. Clubs sit back and bow down to him. County board do likewise. Where is the fairness? We have a county player in our club who barely kicked a ball for county or club last year. He trains 7 days a week, for what?! For McGuinness to use him for training numbers and never allow him play for the club. He then gets injured due to overtraining. He's back again and training with county now. I hope it works out for him but I fear he will see no gametime again and not play for his club either. Club delegates need to stand up for their players, as players dare not open their mouths. PeterQ92 (Donegal) - Posts: 118 - 16/12/2024 10:34:15 2583716 Link
Replying To PeterQ92: "Absolutely agree. Well said. County managers have too much say in all counties but McGuinness in particular dictates far too much in Donegal. Clubs sit back and bow down to him. County board do likewise. Where is the fairness? We have a county player in our club who barely kicked a ball for county or club last year. He trains 7 days a week, for what?! For McGuinness to use him for training numbers and never allow him play for the club. He then gets injured due to overtraining. He's back again and training with county now. I hope it works out for him but I fear he will see no gametime again and not play for his club either. Club delegates need to stand up for their players, as players dare not open their mouths." Speak up at your club about it, same goes for everyone else posting here, I find it hard to believe that club delegates are not raising concerns on behalf of the clubs the represent. Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1212 - 16/12/2024 10:50:19 2583719 Link
If Jim lands another All Ireland it will all be worth it, must be hell though for squad players not getting game time for club or county. Big push for Sam next year, I wonder should we forget about league and Ulster campaigns and focus everything on Sam Maguire. Big league run done Derry no good last year. I'd give all these squad players game time in the league and as long as we stay up in div 1 it won't do us any harm and also give Jim a proper look at fellas against top opposition. Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3057 - 16/12/2024 17:00:09 2583772 Link
With the return of a few, and barring injuries, what do you think our strongest 15 would be now? We might see a change in 2025 with a couple of out and out marking defenders being needed. But for now this would be my take.. 1. Patton 2. Gallagher 3. McCole 4. Curran/McFadden-Ferry 5. Moore 6. McGonigle 7. Mogan 8. McGee 9. Langan 10. S O'Donnell 11. Thompson 12. McHugh 13. McBrearty 14. Murphy 15. Gallen Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9527 - 17/12/2024 14:41:35 2583862 Link