National Forum

Donegal GAA thread

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post


Replying To PeterQ92:  "Whilst I agree that we were fairly hard done by regarding the venue and travel times, the same applied to Galway and Kerry (and others) and they didn't moan about it. McGuinness was in the media last week saying he didn't want to play in Croke Park, now he's complaining about Hyde Park. GAA man on radio this morning explaining that other venues were not available and went in to considerable detail, detail that Jim will have been aware of. Yet McGuinness, in his wisdom decided to draw more attention to it in some sort of strange attempt to start a siege mentality. I found it very ill-judged.
Stick to the football Jim, nothing to be gained by complaining about things you will gain no support for."
Where should the game have been played? The pitch in sligo is being relaid. Pairc Sean in Leitrim wouldn't have the capacity. Breffni wasnt available. Maybe Enniskillen but Fermanagh had a game saturday.

FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2888 - 16/06/2025 11:01:04    2618134

Link

Replying To Donegalman:  "Great win yesterday...I listened to gaa spokesman this morning.. said that breffni was not available (there was a match on it the evening before). Excluding carrick on Shannon and Sligo, there wasn't a venue equidistant from both Mayo or Donegal (with the capacity for the game yesterday). Roscommon may have been the best case venue for the game. At least we avoided Galway this morning. Hopefully we can go into the match fresh v louth and play as well as we can."
Clones was offered as a venue for the match.

Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 578 - 16/06/2025 11:11:52    2618146

Link

Replying To rorysboys:  "Good win but we need more from certain players. Murphy immense again. Wee question just asking for a friend bonner and Gallagher were slated for playing murphy out around midfield but he's still there now and a few years older but not a peep about it. So the reason all managers play him there is because that's where he is more important to the team. Louth next it's just a game we have to get through without injuries to set us up for the croker trip. No disrespect to louth who have done fabulous but we'll have too much for them in ballybofey."
Murphy is properly managed under Jim. He has spells inside and when he is needed especially when match is in the melting pot he is used as a target man for kick outs. Michael is in the form of his lift at the moment. Another All Star awaits.

Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 578 - 16/06/2025 11:16:39    2618148

Link

Replying To Donegalman:  "Great win yesterday...I listened to gaa spokesman this morning.. said that breffni was not available (there was a match on it the evening before). Excluding carrick on Shannon and Sligo, there wasn't a venue equidistant from both Mayo or Donegal (with the capacity for the game yesterday). Roscommon may have been the best case venue for the game. At least we avoided Galway this morning. Hopefully we can go into the match fresh v louth and play as well as we can."
He didn't mention Clones though... interestingly.

Al_Maguire (Donegal) - Posts: 274 - 16/06/2025 11:24:24    2618156

Link

Replying To suckvalleypaddy:  "Hyde was a good venue for the game given capacity needs and Sligo not being available.
Plenty of Mayo folks had just as far to travel. Jim is a bit too much sometimes, but he is a great man.
The hotel comment about Athlone was ridiculous, maybe ye could stay in Castlebar to level up the situation."
Hyde was an awful venue. 10k stand with no public toilets. No soap or running water.
What part of Mayo is over 3 hours from Hyde Park?

Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 578 - 16/06/2025 11:32:27    2618162

Link

Replying To rorysboys:  "Good win but we need more from certain players. Murphy immense again. Wee question just asking for a friend bonner and Gallagher were slated for playing murphy out around midfield but he's still there now and a few years older but not a peep about it. So the reason all managers play him there is because that's where he is more important to the team. Louth next it's just a game we have to get through without injuries to set us up for the croker trip. No disrespect to louth who have done fabulous but we'll have too much for them in ballybofey."
To me, he's more playing in the centre half forward/deep midfielder as a pivot/playmaker. The midfielders, Langan, McFadden and Thompson are doing twice the running work of him.

Bonner and Gallagher had him doing the work those lads are doing.

That's the difference - just cause he catches the ball in midfield on long kick outs doesn't mean he's playing their role

Al_Maguire (Donegal) - Posts: 274 - 16/06/2025 11:35:02    2618163

Link

Replying To themaddog:  "It seems that anything that is said about Jason nowadays you should believe the opposite."
Has he transferred to Corduff or not?

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9813 - 16/06/2025 11:45:32    2618167

Link

Replying To Al_Maguire:  "He didn't mention Clones though... interestingly."
He did mention Clones -

"In the case of Donegal and Mayo, the obvious venue for us was Sligo. Unfortunately, Sligo wasn't available because the pitch is being repaired, so the ground wasn't available.

" Breffni Park wasn't available - Cavan were playing at the same time. Clones wasn't available because Monaghan were playing two hours earlier in the day and Omagh wasn't available because Tyrone were playing at the same time.

"So our feeling was that the most logical venue [remaining] for both of these counties was King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park."

tommy132 (Mayo) - Posts: 645 - 16/06/2025 12:01:55    2618181

Link

Can't look past this weekend coming but we should be beating Louth. Then it's either Meath or Monaghan. Probably the best we could have hoped for all things considering. Louth are dangerous for goals though so need to be careful.

eddieSize5Balls (Donegal) - Posts: 163 - 16/06/2025 12:16:12    2618189

Link

Replying To Scenicparish:  "Murphy is properly managed under Jim. He has spells inside and when he is needed especially when match is in the melting pot he is used as a target man for kick outs. Michael is in the form of his lift at the moment. Another All Star awaits."
He's managed no differently than before. He spends most of his time around the middle and he goes inside every now and again like he always did. Only difference now is that he is 4 or 5 years older and with the new rules he has a better option of staying in. My fear is that with the games coming thick and fast that the body might break down. I would go as far as putting him on the bench next weekend. We have plenty forward options

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2631 - 16/06/2025 12:38:44    2618211

Link

Replying To Al_Maguire:  "To me, he's more playing in the centre half forward/deep midfielder as a pivot/playmaker. The midfielders, Langan, McFadden and Thompson are doing twice the running work of him.

Bonner and Gallagher had him doing the work those lads are doing.

That's the difference - just cause he catches the ball in midfield on long kick outs doesn't mean he's playing their role"
Don't agree he's seldom used as one of the 3 up. I would love to know his GPS stats against that of langan mc fadden and Thompson. . Ru trying to tell me mc fadden does more work than him in a game. Come on now. We have to take into account his age and we need to protect our prize asset. . Our year will depend on keeping him fit

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2631 - 16/06/2025 12:45:11    2618215

Link

Replying To tommy132:  "He did mention Clones -

"In the case of Donegal and Mayo, the obvious venue for us was Sligo. Unfortunately, Sligo wasn't available because the pitch is being repaired, so the ground wasn't available.

" Breffni Park wasn't available - Cavan were playing at the same time. Clones wasn't available because Monaghan were playing two hours earlier in the day and Omagh wasn't available because Tyrone were playing at the same time.

"So our feeling was that the most logical venue [remaining
for both of these counties was King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park.""]Monaghan were playing in the Athletic grounds in Armagh (v Down), so Clones was available, unless it was being used by the Monaghan ladies, hurlers or under age teams.

The reasoning was therefore nothing to do with fixtures and availability of grounds. It was more likely based on relative distances travelled to the games (for both counties). Its curious that they just don't say this...I don't think the GAA were trying to get at Donegal or Jim McGuinness, but I do think that they were favouring an option based on fine margins (between Clones and Roscommon), and they made their decision without bias.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3851 - 16/06/2025 12:54:16    2618226

Link

Replying To PeterQ92:  "Whilst I agree that we were fairly hard done by regarding the venue and travel times, the same applied to Galway and Kerry (and others) and they didn't moan about it. McGuinness was in the media last week saying he didn't want to play in Croke Park, now he's complaining about Hyde Park. GAA man on radio this morning explaining that other venues were not available and went in to considerable detail, detail that Jim will have been aware of. Yet McGuinness, in his wisdom decided to draw more attention to it in some sort of strange attempt to start a siege mentality. I found it very ill-judged.
Stick to the football Jim, nothing to be gained by complaining about things you will gain no support for."
Aren't you a Mayo poster with multiple accounts pretending to be a Donegal fan ?

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1378 - 16/06/2025 12:56:37    2618229

Link

Replying To Lockjaw:  "Well what do we make of the draw? Without wanting to sound disrespectful to Louth, I think it's the best we could have hoped for. If we can win that, it's Monaghan/Meath in the quarter finals. Not easy by any means, but the less difficult route to a semi final on paper I would say."
Louth will be no pushover, we know that from playing them twice last season and seeing that they have improved this year again. Obviously having home advantage might help matters, but expecting an arm wrestle of a match, but we have seen that consistently in Ulster this year with Derry, Monaghan, Down and Armagh and the other group games, so no fear.

Getting Monaghan or Meath in a Quarter final then is probably the best type of draw we could have hoped for.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1378 - 16/06/2025 12:59:22    2618232

Link

Replying To rorysboys:  "Don't agree he's seldom used as one of the 3 up. I would love to know his GPS stats against that of langan mc fadden and Thompson. . Ru trying to tell me mc fadden does more work than him in a game. Come on now. We have to take into account his age and we need to protect our prize asset. . Our year will depend on keeping him fit"
With the ball no. Without the ball yes. It's not all about who has the ball.

Al_Maguire (Donegal) - Posts: 274 - 16/06/2025 13:04:50    2618234

Link

Replying To suckvalleypaddy:  "Hyde was a good venue for the game given capacity needs and Sligo not being available.
Plenty of Mayo folks had just as far to travel. Jim is a bit too much sometimes, but he is a great man.
The hotel comment about Athlone was ridiculous, maybe ye could stay in Castlebar to level up the situation."
Not accurate, I was shocked to hear the CCCC member mutter that, because it shows they didn't spend much time thinking about distances etc.

I know some Mayo fans who maybe live in places like Belmullet may have had 2 hours to Dr Hyde Park, a lot of Donegal fans from Inishown and North-West Donegal were facing over 3 hours, some in extreme locations had 3.5 hours, thats not including fans on Arranmore or Tory.

Jim made a fair point, he believes things could have been rejigged by the CCCC , but he will naturally also face a lot of ridicule for his comments.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1378 - 16/06/2025 13:10:21    2618240

Link

Replying To tommy132:  "He did mention Clones -

"In the case of Donegal and Mayo, the obvious venue for us was Sligo. Unfortunately, Sligo wasn't available because the pitch is being repaired, so the ground wasn't available.

" Breffni Park wasn't available - Cavan were playing at the same time. Clones wasn't available because Monaghan were playing two hours earlier in the day and Omagh wasn't available because Tyrone were playing at the same time.

"So our feeling was that the most logical venue [remaining
for both of these counties was King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park.""]a bit of bluffing there, Kerry and Meath played in Tullamore just before Offaly threw in in Kildare.

joeteor (Donegal) - Posts: 240 - 16/06/2025 13:18:24    2618244

Link

Replying To rorysboys:  "Don't agree he's seldom used as one of the 3 up. I would love to know his GPS stats against that of langan mc fadden and Thompson. . Ru trying to tell me mc fadden does more work than him in a game. Come on now. We have to take into account his age and we need to protect our prize asset. . Our year will depend on keeping him fit"
You're claiming GPS data would have him doing more work than those three, and in the same breath you're saying we should take into account his age?

I'd say without question that McFadden does more work than him in a game. All round plenty good performances yesterday, but Moore, McFadden, and McColgan stood out amongst rest. Of course we haven't played in Croke Park yet, but would have McFadden and Moore as our two most impactful players of the season so far.

Not a criticism of Murphy at all, his dead ball, long-range scoring, and presence in the box will be important to any further successes this season, and if we do end up in a final he's likely to be FOTY.

SurelyToGod (Donegal) - Posts: 466 - 16/06/2025 13:21:22    2618252

Link

I dont think Jim's comments were born out of this decision in isolation. It's more that it comes off the back of a gruelling campaign in Ulster, against 4 tough teams, 3 of which are already in the QF and the other also in the last 12. 3 of those games were in Clones which is a long enough journey for much of the population of Donegal. To come through all of that as provincial champions and then not even get a nudge in your favour against a team in Mayo that only played 3 games in Connaught, 2 of which were in Castlebar and the other in Carrick on Shannon. I can see why he is frustrated about it.

benjyyy (Donegal) - Posts: 1432 - 16/06/2025 13:28:49    2618257

Link

Replying To Lockjaw:  "Has he transferred to Corduff or not?"
A very good question. He is being listed as a Corduff player. However there is no record of a transfer on the official list.
https://crokepark.sharepoint.com/sites/PlayerClubandGamesAdministration-Transfers-Central-GAA/_layouts/15/guestaccess.aspx?share=Eey5DJdEL6tAvg2jgRBsLCgBRfWtLP5vQHjXCbPMCEs_dw&rtime=Bdt3o9Ks3Ug

themaddog (Wicklow) - Posts: 156 - 16/06/2025 13:40:25    2618266

Link