Tag: Jim McGuinness

  • Make mine a double

    Make mine a double

    Not so long ago in this space, mention was made of the wonderful decision it has turned out to be for each division of the National Football League to have its own final. As a result of same, teams such as Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Wicklow, Wexford, Sligo, Fermanagh and Carlow have all got days…

  • Not every picture tells a true story

    Not every picture tells a true story

    MEATH… 0-15 DONEGAL… 3-24 A picture might be worth a thousand words but that’s damn all good if the majority of the words are bullsh** which completely distort the reality of a given situation. There is no way Donegal are 20 points a better team than Meath. They’re not that far ahead of anybody. Indeed,…

  • Sideline Cuts – 36

    Sideline Cuts – 36

    Anton is the ladies new man One of the finest Meath hurlers I have seen in my lifetime, Kilmessan’s Anton O’Neill has been confirmed as the new manager of the county Intermediate camogie team. Our top adult team in other words. O’Neill takes over from Gary Cole and Tom Moloney after they themselves stepped in…

  • Evolution of Jimmy Ball decides the finalists but the architect misses out

    Evolution of Jimmy Ball decides the finalists but the architect misses out

    There was something very fitting about Rian O’Neill emerging from under the crossbar at the Canal End seconds before David Gough blew for full time. Armagh football pedigrees don’t come more purebred. McConville. Crossmaglen. Besides that though, nobody has typified Kieran McGeeney’s Armagh model more than the fair haired forward. Remember the piece which appeared…

  • The call is from heroism, who will accept?

    The call is from heroism, who will accept?

    Perhaps if one had been around for the glorious yet curious duopoly between Dublin and Kerry in the 1970s and early 80s, it might be easier to reason with Dublin’s domination for the last decade and a half. Just to be clear, that is not in any way a criticism of those who are currently…

  • Neither of  them have gone away, you know

    Neither of  them have gone away, you know

    Some of the Provincial Championships are alive and well. Praise the Lord. In fact, looking at Jimmy winning matches again made one very grateful that Donegal didn’t produce their swashbuckling seismic performance against Meath a few weeks earlier. They say that immitation is the greatest form of flattery. And, by God, all and sundry in…

  • O’Rourke holds auditions in league finale

    O’Rourke holds auditions in league finale

    With Div. 2 status already safely secured, Colm O’Rourke has handed many of the members of his extended panel the opportunity to make their case for inclusion later in the campaign during tomorrow night’s Allianz NFL final round encounter against Donegal in Ballybofey. Billy Hogan, Harry O’Higgins, Adam McDonnell, Ross Ryan, Diarmuid Moriarity and Keith…

  • Cup football still has its value

    Cup football still has its value

    Mention has been made previously on these pages of how the idea of bucket lists doesn’t sit at all well here. If only because it makes a body think about, well, the journey around this big auld ball. And that’s challenging enough without bringing a stopwatch into the equation. That’s not to say, that there…

  • Good auld GAA – always one false move away from shooting itself in the foot

    Good auld GAA – always one false move away from shooting itself in the foot

    I think David Hosie from the Navan O’Mahonys club was the first player who can be recalled playing adult football at 15 years of age. Ballivor’s Mairtin Doran wasn’t far behind him. From a hurling perspective, there’s no doubt that one of our own – the one and only Paul Fagan – was the youngest…

  • Be careful what you wish for but don’t stop believing

    Be careful what you wish for but don’t stop believing

    On the night Colm O’Rourke appeared on the Tommy Tiernan Show last February, his Meath charges had just been soundly stuffed by Derry in the third round of the National League at Owenbeg. Now, hindsight has proven that to be not that big of a deal because, were it not for a horrendous decision by…