Tag: Ulster SFC
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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…
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Another go at solving the unanswerable question
With Guest Contributor Paraic Farrelly (@FarrellyParaic1 on Twitter) The more things change, the more they stay the same. Laois defeating Meath in the first round of the 1992 Leinster SFC is as fresh in the mind today as the shock was when it happened. To an impressionable 11-year-old, this wasn’t supposed to happen. For the…
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As you were – nobody will want the Breffni blues
Armagh… 1-14 Cavan… 0-10 There are rare occasions when you wish your gut instinct might be wrong. For example, in relation to Neil Robertson’s propensity to find ways not to win the World Snooker Championship. Ditto Rory McIlroy with the US Masters. However, thankfully it’s a case of as you were regarding inclinations in this…
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There’s loyalty in them there hills
“Sam’s for the Hills” were the immortal words uttered by Anthony Molloy and now etched into Irish sporting folklore after he lifted Sam Maguire on behalf of Donegal for the first time in 1992. It also went on to be the title of a book co-written by Damien Dowds thereafter. The victory, sensationally fashioned by…
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He frustrated us, he broke our hearts, but you’d still love to have him on your side
When Meath football was at its zenith between 1986 and 1991, some wisecrack came up with a ‘Quiz Question’ as follows – What footballer played in and refereed the same All Ireland Final? With the answer being the newly appointed Meath manager being the answer! As far as the writer knows, the jibe related to…
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Being old fashioned might become the norm!
Fr Dougal is trapped on the explosive milk float, Ted has the lads from the neighbouring island over to help come up with a plan to rescue the dimwitted Curate. After all sorts of tomfoolery, it finally dawned on some of them to put a brick on the accelarator. Enabling Dougal to get off the…
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Seeing too much of yourself in others
My mind often fluctuates in thought regarding how Meath’s greatest ever team – that at their zenith between 1986 and 1991 – would fair out in the Gaelic football of today. Part of me thinks they wouldn’t last jig time owing to a combination of snowflakes having the game sanitised to a point of no…
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Competitive imbalance doing the game a disservice
Blaming Dublin for all of what ails Gaelic football became something of a hobby horse for a while. Which propagated the hideous notion that dividing those who represent the capital would somehow diminish the ferocity of the marauding force. Bull. A two-headed monster would be far more difficult to slay than a lone wolf. Apart…
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Cavan deliver on their potential and give hope to the masses
“The grass it is green around Ballyjamesduff, and the blue skies are over it all”. “Come Back Paddy Reilly” Observe the above excerpt from the lovely old song. Picture it. Take it in. Maybe the grass has been knocked for hay or silage. The blue skies over it all, helping it on its journey to…
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Donegal’s day today but Tyrone have time
Donegal 1-13 Tyrone 1-11 First things first, hats off to both sides for producing a commendably entertaining game of football in atrocious conditions. On a day which recalled the mudbath Ulster Final between Derry and Donegal, a match producing 26 scores was quite an achievement. In the end, Donegal’s extra mileage in such scenarios was…