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Sarsfields Newsletter.

November 8, 2018

23-1-2008

THE SASH

 

The Weekly Online Newsletter of Sarsfields GAA Club

 

 

 

 Motions for this  Saturday’s Special Congress

 

Arising from the Player Burn-out and Club Fixtures Task Force Reports.


Motion 1. That the following be added to Rule 139 (1) – Tournament
Games, as adopted by Congress 2007:

‘Subsidiary Inter County Competitions at the beginning
of the year shall be completed before the beginning of the
respective National Leagues, or be completed later under
Floodlights, as mid week fixtures’.

Rules Affected – Rules 71, 72 and 89 O.G. 2007.

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 2. Add the following as an Exception to Rule 138 – National
Leagues

‘Exception – The National Football and Hurling Leagues
shall be constructed in order that they be completed –
including Finals – over no more than eight, but not
necessarily successive, weekends.’

Rule Affected – Rule 89 O.G. 2007.

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 3. That the Exception stated in Rule 125(a) – Team
Party/Selections be amended to read as follows:-

‘Exception – A Senior Inter County Team Party may have
up to, but not more than 30 players for Championship Games only
(but shall be confined to maximum of 24 players for National
Leagues and other competitions) .

Rule Affected – Rule 2.5(ii) (a), Rules of Specification
Part 2 O.G. 2007.
(Note: if passed, the new provision in relation to
National Leagues shall apply from 1 January
2009).

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 4. That the opening paragraph of Rule 121(a) Provincial
Championships be amended to read as follows:-

‘Senior Provincial Championships shall begin no earlier
than the third weekend in May and be decided during that
month, June and July, and Provinces must send forward Teams
to compete in All Ireland Championships on the dates
required by the Central Council’.

There is no other alteration to the Rule proposed in
this Motion.

Rules Affected – Rules 71 and 72 O.G. 2007.

Ard Chomhairle




Motion 5. That Rule 120 Sections (A) and (B) have the following
added them:-
‘The Quarter Finals of the All Ireland Championship
shall be completed by the August Bank Holiday
Monday (i.e. first Monday in August).

Exception – A Replay at the Quarter-Final stage.’

Rule Affected – Rule 89 O.G. 2007.

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 6. Amend 120 Sections (A) and (B) by the following
addition:-

‘All Games in each Round of the All Ireland Qualifier
Competitions and the Quarter-Finals shall be played over a
single weekend.’

Rule Affected – Rule 89 O.G. 2007.

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 7. That Congress approves the following proposed amendments
to Rule 3.5 (re Extra Time), Rules of Specification –
taking each proposed amendment separately:-
(1) Include in Rule 3.5 – ‘Inter County Senior Championships
(excluding the semi-finals and finals of the Provincial and All-Ireland
Championships)’. Exclude references – ‘Inter County Senior Football
Qualifier Competition (excluding Quarter-Finals)’; ‘Senior ‘B’ Hurling’

(2) Include in Rule 3.5 ‘all Minor Inter County
Championship Games, except the Finals of the
Provincial and All Ireland Championships,’

(3) Include in Rule 3.5 ‘the Provincial and All
Ireland Inter Club Championships, except the Senior
Finals, ‘

(4) Add to the Rule – ‘Where Extra Time is to be
played in the above designated Competitions, it shall
consist of two periods of Extra Time of ten minutes
each way, and if necessary two further
periods of extra time of five minutes each way.’

Rules Affected – Rules 3.1, 3.4 and 3.7 Rules of
Specification O.G. Part 2 2007, Rule 114 (d) (ii) and (iii)
O.G. 2007.

Ard Chomhairle


Motion 8. Add the following to Rule 59(c) –

‘A Charter shall be drafted annually in each County, in
the Chairman of the County Committee on behalf of
the Clubs and the County Committee, and County Team Manager(s)
shall sign, prior to the appointment of the Managers. The
signing of the Charter will indicate acceptance of the agreed
policy of the County Committee on the availability of
players for Club Fixtures, Training, and other
matters relevant to the playing of Club Fixtures in the
County. The Charter for each County shall be
forwarded to the Central Council by 31st March each year.’.

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 9. That the following be adopted as Section (a) of a New
Rule to be included after existing Rule 116 O.G. 2007:-

‘(a) The period of time during which Senior Inter
County Players shall not be expected to fulfil
Inter Club Championship Fixtures prior to
Inter County Championship Games, in
the same Code, shall be as follows:-

Senior Inter County Championships:-

(1) All Ireland Finals – maximum 20 days.
(2) All other Games – maximum 13 days.

All other Grades of Championship, including All Ireland
Minor and Under 21 Finals – maximum 7 days.

A County Bye Law may specify a lesser period in each
case.’

Rules Affected – Rules 59, 60, 61 and 71 O.G. 2007.

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 10. That the following be adopted as Section (b) of a New
Rule to be included after existing Rule 116 O.G. 2007:-

‘(b) Senior Inter County Panels shall not be permitted
to go on Training Weeks/Weekends after the Finals of the
National Leagues having been played, except
during the 13 days period prior to a Senior Championship
Game, or during the 20 days prior to an All Ireland Senior
Final.’

A County Bye Law may specify a lesser period’.

Rules Affected – Rules 59, 60, 61 and 71 O.G. 2007.

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 11 Add to Rule 136 O.G. 2007 –

‘League Games at Adult Club Level within a County may
not be postponed because of the involvement of players in Inter
County Minor Games’.

Rules Affected – Rules 59, 60 and 61 O.G. 2007.

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 12 Add the following to Rule 136 O.G.. 2007 – ‘A County
that wishes to link League Performance and
Championship Status must obtain formal permission annually
from its Provincial Council’.

Rules Affected – Rules 59, 60, 61, 71, 72, 116 O.G.
2007.

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 13 That the following be included as a New Rule after
existing Rule 71 O.G. 2007 –
‘A County shall submit its Championship Programme to its
Provincial Council by the 31st March each year, and the
Provincial Council shall either approve or instruct adjustment to
the Programme as is considered necessary. Provincial
Councils shall monitor the progress of each County’s
Championship on a monthly basis.
Any postponement of a Championship Game shall be notified to
the Provincial Council within three days of the original date of
the Game, and the reason for the postponement shall be given.
A Provincial Council shall impose penalties for non compliance
as laid down by Central Council, where it applies to games
within its Province. The Penalty shall be loss of Championship
Expenses and/or Qualifier Grants.

Each Provincial Council shall establish a Sub-Committee,
to include the Provincial Chairman, to ensure that
its responsibilities in relation to
Club Fixtures are met, and this Sub-Committee, through
the Chairman, shall report regularly to the Central
Council Management Committee on action taken.

Provincial Councils shall organise an Annual Seminar for
Counties on the subject of effective fixture making.’

Rules Affected – Rules 59, 60, 61, 71 and 72 O.G. 2007.’

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 14 That Special Congress requests each Provincial Council
to consider the organisation of Provincial Senior
Inter Club League Competitions, to coincide with the busy
period of Senior Inter County activity.

Rules Affected – Rules 59, 60, 61, 71 and 72 O.G. 2007.

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 15 That the following be added to Rule 139 – Challenge
Games (2), as adopted by Congress 2007:

‘An Inter County Challenge Game shall not be permitted
on Saturdays or Sundays after the end of the
National Leagues, except where a Round of Adult Club Games
have been played in the Counties involved between the
Monday and the Saturday, inclusive, proceeding the
proposed Challenge Game, or on the following day where the
Game is played on a Saturday. In order to meet
these requirements, Counties may not fix relevant Club
Games for successive days.

Permission for such proposed Challenge Games shall be
refused by the sanctioning body unless it is satisfied that the
conditions above have been met. The Sanctioning Body may
grant special permission in exceptional cases (e.g. Official
Opening of a Grounds).’

Rules Affected – Rules 59, 60, 61, 71, 72 and 89 O.G.
2007.

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 16 That Special Congress temporarily set aside the
provisions of Rule 82, with immediate effect, to consider
setting aside for a period of two years, 2009 and 2010, the
contents of Rules 120, 121, 127, and 132, as they relate to
Inter County Under 21 Hurling Championships, for the
purpose of the non organising of these Championships in
the two years specified, as recommended in
the Report of the Task Force on ‘Player
Burnout’.

Rules Affected – Rules 82, 120, 121, 127 and 132 O.G.
2007

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 17 That Special Congress temporarily set aside the
provisions of Rule 82, with immediate effect, to consider
setting aside for a period of two years, 2009 and 2010, the
contents of Rules 120, 121, 127, and 132, as they relate to
Inter County Under 21 Football Championships, for the
purpose of the non organising of these Championships in the
two years specified, as recommended in the
Report of the Task Force on ‘Player Burnout’.

Rules Affected – Rules 82, 120, 121, 127 and 132 O.G.
2007

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 18. That Special Congress temporarily set aside the
provisions of Rule 82, with immediate effect, to consider
setting aside for a period of two years, 2009 and 2010, the
contents of Rule 132 as it relates to the age for Inter
County Minor Championships, for the purpose of these
Competitions being organised as Under 19 Hurling
Competitions, as an experiment for the two years
specified, as recommended in the Report of the Task Force on
Player ‘Burn Out’.

The following Rules/Regulations shall apply to the Under
19 Championships:-

(1) A player shall be over 17 and under 19 years of
age on the first of January of a Championship Year to
be eligible to play in the Under 19 Championships.

Penalties – As in Rule 132 O.G. 2007

(2) A player, who is under 19 on the first of
January in a Championship Year, shall be
ineligible to play in Senior Inter County
Competitions.

Rule affected – Rule 128 O.G. 2007
(3) The Championships shall be organised in
accordance with the provisions outlined in Rules
120(l) and 121 (excluding the months provision)
O.G. 2007.

(4) The Championships shall be scheduled
from late June to September.

Rule affected – Rule 121 O.G. 2007

(5) Registration of players for Inter County Under
19 Championship shall be as applies
currently for Inter County Minor
Championships under Rule 127.

Rules Affected – Rules 82, 120, 121, 127, 128
and 132 O.G. 2007

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 19 That Special Congress temporarily set aside the
provisions of Rule 82, with immediate effect, to consider
setting aside for a period of two years, 2009 and 2010, the
contents of Rule 132 as it relates to the age for Inter
County Minor Championships, for the purpose of these
Competitions being organised as Under 19 Football
Competitions, as an experiment for the two years
specified, as recommended in the Report of the Task Force on
Player ‘Burn Out’.

The following Rules/Regulations shall apply to the Under
19 Championships:-

(1) A player shall be over 17 and under 19 years of
age on the first of January of a Championship Year to
be eligible to play in the Under 19 Championships.
Penalties – As in Rule 132 O.G. 2007

(2) A player, who is under 19 on the first of
January in a Championship Year, shall be
ineligible to play in Senior Inter County
Competitions.

Rule affected – Rule 128 O.G. 2007

(3) The Championships shall be organised in
accordance with the provisions outlined in Rules
120(l) and 121 (excluding the months provision)
O.G. 2007.

(4) The Championships shall be scheduled
from late June to September.

Rule affected – Rule 121 O.G. 2007

(5) Registration of players for Inter County Under
19 Championship shall be as applies
currently for Inter County Minor
Championships under Rule 127.

Rules Affected – Rules 82, 120, 121, 127, 128
and 132 O.G. 2007

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 20 That Special Congress determine, in furtherance of the
age for the Inter County Minor Championships being
increased to Under 19 for the experimental period of two
years, 2009 and 2010, that in preparation for the Under 19
Championships, no Inter County Under 19 Challenge Games or
collective Training shall be allowed between November
1st and March 31st leading to each Championship Year.

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 21 That Special Congress strongly recommends the following
to the All Ireland Post Primary Schools Council:-

(1) That Extra Time shall be played in the Knock-Out
stages of all Post Primary Competitions.

(2) That all Senior Post Primary School Finals shall
be completed by the 2nd weekend in April.

(3) Those players eligible for Vocational Schools
Junior Football and Hurling Competitions shall
not be eligible for Vocational Schools Senior Inter
County Football and Hurling Competitions.

Rules Affected – Rule 156 O.G. 2007

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 22 That Congress strongly recommends to the Higher
Educational Council that no player shall be allowed to play
in both (a) the Freshers Competitions and (b) the
Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cups/other Third Level
Championships (and equivalent League Competitions).

Rule Affected – Rule 156O.G. 2007


Ard Chomhairle



Motion 23 That the following be included as a New Rule in the
Games Section of the O.G.:-
‘The months of November and December shall be closed
months for all games involving Inter County teams and collective
Training for Inter County panels’.

Rules possible Affected – Rules 71, 72, 89, 120 and 138
O.G. 2007.

Ard Chomhairle



Motion 24 That Special Congress direct Provincial Councils in
relation to Development Squads as follows:-

(1) Under 16 and Under 17 Development Squads shall
meet on a maximum of eight times between April 1st
and September 30th each year, with an
additional four days allocated for Competitions.

(2) All Under 16 and Under 17 Competitions must be in the form of
blitzes, and focused on development, where all players have the
opportunity to play. Counties may play more than one team in order
that all squad members get playing time.

(3) Players shall be members of Development Squads in their own age
group only.

(4) All Coaches working with Development Squads must have at least a
Level 1 Coaching Qualification.

(5) It will be the responsibility of the Provincial
Games Development Committees to ensure that
the above conditions are met.
National Games Development Funding will be
withdrawn from Counties who breach the above
conditions.

Rule Affected – Rule 61 O.G. 2007

Ard Chomhairle

 

 

 Leinster GAA News
 
Grants critic Conway labels GAA ‘dishonest’


 
 

By Brendan Larkin and Daragh Ó Conchúir
A LEADING opponent of grants to inter-county players has branded the GAA as
‘dishonest’ for telling the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) it does not have any case to answer on the controversial deal.

Mark Conway, a spokesperson for Of One Belief, resigned from Club Tyrone last month in protest against the approval of the grants scheme and is demanding that the matter be debated by the grassroots before being rubber-stamped.

Recent revelations that the agreement was not yet legally binding because the fine details of how the grants would be distributed had not been finalised were an indication of the confusion prevailing within the GAA and GPA according to Conway.

It should not, however, be a basis for the GAA’s argument that it cannot be
called before the DRA he insists.

‘The GAA believes it has no case to answer because they had made no decision and we found that bizarre to say the least. We have gone back to the DRA
to say that we don’t accept that and believe that there is a case to answer
.

‘Let me put it this way. Let’s say I and a number of others sit down together and conspire to murder someone. We agree what we’re going to do but we don’t agree what gun we’re going to use.

‘Say we’re caught and brought to court for conspiracy to murder. We’ve agreed to do the deed and who we’re going to do it with. Do you think not having agreed how we’re going to do it will mean that we have no case to answer?


‘That’s what the GAA is saying and it is being dishonest to put it mildly.
The GAA I was raised in was manly. You stood up and made your case. That’s
not what the GAA wants to do and it’s disappointing. We should expect more.”


Of One Belief’s application to appeal the agreement was lodged just over a
month ago and Conway is anxious that the case be heard soon.

‘We are a bit disappointed it has dragged on but we will take this as far as we can within GAA procedures. We won’t take it any further than that.

‘We have seen where (GAA President) Nickey Brennan is saying he would welcome discussion on the issue at Congress but that begs the question, why was
that discussion not facilitated earlier?

‘There have been three Congresses I think since the grants became a live is
sue and there has never been a discussion on it.”

Meanwhile, Leitrim will appeal the dismissal of Michael Duignan in Sunday’s
FBD League defeat to Galway.

The midfielder was sent off for a second yellow card offence – but the player and management said he did not receive an earlier card.

County Board PRO Brendan Doyle said: ‘Michael argued with the referee for the sending off, insisting he was not issued with a yellow card earlier in the game.

‘The County Board will be appealing against the sending off as it could impact on the player further down the line because of the 48-week-rule. Should he be sent off a second time this year he would automatically received a two-week suspension at a time when he would be crucial to the team. Michael is one of our key players at midfield for us and to lose him for a championship match would be disastrous for Leitrim.’

According to Doyle, it was a most frustrating day for his county at a time
when things are only beginning to stir.

‘I hope it isn’t a sign of things to come. Declan Maxwell took a shot for a
point and from where he stood it looked a score, but it wasn’t given. When you consider we only failed by a point, it was a crucial decision.

However to be fair, Declan didn’t argue.

‘Overall it was a splendid game, but there is no knowing how we would have
fared had we a full compliment of players. In terms of preparation we have
very little done as our county championship ran very late and we gave the players a good break.

‘It’s probably too much to hope that we could do what Sligo did in 2007, but we’ll give it our best shot.’

 

Leinster GAA News
 
Flanagan: Training the Root of Burnout
by Brian Murphy, 13 January 2008

 

 Former Kerry All-Ireland-winning trainer Pat Flanagan insists that the lack of
diversity in training sessions is causing player burnout, not the number
of games they are being asked to play.

Flanagan, who trained Kerry to All-Ireland success in 2004 and 2006
under Jack O’Connor, believes that varied training programmes which do
not overuse the same muscle groups is the key to keeping players both
mentally and physically fit.

The issue of player burnout has been the subject of massive debate over
the last year, with certain parties to the debate insisting that players
are being overburdened by a frantic fixture schedule.

The GAA will discuss a variety of proposals to tackle the issue at a
Special Congress on Saturday next January 26, including the amalgamation of the
under-21 and minor grades to a new under-19 competition.

But Flanagan is adamant that the GAA is not addressing the true cause of
the problem.

‘Burnout has more to do with training than any amount of games,’ he told
the Mail on Sunday.

‘Doing the same sessions and using the same muscles will overwork
players but there’ also the whole mental aspect of it.

‘If players begin to think that sessions are becoming monotonous they’ll
become less engaged and more prone to injuries.

‘When players are enjoying training they are less at risk. When we beat
Armagh in 2006, we had two easy sessions and didn’t get back to proper
training until a week after the game.

‘The players thought that was a long time but they realised the benefits
come the next game because they were refreshed.’

Visit the Leinster GAA web site at
http://www.gaa.ie/leinster

 

 

 

Proposals to scrap the minor and U21 grades look doomed to failure

By Dermot Crowe

 Efforts to exchange minor and U21 grades at inter-county level with an U19 alternative look doomed. In the words of one county board chairman, they have ‘a snowball’s chance in Hell’ of being passed at Special Congress on Saturday. The proposal, aimed at relieving the strain on elite younger players, isn’t selling well on the ground and is headed for almost certain defeat.


The proposal is the headline act in a package of reforms first put forward
last October by the Taskforce on Player Burn-out chaired by former Dublin footballer and manager Dr Pat O’Neill. Both competitions have become an established part of the playing season. The U21 championships were inaugurated
in 1964, while the minor competitions first emerged in 1929.

While audacious, the proposal requires only a simple majority when voted on
next Saturday. Delegates will also be asked to vote on proposals dealing with the club fixtures crisis, following a detailed study and report by outgoing Player welfare officer Paraic Duffy, and on a package of recommendations to deal with disciplinary concerns. In the last couple of weeks regional meetings have been conducted throughout the country selling the packages, concluding in Limerick last Wednesday.

The merger of minor and U21 is being proposed for a two-year trial period,
beginning in 2009, after which it would be reviewed. But even this allowance is unlikely to persuade delegates to vote for the proposal. Despite having the backing of GAA president Nickey Brennan, it is understood that his own county, Kilkenny, is ready to vote it down. Dublin, who didn’t take part
in the U21 championship for a few years, is also opposed.

In Munster, Tipperary has said that it will be rejecting the proposal, with
Waterford also believed to be ruling it out, although like many other counties that are unsupportive, there is an acknowledgement that the burn-out report has raised valid concerns and action will be required in the short-term. That would suggest that the other reforms being proposed by the burn-out task force may fare better, such as restrictions on collective training and the creation of an eight-week close season before Christmas.

Reaction to the burnout briefings, which have been held this month has gene
rally been positive. Though the findings of the committee have been in the
public arena since October, many counties didn’t appreciate the full extent
of the challenge until they attended the recent presentations, which included graphic slide shows illustrating the damaging effects of excessive training and matches.

‘I think the point they were getting across to us is that there is a lot of
excessive training and playing taking place that is responsible for a proliferation of injuries in that age group,’ said Tipperary county board chair
man John Costigan, who attended the Munster briefing last week. ‘The situation is very serious. How to deal with it, that’s another matter. I spoke about removing the minor and U21 grades at county convention, having considered it quite a bit. We’ve discussed it at executive level since and won’t be
supporting it.’

Costigan also questioned the basis for concerns expressed in the report about minor players in Leaving Cert year, which, the report suggested, the formation of an U19 grade would alleviate. ‘Would U19 be the solution? By then
, many will have left their homes and may be pursuing third-level education
. The first year in third level is a crucial year too. I was a teacher all
my life and I saw minors at close hand and I found that with any of them who were sensible, it did not militate against them achieving what they wanted to achieve in the educational field.’

He said that one suggestion he had heard last week was that the minor championship could start after the Leaving Cert was completed and still finish o
n time. ‘Having listened to Dr (Pat) O’Neill there is no doubt but that the
re should be serious concern among administrators with regard to training methods being imposed on players in the 18-23 age bracket,’ said Costigan. ‘
It was horrifying to see the injuries that players have suffered; in many cases, they put an end to their careers.’

Ulster counties were briefed in Armagh in early January. Down secretary Seamus Walsh said that his county officers still had to meet to decide how to
vote on the proposals but admitted that the findings were of major concern.
Both Walsh and Costigan cited third level as a problem in the equation. ‘The pressure those lads are under,’ said Walsh, ‘especially those on a bursary is a big factor.’

In Leinster, Dublin secretary John Costello rejected the proposal to introduce an U19 grade and anecdotal reports suggest that even at the time of the
provincial briefing there, over half of the counties had decided to follow
a similar path. There has been a suggestion that the briefings might have
been better served by an earlier schedule, before counties took hardened op
inions, but it is arguable that the proposal on removing minor and U21 always looked a non-runner.

The close season proposals should have greater sympathy and can expect greater support among county boards which stand to make a financial saving. Tipperary, to use one example, spent almost €1m on county teams last year, and with senior county training sessions costing as much as €3,000, a ban on collective training for two months would be welcomed by most
treasurers. There are questions, however, regarding how it might be effectively policed.

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte is sceptical. ‘I am not sure how they can expect to have a close season — where are counties going to fit in their trial
matches? Some counties will be out of competition from June and are we expecting them to have just one month to get their squads ready for the League?
It seems a bit too unrealistic. They should allow people the space to act
sensibly and not be handcuffed.

‘We had six or seven last year in our squad who were U21 and when they were
playing for the U21s I never asked them to come near our training at all.
It’s a case of dealing with the people who find themselves in that situation. You want the players to know that you care about them as people, that they are more than just a piece of talent.’

Harte also described the proposal to merge U21 and minor grades as a
‘grave
error’. He believes that removing the U21 grade will leave a hole in the natural development cycle from minor to senior level.

‘We are talking about extreme examples and they have to be addressed, but t
hat is misrepresenting the overall situation. They won’t be solved by taking away competitions but by proper monitoring of the players. That means having someone who would specifically be asked to look after a player’s training diary and ensure they are not over-trained. But that is a small minority
. It does seem ironic that at a time when this is being discussed third-level colleges are taking part in inter-county competitions.

‘I think if these same players were asked is it the playing of games or the
over demands of training for different grades is the problem, you would have different answers. You need people acting sensibly and co-operating with
each other.

‘There has been a move to get rid of the U21 for some time now and this see
ms to be a neat way to do it. The real problem is over demands on training
time. It will prevent players from getting the chance to play for their county at underage level, fellas who might not make senior.’

Harte also questioned the reliability of GAA player surveys. Some of the findings contained in the burnout report were based on a survey of over 500
GAA players in the 16-24 age bracket, conducted over three years. ‘A lot of
these are filled out in a hurried fashion. I don’t think they are always t
hat scientific. I mean, there may be other reasons behind the injuries that
we haven’t looked at. Players are more mobile now, more complete as athlet
es, and there is more body contact and greater speed at which that takes pl
ace. I also think better pitch surfaces may be a factor in that, with more
sand-based pitches, you have players performing on firmer ground for longer
periods than in the past. I am not saying we go back to bad pitches but there is less give nowadays.’


Another county unlikely to support a move to abolish the minor and U21 grades is Galway, especially the hurling fraternity. Before Christmas, the hurling board unanimously rejected the proposal and recently Galway County Board officers were at a briefing by the burnout task force in Connacht along with the other provincial counties.

‘I totally accept the burn-out issue with younger players,’ says hurling board secretary John Fahey, ‘and there are some good proposals here but because of the fine record that Galway has at underage level, it would be criminal of us to support the removal of those competitions. From what I heard back from last week’s briefing it was frightening to see the injuries that players are suffering. But is that because of too many games or because of the preparation for those games?’

Curiously, last spring Paraic Duffy, a member of the burnout task force, said that feedback from counties suggested that the removal of the U21
grade would not be popular. Despite that, it still made the final package of proposals. The findings of the task force were startling. One in five players surveyed was in the final stage of burnout, the largest proportion of
these found in the 22-24 age group. One in three players suffered from exhaustion.

 

GAA Quotes

‘It was my worst nightmare come true. In sport you have to dream. We dreamed we could come here and beat Kilkenny, but this was our worst nightmare and we have to deal with it.’ – Offaly boss John McIntyre reflects on Offaly’s 31 point hammering by Kilkenny.

‘If you take some of our players from the furthest points of north-west Donegal, they were up at 8.00 on Sunday morning to meet the team bus in Letterkenny, which then travelled south to Donegal town and on to Clones. I’d say they didn’t get back to Gweedore until close to midnight on Sunday night after a swim in Murvagh and a meal in the Abbey Hotel.’ – Brian McEniff on the logistical difficulties for some of his players after their Ulster quarter final against Armagh was moved from Ballybofey to Clones.


Question:
‘Fintan Ginnity is our Fidel Castro. Will you be our Che Guevara?’

Answer from Colm O’Rourke: ‘I have no intention of going into the jungle of Columbia to get my b****x blown off me.’

‘I did at times meet a lot of opposition and a lot of hassle. In fact, I got some very unpalatable mail and unsavoury phone calls with a lot of things being said that could have been upsetting. But I really did not take any notice of that stuff because I think, if you have a point of view, you express it and if others decide on extreme measures to express their views, then they are flying in the face of democracy.’
– GAA President Sean Kelly reveals the lengths that some people went to in attempt to alter his stance on amending Rule 42.

‘Mark is my own flesh and blood. What father would not be hurt to hear cowardly and cruel comments directed at him from so-called Tyrone supporters?’ – Mickey Harte.

‘When a player puts on a county jersey, he takes on a major responsibility which should see him give no less than 100% effort. But that wasn’t the way it turned out for our lads today. We probably had only two players who put in the necessary level of effort, and we only played with sufficient fire and passion for perhaps the first 10 minutes of the second half.’
– Cavan manager Eamon Coleman after they lost to Tyrone by 16-points in the McKenna Cup.


IRISH IN WILD WEST

Two Irishmen are in the Wild West. They enter Dodge City and notice a sign in a shop saying ‘Indian scalps-$10 each.’ They enter the shop and are given a rifle, ammunition and told that for every Indian scalp they bring back they will get $10.

So they go out into the desert and hide behind a rock beside an oasis in the hope that an Indian would come to drink. Sure enough, 10 minutes later a brave approaches on his horse and gets down to drink. Paddy shoots the Indian and goes over to scalp him.

Just as Paddy gets out his knife, Murphy looks up and sees up and sees Chief Geronimo and his 100,000 braves on a ridge. ‘Don’t look now’ says Murphy, ‘But we are about to become millionaires!’

DEATHBED CONFESSION

Kathleen Murphy was standing vigil over her husband’s deathbed. As she held his hand, her warm tears ran silently down her face, splashed onto his face, and roused him from his slumber.

He looked up and his pale lips began to move slightly. ‘My darling Kathleen, ‘ he whispered. ‘Hush, my love,’ she said. ‘Go back to sleep. Shhh, don’t talk.’

But he was insistent. ‘Kathleen,’ he said in his tired voice. ‘I have to talk. I have something I must confess to you.’ ‘There’s nothing to confess,’ replied the weeping Kathleen. ‘It’s all right. Everything’s all right, go to sleep now.’

‘No, no. I must die in peace, Kathleen. I slept with your sister, your best friend, and your mother.’ Kathleen mustered a pained smile and stroked his hand. ‘Hush now Patrick, don’t torment yourself. I know all about it,’ she said. ‘Why do you think I poisoned you?’

Eric Thorpe Returns to the Fold

Contrary to rumours last weekend Eric Thorpe self-appointed to the senior management set up and Sarsfields head of security has not defected to our arch enemy Moorefield. On his return from Lanzarote at the weekend after holidaying with Moorefield Eric was accosted by a horde of reporters in a media frenzy at Dublin Airport. Speaking exclusively to the Newsletter Eric stated that while “certain members of the Moorefield delegation tried underhand tactics in order to garner information about Sarsfields  plans for 2008 he had stood resolute in the face of great temptation. Eric final word was “tell all those who doubted my allegiance to my beloved Sash that I am a son of Sarsfields: once a son always a son”  

 

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