A New Hope - GAA 2020

[elguapo4]

Galway looking like the real deal this year, giving Tyrone a right hiding, 2.18 to 0.11 with about 10 minutes to go.

[elguapo4]

Galway win by 19 points and Monaghan beat Mayo by 9, with Dublin and Kerry surviving narrow wins, there might be hope of a good summer of football this year.

[Diable Rouge]

That triennial beast, a GAA Presidential Congress, begins tomorrow, and a New Yorker is in prime contention to be elected to the highest post in the Association.

[elguapo4]

Kerry senior hurlers due to play Antrim this weekend with a chance to win promotion back to the top table....and three of them come down with the Mumps.

[Diable Rouge]

All 63 motions being voted upon over the weekend. Mostly procedural, but the revamping of the hurling competitions would be welcome, and the extension of club games to 70 minutes seems unnecessary.

[Diable Rouge]

Interesting comment by the head of the GAA's Fixtures Committee on the football championship - there are three options under consideration:

1. Continue the current Super 8 format.
2. Restructure the provincial championships into four 8-county sections (presumably moving Carlow and Wexford into Munster, along with Longford and Fermanagh into Connacht).
3. Move the League to summer, and build the Championship around it.

[Diable Rouge]

First count in the presidential election (276 votes, so 139 quota):

Jarlath Burns (Armagh) 80
Larry McCarthy (New York) 63
Jim Bolger (Carlow) 55
Mick Rock (Roscommon) 40
Jerry O'Sullivan (Cork) 38

So, the Munster man is eliminated, and they power on to the second count.

[Diable Rouge]

Looks set to go down to the wire:

Burns 92
McCarthy 88
Bolger 55
Rock 41

Almost unbridgeable gap to the top two, and McCarthy appears the narrow favourite to pick up the eliminations.

[Diable Rouge]

And the Cork native duly takes it:

Third count:

Burns 110
McCarthy 110
Bolger 56

Final count:

McCarthy 142
Burns 132

[elguapo4]

Interesting comment by the head of the GAA's Fixtures Committee on the football championship - there are three options under consideration:

1. Continue the current Super 8 format.
2. Restructure the provincial championships into four 8-county sections (presumably moving Carlow and Wexford into Munster, along with Longford and Fermanagh into Connacht).
3. Move the League to summer, and build the Championship around it.

Cavan would be a more natural fit geographically for Connaught, both ideas sound shit anyway.

[elguapo4]

Tyrone v Dublin is a farce, no way the game should be on.

[Diable Rouge]

Just watching it now, it's a wonder any of them can kick the ball in that wind.

[Diable Rouge]

Some handbags at the break:

https://twitter.com/aoifedowd/status/1233844973151358977

[Diable Rouge]

A Tyrone goal leaves the Dubs on the brink of their first defeat since last year's League.

[Diable Rouge]

Fair to say Division One is tight this year!

https://twitter.com/GAALeagueTables/status/1233858143098167296

[elguapo4]

I can't see the drive for 6 happening, defence is aging and the replacements aren't good enough.

[Diable Rouge]

Meath already relegated from Division One after losing their first five games, conversely, Cork have won their first five Division Three matches, but a confluence of results means they're not promoted yet.

[Diable Rouge]

Donie Buckley has left the Kerry management team again - presumably some row behind the scenes, but never a good sign this early in the season.

[Diable Rouge]

Remarkable turnaround in the Galway v Tipperary group game - the All-Ireland champions, merely needing a draw to progress, deservedly led by seven points at the break (3-7 to 0-9). All of a sudden, the Tribesmen revived beyond recognition, and ultimately prevailed by eight in the finish (3-21 to 3-13).

League QFs:

1. Wexford v Galway
2. Waterford v Kilkenny

In the semis, the winners of 1 play Limerick, while the victors of 2 face Clare.

On another note, a dramatic afternoon for the Kerry hurlers, who weren't even playing! Needing Antrim to prevent an Offaly victory, they were resigned to missing out when the Faithful led by six in injury-time, but two Antrim goals rescued a draw, and propelled Kerry into the league final.

[Diable Rouge]

Not the best timing for the Tipp hurlers, as they return to Ireland today from a warm-weather training camp in the Costa Blanca.

[Diable Rouge]

TG4, rather wisely, is dipping into the "All-Ireland Golds":

https://twitter.com/SportTG4/status/1238564064730677249

[elguapo4]

Galway v Mayo, they know their audience.

[elguapo4]

Watched the rerun of Dublin v Antrim all Ireland final from 1977 this afternoon. The difference is striking, everything was very static with kick passing and one on one duels the rule. Today's game, where a corner back can turn up in front of the opponents goal, would be unthinkable in those days.

[Diable Rouge]

Lots of GAA clubs have volunteered their services for the duration of the coronavirus, offering to collect shopping and medicine for people requiring to self-isolate.

[elguapo4]

This years football championship has been put back to an unspecified date.The traditional opener in New York, this year against Galway, was due to take place on May 3rd.