2 weeks in a row an RTE pundit has crossed the line - its seems to me there is a competition between them to see who can cause most controversy. O'Hara wants to make his name as a pundit and this was a deliberate attempt to raise his profile, similar by saying Donegal were lucky to win the All_Ireland last year. Pat Spillane made similar comments about Jim McGuinness in 2011 but was made recant and eat humble pie in 2012. We need fair and objective analysis but comments like this of a personal nature should not go unnoticed or unpunished by the national broadcaster - it was a lack of discipline on his behalf and he should be treated as any footballer would be ...ie O'Hara should be dropped off the panel for 2 weeks

Jobless (Cavan) - Posts: 10 - 27/05/2013 14:01:41    1392504

Exactly right Ailteoir. Walsh brought sligo on, no question about it. I hope his players come out in his defence.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 27/05/2013 14:02:28    1392505

Kilcullen issue is not a seperate issue. He didn't give the 100% committment that Walsh required from the rest of the panel last November. The rules laid down should be the same for all. The other lads dropped last Nov i'm sure would be similarly disgusted with the treatment they received while a fella who joins up in Feb chooses his club over county football. His transfer shouldn't have been sanctioned by the County Board and the manager should not have selected him if they knew that was his choice.

Anto (Sligo) - Posts: 345 - 27/05/2013 14:03:41    1392508

National soap-box time for O'Hara last night, on a lighter note, Ciaran Whelan pulled some great faces when Spillane was waffling out of him, funny!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8592 - 27/05/2013 14:19:34    1392525

Anto - I know you first off so understand some of your defence of O'Hara.

The Kilcullen one is a red herring in my opinion.Kilcullen was playing for his club until November or late October in the Mayo senior and Connacht club championships. In November most Sligo lads had been holidaying from Mid September. Without Kilcullen we would not have stayed up, he was very good against Wicklow in particular and was a major reason that game turned around.

O'Hara owes Sligo nothing but himself and Tommy Brehony went too far this time

overinthewest (Sligo) - Posts: 119 - 27/05/2013 14:22:04    1392529

27/05/2013 12:45:52
StJude
County: Roscommon
Posts: 85

1392381
O Hara completely out of line, end of.

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Not your call..........entitled to your opinion and the good news is you can even keep it.

I don't think he was remotely "out of line" particularly making the assumption that everything he said was true. If many of Sligo's best players couldn't commit until Jan 1st and he plays without them (while changing the rules later) with disasterous consequences then the GAA public (especially Sligo) are entitled to know.

As I said elsewhere, it was no way a personal attack, it was solely about Sligo GAA management on and off the field.

Solo_Run (Leitrim) - Posts: 209 - 27/05/2013 14:24:07    1392533

Jobless
County: Cavan
Posts: 9

1392504
2 weeks in a row an RTE pundit has crossed the line - its seems to me there is a competition between them to see who can cause most controversy. O'Hara wants to make his name as a pundit and this was a deliberate attempt to raise his profile, similar by saying Donegal were lucky to win the All_Ireland last year. Pat Spillane made similar comments about Jim McGuinness in 2011 but was made recant and eat humble pie in 2012. We need fair and objective analysis but comments like this of a personal nature should not go unnoticed or unpunished by the national broadcaster - it was a lack of discipline on his behalf and he should be treated as any footballer would be ...ie O'Hara should be dropped off the panel for 2 weeks

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Yet again.....what exactly was of a "personal nature"??? It was only about management and training methods, his record etc. No personal attack about his character was made or even close.

If posters on anonymous forums are criticising O'Hara for answering (after being pressed mind you) openly and publicly to a "public" issue then they need to re-examine the meanings of public and private and the role of managers, pundits, journalists etc.

There is no issue whatsoever here. Walsh is free (if he wants) to defend himself. He should not attack O'Hara "personally", as O'Hara has not "personally" attacked him.

Solo_Run (Leitrim) - Posts: 209 - 27/05/2013 14:32:30    1392544

walsh has contradicted himself so much at this stage. bringing michael mcnamara & paul mcgovern back on to the panel just prior to the connacht final in 2010 sent out the wrong message to the team & was the beginning of a downward spiral I feel regarding walsh.

of course he did well to begin with. 2 league titles. nearly beating kerry in the qualifiers. beating mayo & galway to get to the connacht final 2010. but how can you tell o'hara that he has to commit from nov then bring in kilcullen during league

ProudSligoMan (Sligo) - Posts: 17 - 27/05/2013 14:32:55    1392545

Can you blame him ?

last 10 minutes aside Sligo where outplayed by London. I can imagine how annoying and frustrating it was for him to watch, He gave his analysis and his opinion which is what he is there for. That's the bottom line

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 27/05/2013 14:36:36    1392550

My 2c on this:

Nobody present or Past ever goes on The Sunday Game to criticise Brian Cody or anyone in Kilkenny. Yes they are winning loads, but even after the Leinster final last July, did anyone from within Kilkenny stick the boot in?

When a Manager 'loses' the dressing room there is a right way to effect change. In my opinion Tipperary's hurlers did this perfectly in 2007. Despite being dropped from the team, Brendan Cummins kept wearing the blue & gold and after defeatto Wexford, the manager was removed, paving the way for a Manager who eventually led Tipperary to the Liam McCarthy cup.

I can see O'Hara's point, but put it this way, if I ever wanted to change things I would do so the same way as Tipp in 2007. I wouldn't be doing it the night of a major defeat in the Provincial championship.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 27/05/2013 14:39:41    1392555

All Sligo supporters, players and Kevin Walsh I'm sure are hurting today. I know yesterday was the worst day for Sligo football in my lifetime and Eamonn OHara's for that matter. Was he right in what he said? yes he was because it was the truth. Was that the right place to do it? Possibly not. This is not an issue that started this year or last year, it's a county board that are inept for years but it took the worst result in Sligos history to bring it to light. If there are any changes made at exec level because of this it will be a good thing

Benbulben (Sligo) - Posts: 298 - 27/05/2013 15:05:29    1392615

One thing people are missing here - O'Hara was asked why he wasn't playing in Ruislip yesterday. If he had been honest he would've said - "well I'm 37 Des and I don't have the time or physical ability for inter county football anymore. I'd love to play on for another few years but time waits for no one and it's a young mans game" If he had said this first and then gone on to criticise Kevin Walsh - his arguments would've carried a lot more weight with me. The way O'Hara presented his argument last night came across as very selfish for me. Walsh has done reasonably well for Sligo football and he didn't deserve to be singled out as reason for defeat by former player on national tv. I'd be surprised if O'Hara's tv career lasts as long as his football career

pdempsey (Mayo) - Posts: 1313 - 27/05/2013 15:08:16    1392624

overinthewest - I was at the league game against Meath and Kilcullen was excellent. We haven't had that ball winning ability since Paul Durcan and O'Hara were paired together in midfield in the early 00's. If he started yesterday i believe we would have won the game as the starting pair are not of the required standard. My issue is not with Kilcullen but with the manager who facilitated him in the panel while he was favouring his club over county while at the same time dropping lads who wanted to continue to play county football.

Anto (Sligo) - Posts: 345 - 27/05/2013 15:11:23    1392626

O'Haras rant was terrible. to Anto - what about when O'Hara said Walsh was trying to angle himself for the Roscommon inter county job. That's a scandalous allegation !!

MaigheoAbu (Mayo) - Posts: 343 - 27/05/2013 15:23:50    1392644

RE: slayer

Fine post

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1415 - 27/05/2013 15:24:49    1392648

At the end of day some of the outsiders have not got a clue. Ye dont even know when we won connacht last and ye definitly dont know the definition of personal attack. OHara said what his county needed to said, he has done his county another favour. The county board are a disaster and always have been, those in power doing anything to stay there, those not doing anything to sabotage it while someone else runs the ship and in the middle good sligo gaa folk walkaway.

Walsh has been a disaster since 2010, i am proud of Ohara even more after yday, he did Sligo GAA a huge service. Did not get much sleep last night, but waking to O Haras words last night have boosted me, there is a lot of stuff that goes on in Sligo GAA that people dont know about, in fact there are very few people in Sligo that actually care about Sligo GAA, O Hara said what needed to be said, the county board infighting has to stop and urge anyone involved that is not in it for the right reasons to please leave and let the few that care get on, that means massive changes as they're are people sabotaging the efforts of good people in an effort to gain and keep power, this is why we only won 3 connacht titles in 125 yrs, o hara told the truth last night in public and fair play to him, i back him 100%. This will be the catalyst for change imo. Lets hope this is our darkest night and we can rise again to a new dawn. sligeach abu

Sligonian (Sligo) - Posts: 1640 - 27/05/2013 15:31:53    1392660

MaigheoAbu
County: Mayo
Posts: 1

He done 2 interviews for the job and committed to Sligo when it didn't work out, so ya I think it was a fair assessment

Benbulben (Sligo) - Posts: 298 - 27/05/2013 15:37:32    1392673

It was a personal rant, O'Hara is out of place on that panel.

ahsure. (Galway) - Posts: 1572 - 27/05/2013 15:37:48    1392674

More interesting for me was Ciaran Whelan's thoughts on the "outside manager". He said very often there is a lift in performance & expectations for a year or 2 but soon after that it invariably has ran its course as that person won't have the real passion for an adopted county & go to see who's playing well in club matches etc. I think he certainly hit the prverbial nail on the head!

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 27/05/2013 16:08:36    1392709

Wasn't aware of any interviews Walsh did with Roscommon. Strange how he was voted back in by the Sligo clubs and County board afterwards if this was known. The problem with O'Haras stuff last night was that it was all blamed on Kevin Walsh. How can he be the only one to blame in all this?

MaigheoAbu (Mayo) - Posts: 343 - 27/05/2013 16:22:47    1392737