We will see Sunday where we are Donegalman but in my opinion We are in a far better position than Donegal. Yes Donegal have experience but they don't have the players anymore. You wont win sam with only one forward as we have seen with Mayo. At the minute Donegal have probably the worst forwards out of any the top ten teams in the country with only Murphy of any use.
Galway will come again they aren't as far away as people think I wouldn't be surprised at all if they bet Mayo this year. They have some quality forwards and Midfielders with serious potential. Just need one or two defenders and a stable goalkeeper

Pingcity (Longford) - Posts:401 - 07/04/2016 14:53:29

Big, big claim.

Roscommon seem to be on the up and maybe you're right in your prediction, but that's what it is, a prediction.

However there's nothing Roscommon have done yet that suggests that they are better than the current Donegal side.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13711 - 08/04/2016 08:06:45    1843300

Calm down ping city ur setting urself up for a big fall on here and ur not go in to get much sympathy
Sunday will be a huge test for us I think and hope we'll do well and be competitive but until we play a few games like this we really won't know where we are at
Your comments re mcbrearty are also out of order he may struggle to find a consistent level of form but he's a fine footballer and much like our young lads I think his best years are probably ahead of him... One thing he does have tho is an all Ireland medal .. He owes nothing to noone

rossy15 (Roscommon) - Posts: 617 - 08/04/2016 08:28:11    1843306

Why does anyone pass any notice on the nonsense pincity or the master come out with. Donegalman I see you still have your bitterness with roscommon. If anything galway were closer to going down then going up the got late scores to get 2 draws. If the had lost those games the would have went down. The have potential but so do a number of teams

ros1 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1211 - 08/04/2016 08:44:46    1843309

Ros1 in fairness we pegged Meath back (13 points to 1 in the first 25 mins of the 2nd half), led by 3 points but were so out on our feet (Mgt brought in the reinforcments way too late) and conceded 3 scores. Against Fermanagh we had 15 wides and always led. The only match we got lucky was Armagh as we should have beaten Meath and Fermanagh. Swings and roundabouts. Bottom line is we did not do enough to get promoted but were never is serious danger of relegation. On the substantive issue of our 'alleged demise' it is somewhat exaggerated. Yes there are resource issues, maybe even structural/organisational issues but as one poster said the line is very thin and the match in Breffini Park last Sunday mirrors this. We are making incremental improvement, maybe not as fast/impressive as the Rossies or Cavan but ultimately all teams will be judged by their championship performance not how they perform in Spring. People jus expect more from Galway given their tradition etc but you cannot count on this as we very well know.

kiloughter (Galway) - Posts: 1946 - 08/04/2016 10:00:36    1843337

I would always fear Galway in Connacht. I know it has not been the case lately but no matter how good or bad Galway are going, they are the team you fear most in Connacht and I am sure their fans will admit the same about us in a great rivilary. I would worry more about our clash with Galway than a possible final meeting with Roscomon should we get that far.
I have witnessed Galway come to Castlebar and beat us on a few occasions (a few too many) but I have never seen Roscommon beat us in a senior clash at home and would always be confident of beating them in Castlebar.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11232 - 08/04/2016 11:18:41    1843375

Fair enough kil

ros1 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1211 - 08/04/2016 15:19:55    1843524

Ye can say that Galway are slowly coming every year, but how many years does it take? Galway have the footballers but guess what? They're not on the panel's! Kevin Walsh has to many of his own westerners on the squad and not enough north Galway men where the football lies within corafin, mountbellew and Tuam. End of

Observer9 (Galway) - Posts: 14 - 08/04/2016 18:37:29    1843608

In fairness Galway is a great footballing county. Unlike some other Connaught counties I could mention they've won a couple of All-Irelands in my lifetime. One of the most enjoyable days out I ever had in Croke Park (and that's saying something coming from a Kerryman) was the 2001 Final where Padraic Joyce put on a masterclass and kicked 10 (?) points if I remember correctly. It was a joy to behold. The previous year they were so close to beating Kerry in the drawn game. Again, if my memory serves, had Derek Savage passed to Joyce at the death instead of going for glory Kerry would have only 36 All-Irelands now. What about Michael Donnelan? Speedy, classy footballer with the unique ability to kick long (ish) range points while on the run without breaking his stride. Declan Meehan's goal in replay? Demise my b****x. A great footballing county. Like Offaly.

14KY37 (Kerry) - Posts: 30 - 08/04/2016 20:44:38    1843647

14KY37 (Kerry) - Posts:24 - 08/04/2016 20:44:38

All of what you mentioned was years ago. None of those players are still around so what are you on about?

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2386 - 08/04/2016 21:58:28    1843668

The Galway ream suffers from lack of support. Mayo or Roscommon fans will outnumber them even if the game is played in Galway.This has been the case for the last 10 years. Come out and support your team.

mod (Mayo) - Posts: 859 - 09/04/2016 10:09:59    1843687

That Galway team under O'Mahony were pure class. For me the best footballing side of the past 30 years, bar the Kerry team of the noughties.

The Meehans, Mannion, De Paor, Walsh, Finnegan, T&P Joyce ,Ja Fallon, Donnellan. I was blessed to see that team play. Galway don't have that calibre right now but these things are cyclical, they'll be back up soon.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7349 - 09/04/2016 10:52:39    1843699

Agreed 14KY37 & GreenandRed.That Galway side of the late 90s was class .That 98 final was probably the best final I ever saw that didn't involve Dublin, great open and sporting football.They pretty much came from nowhere too, I'ld say in April 98 nobody would have forecast Sam going to Galway.Some great ball players on that side like Joyce, Donnellan, DePaor, Savage and my personal favourite Ja Fallon, what a left foot!
Hopefully they'll rise again.

Condorman (Dublin) - Posts: 983 - 09/04/2016 12:13:09    1843711

Ja Fallon. His performance in the 1998 all Ireland final made me want to be a footballer. Guys like him, Joyce, Mike Frank Russell etc. would make ya want to go out and pick up a football.
I sometimes wonder do todays greats have that effect on youngsters. Footballers these days would nearly make ya want to go the gym instead.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 09/04/2016 20:48:07    1843815

Yeah Ja was class, what a left foot indeed.While the point he scored from a sideline under the Hogan gets most mention the point he got from the other side of the field at the start of the 2nd half was just as good.
Great player.

Barnowl94 (Galway) - Posts: 3150 - 11/04/2016 13:48:47    1844284

What is exactly a "demise" so if a county doesnt win a senior provincial in ten years its a demise.. Minors won Connacht last year, club won All Ireland last year, 21s won two all Irelands in the last 5 years, and our seniors won All Irelands in the last 20.. Most counties would cry for something like that. Granted we are going through a rough period compared to the early 00s but thats what happens in a county wher you have a compeditive hurling team, a pro Rugby team, a semi pro soccer team, there is diverse interests for younger players.. Im happy with what we have achieved in my lifetime and look forward to many more great sporting days in Galway

Belclare1 (Galway) - Posts: 1626 - 12/04/2016 08:50:46    1844495

In the last 3 years Galway have been beaten by Mayo (x3), Cork, Kerry and Donegal in championship. In that time theyve beaten everyone else theyve faced - Armagh (x2), Derry, Sligo, Leitrim, Tipperary (x2), Waterford. The story being their not good enough to match the clear top 5/6 yet, while being one of the better teams from the rest of the pile. Very Mediocre for a county with its history and prestige but theyre hardly a disaster of a side in the general sense. Few good young players coming through from 2 AI winning U-21 sides, they should slowly improve

jafallon (Galway) - Posts: 489 - 12/04/2016 15:46:10    1844784

What competitions does the Galway rugby team play in belclare?

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 12/04/2016 16:04:05    1844802

compare Galway to Limerick (a similar sized city) and Galway come out ok. Where is the GAA in Limerick? Answer nearly non existant. OK club hurlers won this year, well done to them, but Galway clubs have won loads in the last 20 years.
Galway GAA has also more A.I's in both codes than Limerick in the last 50 years. So the heading should be "the slow demise of Limerick football".
That said the Galway gaa does have some serious problems to sort out- like the county board debt.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2520 - 12/04/2016 19:30:54    1844907

Master, just to educate you, the Pro Rugby team based in Galway city are known as Connacht, They represent the 5 counties. They have a senior team and an acadamy team, the senior team has players like Ronan Loughney , Eoin Mc Keon, Dave Mc Sharry , John Muldoon, Tiernan O Halloran, Daragh Leader, Ultin Dillane ( a Kerry man playin his club rugby here for years) Conor Finn, Anfrew Browne , Caolin Blade , and Sean O Brien among more. All these guys apart from Dillane were born in Galway and played a lot of unfderage GAA some at a high level. The acadamy has a large amount of Galway players as well. Now my point was that with the success of this team this year especially young kids have a choice when they are growing up, it doesnt all have to be the Gaa anymore. To keep you happy we even accomodate any Mayo lads that might want to pursue a professional career. so even though we are based in Galway city with a huge number of Galway players we dont want to leave ye lads out down in Mayo.. Come in some time and expierience it good man...

Belclare1 (Galway) - Posts: 1626 - 13/04/2016 09:29:08    1844985

Belclare1 - Having a rugby team is not much of an excuse for the Galway football team to be underachieving. As you say, Connacht represents all counties in Connacht. Ballina and Westport for example would be big rugby town's in Mayo while Castlebar was always known as a soccer town but all three still have GAA in a big way.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11232 - 13/04/2016 09:55:23    1844993