"There is something radically wrong that we are not making progress
as quickly as we would like to. The facts speak for themselves. We have
failed to win the first round of a minor or U-21 Championship since we won
the All-Ireland minor in 1997.That’s the only thing you can gauge the
progress on. We are not competing from minor up. The standard in Clare at
the moment is pretty poor. We didn’t capitalise on our All-Ireland
wins in 1995 and ’97 at school or inter-county level.”
Former Clare star Ger O’Loughlin bemoans the lack of progress
being made by the Banner County at underage level
"I’ve done a lot of negotiations down through the years. In the
best negotiations, nobody gets everything they want but everybody can hold
their heads high in that they got something from the negotiations that their
members can be happy with. I do think we can arrive at some conclusions
and we are making good, solid progress."
Minister for Sport Seamus Brennan says that the GPA and the GAA will
have to compromise but he is still confident that agreement can be reached
on the issue of grant payments
"This is an opportunity for the lads to put their names into the history
books and do something that has not been done since 1980. Hopefully, that
will be a special motivating factor alone. There are not many easy years
in Kerry football management and you need to be on your toes. The biggest
mistake a manager can make is to take anything for granted, no matter how
many All-Ireland titles you have won.”
Kerry boss Pat O’Shea sets out his stall to inspire his players
to win a three-in-a-row of Sam Maguire trophies
"I want to see the role of president pushed back and into the country.
I don’t intend to have as much of an executive role and I believe that
future presidents will have less of an executive role.”
GAA President Nicky Brennan hopes to be able to spend more time with
clubs rather than dealing with executive level business within the GAA now
that the search for a new Director General has been completed.
"Of last season’s panel, three of them are recovering from cruciate
injuries and that’s a serious number. Richie did his three nights after
the All-Ireland final and John’s injury occurred in the quarter final
of the Kilkenny championship. Thanks be to God with surgery and the help
of Dr. Tadgh O’Sullivan, they’ll all come back right."
Kilkenny boss Brian Cody is hopeful that injuries to Henry Shefflin,
John Tennyson and Richie O’Neill will be healed for next season
"I’ll be in support of my players whatever they choose to do.
I’ll have my panel together for January 1 and I won’t be going
outside them to fulfill a fixture if they are not available. I have no hidden
agendas. I’m saying that from a position where I have never received
a penny for managing Monaghan or any other team.”
Monaghan manager Seamus McEnaney says he won’t look for new players
to make a team for the Dr. McKenna Cup should his current squad go on strike
in January
The day I walked out of Portlaoise last year, this was my aim - to get
back at Ballyhale. They beat us by 12 or 14 points and it hurt. I was sitting
in the stand and I said to myself ’it will never happen again!’
This was one of the main reasons why I came back - to bring Birr back up
to where they belong."
Birr manager Padjoe Whelahan, delighted after his side had knocked
All-Ireland champions Ballyhale Shamrocks out of the Leinster championship,
admits that he was dying to get revenge on the Kilkenny champions after
a humbling defeat in 2006