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Very poor fare in the county grounds today in SFC. Saying that Rathvilly were very good and having seen each team play once this weekend I'd now pick Rathvilly as the most likely champions. Strong players in every line of the pitch and competition for places everywhere too with a strong bench including lads with senior county experience. Brendan Murphy came on for the last 10 today - what a sub he'd be to bring in if an impact is needed late on. The two Burgesses were very impressive I thought and are big additions and stars of the future for them. But MLR were atrocious. They have a coach with a good pedigree in Chris Conway but what can he do in probably no more than a week to prepare a team. They were all over the place and basics were shockingly poor constantly mishandling the ball. Given the group they're in they really have nothing to play for now but an inevitable relegation play off so I can't see them raising a gallop with their focus firmly on the Leinster club hurling championship especially by next month when the play off will be played. One other thing I'll say about them is their discipline was very poor today. If they carried on like that in hurling they'd win very little but they don't in hurling but today they reacted badly to the physicality of senior football. Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1637 - 07/09/2025 19:53:21 2635222 Link
Replying To DolmenDave: "Kilbride handy win over Asca and Eire Og very lucky to get past Myshall." Surprised Aska lost expected better from them. Eo off the pace or Myshall good? Ceatharlach7000 (Carlow) - Posts: 8 - 07/09/2025 20:39:02 2635231 Link
Is there anyone gonna stop Tullow in the IFC? They are head and shoulders above any other team I saw over the opening weekend. Looks like they are going to walk it. OneScallionMan (Carlow) - Posts: 1 - 07/09/2025 22:29:14 2635250 Link
Replying To CarlowJuniorB: "Bagenalstown are honestly in some serious trouble in both codes. A town that big and can't seem to have a steady stream of lads coming through but that seems to just be a Carlow gaa issues, under age sides continually not able to produce a decent side and the drop off our clubs have from minor to adult football is incredible. EO have three adult sides, 4 in 2020 but you maybe get max five coming to play from junior b to senior. If they struggle, it's a systemic issue within the county." Don't see how its a Carlow GAA issue? They dont decide who does and doesnt play on. Its a national problem, lads just decide to give up or play soccer or focus on work. Bagnelstowns problems arent carlow GAAs problem. Bagnelstown structures seem to be their own problem, if you look at other clubs within the county they have a steady stream from underage to senior with very high adult playing numbers.. MLR, Pal, Tinryland, Rathvilly, Fenagh these are all teams some of which struggle underage but seem to retain a decent amount of players for adult level. I agree b town have problems but their own problems FearCeatharlach (Carlow) - Posts: 33 - 08/09/2025 02:30:54 2635259 Link
Replying To OneScallionMan: "Is there anyone gonna stop Tullow in the IFC? They are head and shoulders above any other team I saw over the opening weekend. Looks like they are going to walk it." Could anyone explain the improvement in Tullow's fortunes? It's very encouraging and should be welcomed. But what's driving it? CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 890 - 08/09/2025 13:38:55 2635328 Link
Replying To FearCeatharlach: "Don't see how its a Carlow GAA issue? They dont decide who does and doesnt play on. Its a national problem, lads just decide to give up or play soccer or focus on work. Bagnelstowns problems arent carlow GAAs problem. Bagnelstown structures seem to be their own problem, if you look at other clubs within the county they have a steady stream from underage to senior with very high adult playing numbers.. MLR, Pal, Tinryland, Rathvilly, Fenagh these are all teams some of which struggle underage but seem to retain a decent amount of players for adult level. I agree b town have problems but their own problems" Not necessarily the player retention is a Carlow gaa problem but more so the player development and inability to produce good underage sides. Nearly every other county has made strides and at a provincial final but we haven't had a decent team in either code since the minors making finals nearly 20 years ago. The reason those teams can catch at adult level is because the player retention is bad. Every club, even the big underage ones, can't keep lads interested so each adult side only gets a handful each time CarlowJuniorB (Clare) - Posts: 10 - 08/09/2025 15:32:10 2635349 Link
Replying To CARPS: "Could anyone explain the improvement in Tullow's fortunes? It's very encouraging and should be welcomed. But what's driving it?" I would think that the potential has always been there due to sheer numbers. But I believe that there is good work being done behind the scenes with significant financial support being offered by a local company. What I will say is, and anyone else following the intermediate closely would say is that for the last numbers of years they have looked on their day good enough to win it. I wouldn't bank on them winning it out but that's just my opinion. sportsmadcarlow (Carlow) - Posts: 22 - 08/09/2025 16:38:40 2635362 Link
Replying To Ceatharlach7000: "Surprised Aska lost expected better from them. Eo off the pace or Myshall good?" Bit of both. Eire Og very slow across the board but Myshall grabbed the momentum and had no fear going at them. Very unlucky not to get two more goals second half too. Wouldn't be writing them off on that evidence. DolmenDave (Carlow) - Posts: 8 - 08/09/2025 19:40:59 2635389 Link
Predictions for this weekend? Tinryland was the big shock last week and they could be in serious bother if they lose this weekend and b town win. All the games are alot tighter on paper and harder to call. Pal vs Tinryland - Tinryland by 1 - not because I think they are better just think theres too much riding on it for them as I think Btown will win and if they were to lose this could be in serious bother. Think Pal are alot better but a loss for them isnt the end of the world either BTOWN VS Fenagh - Btown by 2 - same as Tinryland its do or die for them looking down the tracks EO vs Rathvilly - EO by 5 - EO have a shocking record against Rathvilly in the groupstages and arguably a worse team than Rathvilly on paper for the first time in a while but all that being said I am going to go EO, an element of shadow boxing maybe OL vs MLR - OL by 10 - I dont think MLR will be relegated but I do think they will be in the final of it. Group is just so tough. FearCeatharlach (Carlow) - Posts: 33 - 10/09/2025 02:33:52 2635520 Link
Replying To FearCeatharlach: "Predictions for this weekend? Tinryland was the big shock last week and they could be in serious bother if they lose this weekend and b town win. All the games are alot tighter on paper and harder to call. Pal vs Tinryland - Tinryland by 1 - not because I think they are better just think theres too much riding on it for them as I think Btown will win and if they were to lose this could be in serious bother. Think Pal are alot better but a loss for them isnt the end of the world either BTOWN VS Fenagh - Btown by 2 - same as Tinryland its do or die for them looking down the tracks EO vs Rathvilly - EO by 5 - EO have a shocking record against Rathvilly in the groupstages and arguably a worse team than Rathvilly on paper for the first time in a while but all that being said I am going to go EO, an element of shadow boxing maybe OL vs MLR - OL by 10 - I dont think MLR will be relegated but I do think they will be in the final of it. Group is just so tough." I seen most matches last weekend Pal were impressive winners over Bagenalstown who were dire. Pal turned it on in the second half to win easy. Crowley lifted them and Pal looked good. Bagenalstown had loads of possesion and ran to the half forward line and then lost the ball. I think they will go down. I didnt see Fenagh game but by all accounts they were good. Tinryland must be sick with the result especially when they were listed as one of the favourites overall. EO v OL i thought was the only game up to chship pace. Loads of mistakes but a major worry for EO must be conceding 3 goals and only for Cathal Kelly would have been 4. EO forwards didnt click with Dara Obrien, Hulton, Blake only scoring a point each. OL had Amond, Bambrick and Kinsella who all contributed. Rathvilly v MLR was like men v boys. Rathvilly have integrated youth with experience. The 2 Galvins, Kev Murphy, Conor Doyle, Josh Moore all showed well. MLR indiscipline didnt help but they were awful and will struggle to stay up. Weekend predictions Fenagh win by 5 over Bagenalstown Rathvilly to beat EO by 6 Pal to beat Tinryland by 2 OL in a goalfest to beat MLR by 8 jigger (None) - Posts: 102 - 10/09/2025 15:22:10 2635600 Link
OL by 12 v MLR Rathvilly by 3 v YI Fenagh by 3 v B'town Pal by 4 v Tinryland Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1637 - 10/09/2025 20:12:02 2635646 Link
Very sorry to hear about Niamh Dobbs RIP a great Carlow gael. Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1637 - 11/09/2025 22:15:03 2635779 Link
Replying To Onion Breath: "Very sorry to hear about Niamh Dobbs RIP a great Carlow gael." Just want to second that. Niamh was something of a pioneer with women's football in Carlow. Much like how the Fenelon girls and Breda Foley helped revive camogie in the county back in the day. It was very sad to hear the news . CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 890 - 12/09/2025 10:03:52 2635799 Link