He's a very good young player but he is born and bred in sligo. He has no mayo blood in him. Why is he playing for mayo?

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4663 - 12/05/2009 16:33:52    281319

He lives on the Sligo/Mayo border and played all his club football in Mayo which led to him getting a call up to the county panel. Sligo should have been following his progress and moved first.

Dr.Shephard (Leitrim) - Posts: 2187 - 12/05/2009 17:10:30    281371

Why does anyone?

RAM85 (Westmeath) - Posts: 978 - 12/05/2009 19:16:18    281497

Sounds like the situation in Ballinderry parish of tyrone which plays in the Derry league. The club/parish league is your county rather than the physical county boundary. Enda Muldoon may be a Tyrone man but he would never of had the choice of playing for Tyrone. It is unlikley that there are players on the Sligo/Mayo border who have dual nationality (Sliayogians)

John Boss (Tyrone) - Posts: 865 - 12/05/2009 20:22:12    281533

I fear you may have opened a can of worms here bad.monkey!! basicially tom is from Ballahy Co. Sligo. This is a tiny village that is joined to Charlestown Co. Mayo.......right on the border. I think the border may actually be the dis-used railline. Tom would have gone to primary school in Charlestown as it was closest, and hence most of his childhood friends would have been Mayo men.

The nearest Gaa club inside the Sligo border would be Curry, about 2 miles away, not a huge distance by anyones standards, however at the age of 7/8 when a kid starts playing football, he will probably want to be playing with his school friends.

I am sure there are probably similar cases all throughout the country

irishstew (Sligo) - Posts: 172 - 12/05/2009 21:11:35    281571

John Boss, the club isnt in tyrone its about the only thing which is actually in derry...

HokeyPokey (Tyrone) - Posts: 1744 - 12/05/2009 21:13:55    281577

RAM85 County: Westmeath Posts: 419 281497 Why does anyone? -----------------------------------thats genius!!!

trileacman (Tyrone) - Posts: 759 - 12/05/2009 21:47:28    281614

tom parsons did play for sligo...in new york...and won a medal here, he does have some sense of loyalty

sligolifer (Sligo) - Posts: 959 - 12/05/2009 22:34:29    281684

Mayo said, hey tom fancy a go?..tom says yes. end of story....

sheepshooter (Meath) - Posts: 626 - 12/05/2009 23:21:09    281752

Well why do Offaly claim Moneygall when they play all their club hurling in Tipperary and all their players play for Tipperary if they are good enough.... So
many questions with so little answers....

gaelicgames (Tipperary) - Posts: 38 - 13/05/2009 06:30:44    281812

Why does TP play with mayo? Because he feels he'll win more, is the only thing i can think of. Tom is a born and bred Sligoman, Bellaghy is clearly Sligo, even in football terms, his uncle played for Sligo, his Father is a staunch Sligoman, TP wore Sligo jerseys supporting us as a kid. He did go to School in Charlestown and thats how he qualified for mayo and the charlestown club, listen im from North Sligo and most players here go to school in Donegal but everyone plays for Sligo, its not even a issue, proud in where we are from and where our parents are from. No friendship can break that. Sligo did mess up but he was asked and im sure Curry did there best to get him. Curry is a very strong club and great underage teams so he could of helped them big time. In fact older generations were so proud to be from Sligo theyd cycle to Curry just to play even though ctown was closer. Tom captained mayo u21s in connacht final this yr lifiting the trophy in Markievicz park, for Sligo people that was very hard to take, i wonder how his Dad felt. No point going over this again and again, he chose mayo, it does hurt but We in Sligo need to find a solution and be postive, we only have 24 clubs so we need to protect the borders and pray and hope players will chose to stay. We might have lost this battle but we will win the war and get all bellaghy folk to play for Sligo, work is being done. Ironically on the way to the mayo game last yr nearly every house in bellaghy had sligo flags on them, not a mayo flag in sight, tells you all you need to know. Mayo people hate this debate because they know hes from Sligo too and thats fact irritates them, mayo would do anything to win an all ireland. It was mayo who brought in the school rule after all to their own gain. Wonder which Sligo candidate TP will be voting for in the elections coming up?

Sligonian (Sligo) - Posts: 1898 - 13/05/2009 06:38:14    281813

Mr Shepherd, do you think Curry werent following his progress? Are people that naive to think he wasnt urged to play for Curry or Sligo? Curry are actively trying to recruit players from Bellaghy, it is after there club area, but as long a parents send there kids to ctown we have to hope they still chose Curry and Sligo and stay loyal.

Sligonian (Sligo) - Posts: 1898 - 13/05/2009 06:45:28    281814

Why does TP play with mayo? Because he feels he'll win more, is the only thing i can think of. Tom is a born and bred Sligoman, Bellaghy is clearly Sligo, even in football terms, his uncle played for Sligo, his Father is a staunch Sligoman, TP wore Sligo jerseys supporting us as a kid. He did go to School in Charlestown and thats how he qualified for mayo and the charlestown club, listen im from North Sligo and most players here go to school in Donegal but everyone plays for Sligo, its not even a issue, . Sligo did mess up but he was asked and im sure Curry did there best to get him. Curry is a very strong club and great underage teams so he could of helped them big time. In fact older generations were so proud to be from Sligo theyd cycle to Curry just to play even though ctown was closer. Tom captained mayo u21s in connacht final this yr lifiting the trophy in Markievicz park, for Sligo people that was very hard to take. No point going over this again and again, he chose mayo, it does hurt but We in Sligo need to find a solution and be postive, we only have 24 clubs so we need to protect the borders and pray and hope players will chose to stay. We might have lost this battle but we will win the war and get all bellaghy folk to play for Sligo, work is being done. Ironically on the way to the mayo game last yr nearly every house in bellaghy had sligo flags on them, not a mayo flag in sight, tells you all you need to know. Mayo people hate this debate because they know hes from Sligo too and thats fact irritates them, mayo would do anything to win an all ireland. It was mayo who brought in the school rule after all to their own gain. Wonder which Sligo candidate TP will be voting for in the elections coming up?

Sligonian (Sligo) - Posts: 1898 - 13/05/2009 10:01:27    281878

great player tom is, and i can see how sligo people are disappointed.
but its not mayo peoples fault he choose to play for mayo, we can only be grateful

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11728 - 13/05/2009 11:04:07    281925

John Boss & HokeyPokey FYI....

Most of Ballinderry is in Derry, about a third is in Tyrone.

Best not to talk about stuff you obviously know nothing about I wouldve thought!

punter (Derry) - Posts: 1 - 13/05/2009 12:19:25    281985

PUNTER.......

The land area of Ballinderry is mostly in Co Derry but the part in Tyrone is more densely populated and as you probably know well most of the Ballinderry footballers live in Tyrone in townlands like Derrychrin.

BIG SACKS (Tyrone) - Posts: 1681 - 13/05/2009 14:15:34    282108

Lads just reiterate none of Bellaghy is in mayo, so ballinderry is a different situation. Bellaghy was there hundreds of yrs before ctown and is in Currys club area. Clearcut Sligo, they only qualify if they go to school in ctown for mayo.

Sligonian (Sligo) - Posts: 1898 - 13/05/2009 14:28:11    282129

Tom Parsons is a Mayo man simple as that. He's played with them from U16 up. Although he lives 100% in Sligo the fact is he went to school in Mayo and grew up playing Mayo football. I believe he made the decision, not his parents. No doubt if he had gone to school in Sligo he would be wearing the black and white today. Unfortunately there's nothing Sligo or Curry can do now.

KunAguero (Sligo) - Posts: 98 - 13/05/2009 16:44:01    282267

he playsd with a mayo club so he can play for mayo if he wants. same as karl o'dwyer, declan darcy etc

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 13/05/2009 18:17:53    282404

I am from Charlestown myself And Tom Is Not A Sligo Man By any means. Bellaghy Is In The Parish Of Charlestown, Mayo. Sligo And Curry Have Tried Claiming him But Failed. Him And his Two Other brothers Are Bred their whole Life In Charlestown. He Does not just Play for Mayo Because He went to The Local primary School, he Plays for Mayo Because He Is a mayo man true And true.

CharlestownGAA (Mayo) - Posts: 1 - 05/01/2013 16:39:58    1313962