Carlow manager Luke Dempsey has expressed his anger at the Donegal County Board's refusal to change the time of the All-Ireland qualifier between the sides. The Barrowsiders had request an earlier throw in for the match as their supports have a long journey to make, but the Donegal County Board refused and the game will go-ahead as planned at 7pm. Dempsey admitted that he feels let down by Donegal over their failure to bring the game forward both for the supporters and his players as traffic congestion in Ballybofey has been cited as the reason for the game not being switched. "It's not fair on the supporters as well as the team. Shoppers are taking priority over the welfare of supporters, players and officials," said Dempsey. "It'll cost somewhere in the region of 5,000 to stay for one night and the lads will be hanging around now for the whole day of the game." ----------------------------------------------- Luke Dempsey and the Carlow Co. Board really need to quit the nonsensical rants they have been engaging in over the past week in relation to the scheduling of this weekend's qualifier game between Donegal and Carlow. The fact of the matter is that the Donegal Co. Board was more than willing to reschedule the game for 3pm to accomodate Carlow but this was ruled as a non-runner by both the Gardaí and the Ballybofey Chamber of Commerce who rightly ruled that the town would not be able to cope with the influx of GAA supporters into the town on the busiest shopping day of the week in what is already the North West's biggest bottleneck. The nerve of Luke Dempsey to give out about shoppers taking priority over the welfare of supporters, players and officials! The sad reality Luke for your information is that traders in the town do have to try and make a living in these recessionary times and it may be hard to swallow but yes, their livelihoods are more important that the welfare of Donegal and Carlow supporters, players and officials. The inference from yourself and your Co. chairman is that this is a ploy by Donegal to get at Carlow. Such a load of balderdash! Its obvious that neither yourself or your chairman have ever been in Ballybofey on a Saturday afternoon because if you had then neither of you would be coming out with such ludicrous statements. You will both have plenty of time on Saturday afternoon to take a good long look at the congestion in the town and hopefully to eat your words and apologise to the Donegal Co. Board for your nonsensical rants! Also I have heard that the Carlow Chairman is talking about bringing a motion before congress in relation to throw-ins for qualifier games and is to petition other counties throughout Ireland to not facilitate Donegal in the future regarding throw in times.

Lifford Gael (Donegal) - Posts: 1925 - 03/07/2009 13:28:13    331043

Your spot on Lifford Gael. Luke Dempsey and the Carlow County Board should take a long hard look at the facts before apportioning blame.

SeamieMac (Donegal) - Posts: 15 - 03/07/2009 16:16:36    331290

Its too far to travel for a round trip anyway.You need put the head down and home the next day,It would be more dangerous to go up and back the same day.

tomaoo7 (Dublin) - Posts: 5896 - 03/07/2009 16:25:45    331302

I can understand Luke's frustration, but methinks his anger is directed at the wrong people (ie the Donegal CB). Although in fairness, surely a compromise such as a 5pm fixture could have been reached?

rmc33 (Carlow) - Posts: 11 - 03/07/2009 16:36:05    331317

Sure why dont the Carlow players stay in Donegal after the game and go out for the night. Tis a great wee county up here. Sure everyone goes on the lash.....

Fredthered (Donegal) - Posts: 1144 - 03/07/2009 16:38:58    331320

Would be really interesting if Donegal win and are drawn away to Kerry on Sat 11th July @7:30pm. Any objections to that in Donegal.

Don't think it will happen though as IMO Carlow will win.

Squid

squidword (Louth) - Posts: 2897 - 03/07/2009 17:18:07    331350

Long overdue that people stopped whinging about the times games are fixed at.

If Dempsey doesn't want to travel he can forfeit the fixture!! Might not be a bad idea as it'll be a total mismatch. Only caveat to that is of Donegal lack complete interest.

Real Louth fan (Louth) - Posts: 3157 - 03/07/2009 17:22:13    331354

Squid

Donegal have been travelling to the four corners of Ireland for years without any complaint. The problem only seems to arise when other counties have to travel to Donegal.

It amazes me for example how the distance from Dublin to Donegal always seems to be much much greater than the distance from Donegal to Dublin. In other words, it's fine for Donegal supporters to travel wherever but not the other way around.

Donegal supporters will have no problem travelling to Kerry or wherever at whatever time.

You also miss the point - Luke Dempseys rant about the Donegal Co. Board when in actual fact Donegal Co. Board was more than happy to accomodate Carlow and an earlier throw-in time of 3pm. The objection came from the Gardaí and the Ballybofey Chamber of Commerce.

Lifford Gael (Donegal) - Posts: 1925 - 03/07/2009 17:30:32    331361

I imagine that the Carlow manager believed that Donegal Co. Board could have moved the fixture to a different venue within the the County giving that the Gardai and Ballybofey Chamber of Commerce had made objections to a 3:00pm start time in Ballybofey with traffic congestion and the influx of GAA supporters into the town on the busiest shopping day of the week the reasons for the objections.

Surely if Donegal Co. Board were serious about accommodating the Carlow team and supporters they could have looked at a different venue within the County but to be honest it looks very like there was no real meaningful effort made by Donegal Co. Board to accommodate the visitor on this occasion.

With regard to Donegal GAA supporters travelling to Dublin and further afield wee love seeing ye down here particularly when you are going to play in Croke Park on the big days.

Squid

squidword (Louth) - Posts: 2897 - 03/07/2009 18:14:13    331388

Squid

All our home championship games are played in Ballybofey and have been for years - decades even.

Why should we change?

No other county would do it!

It's a Saturday evening for God's sake - it's not that people have to get up for work the next morning unless the clergy of Carlow are travelling in droves and need to be home to say Mass the next morning.

Dempsey is making much ado about nothing!

Lifford Gael (Donegal) - Posts: 1925 - 03/07/2009 18:46:46    331421

Fans have the right to travel to games early and get home with children.

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 03/07/2009 20:59:53    331506

Sure if the game was brought forward to 5 o'clock everyone would be complaining about having to take a half day off work. Lots of us had a good moan when the Cork game was on at 5 in Pairc Ui Chaoimh. And lots of us would have had a good moan if it had been on at 7.

It is a fair distance from carlow to Donegal and if you leave Ballybofey at 8.30 after the game it will be 1pm when they arrive back in Carlow. Kind of like us coming home on the first train after any match we have in Croker. Never make it home until around that time either. Maybe we should ask Luke to put in a word for us and get our next Croke Park fixture moved to Semple or the Gaelic Grounds!!!

thykingdomcome (Kerry) - Posts: 1206 - 03/07/2009 21:17:53    331518

Dellboy - when have the GAA ever cared about kids or supporters travelling long distances, if they did then they would never have evening games on a saturday.

cmx (Monaghan) - Posts: 446 - 03/07/2009 21:18:12    331519

03/07/2009 20:59:53
Dellboypolecat
County: Tyrone
Posts: 5732

331506 Fans have the right to travel to games early and get home with children.

Are you now suggesting that on top of playing the game earlier, we also have to give free children to the Carlow supporters that travel? It's too much I tell you.

Listen this is a childish rant by Dempsey. As our Kerry friend pointed out, people would be complaining if it was fixed for earlier cause supporters would have to take a day off. If there is one thing that Donegal players and supporters can empathise with, it's having to travel long distances to games. Some Donegal people will have to travel for an hour within the county to reach Ballobofey. Such is life. It's 4 hours from Carlow to Ballybofey according to Google maps. It's not a short journey but not the end of the world at the same time. If you don't fancy the journey then it will be on Highland radio. Safe travels to those who do decide to go.

RMDrive (Donegal) - Posts: 2202 - 03/07/2009 21:53:06    331558

Lifford Gael u need to get over urself lad,no wonder football is in crisis up there if this is the way ye all carry on. Carlow have not got an issue with the distance with have to travel as such its the time of the game is the problem.If Donegal CB----

THE BOSS (Carlow) - Posts: 475 - 03/07/2009 22:27:00    331593

Lifford Gael u need to get over urself lad,no wonder football is in crisis up there if this is the way ye all carry on. Carlow have not got an issue with the distance we have to travel as such its the time of the game is the problem.If Donegal CB were serious about accomadating us they could have just as easily changed the venue for n earlier start time.As one of the weakest counties in Ireland it is hard enough to get a team together let alone the support especially when we r winning nothing n dats why i always believe the weakest team should get home advantage,but of course the big wigs in the gaa done away with that this year and only give lip service to the smaller counties who are struggling.We also had to travel to belfast last year to play antrim in the TMC

THE BOSS (Carlow) - Posts: 475 - 03/07/2009 22:33:12    331601

Lifford Gael u need to get over urself lad,no wonder football is in crisis up there if this is the way ye all carry on. Carlow have not got an issue with the distance we have to travel as such its the time of the game is the problem.If Donegal CB were serious about accomadating us they could have just as easily changed the venue for n earlier start time.As one of the weakest counties in Ireland it is hard enough to get a team together let alone the support especially when we r winning nothing n dats why i always believe the weakest team should get home advantage,but of course the big wigs in the gaa done away with that this year and only give lip service to the smaller counties who are struggling.In the current recession its not appealing to support a team on such a low base by travelling up to ballybofey and then stayn over night as well n all for what?? just to see a team getting beat,all we wanted was a bit of courtesy so we could get on with things but ye have rose our dander now so expect a backlash.

THE BOSS (Carlow) - Posts: 475 - 03/07/2009 22:37:19    331606

The Boss:

No harm to yourself lad but you have missed the point completely. IT WASN'T THE DONEGAL CO. BOARD THAT WOULDN'T ACCOMODATE CARLOW. Take a wee read back over the earlier posts. This is what I don't get with the likes of yourself, the Carlow Co. Board and Luke Dempsey! What part of that message do you not get? Its not rocket science!

Lifford Gael (Donegal) - Posts: 1925 - 03/07/2009 22:44:24    331616

By the way for all those Carlow fans heading up to Ballybofey try and avoid Omagh if at all possible, becasue the throughpass is a disaster on a Saturday afternoon and Omagh show is on tomorrow which will make it even worse, leave 1/2hour for Omagh if you have to go through it

omaghjoe (Tyrone) - Posts: 1191 - 03/07/2009 23:14:25    331637

Dempsey seems to be rank out of order with his comments but I blame the fixture makers for this suituation. Why oh Why do they put such games on sat night, what's wrong with an afternoon kick-off on the sunday for games with large distances betwen the participating counties. I'd even go as far as to say there would probably be a bigger crowd on the sunday.

Diego (Meath) - Posts: 1205 - 03/07/2009 23:22:02    331648