SamErrigal

That's an odd view you have on the matter.

Tir Conaill and Tir Eoghain were not counties it is important to remember, they were kingdoms with borders forever changing.

Modern counties Tyrone and Derry basically have the same history, 2 main clans in Derry were O'Neill and O'Kane and they were both part of the overall O'Neill clan along with all the Tyrone clans like Donnelly, etc plus they had a big branch of cousins down south so you could argue that Tyrone and Derry are the two most powerful areas of Ulster.

p.s. you will be in for s shock on sunday, i hope you bought tissues

4KHDoneill (Derry) - Posts: 182 - 23/05/2014 08:38:15    1592158

4khdonnail
No, we won't be brining tissues As I said last night Sunday around 3-30 is the relaunch of the 2012 Anthem:::::: JIMMY'S WINNING MATCHES. As we head out the Buncrana Road , heading for the Hills it will echo right back to CELTIC Park.

SamOnErrigal (Donegal) - Posts: 1427 - 23/05/2014 09:05:08    1592165

According to the forecast it's giving showery weather for Sunday. Would a heavy, wet conditions suit Donegal better to grind out a result?

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9783 - 23/05/2014 09:34:32    1592175

Genuine Prediction

Derry 1-15
Donegal 0-8

I dont think things are right in Tir Chonaill

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 23/05/2014 09:36:28    1592177

Ah Liam, coinnigh caint..!

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9783 - 23/05/2014 09:44:36    1592180

Genuine prediction.
Donegal 1-15.
Derry 0-8.

SamOnErrigal (Donegal) - Posts: 1427 - 23/05/2014 10:02:40    1592188

Lockjaw
I think the Donegal team of 2 years ago would have won this handy enough. But, often at the start of a championship things with a certain teams dont seem right. Ourselves in 12 for example and ye're selves last year. And people will say "ah its too early to say that" or "wait till they have to perform and they will" etc but more often than not, they dont. And the signs of early year are proven correct.
Nothing I have seen from Donegal this year points to a good year. The forwards arent firing (and if McF and MM dont play well ye have no chance), there is obvious unrest in the camp with Rory and McHugh going etc....the signs just are not good.
Its nothing personal Lockjaw, I know you know that. I just dont think Donegal will be at it this year, and Derry apart from the league final looked excellent and would be my prediction for Ulster.

For the record, i also think Mayo are in for a stinker of a year for similar reasons. I think it will be between Dublin, Kerry and Cork this year

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 23/05/2014 10:20:56    1592197

Great to get a history lesson here on Ulster and especially from one of the most powerful counties that is Derry, oh please give me a break, I'm surprised 4HK is not running in the elections where every other latchigo seems to be considering he is an expert on Ulsters history.

Derry have made great progress no doubt about that but still don't have the where to all and experience to beat a hungry, battled hardened outfit like Donegal.

Donegal 2-11
Derry 1- 12

ben1977 (Donegal) - Posts: 364 - 23/05/2014 10:21:06    1592200

Think Derry were were seen as a team for the future last year, probably on a par with Cavan, who beat them at home by 5 points AET. Be interesting to see which team will improve the most this year, will probably be a reflection of management rather than on-field ability.
Anyway I would expect Donegal to get through this one if they keep their discipline

mhunicean_abu (Monaghan) - Posts: 1068 - 23/05/2014 10:23:25    1592202

Liamwalkinstown
County: Dublin
Posts: 5621

1592197
Lockjaw
I think the Donegal team of 2 years ago would have won this handy enough. But, often at the start of a championship things with a certain teams dont seem right. Ourselves in 12 for example and ye're selves last year. And people will say "ah its too early to say that" or "wait till they have to perform and they will" etc but more often than not, they dont. And the signs of early year are proven correct.
Nothing I have seen from Donegal this year points to a good year. The forwards arent firing (and if McF and MM dont play well ye have no chance), there is obvious unrest in the camp with Rory and McHugh going etc....the signs just are not good.

Liam,
You might well be right & I have shared your thoughts on more than one occasion this spring.

Last year was a real downer for us & sowed the sees of a doubt that is never too far away in Donegal. I am hopeful & nervous on Sunday because I know that at their best they are still a fine side & capable of going far in this year's championship.

Sunday will tell us how they are, my hope is that the Donegal of 2012 will reassert themselves, my fear would be that the Donegal of 2013 will turn up. I would hate to see them tanked & for the whole thing to disintegrate in the shambles that your scoreline would suggest as I think they deserve better.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 23/05/2014 10:37:12    1592212

No offence taken at all taken Liam, that's your opinion and you are entitled to it. But Derry have always been a good "league" team. They might prove me wrong on Sunday, and I have the utmost respect for Brian McIver, but if they were to hand out a tanking to us like you've predicted I'd be very surprised.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9783 - 23/05/2014 10:41:45    1592217

well Tir Connaill men have always been a stubborn bunch as the Battle of Knockavoe in 1522 showed. Donegal footballers will be a bit stubborn on sunday but they will run short in the end. I would even go as far as predicting a similar game like the 2012 game Ulster game but with t he opposite outcome

4KHDoneill (Derry) - Posts: 182 - 23/05/2014 10:51:47    1592221

For the record Donegal lads, if I am wrong, and the Donegal of 2012 do suddenly reappear....not only will ye win Ulster, ye will be the best placed team in Ireland to beat the Dubs. The Donegal of 2012 were a machine and it could happen
I just think on all known form and logic so far this year, that team wont just magically reappear for the summer from almost ashes at this stage, compared to how phenomenal they had been

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 23/05/2014 11:23:39    1592239

Have to agree with Liam here, Donegal haven't looked like they did in 2012 for a while now and I'm surprised some people seem to think it's as easy as just switching back to their 2012 form, there's been no indication of that for a while now and yet some people think that form is coming back any game now. Mind you I don't think it'll be a heavy defeat, but I think Derry will edge it by a couple of points. If however Donegal do come out fighting and win the game, they're likely back in the Ulster final(no disrespect to Fermanagh and Antrim), will have gathered momentum by then and will be a tough proposition for for whoever comes out of the other side, so it really is a massive game. Still think Derry though.

patk (Monaghan) - Posts: 939 - 23/05/2014 12:03:10    1592271

From my experience, if you find yourself at championship time sitting, hoping your team will click then you're in trouble. Things are definitely not right in Donegal - I had a good view of it on league final day in CP - I can only see a Derry win.

Floops (Dublin) - Posts: 1623 - 23/05/2014 12:08:05    1592273

Only expecting 11 thousand now for this match
Had originally been hyped as a sell out.
Celtic park holds 22 thousand capacity for this match

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 23/05/2014 12:24:57    1592288

That's a good point Floops but I have faith in Jimmy's abilities to rise another gallop out of these lads yet. There's talk of a new system being deployed on Sunday but we'll just have to wait and see.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9783 - 23/05/2014 12:28:05    1592292

Floops
County: Dublin
Posts: 1423

1592273
From my experience, if you find yourself at championship time sitting, hoping your team will click then you're in trouble. Things are definitely not right in Donegal - I had a good view of it on league final day in CP - I can only see a Derry win.

Fair enough Floops, but a lot of the uncertainty & nervousness comes from just one poor performance, the final against Monaghan.

Up to that they had played well & topped Div 2, so to talk of "sitting hoping your team will click" is a bit wide of the mark. It's not as if they had been beaten up & down the country!!.

Other counties lose players, Derry included with Eoin Bradley opting out to play soccer, & while the gloss of 2012 is a bit tarnished I would not write Donegal off just yet.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 23/05/2014 12:46:53    1592306

Same score line as 2012, only opposite, funny...... Lets just see, as Sam on Errigal Said i also very much look forward to reading your posts come 4pmon Sunday, if your not to busy citing historical battles that is...

ben1977 (Donegal) - Posts: 364 - 23/05/2014 12:49:55    1592307

Floops, did you not have a good view of Derry that day also or was it just down to dublins sheer class,it was a brilliant
display by Dublin no doubt about that, but it was also helped by a very inept performance by Derry so your comments about the league finals are contractidory at best...

ben1977 (Donegal) - Posts: 364 - 23/05/2014 12:55:09    1592313