John Ó'Ríordáns Blog

A few minutes before the end of the Cork v Waterford Munster Final yesterday the ball was sent wide by Waterford’s Dan Shanahan. For some unknown reason the umpire gives a 65. It goes over and now (after a Ben point at the other end) there is just a goal between the teams. Waterford attack once more with only seconds left and the ball goes wide. Me and all of the other Cork Supporters go crazy. That has to be it.

However at this stage the ref looks around at the poor attendance and probably realises the Munster Council haven’t made the money they would have expected to on this match. So he decides to give Waterford a free in. Seconds later the ball is in the back of the net. And the game is over. Replay! A joke!

Looking at the analysis after the match in the Sunday game in the Greyhound Track Bar across from Semple even the RTÉ analysts can’t figure out what the free was for. But I can. It’s widely believedthat statistically there are far more plays in GAA inter-county games than there should be for a game with such varied and high scores. Referee’s must be given incentives to play for replays in big matches.

In fairness to the Munster Council the game will be on next Saturday night which is a great time for a Final to be on. It should be some craic in Thurles that night. But I won’t be there. For the first time in year’s I’m not going to the Munster Hurling Final. Maybe the first time ever as far as I can remember. I don’t appreciate being taken for a fool. And I won’t be fooled twice.

I read a very funny article in the Independent today about Sport in Ireland over the summer. Check out the link to the article after the little excerpt below on “Culchies on TV”

“If it wasn’t for the GAA, you’d hardly ever see culchies on the TV. You’ll get the odd glimpse on Ear to the Ground and Nationwide, but that’s mainly for sensible culchies who have their own artisan cheese business. Things are different from June to September.

This is where you get to see the true culchie: cute, cranky and up for a fight. And that’s just the football panel on The Sunday Game. Pat Spillane, Joe Brolly and Colm O’Rourke have the classic culchie dynamic: slagging the crap out of each other for laughs until somebody gets the hump over nothing, and suddenly there’s a chance Spillane will break a chair over Brolly’s head while telling him he’s brillunt at d’aul analysis, but it doesn’t happen because Michael Lyster has the look of a Guard.

It’s never like that with the hurling panel. Men who grew up playing a sport that involves hitting and being hit with a lump of ash are very good at keeping their cool. This is why The Sunday Game hurling panel has the polite feel of a staff-room meeting at a minor boarding school.”

Read the full article here.

How was Paul Galvin left on the field against Cork this weekend? He blatantly stuck his fingers into Eoin Cadogans mouth metres in front of the ref and got away with it. The amount of crap that fella get’s away with is unbelievable.  Let’s hope he get’s a couple of months ban out of it. If they’d played Noel O’Leary on Galvin in extra time he would’ve sorted him out. I can’t understand why they didn’t.

I’m into Mixed Martial Arts. A sport where you can knee someone as many times in the head until they go unconscious or choke them until they pass out. But if you fish-hooked some one like Galvin did you’d be disqualified. He can’t be left get away with it. But sadly because he is Paul Galvin I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.

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I’m watching Cork v Galway and it’s great to see fellas handpassing with the fist instead if throwing it. I also like the rule that the ball has to go out of play before the half is over. Makes things much simpler. Football still needs a tackle though. Too many frees in Football. It’s a nice clean game though, no Kerry involvement. :)

I read this in the Irish Independent today.  In it he says that Paul Galvin is “100% innocent” and “shouldn’t have been sent off”. Is he on crack? He punches a guy (again) which causes Eoins tooth to come out. Then he sticks his fingers into his mouth (fish hook) and worries the wound. Now Eoin had to have an operation. What kond of a thug sticks his finger into the whole where someones tooth was seconds before? And now O’Connor seconds his 6 week ban is too harsh? This is the same Paul Galvin who served a one year ban and is in trouble at work for abusing a school boy!

Still I suppose this is the same team that elbowed Nicholas Murphy in the first few minutes of the All-Ireland and nearly knocked him out. So obviously Jack has no issues with theses thugs and perhaps encourages them.

An old video about the Hurling Strike but I’ve only come across it today.