All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2020

The was things have worked out, and that it's knock-out, it looks like Cork's championship will be a short one this year. If they could summons some of the fizz they displayed for the greater part of last year, I would give them some chance, but more likely it will all be a damp squib.

A big disadvantage too in that the Kerry panel will be together longer than the Cork one. That's not a dig at the county board as they have been excellent at organising the championship this year but in this one-off year (hopefully) it's definitely advantage Kerry.

Going on today's news about the spread of Covid-19, I reckon we can forget all about the inter-county championships this year. And the remaining football league rounds won't be played this year either. We seem to be heading for Level 5.

Today's Covid-19 Report

"The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 3 additional deaths related to COVID-19.

There has been a total of 1,824 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.

As of midnight Friday 9 October the HPSC has been notified of 1,012 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There has now been a total of 41,714* confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland. (*Validation of data at the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of 1 confirmed case. The figure of 41,714 confirmed cases reflects this.)

Of the cases notified today:

511 are men / 496 are women
71% are under 45 years of age
the median age is 30 years old
241 in Dublin, 112 in Cork, 80 in Cavan, 72 in Meath, 66 in Galway, and the remaining 441 cases are spread across 21 other counties
As of 2pm today 199 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 31 are in ICU."

Well, it appears the games are going ahead.

Ruairí Deane set to start for Cork against Louth

CORK (SF v Louth)
1. Micheál Martin (Nemo Rangers);
2. Kevin Flahive (Douglas),
3. Maurice Shanley (Clonakilty),
4. Paul Ring (Aghabullogue);
5. Kevin O’ Donovan (Nemo Rangers),
6. Mattie Taylor (Mallow),
7. Cian Kiely (Ballincollig);
8. Ian Maguire (St Finbarrs),
9. Paul Walsh (Kanturk);
10. Ruairí Deane (Bantry Blues),
11. Killian O’ Hanlon (Kilshannig),
12. Kevin O’ Driscoll (Tadhg McCarthaigh);
13. Damien Gore (Kilmacabea),
14. Colm O’Callaghan (Eire Óg),
15. Paul Kerrigan (Nemo Rangers).
Subs: Anthony Casey (Kiskeam), Sam Ryan (St Finbarrs), Nathan Walsh (Douglas), Donal O’Mahony (Knocknagree), Tadhg Corkery (Cill na Martra), Sean Meehan (Kiskeam), Aidan Browne (Newmarket), Niall Hartnett (Douglas), Eoghan McSweeney (Knocknagree), Jack McCarthy (Carrigaline), Mark Collins (Castlehaven).

Allianz FL Division 3 round 6

Cork 5-19 Louth 0-16,

Hogan Stand Report.

Five-star Rebels cruise to promotion

It looks like the game between Cork and Longford is off, Longford conceding the tie.

Longford set to give Cork walkover in 'dead rubber' league fixture

Promotion to Division 2 is still mathematically possible for the Midlands County - but they would have needed to beat Cork and hope a couple of other results went their way.

“The levels didn’t come into it at all,” Longford secretary Peter O’Reilly said of the correspondence with GAA chiefs.

“The realism that we are not going to get promotion, we’re not going to affect anyone else getting promotion so there was a decision made (Monday) evening that we were putting an expense and everything else on Cork bringing them up this far and for what?” While the game going ahead looks very doubtful, no official word was given from Croke Park at the time of going to print.

Should the walkover be confirmed, it will seal Down’s promotion to Division 2 after the Mourne County themselves received a walkover from Leitrim last weekend.

Cork will now be without a game before their Munster semi-final against Kerry unless they can arrange a challenge match in the meantime, which seems unlikely in the present circumstances.

I suppose its Dublin and Mayo for the wins this weekend? Hard to see beyond that. Twould be something if either were beaten

Can't see it happening. A Cavan/Tipperary final would be one for the ages, but a Mayo All-Ireland win would be welcome too.

Hard luck for Cavan.  They didn’t deserve to lose by that amount and I thought the referee had a huge hand in it. Just one example: a Cavan player is fouled while attacking. He struggles free but then the ball goes loose and a Dublin player picks it up. No free give. A few minutes later, a Cavan attacker is fouled, causing him to lose the ball; the referee lets play continue and Dublin score their goal. It looked at times like Dublin could foul to their heart’s content without being penalised, while at other times Cavan were penalised for a mere jersey tug, although Dublin still retained control of the ball.

Come on, Mayo!

No surprise tonight, Dublin steam roll. Cavan are a credit though, punching miles above their weight unlike us

Jesus, Mayo showing how bad Cork were verses Tipp, showing how its done, absolutely destroying Tipperary by half time

Different match, different game. Tipperary also scored no goal on Cork and after the first few minutes, never looked like doing so. Mayo's lack of respect for Tipp left plenty of space for Tipp to set up their chances. Cork's main problems were loosing the ball too many times and too simply. A big difference between Cork and Tipperary is that Tipp are full of confidence, while Cork's seems very fragile. As for ability, when all's said and done, which team is now in Division 2 and which team is still in Division 3 and never looked like gaining promotion?

Jesus, they best us in the Munster final ffs, forget D2 or D3

The Dublin bandwagon rolls on. 6 in a row

Yeah I saw that article and I was disgusted but not surprised. If a former player of the animals across the border had said that about us we would be furious.
I hope all the Cork supporters who profess their admiration for Dublin football will have a read of that. It shows their true colours.

leesider wrote:Yeah I saw that article and I was disgusted but not surprised. If a former player of the animals across the border had said that about us we would be furious.
I hope all the Cork supporters who profess their admiration for Dublin football will have a read of that. It shows their true colours.

I only just read it now from the link.

This is taking arrogance to stratospheric levels. Thrilled as I was with Cork’s win over Kerry, it’s a pity there was no back door this year, so that Kerry might have had a crack off them. After a horrendous start, I thought Mayo played a great game, but just ran out of steam near the end. The only thing Hickey is right about is Dublin’s work rate. Whoever is going to beat them must match it.

Apparently, Cork were "training" on Youghal beach last weekend. We're at level 5 + lockdown. Theres video out there of them CRAWLING on the beach in big groups. No Social Distancing, blatantly ignoring the official advice.
What a start to the year.

Here's the Official GAA notification re training for Senior IC teams during the month of January

"Training and Games at Senior, Minor and U20
The GAA’s intention remains that collective outdoor training for Senior inter county panels only may re-commence from January 15th (thats since changed to 31st). However, given the current growth rates in virus transmission, this date is under review. If there is any change to this as a return to collective training date, Counties will be informed as soon as possible.

Now, heres Ronan McCarthys reply to the story -

"Cork football manager Ronan McCarthy has rejected suggestions that members of the squad breached GAA Covid-19 guidelines by holding a collective training session on Youghal beach last weekend.

The GAA has, according to the Irish Times, “begun an investigation” into reports that up to 30 members of the squad were seen ‘training’ on the beach.

However, McCarthy has insisted the Cork squad and management have been compliant “at all times” with public health and Association guidelines – both during last year’s Championship and again for pre-season preparation this month.

He told the Irish Examiner: “We are hugely conscious of our responsibilities to our players, backroom team and the wider public and are fully committed – as we have always been – to following Covid protocols, in particular during this difficult period of escalating numbers nationally.”

McCarthy confirmed the footballers were ‘team building’ in Youghal last weekend, but all activities on the beach were under the strict supervision of the medical team, and all the appropriate guidelines and protocols were adhered to and enforced by a doctor.

So is it an 'Intention' or a rule?
Reading the above it seems like an aspiration rather than a rule.

Those are the relevant items from the government website:

Level 5

Organised outdoor gatherings

These are controlled environments with a named event organiser, owner or manager. For example: outdoor arts events, training events.
No organised outdoor gatherings should take place.
Exercise and sporting events

Training

People may meet with people from one other household in outdoor settings when taking exercise.
No indoor or outdoor exercise group activities, including those involving children, should take place.
Outdoor golf and tennis are not permitted.
Individual training only. No exercise or dance classes. No indoor or outdoor gatherings involving “individual training” except for professional and elite sports.

I do note the use of the word "should" instead of "must". It's much too vague for such an important situation.

Matches and events

Professional, elite sports, horse racing, greyhound racing and approved equestrian events only are permitted to continue behind closed doors.
No other matches or events are to take place.
Gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools
Gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools are closed.

I just cant get my head around it at all. Absolutely braindead and ignorant from them.

However, McCarthy has insisted the Cork squad and management have been compliant “at all times” with public health and Association guidelines – both during last year’s Championship and again for pre-season preparation this month.

He told the Irish Examiner: “We are hugely conscious of our responsibilities to our players, backroom team and the wider public and are fully committed – as we have always been – to following Covid protocols, in particular during this difficult period of escalating numbers nationally.”

McCarthy confirmed the footballers were ‘team building’ in Youghal last weekend, but all activities on the beach were under the strict supervision of the medical team, and all the appropriate guidelines and protocols were adhered to and enforced by a doctor.



So is McCarthy innocent or guilty. The penalty for breaching covid rules seems to be nothing more than a tut tut.

CORK say they are co-operating with Croke Park’s investigation into the senior footballers’ controversial team-building exercise on the first weekend of the New Year.

Manager Ronan McCarthy’s defence was that no Covid-19 regulations were broken and that everything was held under strict medical supervision.

But, top brass in Dublin are considering whether Cork were in breach of the association’s Covid-19 regulations by holding a collective training session despite them being banned at the time.

“The chairman reiterated the board’s commitment to full compliance with national public health guidance and association guidance as they pertain to all our units and teams.

“The executive committee and senior football team management are presently engaged with Coiste Bainistí CLCG and we await the finalisation of this process,” Cork said in a statement following the first board meeting of 2021 during the week.

No matter what way you look at it and if the GAA never prohibited collective training, any adult or group of adults ignoring the health of many families by this nonsensical group gathering during the worst pandemic that has ever hit this world, should be hung, drawn and quartered, if I may use this term for maximum punishment.
I've seen McCarthy described as a 'smug pr1ck' on another forum and after this latest bolloxology who can argue with that description.

Ian Maguire Corks only all star nomination