Joe McDonagh cup

[Plain of the Herbs]

McDonagh fixtures finally released (this afternoon). All games are on Saturdays at 3pm, with the exception of the Round 1 games which throw in at 5pm.

[frankthetank]

3pm Saturday - The graveyard slot of GAA intercounty fixtures. Expect to see tumbleweed rolling through OCP for our home fixtures.

[bracknaghboy]

McDonagh fixtures finally released (this afternoon). All games are on Saturdays at 3pm, with the exception of the Round 1 games which throw in at 5pm.

In the words of the great Herschel Krustofsky......."Send in the clowns".

A joke of a competition that deserves joke throw-in times, the McDonald Cup in all it's glory.

The GAA have no interest whatsoever in promoting this tripe, I mean seriously Offaly and Laois at 5pm.....why can't it be 7pm?
I don't mind Saturday games as long as it's Saturday night.....Saturday at 3pm for games is an insult. Teams should refuse to plat at these times and arrange the games themselves for later in the evenings.

I can't wait until this great tiered football championship comes along then we can have double headers....1pm followed by 3pm and then down to Dunnes for the shopping.

Joe McDonagh Cup: No interest from governing body, no spectators, no media coverage, no point.
Up Offaly!

[Plain of the Herbs]

I share your frustration, B, and I have done since the day last June when Offaly's relegation was confirmed.

But there's less than four weeks to go, and now is the time to get behind the Offaly lads. If Offaly can get their best forward sextet on the field, Leix will face a very different Offaly to the one they were sneering at in Portlaoise last February. There's alot of hurling to be done between now and then, and alot has to go right, but if Offaly can reach the Final, none of the other potential opponents will beat then in Croke Park.

In the words of the great Herschel Krustofsky......."Send in the clowns".

A joke of a competition that deserves joke throw-in times, the McDonald Cup in all it's glory.

The GAA have no interest whatsoever in promoting this tripe, I mean seriously Offaly and Laois at 5pm.....why can't it be 7pm?
I don't mind Saturday games as long as it's Saturday night.....Saturday at 3pm for games is an insult. Teams should refuse to plat at these times and arrange the games themselves for later in the evenings.

I can't wait until this great tiered football championship comes along then we can have double headers....1pm followed by 3pm and then down to Dunnes for the shopping.

Joe McDonagh Cup: No interest from governing body, no spectators, no media coverage, no point.
Up Offaly!

[LooseCannon]

One of our more prominent players was wearing an ankle boot last weekend. The extent of the damage I’m unsure of.
Feel free to PM. I’m not giving the opposition a psychological advantage! Can’t be careful enough these days with spies!

[Fairplayalways]

don't worry, the county board will ensure the fixtures are fulfilled..we wont hear any "Newbridge or no where" type comments from OCB officials..you wont get high profile positions on Leinster Council or with Croke Park by voicing opposition...it will be radio 3 for most of these matches if throw in is 3 & 5Pm as most will be working etc...

[llkj]

Leix will face a very different Offaly to the one they were sneering at in Portlaoise last February.

Have to say that I didn't hear of any sneering after the Offaly/Laois game. I did hear a lot of people talk about how poor Offaly were. What evidence do you have of Laois sneering Offaly? Are you talking about the players or management doing it or is this a couple of people in the crowd having a cut while the game was ongoing? If it is the latter, it is hardly something to pay too much heed to. If it is the former, then that's a different matter.

[suckindiesel]

there was no sneering at the LS/OY league game, POTH was possibly using the word sneering in the sense of toying with, but no matter how you dress up that game OY were dire on the night. League games are now irrelevant.

someone mentioned that OY will be the team to beat in the Joe McDonagh....I beg to differ, if they are tuned in, Westmeath are superior to OY and LS and if Tommy Doyle is fit, they have the best back in the competition. Anyway, if you look at the results from last year, there are going to be some nail bitingly close games and any 2 could qualify for the final.

one item I will 100% agree with is the staging of these fixtures is nothing short of a joke....it is all well and good having a game in antrim at 2pm or 3pm, given the travel, but local derbies involving LS/OY/WM would be best timed for 7pm rather than 3 or 5.

Last year, save for the final between Carlow and Westmeath(curtain raiser on Leinster final day), no other Joe McDonagh game had any tv coverage(not even a few minutes highlights on TG4)....so this 2nd tier competition is ignored by the media......and if the football goes down the same 2 tier route, it will be a death knell for the sport in weaker counties.

one of the Westmeath players said to me that if the gaa believed in promoting the 2nd tier competition in hurling, then rather than playing the final on Leinster final day, it would be more rewarding if the mcdonagh final was the curtain raiser to the all Ireland senior final, and switch the Under 17 final into a double header with the under 21 final.

OY fans are going to understand that the second tier is the forgotten tournament in the national media. last year when Ls played Antrim up north, RTE radio 1 had no reporter at the game and save for our own Midlands 3 or twitter, you would have been in the dark. I suspect the same level of non coverage will be par for the course in 2019.

[Heshs Umpire]

Leix will face a very different Offaly to the one they were sneering at in Portlaoise last February.

Sneering? Ah, come on. We can hardly "sneer" based on one league win when historically ye've always had the best of us.
Anyone from Laois will admit to being delighted with that result but in the full knowledge that the championship game is the one that counts. Let's see what happens.

[SearingDrive]

there was no sneering at the LS/OY league game, POTH was possibly using the word sneering in the sense of toying with, but no matter how you dress up that game OY were dire on the night. League games are now irrelevant.

someone mentioned that OY will be the team to beat in the Joe McDonagh....I beg to differ, if they are tuned in, Westmeath are superior to OY and LS and if Tommy Doyle is fit, they have the best back in the competition. Anyway, if you look at the results from last year, there are going to be some nail bitingly close games and any 2 could qualify for the final.

one item I will 100% agree with is the staging of these fixtures is nothing short of a joke....it is all well and good having a game in antrim at 2pm or 3pm, given the travel, but local derbies involving LS/OY/WM would be best timed for 7pm rather than 3 or 5.

Last year, save for the final between Carlow and Westmeath(curtain raiser on Leinster final day), no other Joe McDonagh game had any tv coverage(not even a few minutes highlights on TG4)....so this 2nd tier competition is ignored by the media......and if the football goes down the same 2 tier route, it will be a death knell for the sport in weaker counties.

one of the Westmeath players said to me that if the gaa believed in promoting the 2nd tier competition in hurling, then rather than playing the final on Leinster final day, it would be more rewarding if the mcdonagh final was the curtain raiser to the all Ireland senior final, and switch the Under 17 final into a double header with the under 21 final.

OY fans are going to understand that the second tier is the forgotten tournament in the national media. last year when Ls played Antrim up north, RTE radio 1 had no reporter at the game and save for our own Midlands 3 or twitter, you would have been in the dark. I suspect the same level of non coverage will be par for the course in 2019.

This competition will just be played off with no promotion or coverage on National Media, as other posters have mentioned.
A similar lack of publicity will apply to any proposed second tier in football. The competing counties can play away under the radar, and not impact on the elite.
Offaly face two difficult openers, Laois at home, followed by Westmeath away. All we can do is our best.

[timber]

Offaly will go into both games with Leix and Westmeath as underdogs. No question about that. We are where we are.

Talk of the lack of proper promotion of this competition is valid but Offaly have much bigger things to be focusing on. Let the organsiers worry about the competition. Offaly need to just worry about getting its house in order and start being competitive again.

[private joker]

While I agree with a lot that is been said here in regards to promotion of this competition that's of no concern to the player's. What they have to do is win. Regardless of times or venue or T.V. coverage, Offaly have to win matches to get support. Lastly, Offaly as a county can promote this competition from within. Not an email to club secretary's telling them to get people out to matches but a concerted effort to get people's attention. Has the county done anything to achieve this?.

[bracknaghboy]

Offaly V Laois now moved to 7pm on Saturday 11th. Will definitely encourage more supporters through the gate. Anyone hear did both county boards push for this? Wonder is there any chance of the Westmeath game moving to 7pm as well?

[Buttons]

Rugby european cup final is on at 5pm on the 11th, agree 7pm is a much better time and gets a better atmosphere.

[old yellar]

Firstly, best wishes to all the players and management in the coming weeks. They have been preparing hard no doubt over the last few weeks since our game and that can't be forgotten either along with some club action. I think the Joe mcdonagh cup is a great competition and pitched at the right level for a certain group of teams. I think its v disrespectful to call it by other names if only in jest as it was named after a good hurling man and a former president. And its there to be won by the best and most deserving team which I hope will be Offaly but it still has to be won. There won't be a lot in it between teams alright. I would put ye ahead of Westmeath myselfand as poth said if the right 6 forwards can click I think it ll go a long way to it.
On the issue of support, well I said it in my post after the game v us, I was hugely disappointed with the Offaly support that day. It was shocking for the relegation final especially from a county that always prided itself on its support. No atmosphere at all, no banter etc. Now you can blame the county board and promotion all you like, but thats just an excuse in my eyes. There was no praise of the county board or social media much etc in 1998 etc. Ye (not the lads on here) just have to support your county whatever the success or level is at. Its easy see the bandwagon supporter from that era now when the county needs them more than ever. Offaly Abu!