Angry Fans

OK, so we can still look forward to the InterProvincials, AIB club championships, umpteen county finals, Fitzgibbon, Sigerson, Ashbourne and Purcell Cups, as well as next weekend’s eagerly anticipated All Ireland camogie B final between Cork and Limerick. There’s still lots of GAA activity to keep the fans happy … and angry. However, that trio of women’s football finals in Croker on Sunday effectively means the intercounty scene is over for this year. It’s left us with lots of memories – good as well as bad. To end off our season, we’re handing out An Fear Rua’s Awards for the Ten of the Best moments in the championships and Ten of the Rest. And we respond to some Cork football fans who are still smouldering after their All Ireland defeat by Kerry.

AFTER SOME REFLECTION, this Rebel has been looking for some optimism and positives from the All Ireland. It was a truly bad experience for all concerned and none more so than for the players. Despite some major errors, a better team, a team with arguably some better individual players, beat us. Kerry in an AllIreland Final in Croke Park are a totally different prospect to Kerry in a Munster Final in Cork or Killarney. For them the championship is a means to an end – peaking on the third Sunday of September. Kerry have raised the bar once again and Cork must aspire and push themselves even more, to reach that same height. Despite some rather lacklustre performances this year, some positives have to be taken. For example, the arrival of Cussen, the growing maturity of the likes of Shields, O’Leary, McMahon and O’ Connor (to name but a few), the prospects of Goulding, Goold and other under-21s coming through and of course the important experience of Canty, Lynch and Murphy.

Billy has done very well to bring them this far, and he deserves much praise for the recent progress but his body language would suggest that he may very well move on. A good Manager is vital to achieve that ultimate goal, but his job would be somewhat easier given a strong, committed and ambitious bunch of players.They are there, so let’s get a management team in place, sooner rather than later. – Disappointed but Hopeful (email)