Ciaran McDonald

EstherMayo1951 wrote:

rich dublin wrote:one or two points on this girls, first esther your personal life has a huge role to play when playing county football, if you are not living right you will never be up to it at county level, by that i mean, eating right at the right times, rest, work everything, not for a minute suggesting that mac does not live right but just making the point that personal life has everything to do with your ability on the intercounty team,

second i hinestly dont think he would be talked aboout now if hanley had not gone, even though i personally think he is the best i have ever seen, i think if hanley was there the chf berth would be filled and sorted thus no need for mac.

lil whats the story with Parsons? i know there was pressure last year and at the begining of this year but has he signed?

no no, richy you got me al wrong. By personal life, I was referring to what he does with his hair, what he thinks of himself etc. I dont think that has any place in the world of gaa of people judging him on that. Also, being a mayo fan, ciaran would never and will never be forgotten. If half the kerry team came on the mayo team, he'd still be rememered.
Anyway, Parsons went to an aussie training camp in dublin methinks I fear for him and o shea i tells ya!!!

sorry must a picked you up wrong there, great player alright though,

ya think Parsons will go and as i said below have heard that o'shea has an offer

rich dublin wrote:

LilMaighEo wrote:

rich dublin wrote:one or two points on this girls, first esther your personal life has a huge role to play when playing county football, if you are not living right you will never be up to it at county level, by that i mean, eating right at the right times, rest, work everything, not for a minute suggesting that mac does not live right but just making the point that personal life has everything to do with your ability on the intercounty team,

second i hinestly dont think he would be talked aboout now if hanley had not gone, even though i personally think he is the best i have ever seen, i think if hanley was there the chf berth would be filled and sorted thus no need for mac.

lil whats the story with Parsons? i know there was pressure last year and at the begining of this year but has he signed?

The flippin scouts were at the Mayo match last Sunday and they're gonna be at the U21s this Saturday. He went to an aussie training camp in Dublin recently aswell I heard. Awful stuff altogether Richy.

i was chatting to friends of his as he lives in my parish ( even though he plays for charlestown and Mayo)
anyway i though he would be gone before now, he would be very suited to the aussie game with his pace height and strength and skill, also heard a rumour that o'shea will be going?

They've been targeting O'Shea aswell. They're watching them both. I think I'll go mad if they take them both.

I remember seeing CMD against the Dubs in a leage game (3 years ago I think) and he was absolutely outstanding. It was an absolute pleasure to watch him play.

But it's time for Mayo to move on. When CMD was playing, the HB, HF and MF lines were scared to take responsibility on themselves. Their job was to get the ball to CMD so he could pass it to one of the forwards. Without him, Mayo players have started to take responsibility collectively and it's the only was they are ever going to have success.

I remember seeing a discussion once about who the most accurate passer in the game was and loads of people were saying CMD. Rubbish. If the key word was spectacular rather than accurate then sure, but for every 5 accurate passes he gave, he gave 2-3 misplaced ones. At times he seemed incapable of playing a simple ball.

I have nothing but the height of respect for him anyway. He always comes across as a fairly shy and reserved man and he was always tough as nails, however it's time for Mayo to move forward and it's time for CMD to say goodbye.

His playing career with Mayo was and is far from over.

RMDrive wrote:I remember seeing CMD against the Dubs in a leage game (3 years ago I think) and he was absolutely outstanding. It was an absolute pleasure to watch him play.

But it's time for Mayo to move on. When CMD was playing, the HB, HF and MF lines were scared to take responsibility on themselves. Their job was to get the ball to CMD so he could pass it to one of the forwards. Without him, Mayo players have started to take responsibility collectively and it's the only was they are ever going to have success.

I remember seeing a discussion once about who the most accurate passer in the game was and loads of people were saying CMD. Rubbish. If the key word was spectacular rather than accurate then sure, but for every 5 accurate passes he gave, he gave 2-3 misplaced ones. At times he seemed incapable of playing a simple ball.

I have nothing but the height of respect for him anyway. He always comes across as a fairly shy and reserved man and he was always tough as nails, however it's time for Mayo to move forward and it's time for CMD to say goodbye.

That fine post hits the nail on the head re:McDonald.
Facts, when properly enunciated, can make grim reading and with all due respect to all concerned, the facts are clearly stated in the post by RMD.

If Ciaran comes back, then I can guarantee you he'll play well and be a valuable asset to us. If he doesn't, fell free to do all the slagging ye want but he's still a brilliant footballer, he has a lot more to offer.

LilMaighEo wrote:If Ciaran comes back, then I can guarantee you he'll play well and be a valuable asset to us. If he doesn't, fell free to do all the slagging ye want but he's still a brilliant footballer, he has a lot more to offer.

Why slag Class!!, don't think anyone with a GAA head can dismiss how good of a player he is ( yes he still is) but you have to respect management and there ideas they are building for the future not the past and slowly but surely o Mahoney is getting it right with young blood- no fear ofg losing/chocking in croker. Mayo keep going the way the are going may get ssame in the next year or two

McDonald not in Mayo squad

21 April 2009


Reports that Ciaran McDonald could make a sensational return to the Mayo colours this summer appear well wide of the mark after manager John O'Mahony omitted him from his 30-man championship panel.

Speculation was mounting that the Crossmolina playmaker was set to come out of retirement, but it now looks as if his Mayo days are numbered.

McDonald played under O'Mahony in 2007, though injury curtailed his involvement, and last year he retired after a high-profile falling out with the manager.

Meanwhile, veterans James Nallen and David Heaney are back for another championship campaign, while former Young Footballer of the Year Keith Higgins is also included in the panel following a recent stint in Australia.

Mayo (SF squad): C Barrett, G Cafferkey, D Clarke, K Conroy, T Cunniffe, A Dillon, P Gardiner, P Harte, D Heaney, K Higgins, T Howley, B Kelly, A Kilcoyne, R McGarrity, K McLoughlin, A Moran, B Moran, C Mortimer, T Mortimer, J Nallen, A O'Malley, K O'Malley, L O'Malley, A O'Shea, S O'Shea, BJ Padden, T Parsons, M Ronaldson, M Sweeney, D Vaughan.

Hard luck girls!

He's no fool for a blueshirt JOM, in fairness

Wow I'm disappointed To be honest i sorta knew that mcdonald wouldnt be included. Johnno doesnt go back on his decisions in all fairness. I was surprised at the exclusion of Aidan Higgins, he was superb in 2006 under moran and morrison, but johnno never really gave him a chance when he took charge. He is a great defender and a quality asset, but he hasnt been playing as well and he got married so that'll be a distraction so maybe that is the reason why johnno dropped him. But ya never know, McDonald could come back this year. Like with stephen o neill last year with tyrone, he came back when tyrone got into the final. Now i know that that was a totally diofferent matter than the mcdonald affair but ya never know, Mcodnald my be in the green and red again in september if Mayo get in. But we'll talk about that after mayo win the semi in August!!

Oh ya I'll give my official report on the Mayo squad later!!

Just thought I'd share this with ye to dispell any opimions regarding his dedication to the Green and Red:
CIARAN McDonald's days in a Mayo jersey are almost certainly at an end but he insists that it's not his choice and that he is deeply disappointed with what has unfolded in recent months.
He is also unhappy with the manner the matter has been handled by John O'Mahony, with whom he claims he has had only one conversation in over five months.
"If John O'Mahony doesn't want me on the Mayo panel let him tell me to my face. If he said to me 'Ciaran, I'm going with younger lads this year' I'd be disappointed but I'd put out my hand to him and say that's fine. If he thinks I'm not good enough anymore, let him come out and say it.
"I would have loved to play with Mayo again this year but obviously he doesn't want me which is fair enough but I don't want Mayo people to think that I wouldn't play for him because it's not true. Playing for Mayo meant an awful lot to me," he said.
Gifted
One of the most naturally gifted forwards of his generation, McDonald has always avoided interviews in a career where he preferred to express himself through his exquisite talents but decided to break his silence on what looks like the end of his illustrious inter-county career.
Speaking exclusively to the Irish Independent, he said it was important to him that Mayo people understood his position.
"I don't want to be walking down the street later on and having lads coming up to saying 'what sort of Mayoman are you when you won't even play for your county'. It's the management's decision that I'm not there and people should know that," he said.
He revealed that he had a phone conversation with O'Mahony some weeks ago during which they agreed to meet up to discuss his situation. However, the meeting didn't materialise and some time later, he received a text inviting him to a trial game on a Tuesday night.
"I was working in Dublin at the time and couldn't make it and anyway I thought it very strange that after playing for Mayo for so long the management would want to see me in a trial game. I have always looked after myself and am in good shape and playing decent football with my club so I would have thought the management would make up their minds on that rather than on a trial game where I'd be playing with a lot of lads for the first time."
McDonald was surprised when he started receiving texts last week from people who thought he had retired.
"They had heard that my back was supposed to be bothering me and that I had decided to retire. I don't know where that came from but it wasn't true.
"My back is okay because I got it sorted out myself and there was never any question of me walking out on Mayo for as long as they wanted me. There were also stories about how the panel had to be finalised so that the players' grants scheme could be sorted out.
"That had nothing to do with me. I have played for Mayo for 15 years and never claimed a penny expenses. And if I played this year, I couldn't care less about whether or not I got grant money.
"For me, it was all about playing for Mayo and I still feel that I can play at county level. I'm playing away for my club and would feel quite confident about stepping back with the county panel too."
His 2007 season was ravaged by injury and while he came on as a sub against Galway in the Connacht championship, he couldn't do himself justice after missing so much action earlier on. However, the back injury has cleared up but it still looks as if his county days are over.
"It's not my choice. At no stage was there an invite onto the panel. That's the truth of the matter. I haven't retired but nobody told me I wasn't wanted back either and that's what I find disappointing.
"It's important to me that the Mayo public know that."
McDonald, who will be 33 this year, made his debut 15 years ago and developed into one of the star acts of Gaelic football.
His blonde hair made him a readily identifiable figure, as did his elegant kicking, his measured style and his capacity to craft scores from the most unlikely angles.
He played in five All-Ireland finals (1996 draw and replay, 1997-2004-2006) but ended up on four losing sides. However, he did win an All-Ireland medal with his club, Crossmolina in 2001. He won a Vodafone All Star award in 2004.

I didn't realise he's 32. Funnily, I thought he was 34/35 at this stage. Good article, you can't be clearer than that from his point of view.
O'Mahoney has dug in for the long haul it seems.
Will he bow to pressure, being a T.D. for the sake of votes?

[quote="Boxtyeater"]I didn't realise he's 32. Funnily, I thought he was 34/35 at this stage. Good article, you can't be clearer than that from his point of view.
O'Mahoney has dug in for the long haul it seems.
Will he bow to pressure, being a T.D. for the sake of votes?[/quote

McDonald is 34 and O Mahony wont leave. He will be manager until 2011, it was confirmed in october/november last year..

The Indo article says Quote: McDonald, who will be 33 this year"

So which is it folks?

Boxtyeater wrote:The Indo article says Quote: McDonald, who will be 33 this year"

So which is it folks?

That article was made in april 2008..

Thanks for that one Lil.....you have an editorial future..

That's sorted then so...Cheers Esther.