Be Afraid, be VERY afraid.

**patrique** Sun Jun 28, 2009 1:47 am

Just back, which means it only took 5 hours which is a record from Clones to Antrim Town.

As soon as we got to Aughnacloy I said "stop the bus", straight off with the biggest flag ever, into the first pub, and demanded Tyrone's surrender there and then.

I was for torching the entire town as a warning shot across Tyrone's bows, but the youngsters stopped me.

And didn't we do well? OK, lots of wides, but we dominated the game and deserved the victory. Sad that it was Cavan as they have suffered almost as much as me in my lifetime.

As I said to the younger Antrim fans, 1970, 2009, I am well used to this.

I was 17 when we last won a lousy two games to get to an Ulster final.

It took me 45 minutes to leave the ground. Every so often would just fill up, as the GAA is one of the few things in life where I display emotion.

The lads and lasses singing for the BBC for half an hour was a sight to behold. The potential in Antrim for support and achievement is massive.

As I have said before, being from Kerry or Kilkenny and winning back to back All Ireland's couldn't be as good as this. You need to have suffered to enjoy days like this.

Ulster final tomorrow, and another one in three weeks time?

Wouldn't it be great if we always had days like this?

**GAA-Fan** Sun Jun 28, 2009 2:03 am

Its a great year for Antrim alright! Just think, you could be on for the double. It would be nice to see Antrim break the Armagh and Tyrone stranglehold on Ulster, and it would be of great benefit for Antrim GAA as a whole and Ulster football. Imagine out of nowhere Antrim winning Ulster where the likes of Donegal, Monaghan, Fermanagh, Derry and Down have all failed.

Its a shame that it wasnt Armagh vs Antrim, my dad is from Antrim so there would have been a bit of banter about it!

On a serious note best of luck to Antrim against Tyrone, you will have the support of the other 31 counties thats for sure.

**Boxtyeater** Sun Jun 28, 2009 2:05 am

Well done to you all there Pat. Indeeed days like this are all too seldom for loyal followers of the less successful counties.
Great fitness and teamwork and Tyrone will be very afraid, trust me...... affraid

**Boxtyeater** Sun Jun 28, 2009 11:58 am

To throw a bit of icing onto your cake Patrique, there was a wonderful piece this morning on RTE's Sunday Miscellany programme concerning the exploits of Cavan and Antrim back in the time.
It was called "Cavan and Antrim-a tale of 2 teams" beautifully narrated in a dulcet Northern tone by Padraig McGinn.
A podcast of this is available to download from the RTE website.
It gave a wonderful account of the halcyon days and meetings between both counties.

**mid-mon man** Sun Jun 28, 2009 6:14 pm

Fair play Pat, fantastic to see! There will be an extra spice to the Ulster final this year, as there always is when a county hasn't been there in so long. I may try to get to it myself, but I can imagine the demand for tickets will be serious.

I see Antrim beat Down narrowly in the Ulster hurling final today, 3-20 to 4-15.
The double is still on patrique!

**Boxtyeater** Mon Jun 29, 2009 1:12 am

Any luck with the suggestion Pat?

**patrique** Tue Jun 30, 2009 1:23 am

Boxtyeater wrote:To throw a bit of icing onto your cake Patrique, there was a wonderful piece this morning on RTE's Sunday Miscellany programme concerning the exploits of Cavan and Antrim back in the time.
It was called "Cavan and Antrim-a tale of 2 teams" beautifully narrated in a dulcet Northern tone by Padraig McGinn.
A podcast of this is available to download from the RTE website.
It gave a wonderful account of the halcyon days and meetings between both counties.

I have been incredibly busy trying to get the Nou Camp for the final, but it may not be big enough.

I will look this up, I was actually writing about it, Antrim twice beating Ulster's BEST EVER team between 1946 and 1952. In those 7 years Cavan lost 4 games, two of them to the mighty Antrim.

As for Padraig McGinn. Is that a wind up, as I am Padraig McGinley.

**rich dublin** Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:34 am

hey pat, fair play to ye but dont leave it at this, i remember sligo's first few attempts to win connught , lost to mayo by a point in 1996, haert break, lost to galway in 2002 by 3 points after kicking them off the field but could not put them away ( where have i heard that before) then 2007 oh my god i will never forget that day as long as i live on of the greatest days of my life, my whole family was there, it was unreal, i really hope ye go on an create history this year. its no good getting to the final and then failing flat on the day, so many time's it has happened but then somebody comes along and changes it. think laoise in 2003, westmeath in 2004, clare in 1992, donegal in 1992, derry in 1993 tyrone in 2003 armagh in 2002 and sligo in 2007, these where teams that changed the fortunes of there county they broke free from the staus quo, that is what ye have to do now. i know ye wont be afraid going into the game and you have to attack from the off, i really hope ye can come through and win, then you will feel that feeling of finally after all the hurt finally reaching the promised land!!!!!

**patrique** Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:52 pm

Antrim have NEVER lost to Tyrone in an Ulster final, and we have won 60 of them.

**patrique** Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:17 pm

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

And this is what I wrote about Antrim and Cavan.

Mind you I wrote it a year ago, knowing that Antrim would reach the final this year.

**patrique** Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:19 pm

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

And that's what I wrote about last saturday.

The Antrim website are featuring my greatest hits this week.

**Rupp** Fri Jul 03, 2009 2:12 pm

its fantastic to see antrim in an ulster final there an honest team which is refreshing to see from ulster, they have a great oppurtunity to have a great run this year as alot of teams will be wrecked from this years qualifiers and with antrims counter attacking style of football they could do real damage. any other year you would laugh if you saw a heading such as "be afraid be very afraid" and antrim in the same sentence but you would have to fancy them as the story of the summer

**GAA-Fan** Fri Jul 03, 2009 2:45 pm

Rupp wrote:its fantastic to see antrim in an ulster final there an honest team which is refreshing to see from ulster, they have a great oppurtunity to have a great run this year as alot of teams will be wrecked from this years qualifiers and with antrims counter attacking style of football they could do real damage. any other year you would laugh if you saw a heading such as "be afraid be very afraid" and antrim in the same sentence but you would have to fancy them as the story of the summer

Who aren't the honest teams then?

**Rupp** Fri Jul 03, 2009 3:05 pm

Tyrone
armagh "not so much now but still"
derry
monaghan

**GAA-Fan** Fri Jul 03, 2009 4:47 pm

Rupp wrote:Tyrone
armagh "not so much now but still"
derry
monaghan

Tyrone - Last year they won it fairly which is why I supported them.
Armagh - Physical team, its expected that they rough teams up but when a player was sent off they accepted their punishment and rarely appealed.
Derry and Monaghan, never got a chance to watch the game.

But we all have our opinions.

**bocerty** Fri Jul 03, 2009 8:03 pm

Rupp wrote:Tyrone
armagh "not so much now but still"
derry
monaghan

Rupp are you saying the above teams arent honest?

**mossbags** Fri Jul 03, 2009 8:13 pm

bocerty wrote:
Rupp wrote:Tyrone
armagh "not so much now but still"
derry
monaghan

Rupp are you saying the above teams arent honest?

Thats exactly what hes saying Bo.
This should be good.......

**bocerty** Fri Jul 03, 2009 8:24 pm

mossbags wrote:
bocerty wrote:
Rupp wrote:Tyrone
armagh "not so much now but still"
derry
monaghan

Rupp are you saying the above teams arent honest?

Thats exactly what hes saying Bo.
This should be good.......

not at all Mossbags after watching the sh*te Galway and Sligo served up last week I'd rather be any of the four dishonest teams than those two

**patrique** Fri Jul 03, 2009 9:56 pm

bocerty wrote:
Rupp wrote:Tyrone
armagh "not so much now but still"
derry
monaghan

Rupp are you saying the above teams arent honest?

He should be.

**Rupp** Mon Jul 06, 2009 11:58 am

of course thats what im saying why would i write it if didnt think it!!!

tyrone had a massive brawl with dublin a few years back where a load of them were given supensions.
monaghans tommy freeman is serving a ban and all you need to do is type "gaa big hits" into youtube and the first tackle that comes up is the monaghan goalie almost killing a kildare player!!
armagh introduced the "blanket defence" which there is nothing wrong with it but its crap to watch!!

id rather watch as you put sh1te galway and sligo anyday where you get to see the skills of the game practiced!!

**bocerty** Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:11 pm

Rupp wrote:of course thats what im saying why would i write it if didnt think it!!!

tyrone had a massive brawl with dublin a few years back where a load of them were given supensions.
monaghans tommy freeman is serving a ban and all you need to do is type "gaa big hits" into youtube and the first tackle that comes up is the monaghan goalie almost killing a kildare player!!
armagh introduced the "blanket defence" which there is nothing wrong with it but its crap to watch!!

id rather watch as you put sh1te galway and sligo anyday where you get to see the skills of the game practiced!!

another quality post there Rupp - very informative and worth reading - keep it up, looking forward to your next one already

**Rupp** Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:23 pm

thanks bocerty haha ill take the good from that u can keep the sarcasim tho

and just so i dnt dig a bigger hole for myself i love to watch the four teams i named there have been some great matchs invoving them over the last couple of years and tyrones record can speak for itself.

**bocerty** Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:30 pm

seems to me your not that sure what your opinions are as you keep contradicting yourself, your posts are quite narrow minded and short sighted thus far.

You talk about fights and the likes - can you name one county in Ireland that havent been involved in some row of sorts down through the years - i would say not - so therefore according to your theory on dishonesty they all fall into the same category and therefore you dont really have an argument.

**Rupp** Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:36 pm

point taken, and yes it is true that most teams have been in the spot light for disiplianary reason but i am taking about modern day football and i will take you back to my first post when all i said was it was refreshing to see antrim get to an ulster final.

i think you are just gettn paranoid that antrim well beat ya in the final and so you should be!!!

**RMDrive** Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:15 pm

Rupp wrote:point taken, and yes it is true that most teams have been in the spot light for disiplianary reason but i am taking about modern day football and i will take you back to my first post when all i said was it was refreshing to see antrim get to an ulster final.

i think you are just gettn paranoid that antrim well beat ya in the final and so you should be!!!

It is refreshing to see Antrim get to an Ulster final? How about the fact that ANtrim play a very negative brand of football? How about the fact that they keep 13 men behind the ball? How about the fact that they tactically foul the opposition so as to allow their defence to get back and restructure?
So is that not "crap to watch"? Or is it just cause no one thinks Antrim are going to go anywhere?

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Be Afraid, be VERY afraid.