Allianz Football & Hurling Leagues 2013

I know some don't really care about the GAA at this time of the year, and some of us are distracted by other sports...anyway, tonight saw the opening fixtures of the GAA Allianz Football League. Most of the matches take place tomorrow, but there were some interesting results after this evening's matches...

Kildare 2-14 1-13 Donegal
Laois 0-20 1-10 Armagh
Down 1-08 1-11 Tyrone
Dublin 1-18 2-09 Cork

Anyone following the Allianz at all this year? Interesting to see the Dubs doing well and Donegal beaten.

Postscript: Just adding in the hurling as there's matches this weekend (10th).

Poor start for Armagh although haven't heard too much about how the game went. We're in a transitional period with wholesale changes to the squad and the best we can hope for is to avoid relegation.

How'd a Welsh girl like yourself get into the GAA if ya don't mind me asking?

Not at all Boss. I watched a match a couple of years ago and loved it, so I just started following it as there's no other sports in summer that I enjoy. I affiliated myself with Dublin due to a distant relative, but there is a team based in Cardiff who were losing finalists in the UK league last season.

Do you know much about the UK league? Job situation isn't good over here for physios and the big thing that's keeping me at home is playing football.

The more GAA fans the merrier! Good win for the Dubs last night anyway!

There's clubs all over the place Boss. Obviously the most successful is London, but there's clubs the length and breath of the mainland. Mostly made up of Irish ex-pats of course, but some really talented clubs out there. I think a lot of them were formed around universities.

Cheers Cari! If I do have to move it'll be the first thing I look into if I've to make a move away.

Yeah do it. There's bound to be one near wherever you go, and I manage to follow the Irish leagues OK from over here Chuffed with the Dubs win last night. Hope they go on to win their division at least.

What sorta team did both sides have out? Great start to the year for them anyway!

Very good ones by the looks. All the big names were there. Paddy Andrews had a great game for the Dubs.

I also noticed that Eoin Cadogan has said he's sticking with football at Cork, so he could get a lot better as time goes on now he's not dual-code anymore.

Aye 1 of my mates watched it and said Paddy Andrews had a stormer.

Be good to see what difference focusing on the football has on Cadogan but he's a player that its hard to like if you're not from Cork haha.

It's the league doesn't matter at all. Cork were tactically naive from the bit I saw, no surprise with Counihan. Who replaces him in a year should be the concern.

Week 2 Armagh match against Wexford called off due to rain so lying up watching Dublin V Kerry until the rugby starts.

Dublin 0-4 kerry 0-0 after 15. Some shocking football being played. Long balls into both forward lines are of a poor stndard. Brogan and Andrews started well enough.

Thanks for the updates Boss. Up the Dubs!! Is the weather atrocious over there too?

Aye it is here in Armagh. Bad in Wales. Was looking forward to heading to the game and then coming home for the Rugby too! Dublin now 6 points up and if I'm not wrong its nearly an hour since Kerry scored a point after not scoring for the whole 2nd half last week.

And on that note Patrick Curtain scores for Kerry.

I would expect Kerry to score at some point. Right...rugby time!

Anyone seen Murphy sent off in the Donegal - Tyrone game?

Sadly I can't watch games from here. What did he do?

Neither can I, but according to the GAA live text, he got double yellowed. Slid tackled a Tyrone defender after missing his penalty.

I'd heard he was having a stormer too. Didn't see the game due to having a match myself.

Armagh got their 1st win of the league last night with a hard fought 2 point win over Longford. Match started well but didn't last. Thank God for jamie Clarke in our forward line!

ooh dear...does he get a ban or anything then?

Who do you play for Boss? My local team - Cardiff GAA played in the Universities championship in Manchester today. I'm not sure how they did yet until someone updates their newspage.

Sarsfields, Armagh.

Nah 2 yellows is just a suspension for the rest of the match. Unless they've changed the rules, as the GAA like to do regularly enough.

Hopefully a win for Cardiff today. No ladies football for yourself?

Ha no Boss. I haven't got a clue how to play GAA...and I wouldn't be fit enough I expect. How did your team get on? Are you their Bernard Brogan?

OK, here's this weekend's results in full if anyone's interested:

Division 1
3 Mar 2013 2pm Down 1-17 - 3-12 Cork
3 Mar 2013 2pm Kildare 2-08 - 0-12 Kerry
3 Mar 2013 2pm Tyrone 1-13 - 0-12 Donegal
2 Mar 2013 7pm Dublin 2-14 - 0-16 Mayo

Division 2
3 Mar 2013 2pm Galway 0-13 - 1-10 Westmeath
3 Mar 2013 2pm Wexford 0-10 - 0-19 Derry
2 Mar 2013 7pm Armagh 3-08 - 2-09 Longford
2 Mar 2013 7pm Laois 1-17 - 2-14 Louth

Division 3
3 Mar 2013 2pm Monaghan 1-12 - 0-07 Sligo
3 Mar 2013 2pm Roscommon 0-13 - 1-10 Wicklow
2 Mar 2013 7pm Antrim 2-09 - 1-12 Fermanagh
2 Mar 2013 7pm Meath 1-06 - 0-15 Cavan

Division 4
3 Mar 2013 2pm Offaly 2-05 - 0-13 Clare
3 Mar 2013 2pm Carlow 0-12 - 1-16 Leitrim
3 Mar 2013 1pm Tipperary 2-12 - 1-08 London
2 Mar 2013 7pm Waterford 0-06 - 0-08 Limerick

Ha no harm in starting! Ya might be a natural. More of an Alan Brogan. Don't have the pace for the out and out corner forward role haha.

Meath taking a hammering of Cavan is a right shock!

Yeah you get some interesting results in this league sometimes. Glad to see Monaghan got a win too. I've a soft spot for them because my fave rugby player is a Monaghan man.

Alan Brogan's not bad, but Bernie is the superstar player at the Dubs I think...and better looking

Tommy Bowe haha.

Aye Bernard had a blinder last night. Not too many GAA celebrities like him! He is a handsome bar steward haha.

Indeed!

Bernie's a great player though too...just makes it more annoying for his peers that he's a handsome buggger!

Something that could never be levelled at the Gooch in his prime!

Ha The Gooch...well at least he's a decent player!

Right! This weekend it's the turn of the hurlers to do their thang in The League No One Cares About...the Dubs face Antrim at Casement Park and Monaghan face Fingal....Here's last rounds results to see how the teams are doing so far:

Division 1A
24 Feb 2013 2pm Galway 3-11 - 0-17 Kilkenny
24 Feb 2013 2pm Clare 1-17 - 2-15 Waterford
23 Feb 2013 7pm Cork 0-26 - 1-11 Tipperary

Division 1B
24 Feb 2013 2pm Limerick 1-19 - 0-19 Antrim
24 Feb 2013 2pm Carlow 0-16 - 2-15 Wexford
23 Feb 2013 7pm Dublin 1-20 - 2-16 Offaly

Division 2A
24 Feb 2013 2pm Kildare 1-10 - 1-19 Laois
24 Feb 2013 2pm Derry 2-19 - 0-10 Wicklow
24 Feb 2013 1pm Kerry 2-10 - 0-13 Westmeath

Division 2B
2 Mar 2013 2pm Meath 2-17 - 1-11 London
24 Feb 2013 2pm Mayo 0-18 - 1-15 Roscommon
24 Feb 2013 2pm Down 1-18 - 2-16 Meath
24 Feb 2013 1pm Armagh 0-14 - 0-21 London

Division 3A
24 Feb 2013 2pm Fingal 0-15 - 1-12 Louth
24 Feb 2013 2pm Donegal 3-18 - 1-06 Monaghan
24 Feb 2013 2pm Fermanagh 2-12 - 1-11 Tyrone

I'm going to repaeat the fact that it's unimportant and serves next to no purpose.

I agree Thomond. It'll have little relevance when it comes to the championship but some football of any kind is better than no football until the club league season starts for me.

Thomond wrote:I'm going to repaeat the fact that it's unimportant and serves next to no purpose.

That's a very "Cork" attitude............there are 4 league titles to play for and many counties with no chance of All Ireland success would love to win a League title...................

P.S. I do like Cork people!!