McShea's Say: Time for Aodh Ruadh to reset their objectives and show their character

Nick Hornby once said; “That the natural state of the football fan is bitter disappointment, no matter what the score”.  

I must admit that I was disappointed and surprised to see my club Aodh Ruadh at the wrong end of an eighteenth-point hammering from county champions Naomh Conaill last Sunday.  

I do not ever remember a Ballyshannon side on the end of such a comprehensive defeat in championship football, but all is not well in Ireland’s oldest town, and for a club with a very proud history this defeat is a real setback.  

It was once said that “pride only hurts, it never helps”. But pride is something that Ballyshannon people have, regardless of the exploits of our footballers. The same could be said of Irish people everywhere, but there is something about being a ‘sham’ that amplifies a sense of place, a connection, and most crucially an identity.  

Pride however has two faces. As positive an emotion as it can be, as useful a tool as it is to inspire us to achieve, it can also blind us to the hard truths. This is true in all walks of life, and it is especially true in sport, both for players and supporters.  

The pride felt in achievement while gratifying, can often make teams complacent and stymie their development. It can also diminish humility, and while it is one thing to fall victim to pride in an individual sport when others don’t rely on you, it is quite another to do so in a team setting.  

To the present group of Ballyshannon footballers, I would suggest that they show the humility to find out why what happened happened last Sunday before they go down the avenue of blaming others.  

Many young players tend to protect their own egos and point the finger elsewhere. That is a foolish and unproductive endeavor.  

A few short years ago when Aodh Ruadh won the Intermediate championship, it did feel that the celebrations were not in sync with the level of achievement. In no way would I want to demean an Intermediate title, but for a club of such history at senior level I was surprised at the context of that success.  

Now is the time for the Ballyshannon players to reset their objectives. This is not the time for moaning or inflicting the team with the negativity that can spread through a dressing room like a virus.  

Next up for Aodh Ruadh is a relegation match against Cloughaneely who are also enjoying a torrid campaign having lost all four games to date in the championship. This is a time for Aodh Ruadh to be more concerned about their character than their reputation, because character is what you really are, while reputation is merely what others think you are.  

A win against Cloughaneely would go a long way to the retention of a senior championship slot. Now is the time to show pride and character which was an integral quality for so many years for the team wearing the green and white jerseys. 

No change in 2025 

It was disappointing to hear that next year's All-Ireland football format will be played exactly on the same basis as this year’s campaign.  

This yet again means that a team can suffer three defeats and still be in contention to win Sam Maguire. This quite simply makes a mockery of the term championship.  

As for the recommendations of Jim Gavin’s new rules proposals, I would be at one with Joe Brolly’s suggestion last week that the first rule he would introduce would be to ban any or all back passes to the goalkeeper.  

There is much merit in Brolly’s common-sense proposal, it would be very easy for referees to monitor. It would also put an end to the awful spectacle of teams passing the ball back with dreadful monotony as they run down the clock to maintain a lead in the last five minutes of a match, a tactic that is simply dreadful for spectators to watch. 

Ulster Legends Day in Bundoran 

Last weekend saw Bundoran Golf Club host the Ulster Legends GAA Charity event. Armagh’s All-Ireland winning manager Joe Kernan in his role as Tournament Director once again ensured that the event was an outstanding success with a figure of €8,000 going to most deserving charities.