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Its a long long way from Clare to the here and we are a long way from the truth....well here it is.......

There was a man who was head dog in the Co.Board...his son, Fitzy junior, has long dreamed of managing the county but is currently at the helm managing the Deise where he is as popular as a fart in a sapcesuit. There is a man in charge of the county Banner called Mac, who nobody wants but is as stubborn as bouncer outside Coppers who just doesnt like the look of ye.

Now, the obvious thing would be for Fitzy junior to slip into his dream job and Mike Mac would sail into the distance..........however, Fitzy is being nicely looked after the other side of the province and while the nightmare scenario for Davy would be a new fresh manager who may last three terms, leaving Davy twiddling his thumbs and missing the boat........the perfect scenario for Fitzy the younger is Mike Mac takes the helm again for 12 months, makes an utter town halls of the job and Davy waltzes in and back into the job a year down the line......

So who is behind it all....Fitzy senior of course.....obvious isnt it?

And now to all things sponsorship...The Dubs are in talks and Shoulder hears it will be weeks before we hear the new sponsor, but the rumour has it that Tyrone have been left a few bob shy by their sponsor and that Wickow and another one or two GAA teams may be sponsorless in 2010....The GAA goes in search of a new hurling "partner" while the GPA have slipped into the red and badly need to make friends with Croke Park.

And what of the wily women...well , they got Tesco on board despite the recession...the crafty devils.

1916 and its Easter Morning....there is an air of expectation in the Capital......revolution is on the cards.

it is 2009, and players are up in arms......why?

What's going on in Limerick?

What is happening to inter-county squads all over the country? Down by the Shannon the players are up in arms? Are these under performing pampered players or are they intelligent modern day free thinkers who are right to demand the best?

Wel, it really depends who you talk to and it sould also be a case by case examination.

Justin McCarthy is about as popular as Pol Pot wherever he goes and what a crazy move by him.

His ommission of Andrew O'Shaughnessy, a non drinker and hard trainer- for no reason at all, looked stupid and vindictive. If the rumours are true that Andrew may have a more serious issue on his hands, then McCarthy wll not make it to Xmas.

The Limerick lads are no angels and may well have not reached their potential, but McCarthy's move this week was baffling and self defeating as Reale's walkout proved.

In Clare, you will not meet a more stubborn man than Mike Mac but this one is complicated. What looks likely, is that Mike will be pushed and I still am convinced that Davy will make the switch. The Deise lads are not too happy with Davy but can hardly revolt yet again and would like to see Fitzy move to the Banner.

What is becoming more and more obvious, is that when the vast bulk of players come together and call for the head of their manager, then there is precious little alernative than to accept.

Dubs Gilroy is back at Square One

As for the rest of the news, well, Dubs boss Pat Gilroy rounded up all the club managers for their input and ended back at square one.

The GAA are in talks to secure a new hurling sponsor so watch this space and the Dubs are also close to announcing their sponsor. MIckey and Sean seem to have kissed and made up while the rest of Tyrone is hell bent on knocking the sh*te of each other.

Tadgh Kennelly is definitely off to Oz

In Kerry, as we predicted, Kennelly WILL move to Australia and this has been certain for months and part of the plan always. Take it from me.

A lot has happened in the kIngdom sine Sam went back, with a number of players experiencing personal trauma and difficulties and it doesn't take a genuis to know who we are on about.

In Cork, the wounds are still open after the football final defeat but they may take a strange comfort from their neighbours perceived disarray and loss of key players......time will tell.

I made the effort to get out, and scurried accross to Thurles for the Cork-Tipp hurling clash of the day......an exciting finish fails to highlight the issue that really, hurlers should not be out this time of the year. 

Cork hurlers aren't too hopeful about next season

Word reached Shoulder today in Tipp from a good Cork source as well that Cork will struggle next season in the small ball game, with little expectation in the camp and belief of taking Tipp in the first round......

Discipline - the GAA must deal with violent tackling

What has plagued my troubled mind, has been the burning issue of discpline.....now, this is no new chestnut.

But when a hurler gets a smack in the face with a hurl at half time in a Dublin semi-final and in  the same week a football referee is head butted and ugly scenes yet again dog Galway club hurling, then we must all accept we have issues.

The violence associated with some GAA matches, especially this time of year and especially in club matches is not new.

What is also not new and must be tackled, is blatant disregard for refs and the giant irritant of appeals and rule-bending and nod and wink politics to get clubs and players off the hook.

The GAA MUST deal with the dicipline issue and grasp this thorny nettle now. Pictures of prostrate refs in national papers do little for the image of the game....we must start again, make the rules water tight and make the refs untouchable.....

But are hard hats the answer?

Hard Hats.....okay, you need them on the bulding site but fair play to the GAA for introducing the mandatory wearing of helmets next year. It will be harder to recognise players and yes, it will not suit the Mullane's and Sean Ogs and the keepers will hate it, but it has to be done.

Shinty - please, anything but shinty

As for the shinty/hurling debacle....what in the name of God kinda game is that??

A very hungover Shoulder endured this spectacle.....It is like a cross between golf, lacrosse and ground hurling with a bit of medieval hockey thrown in.....my god, we could all do without it. It is absolutely dreadful.

A bit more time trying to reinvent the inter pros and forgetting about this shambles would be a good start.....what next/?

Some form of cross between welly throwing ,netball and football?

Hurling and football are basically very good games, that with some tweaking could become even better....do we need to play GOLF/Hurling/HOckey/Lacrosse just to have an international team??