This Is Our Year

This Is Our Year is a 2011 book by journalist Declan Bogue.

This Is Our Year

Author	Declan Bogue
Country	Ireland
Language	English
Subject	2011 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
Genre	Sports
Publisher	Ballpoint Press

Content

An examination of the 2011 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship from the perspectives of ten Gaelic footballers from Ulster, the book achieved notoriety after Donegal footballer Kevin Cassidy was dropped from the team squad by manager Jim McGuinness over his contributions.^[1][2][3] Cassidy has not played for Donegal since.^[4] He released a statement in November 2011 saying it "appears my inter-county career is over".^[5][6]

At the post-match press conference following the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final Jim McGuinness declined to answer questions until Bogue was ejected. When Bogue was removed from the room McGuinness explained,

There was a book written. There were a lot of untruths in the book. There was a lot of things said about me. I've never broken court on it since the whole thing happened. I've held my dignity. I've let myself be castigated. And I done that because I gave somebody an agreement that I wouldn't break my court on it. There were a lot of things said in the book that were incorrect and untrue, some of it possibly lies about me personally and about some of my players. It was all-out attack for a couple of months on my character. I know what I've done, I know what I've coached, I know what I am as a person. And that's the situation. So I'm not going to let somebody sit in a room and fill their pages tomorrow on the back of what we done today when they in their wisdom degraded me as a person and some of my players.^[7][8]

Bogue has since responded with a public statement stating that although he holds no issue with McGuinness he would like to hear what he has taken issue with as no specific details were put forward by the Donegal man. He stands by his book and believes that he has no case to answer.^[9]

References

1. Keys, Colm (9 November 2011). "Donegal hero Cassidy axed for breaking code of silence on McGuinness methods". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
2. . RTÉ Sport. 8 November 2011. Archived from the original on 9 November 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
3. "Sometimes it's better when you say nothing at all". Donegal Democrat. 10 November 2011. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
4. "Donegal to shade rematch of last year's Ulster final". Donegal Democrat. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
5. . RTÉ Sport. 10 November 2011. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
6. "Cassidy at a loss to explain dismissal". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. 10 November 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
7. "McGuinness delays press conference until reporter is removed". Donegal Daily. 23 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
8. Clerkin, Malachy (24 September 2012). "Lone sour note: Donegal boss has reporter removed". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
9. "Bogue has his say". Hoganstand. 25 September 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2021.