Down Club Hurling & Football

[Mourne Rover]

Today was a frustrating day as we were only two points behind with five minutes left and looking like we could at least get a draw. However, we kept going for an extra pass in search of a goal when points were available and Cavan picked us off clinically on the break. They were clearly physically stronger than us down the middle and we are repeatedly asking Murdoch to do too much at 20 years of age. We probably lost it in the first half when we had three great goal chances and only took one. Smyth was mainly decent on the ball but his two shots, a free and a 45, were poor. The referee also managed to give yellows for a blatant black and red during the same period. Our promotion chance will effectively be gone if Fermanagh win their next game, although that may not be a foregone conclusion on the basis of the amazing score Westmeath ran up today. We are definitely a much improved side but it is a long hard road.

[befair]

The final result was not a true reflection of the game; we were right in it till the last few mins. Good progress, still some way to go. The Tailteann Cup is a better target for us this year

[skat man]

The crying about lads training months together and kilcoo boys coming in is daft . They had a run in ulster , they are entitled to a break . They are also the most successful team in down the last 10 years and are rightly well represented on the county. By your logic murdoch and magil shouldnt start for the under 20s or no mccrory lads should come into minor panels after the competition ends. stop being knee jerk

[supersub]

Lurgan and Newry are two similar size towns. Newry probably bigger and unlike Lurgan is probably 95% Catholic.  But where are the Gaelic footballers?
Yesterday Armagh had
Conor Turbitt
Tiernan Kelly
Barry McCambridge
Stefan Campbell &
Andrew Murnin.  All Lurgan Men.
Down have nobody from Newry and have been under represented in Newry for decades.  Surely this is a big failure by the Co Board.

What's that got to do with the Co. Board? Seriously. Nothing to do with the clubs, coaching & individual player attitudes? Ridiculous.

[marty34]

Lurgan and Newry are two similar size towns. Newry probably bigger and unlike Lurgan is probably 95% Catholic.  But where are the Gaelic footballers?
Yesterday Armagh had
Conor Turbitt
Tiernan Kelly
Barry McCambridge
Stefan Campbell &
Andrew Murnin.  All Lurgan Men.
Down have nobody from Newry and have been under represented in Newry for decades.  Surely this is a big failure by the Co Board.

How many gaa clubs are there in Newry?

[Nanderson]

Lurgan and Newry are two similar size towns. Newry probably bigger and unlike Lurgan is probably 95% Catholic.  But where are the Gaelic footballers?
Yesterday Armagh had
Conor Turbitt
Tiernan Kelly
Barry McCambridge
Stefan Campbell &
Andrew Murnin.  All Lurgan Men.
Down have nobody from Newry and have been under represented in Newry for decades.  Surely this is a big failure by the Co Board.

How many gaa clubs are there in Newry?

Bosco, Shamrocks, Mitchels. Then Glenn and ballyholland if you include the rural surrounding area

[CornUladh]

Lurgan and Newry are two similar size towns. Newry probably bigger and unlike Lurgan is probably 95% Catholic.  But where are the Gaelic footballers?
Yesterday Armagh had
Conor Turbitt
Tiernan Kelly
Barry McCambridge
Stefan Campbell &
Andrew Murnin.  All Lurgan Men.
Down have nobody from Newry and have been under represented in Newry for decades.  Surely this is a big failure by the Co Board.

How many gaa clubs are there in Newry?

Killeavy
Thomas Davis
Saval
Shamrocks
Ballyholland
Bosco
Mitchels
And maybe Burren taking in forest hills?

[marty34]

Lurgan and Newry are two similar size towns. Newry probably bigger and unlike Lurgan is probably 95% Catholic.  But where are the Gaelic footballers?
Yesterday Armagh had
Conor Turbitt
Tiernan Kelly
Barry McCambridge
Stefan Campbell &
Andrew Murnin.  All Lurgan Men.
Down have nobody from Newry and have been under represented in Newry for decades.  Surely this is a big failure by the Co Board.

How many gaa clubs are there in Newry?

Killeavy
Thomas Davis
Saval
Shamrocks
Ballyholland
Bosco
Mitchels
And maybe Burren taking in forest hills?

That's a serious amount of clubs. A lot of cities are like this - junior type clubs but should have a stronger senior representation.

[thewobbler]

Where does Newry start and end? Nobody knows.

When anyone mentions Glenn as a Newry club then I'd wonder why not Saval and Mayobridge too?

When anyone mentions Saval as a Newry club then I'd wonder why not Glenn and Mayobridge too?

When someone says "Mayobridge isn't Newry". They're right in my mind. But then neither is Glenn or Saval either.

——

Anyways Lotto's point that Newry doesn't deliver is fair - even if blaming the county board for this situation is bizarre and bizarre again.

And it's an odd thing when you look at it.

We'd all love to believe that coaching and culture make the difference. But you still need raw athletic talent if you're talking about a county standard player, let alone a county stand out.

Can anyone name some raw athletic talents in the last 10 years that have emanated from Newry (and as wide as you can reach from Newry). ?

You won't be naming too many. That's all i know.

It's close to a statistical abomination at this point.

[Pocs pints and the gaa]

Lurgan and Newry are two similar size towns. Newry probably bigger and unlike Lurgan is probably 95% Catholic.  But where are the Gaelic footballers?
Yesterday Armagh had
Conor Turbitt
Tiernan Kelly
Barry McCambridge
Stefan Campbell &
Andrew Murnin.  All Lurgan Men.
Down have nobody from Newry and have been under represented in Newry for decades.  Surely this is a big failure by the Co Board.

How many gaa clubs are there in Newry?

Killeavy
Thomas Davis
Saval
Shamrocks
Ballyholland
Bosco
Mitchels
And maybe Burren taking in forest hills?

That's a serious amount of clubs. A lot of cities are like this - junior type clubs but should have a stronger senior representation.

As mentioned about Lurgan (including surrounding area) there is Clann Eireann, Clan na Gael, St Peter's and Sarsfields all playing senior football, St Paul's and Wolfe Tones at the upper end of Intermediate and then Eire Og. Also in the outskirts is Aghagallon playing at the top end of Antrim football and Magheralin who are very small.

Lurgan would face similar if not worse social depravation than newry, have a 50% potential GAA population and also a lot of soccer in the town but the GAA scene is flourishing. The clubs have been doing serious work to drive that. It is not anything to do with county boards. And for all that club coaches can be brilliant but if you haven't the raw materials to work with you'll go nowhere.

Very difficult to change cultures etc but the work has to start at the very bottom. 4 5 6 year olds. Get them playing and a ball in their hand. Ignite and interest and build proper coaching structures. Ulster GAA have done countless workshops on this but it needs people on the ground to drive it. Schools coaches can help a bit but unless their work is backed up by clubs coming in behind them it's a waste of time. All of that isn't even a 5 or 10 year development. It could take 20+ years to reap the real rewards.

Clann Eireann had a plan a long time ago called "Clann Eireann 2020" to win a senior. They eventually did it in 2021 which was built around several groups of brilliant minor teams including some of the players listed above. Other clubs in Lurgan have started getting themselves sorted in the same manner. It's not a short term fix but where there is a will....

[Pocs pints and the gaa]

Where does Newry start and end? Nobody knows.

When anyone mentions Glenn as a Newry club then I'd wonder why not Saval and Mayobridge too?

When anyone mentions Saval as a Newry club then I'd wonder why not Glenn and Mayobridge too?

When someone says "Mayobridge isn't Newry". They're right in my mind. But then neither is Glenn or Saval either.

——

Anyways Lotto's point that Newry doesn't deliver is fair - even if blaming the county board for this situation is bizarre and bizarre again.

And it's an odd thing when you look at it.

We'd all love to believe that coaching and culture make the difference. But you still need raw athletic talent if you're talking about a county standard player, let alone a county stand out.

Can anyone name some raw athletic talents in the last 10 years that have emanated from Newry (and as wide as you can reach from Newry). ?

You won't be naming too many. That's all i know.

It's close to a statistical abomination at this point.

John McGovern

[Lotto]

Where does Newry start and end? Nobody knows.

When anyone mentions Glenn as a Newry club then I'd wonder why not Saval and Mayobridge too?

When anyone mentions Saval as a Newry club then I'd wonder why not Glenn and Mayobridge too?

When someone says "Mayobridge isn't Newry". They're right in my mind. But then neither is Glenn or Saval either.

——

Anyways Lotto's point that Newry doesn't deliver is fair - even if blaming the county board for this situation is bizarre and bizarre again.

And it's an odd thing when you look at it.

We'd all love to believe that coaching and culture make the difference. But you still need raw athletic talent if you're talking about a county standard player, let alone a county stand out.

Can anyone name some raw athletic talents in the last 10 years that have emanated from Newry (and as wide as you can reach from Newry). ?

You won't be naming too many. That's all i know.

It's close to a statistical abomination at this point.

What I find even more bizarre is that you haven't learned to f**king read after all the time you spend posting on here. I never made any points on the Newry situation so don't dare accuse me of saying things I didn't say. Right!

[MATTSARACEN]

What I find even more bizarre is that you haven't learned to f**king read after all the time you spend posting on here. I never made any points on the Newry situation so don't dare accuse me of saying things I didn't say. Right!
[/quote]

Feisty

[meatsy86]

Lads all is not lost. Win our last 2 games against Offaly and Longford and Fermanagh lose their last two games against Cavan and Westmeath we will be promoted courtesy of our head to head win over Westmeath which is the first criteria for separation of teams on same points.

[Truth hurts]

Ballyholland would have the biggest membership of a Newry club now and they are doing a lot right at underage. I would not classify Glenn as a Newry club but Saval are pushing into the Rathfriland road area in Newry and increasing their membership especially as they are flourishing as LGFA.