Footballers and Hurlers in West down Area.

[behind the wire]

it has been drawn to my attention that there has been a huge influx of players into the west down area over the past couple of years, both from other parts of county down and from other counties. it seems that this area has become an ideal place to set up home for those who commute to and from belfast each day.
however, it appears that most of these players (particularly those from the south) seem reluctant to join one of the local clubs, perhaps because of the way in which the area is generally perceived, i.e. it is perceived by most onlookers as a unionist area with little gaa support. i suppose we cant really blame them for that as clubs in this area are not well publicised. i also realise that perhaps the clubs in this area do not compete at the highest standard

does anyone know of any players living in and around the area?
how would we go about attracting people to play gaelic games in this area.

[thewobbler]

define west Down for me please.

[Lecale2]

There was a lad from Dublin posted on the old board last year looking for a club near Dromore. I think he ended up joining Ballela.

[behind the wire]

define west Down for me please.

no problem wobbler. we are talking north of newry i.e. past glen. clubs in question include:

football:
aghaderg (loughbrickland)
tullylish (laurencetown)
st michael's (magheralin)
clann na banna (banbridge)
annaclone

hurling:
ballela
ballyvarley

same applies to ladies football and camogie in the area.
there is alot of work going into gaa in this area. welcoming new faces into clubs is just one way of making it stronger.

[thewobbler]

behind the wire - would one of the biggest problems not be that the people settling in those areas are generally in their late twenties or older? i.e. the age where you either have hung up the boots, or are so dedicated to the game that you'll slog up and down to your own club if it's within an hour's drive or so?

The benefits could be reaped though when their offspring grow up in the these areas. If they go to Catholic schools,  they'll lean towards Gaelic football even if their parents aren't tied to a club.

[behind the wire]

exactly right wobbler. the children getting involved in the local clubs is hopefully something the area's clubs will benefit from.

coaching is also something which could definitely benefit.
the object of this is basically to get people involved in gaelic games in the area. it is only now that some of these clubs have come to be more acceptable to the wider poulation, i.e. evidence that some children from other backgrounds are beginning to get involved. this needs to be worked on. we are just trying to spread our wings a bit.

i know that most people settling are in their late 20's, but i have come across a few recently who have not been willing to travel the lenght of the country and have expressed an interest in playing in this area. just wondering if there are many more.

[Lecale2]

Behind the wire - I think you're on to something here.  A lot of people are moving into places like Dromore, Banbridge and Hillsborough  and will have no connection with local GAA clubs. An article in the local press/parish bullitens may smoke out a few.
What about Dromara? Are they not west Down?

[tayto]

REAL GAA ISSUE? ... and the other topics arent?

[behind the wire]

you are definitely right lecale2. im not sure what the best way is to target them, ie attendance at mass isnt the best. but im sure its worth a shot. also, it is unlikely that people new to the area would even buy the local press. i thought this board was as good a starting point as any. the few that i have made contact with so far have all been due to the fact that i work in a sports shop.

dromara is near the area, but they play in the east down league. they are having difficulty with numbers at present, i hpe the county board does all it can to help them as dromara is another area where the gaa is not that well supported but has potential. fair play to the for battling on.

[Pangurban]

It is the desire of the Co.Board, if not as yet a stated policy, to see the amalgamations of small rural clubs. The Dromaras,Ballelas and Aghadergs, need expect no help from officialdom within the Co. until they display a willingness to consider amalgamations

[behind the wire]

if thats the desire of the county board then they are very wrong. talk about shooting yourself in the foot. gaa is a parish based organisation, ever parish should have a club, its all about identity. i know that amalgamations may have worked in the past, ie st johns in co down, but no club should be requested to give up it identity. it goes against what the gaa is about.
the more clubs we have the stronger the association will be.

[passedit]

The real issue for west down football and hurling is the lip service paid to both games in St Patricks High school or whatever it's called this week. Get that sorted and you're more than halfway there. Given the pick that Tullylish, and especially Banbridge have they should be much higher on the ladder. It'll be interesting to see how Banbridge get on in Div 2 this year.

[Out in Front]

Behind the wire, could you PM me with your contact details. Sounds like something we'd cover in Gaelic Life.

PW

[behind the wire]

i know what you are saying passedit but we cannot just order st pats to deliver a high level of gaa coaching. it is necesary to have a teacher with an interest in coaching gaa, at the minute this is not the case. it would definitely be a help to have coaching in the school, but at the minute it is hard to achieve. it has been tried.

and yes banbridge have a big population, but there is little interest in gaa (townies and other sports) - it is exactly this that we are trying to promote, more interest in gaa clubs in the area, ie now that the population is rapidly expanding and people with a background in gaa are coming to live in the area. some clubs have also suffered from transfer sagas which has left squads depleted. all these problems  need to be overcome.

[Bacon]

The St John's amalgamation was a failure imo. A couple of years after they amalgamated they stopped playing hurling altogether. Drumaroad & Drumnaquile would have been better going it alone and sharing the new pitch. The An Riocht amalgamation may have worked for football but again hurling was dropped (just a few years after they won an Intermediate championship). If Ballela amalgamated with Annaclone or Dromara, how long would it be before the hurling stopped?
The St Paul's amalgamation may have worked but how many players from Newtownards now play for the club?