Footballers and Hurlers in West down Area.

[passedit]

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,

Your first and second paragraph are inextricably linked BTW. A strong gaelic school in the town would change attitudes at an age when they're most changeable. Waiting/hoping for a gaelic supporting teacher to pitch up isn't the answer. The amount of money being spent by clubs in the area on managers would be better utilised as a pooled resource to get a full time coach into the school (and primary schools in the area). Also the clubs should be actively trying to get faces onto the board of governors.

You may argue that the Co Board should be doing this but my experience is that they're interested only in the stronghold areas and fcuk the rest. Anyway the lord helps those who help themselves.

[off the laces]

The county board is spending money having so called county "stars" go around the schools coaching to all schools that require coaching although the "stars" are off playing groundball in minor leagues throughout down!!!!!!!!!!!

[passedit]

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?

I'd agree with your general point about amalgamations Bacon, the very nature (parochialism) of the gaa means they rarely work and are generally an admission of defeat.

AFAIK the few Ballela men who wanted to play football played with Annaclone and vice versa, while Ballyvarley has a similar arrangement with Tullylish  The St Pauls amalgamation was the only way a team could be fielded  at the time but they are now fielding teams at every grade except thirds and there are Newtownards men on every team.

[behind the wire]

the idea of paying collectively for a coach to be sent in has been talked about by a number of well known gaa figures in the area. everyone knows that something needs to be done. the bottom line remains, however, that the school doesnt take much of an interest at all. the board of governors idea is a good one passedit, but again its the same old story of getting someone to do it. its hard enough to get people to take teams and sit on committees these days without asking them to go into a school to do it.

anyone got any other ideas on how we could improve things? it is my opinion that the county board should look at investing some time and money into both our area and also north down, i.e.bredagh, st pauls and carryduff. population is growing in these areas, if talent is nurtured properly it will certainly help county teams of the future.

by the way, has anyone heard of any players who have moved to the area?