Antrim Football Thread

[bannside]

I'm all on for progress on the GAA front at St Louis or any Antrim school. I accept there is genuine work going on, but can't quantify what that amounts to until I would either see some kind of evidence of that in the Ulster Colleges GAA grade B results section. I'm not hearing it either on the street and parents around here arnt stopping sending their children to South Derry schools because there's a huge GAA push on at St Louis.as much as I would love to see that happening.

Others here are impressed so maybe I'm just not seeing it as closely as some of those here with vested interests are.

[Dreen]

I'd love to know what St Louis are doing to promote football. I don't see any evidence of it anywhere. Gearoid Adams was appointed to oversee this project but that didn't work out very well before he departed for a job closer to home.

I know that the school principal was disappointed that this project fell through and from what I see no one else has revived it since. I wouldn't be holding St Louis up as any kind of shining example Dreen, you are clutching at straws here and you know that. In my book NO Antrim school is punching anywhere near its weight in football terms. For hurling there is always the Antrim Hurling Page where people can wax lyrical if they want!

I'm clutching at nothing BS, I stated fact.  There is a greater Gaelic Games ethos in St Louis than there was 20 years ago when for years soccer was pushed before anything.
The hurling will be strong due to the Dunloy and Loughgiel in the school quite simply.
There is no doubt that football there has room for progression but with the facilities already there and the new development taking place this year no one can doubt the background work being done to promote in St Louis.

There is a Senior county camog, a multiple derry championship winning hurling and football player, a current Antrim senior player, a county u20 hurling coach with his share of success in club hurling, and Hogan winning captain involved with teams in the school at present and I see that as positive.

You hail Holy Trinity and rightly so but firstly they don't have to work with hurling and they are surrounded by football clubs who we know are working at a higher level than some of our clubs.


See the virtual tour below on twitter


https://twitter.com/i/status/1486456710566920202

[Points a Good Score]

Come on now Dreen don't be letting the facts get in the way of the stick to beat Antrim football.

[bannside]

I've known about this for a while Dreen right back to the announcement of the grant funding, and believe it or not have had quite a few lengthy conversations about the promotion of this new ethos with the man who was behind it from the start, principal Sean Rafferty. So I'm fairly well tuned in here on this topic.

Great to see the involvement of the people you mention, and I know a couple of them too. This is positive, and fair play where due, but let's start seeing teams being competitive in grade B at least, starting with the lower age groups and working upwards from that base.

I know in our club we have some superb juveniles in or around the age their parents need to make academic choices and stop the flow to South Derry schools.

Does anyone else know of anything positive happening elsewhere. St Mary's St Malachys De La Salle Rathmore etc??

We are talking about being competitive in the grade B's here.

Is anyone picking this up, driving it from a county games and development perspective?

[bannside]

Points - maybe it's a discussion around how our county minors don't ever lose a 60 minute championship game by 24 points. How's that for a fact!

How's it Antrim bashing? Either the work is being done or its not. Wouldn't it be good to know!

[Saffsof82]

Points - maybe it's a discussion around how our county minors don't ever lose a 60 minute championship game by 24 points. How's that for a fact!

How's it Antrim bashing? Either the work is being done or its not. Wouldn't it be good to know!

How many Casements players started on that minor team BS?

[imtommygunn]

BS you used to be so positive!!! (I agree with some of your points btw though not all - I think like CB sid there is no coincidence between the strength round that area of the south west and the derry schools influence but then you have the chicken egg scenario of club and school. It is no coincidence Aghagallon are getting much stronger now the Lurgan schools are much stronger too. It feels like a chicken egg thing but I think schools are, at least, as important as clubs.)

[Saffsof82]

BS you used to be so positive!!! (I agree with some of your points btw though not all - I think like CB sid there is no coincidence between the strength round that area of the south west and the derry schools influence but then you have the chicken egg scenario of club and school. It is no coincidence Aghagallon are getting much stronger now the Lurgan schools are much stronger too. It feels like a chicken egg thing but I think schools are, at least, as important as clubs.)

Bannside always positive when he has a vested interest, last 6 months hasn't gone to plan, hence everything anyone else is doing is a shit show!

[Flanker]

I'd love to know what St Louis are doing to promote football. I don't see any evidence of it anywhere. Gearoid Adams was appointed to oversee this project but that didn't work out very well before he departed for a job closer to home.

I know that the school principal was disappointed that this project fell through and from what I see no one else has revived it since. I wouldn't be holding St Louis up as any kind of shining example Dreen, you are clutching at straws here and you know that. In my book NO Antrim school is punching anywhere near its weight in football terms. For hurling there is always the Antrim Hurling Page where people can wax lyrical if they want!

I'm clutching at nothing BS, I stated fact.  There is a greater Gaelic Games ethos in St Louis than there was 20 years ago when for years soccer was pushed before anything.
The hurling will be strong due to the Dunloy and Loughgiel in the school quite simply.
There is no doubt that football there has room for progression but with the facilities already there and the new development taking place this year no one can doubt the background work being done to promote in St Louis.

There is a Senior county camog, a multiple derry championship winning hurling and football player, a current Antrim senior player, a county u20 hurling coach with his share of success in club hurling, and Hogan winning captain involved with teams in the school at present and I see that as positive.

You hail Holy Trinity and rightly so but firstly they don't have to work with hurling and they are surrounded by football clubs who we know are working at a higher level than some of our clubs.


See the virtual tour below on twitter


https://twitter.com/i/status/1486456710566920202

The hurling will be strong due to the Dunloy and Loughgiel in the school quite simply. Agree both clubs have strong underage structures

You hail Holy Trinity and rightly so but firstly they don't have to work with hurling and they are surrounded by football clubs who we know are working at a higher level than some of our clubs.

There are 3 schools in Tyrone competing @MacRory level(all got out of group stage) who draw and overlap with some or all of their catchement area + some pupils in their catchment area go to St Marys

There are several schools in their catchment area competing @ B & C levels also.

In football terms I will accept correction on this but as BS has indicated there is little or no evidence of progression from a results perspective than when there were 0, 1, 2 .... teachers half interested.  This is B competition as well

FYI St Ronans who won MacRory & Hogan don't have a pitch @ all so 3G's & virtual tours are all excellent but I'm afraid it misses the point of significant under achievement.

Progress in Hurling (This is effectively B competition as Ulster doesn't compete @ A)  Camogie & Ladies football is very welcome but there is a long way to go

[Saffsof82]

So as ITG says is it chicken and egg?  I still beleive we have to go back to the clubs here. If clubs were supplying players of high standard to St Marys St Louis etc we would be competing in A grade Year 8 competitions and then the poor quality of Gaa progression that Bannside says is happening at St Louis would kick in and everything would go all pete tong from there on.

[Dreen]

I'd love to know what St Louis are doing to promote football. I don't see any evidence of it anywhere. Gearoid Adams was appointed to oversee this project but that didn't work out very well before he departed for a job closer to home.

I know that the school principal was disappointed that this project fell through and from what I see no one else has revived it since. I wouldn't be holding St Louis up as any kind of shining example Dreen, you are clutching at straws here and you know that. In my book NO Antrim school is punching anywhere near its weight in football terms. For hurling there is always the Antrim Hurling Page where people can wax lyrical if they want!

I'm clutching at nothing BS, I stated fact.  There is a greater Gaelic Games ethos in St Louis than there was 20 years ago when for years soccer was pushed before anything.
The hurling will be strong due to the Dunloy and Loughgiel in the school quite simply.
There is no doubt that football there has room for progression but with the facilities already there and the new development taking place this year no one can doubt the background work being done to promote in St Louis.

There is a Senior county camog, a multiple derry championship winning hurling and football player, a current Antrim senior player, a county u20 hurling coach with his share of success in club hurling, and Hogan winning captain involved with teams in the school at present and I see that as positive.

You hail Holy Trinity and rightly so but firstly they don't have to work with hurling and they are surrounded by football clubs who we know are working at a higher level than some of our clubs.


See the virtual tour below on twitter


https://twitter.com/i/status/1486456710566920202

The hurling will be strong due to the Dunloy and Loughgiel in the school quite simply. Agree both clubs have strong underage structures

You hail Holy Trinity and rightly so but firstly they don't have to work with hurling and they are surrounded by football clubs who we know are working at a higher level than some of our clubs.

There are 3 schools in Tyrone competing @MacRory level(all got out of group stage) who draw and overlap with some or all of their catchement area + some pupils in their catchment area go to St Marys

There are several schools in their catchment area competing @ B & C levels also.

In football terms I will accept correction on this but as BS has indicated there is little or no evidence of progression from a results perspective than when there were 0, 1, 2 .... teachers half interested.  This is B competition as well

FYI St Ronans who won MacRory & Hogan don't have a pitch @ all so 3G's & virtual tours are all excellent but I'm afraid it misses the point of significant under achievement.

Progress in Hurling (This is effectively B competition as Ulster doesn't compete @ A)  Camogie & Ladies football is very welcome but there is a long way to go

Key question, do pupils have to all pass a transfer test to get to these A schools?

I am not in anyway saying St Louis are cutting the mustard in football, anyone who has ever discussed it with me would know I think it has underachieved.  I was lucky enough to have some very good footballing days at the school in the 90's when we had no facilities but I'd make the point that if the school is looking for a presence in the school to drive success in B football with the infrastructure that is there it would be a great job for someone to take.

[country bumpkin]

So as ITG says is it chicken and egg?  I still beleive we have to go back to the clubs here. If clubs were supplying players of high standard to St Marys St Louis etc we would be competing in A grade Year 8 competitions and then the poor quality of Gaa progression that Bannside says is happening at St Louis would kick in and everything would go all pete tong from there on.

Elephant in the room is the utter failure of Belfast based schools in major college competitions over the past generation.....
A major city with a population 600k and schools within cannot make a dent I'm Mc Crory cup...

[Saffsof82]

Very true CB, last McCrory was mid 80s, not even featuring in McLarnon either, i dont really count Knock as most of those players are from the Down clubs.

[Milltown Row2]

Very true CB, last McCrory was mid 80s, not even featuring in McLarnon either, i dont really count Knock as most of those players are from the Down clubs.

Did La Salle not win this or in the final a load of years ago? and St Marys after that?

As for the failure of Belfast schools with 600k students, is that all the students in all the schools that play GAA?

[Flanker]

I'd love to know what St Louis are doing to promote football. I don't see any evidence of it anywhere. Gearoid Adams was appointed to oversee this project but that didn't work out very well before he departed for a job closer to home.

I know that the school principal was disappointed that this project fell through and from what I see no one else has revived it since. I wouldn't be holding St Louis up as any kind of shining example Dreen, you are clutching at straws here and you know that. In my book NO Antrim school is punching anywhere near its weight in football terms. For hurling there is always the Antrim Hurling Page where people can wax lyrical if they want!

I'm clutching at nothing BS, I stated fact.  There is a greater Gaelic Games ethos in St Louis than there was 20 years ago when for years soccer was pushed before anything.
The hurling will be strong due to the Dunloy and Loughgiel in the school quite simply.
There is no doubt that football there has room for progression but with the facilities already there and the new development taking place this year no one can doubt the background work being done to promote in St Louis.

There is a Senior county camog, a multiple derry championship winning hurling and football player, a current Antrim senior player, a county u20 hurling coach with his share of success in club hurling, and Hogan winning captain involved with teams in the school at present and I see that as positive.

You hail Holy Trinity and rightly so but firstly they don't have to work with hurling and they are surrounded by football clubs who we know are working at a higher level than some of our clubs.


See the virtual tour below on twitter


https://twitter.com/i/status/1486456710566920202

The hurling will be strong due to the Dunloy and Loughgiel in the school quite simply. Agree both clubs have strong underage structures

You hail Holy Trinity and rightly so but firstly they don't have to work with hurling and they are surrounded by football clubs who we know are working at a higher level than some of our clubs.

There are 3 schools in Tyrone competing @MacRory level(all got out of group stage) who draw and overlap with some or all of their catchement area + some pupils in their catchment area go to St Marys

There are several schools in their catchment area competing @ B & C levels also.

In football terms I will accept correction on this but as BS has indicated there is little or no evidence of progression from a results perspective than when there were 0, 1, 2 .... teachers half interested.  This is B competition as well

FYI St Ronans who won MacRory & Hogan don't have a pitch @ all so 3G's & virtual tours are all excellent but I'm afraid it misses the point of significant under achievement.

Progress in Hurling (This is effectively B competition as Ulster doesn't compete @ A)  Camogie & Ladies football is very welcome but there is a long way to go

Key question, do pupils have to all pass a transfer test to get to these A schools?

I am not in anyway saying St Louis are cutting the mustard in football, anyone who has ever discussed it with me would know I think it has underachieved.  I was lucky enough to have some very good footballing days at the school in the 90's when we had no facilities but I'd make the point that if the school is looking for a presence in the school to drive success in B football with the infrastructure that is there it would be a great job for someone to take.

Key question, do pupils have to all pass a transfer test to get to these A schools?
I would think for  Dungannon, Omagh, St Marys,  yes Donaghmore in B I would think yes others I don't know


There is a greater Gaelic Games ethos in St Louis than there was 20 years ago No evidence that I can see in Football I would think if you looked at the previous 20 years on the results side they would be at worst equal and probably better. I would be happy to be corrected in this as I'm going on memory This was when there was a negative ethos if there is such a thing