The future of laois hurling

Started by Tobias, October 27, 2015, 08:08:58 PM

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Downtheroad

The reality is that we haven't got the numbers to remotely compete at the top level. This years's Laois minor hurling team at this age group was always weak on the way up so it shouldn't be a surprise. The ones coming after are no better. Even our so called "good" teams of last number of years were just very average by national standards. On the club front, we would be better off without the likes of Kyle, Ratheniska, Trumera, Ballypickas, Mountmellick,Slieve Margy, Slieve Bloom and a host of other senior B and intermediate clubs who are a joke in a proper functioning hurling county. If there are decent hurlers in these clubs, they should play with a proper set up. The local community nonsense is exactly that: it's nonsense which is why things are the way they are. For anyone into music, John Lennon's Working Class Hero sums up how GAA at Croke Park level probably think of us. We have clubs who have a better chance of winning the award for the best club for organising funeral guard of honours than winning something of consequence on the field. We are totally deluded down to be calling our second tier SHC (A) as we haven't the courage or the cop on to call it what it is.  If the county had 12 decent hurling units, we would have a better chance of improving standards that what we have at the moment. It's quite simple that if a club cannot operate on its own as juvenile level, then it should not be on its own at adult level.

Don Draper

Quote from: Downtheroad on January 15, 2017, 11:22:43 PM
The reality is that we haven't got the numbers to remotely compete at the top level. This years's Laois minor hurling team at this age group was always weak on the way up so it shouldn't be a surprise. The ones coming after are no better. Even our so called "good" teams of last number of years were just very average by national standards. On the club front, we would be better off without the likes of Kyle, Ratheniska, Trumera, Ballypickas, Mountmellick,Slieve Margy, Slieve Bloom and a host of other senior B and intermediate clubs who are a joke in a proper functioning hurling county. If there are decent hurlers in these clubs, they should play with a proper set up. The local community nonsense is exactly that: it's nonsense which is why things are the way they are. For anyone into music, John Lennon's Working Class Hero sums up how GAA at Croke Park level probably think of us. We have clubs who have a better chance of winning the award for the best club for organising funeral guard of honours than winning something of consequence on the field. We are totally deluded down to be calling our second tier SHC (A) as we haven't the courage or the cop on to call it what it is.  If the county had 12 decent hurling units, we would have a better chance of improving standards that what we have at the moment. It's quite simple that if a club cannot operate on its own as juvenile level, then it should not be on its own at adult level.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is what we call a keyboard warrior. This person also seems to think the club game doesn't matter. He believes the GAA is all about the county set up and senior clubs. He doesn't realise what clubs such as Rosenallis, Annanough, Barrowhouse, Ratheniska, Kyle, Trumera, Slieve Bloom etc, have to give to the organisation. They are the focal point of their communities. Winning a junior or intermediate title with these clubs will be held above all else, and will be celebrated greater than a 9th title in a 9 in a row.

If we are to wind up the likes of the clubs mentioned above, then we may as well just hand over the organisation to the likes of DOWNTHEROAD and let him at it. I presume he is a wind up though. Or an idiot.

blueandwhite1

He still makes a lot of good points though -

1. We haven't enough high quality minor, U-21 and senior hurling teams and could do with a few more amalgamations. 12 really competitive teams would be a good start. Tipp have something like 36.
2. The quality of what is coming up is still not nearly good enough. We had a good spell that produced some nice hurlers but the teams following them have not been great on average. Some massive beatings at Tony Forrestal / Arrabawn competitions are now transferring back up to minor level.

There is probably a link between the number of competitive clubs and the quality of young lads coming through. Divisional teams are good enough for the likes of Cork and Kerry but we could never have them in Laois it seems. Surely a Divisional team that included Trumera, Mountrath, Colt, Shanahoe would be competitive at Senior level and still allow a club ethos at Senior A or Intermediate? Or a Na Fianna senior team? Surely there can be a way to provide incentives to talented young fellas to hurl competitively without losing connection with their club?

Downtheroad

#243
Quote from: Don Draper on January 16, 2017, 09:51:44 AM
Quote from: Downtheroad on January 15, 2017, 11:22:43 PM
The reality is that we haven't got the numbers to remotely compete at the top level. This years's Laois minor hurling team at this age group was always weak on the way up so it shouldn't be a surprise. The ones coming after are no better. Even our so called "good" teams of last number of years were just very average by national standards. On the club front, we would be better off without the likes of Kyle, Ratheniska, Trumera, Ballypickas, Mountmellick,Slieve Margy, Slieve Bloom and a host of other senior B and intermediate clubs who are a joke in a proper functioning hurling county. If there are decent hurlers in these clubs, they should play with a proper set up. The local community nonsense is exactly that: it's nonsense which is why things are the way they are. For anyone into music, John Lennon's Working Class Hero sums up how GAA at Croke Park level probably think of us. We have clubs who have a better chance of winning the award for the best club for organising funeral guard of honours than winning something of consequence on the field. We are totally deluded down to be calling our second tier SHC (A) as we haven't the courage or the cop on to call it what it is.  If the county had 12 decent hurling units, we would have a better chance of improving standards that what we have at the moment. It's quite simple that if a club cannot operate on its own as juvenile level, then it should not be on its own at adult level.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is what we call a keyboard warrior. This person also seems to think the club game doesn't matter. He believes the GAA is all about the county set up and senior clubs. He doesn't realise what clubs such as Rosenallis, Annanough, Barrowhouse, Ratheniska, Kyle, Trumera, Slieve Bloom etc, have to give to the organisation. They are the focal point of their communities. Winning a junior or intermediate title with these clubs will be held above all else, and will be celebrated greater than a 9th title in a 9 in a row.

If we are to wind up the likes of the clubs mentioned above, then we may as well just hand over the organisation to the likes of DOWNTHEROAD and let him at it. I presume he is a wind up though. Or an idiot.

I take issue with your "Keyboard Warrior" jibe  as it's the type of cheap shot that's often uttered when a contrarian view is put forward. Obviously you don't agree with what I'm saying and that's fair enough but I'm perfectly entitled to hold an opinion that we have too many micky mouse clubs. I was referring to hurling but it is probably the same in football. Let's face it the way we are currently constituted, the Kilkenny junior B champions would probably beat most of our Senior B hurling teams. Our Intermediate hurling champions in 2016 (not a bad team or club by Laois standards) failed to the Meath intermediate hurling champions.   

The question is what do we want from the GAA?  Is it an organisation where community participation takes primacy over standards no matter how poor that standard is. If this is what we want that's fine but if it's about improving sporting standards and competing against other codes, then something different needs to be done. 

Don Draper

Quote from: Downtheroad on January 16, 2017, 11:05:12 AM
Quote from: Don Draper on January 16, 2017, 09:51:44 AM
Quote from: Downtheroad on January 15, 2017, 11:22:43 PM
The reality is that we haven't got the numbers to remotely compete at the top level. This years's Laois minor hurling team at this age group was always weak on the way up so it shouldn't be a surprise. The ones coming after are no better. Even our so called "good" teams of last number of years were just very average by national standards. On the club front, we would be better off without the likes of Kyle, Ratheniska, Trumera, Ballypickas, Mountmellick,Slieve Margy, Slieve Bloom and a host of other senior B and intermediate clubs who are a joke in a proper functioning hurling county. If there are decent hurlers in these clubs, they should play with a proper set up. The local community nonsense is exactly that: it's nonsense which is why things are the way they are. For anyone into music, John Lennon's Working Class Hero sums up how GAA at Croke Park level probably think of us. We have clubs who have a better chance of winning the award for the best club for organising funeral guard of honours than winning something of consequence on the field. We are totally deluded down to be calling our second tier SHC (A) as we haven't the courage or the cop on to call it what it is.  If the county had 12 decent hurling units, we would have a better chance of improving standards that what we have at the moment. It's quite simple that if a club cannot operate on its own as juvenile level, then it should not be on its own at adult level.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is what we call a keyboard warrior. This person also seems to think the club game doesn't matter. He believes the GAA is all about the county set up and senior clubs. He doesn't realise what clubs such as Rosenallis, Annanough, Barrowhouse, Ratheniska, Kyle, Trumera, Slieve Bloom etc, have to give to the organisation. They are the focal point of their communities. Winning a junior or intermediate title with these clubs will be held above all else, and will be celebrated greater than a 9th title in a 9 in a row.

If we are to wind up the likes of the clubs mentioned above, then we may as well just hand over the organisation to the likes of DOWNTHEROAD and let him at it. I presume he is a wind up though. Or an idiot.

I take issue with your "Keyboard Warrior" jibe  as it's the type of cheap shot that's often uttered when a contrarian view is put forward. Obviously you don't agree with what I'm saying and that's fair enough but I'm perfectly entitled to hold an opinion that we have too many micky mouse clubs. I was referring to hurling but it is probably the same in football. Let's face it the way we are currently constituted, the Kilkenny junior B champions would probably beat most of our Senior B hurling teams. Our Intermediate hurling champions in 2016 (not a bad team or club by Laois standards) failed to the Meath intermediate hurling champions.   

The question is what do we want from the GAA?  Is it an organisation where community participation takes primacy over standards no matter how poor that standard is. If this is what we want that's fine but if it's about improving sporting standards and competing against other codes, then something different needs to be done.
Your different was winding up a load of junior and intermediate clubs. Straight away you should a lack of understand and respect for what the GAA is and always has been. In some of the communities you mentioned, the club is the community. You mocked guards of honours at funerals. How anyone can mock that is beyond me. Theres been plenty of men who only had 4 men under their coffin at their funeral because of the GAA. You find this a bullet for a gun in a shot across these clubs, I find it disgusting.

beano

Couple of things I'd like to say, where are the coaches that were in the setanta programme when the likes of cha Dwyer and pj scully were there , same with joe campions group. Have we dropped our coaching standards?!

clonadmad

Quote from: blueandwhite1 on January 16, 2017, 10:44:36 AM
He still makes a lot of good points though -

1. We haven't enough high quality minor, U-21 and senior hurling teams and could do with a few more amalgamations. 12 really competitive teams would be a good start. Tipp have something like 36.
2. The quality of what is coming up is still not nearly good enough. We had a good spell that produced some nice hurlers but the teams following them have not been great on average. Some massive beatings at Tony Forrestal / Arrabawn competitions are now transferring back up to minor level.

There is probably a link between the number of competitive clubs and the quality of young lads coming through. Divisional teams are good enough for the likes of Cork and Kerry but we could never have them in Laois it seems. Surely a Divisional team that included Trumera, Mountrath, Colt, Shanahoe would be competitive at Senior level and still allow a club ethos at Senior A or Intermediate? Or a Na Fianna senior team? Surely there can be a way to provide incentives to talented young fellas to hurl competitively without losing connection with their club?


Theres 28 senior Teams in Tipp which they are in the process of reducing.There are 70 plus hurling clubs in Tipp,Laois on its own would  be similar to 1 of 4 divisions there

We cant compete with the likes of Cork or Tipp with playing numbers and the reality is our 84k population isnt like hurling mad kk with a pop of 99k.

We need to be smart and allow every talented hurler the opportunity to play at the highest level that he can.

Speaking from my own local perspective,there needs to be 1 senior team in Raheen Parish,if there needs to 2 intermediate teams and 2 junior teams in the parish so be it.



Tobias

There can be a debate about clubs amalgamating etc but the key point that I keep going back to is the lack of planning for the future at Co level. As I've said on so many occasions a plan for laois hurling must be devised structurally, financially supported and followed through by a full time director of hurling and a team working under him. I believe it's a travesty that the one man that had the vision and the passion to make it happen is no longer involved at any County level.

SpeculativeEffort

Quote from: Tobias on January 18, 2017, 04:39:24 PM
There can be a debate about clubs amalgamating etc but the key point that I keep going back to is the lack of planning for the future at Co level. As I've said on so many occasions a plan for laois hurling must be devised structurally, financially supported and followed through by a full time director of hurling and a team working under him. I believe it's a travesty that the one man that had the vision and the passion to make it happen is no longer involved at any County level.

Agree with every word

Target Man

A lack of numbers hurling is a big problem for us

Portlaoise - Hurling struggling
Portarlington - virtually no hurling
Graiguecullen - virtually no hurling
Mountmellick - hurling weak

Thats 4 of the biggest urban areas in a small dual county to begin with. I don't mean any disrespect to tthe clubs mentioned (I hope they all prove me wrong), but itsalways going to be tough to compete with our hurling playing population

Zooming around

I see on Facebook where our Juvenile Combined Colleges Hurling team hammered Dublin North today by 5-10 to 0-08.

redsetanta

Saw that and make no bones about it that is a very encouraging win.
The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That's real glory. VinceLombardi

Zooming around

U15 panel announced


Aaron
Brennan
Abbeyleix

Adam
Broady
Abbeyleix

Robert
Corkish
Abbeyleix

Eoghan
Dunne
Abbeyleix

Eamon
Fitzpatrick
Abbeyleix

Lee
Maher
Abbeyleix

Fionan
Mahony
Abbeyleix

David
Sheeran
Abbeyleix

Cathal
O'Shaughnessy
Ballinakill

Cian
O'Shaughnessy
Ballinakill

Aaron
O'Dea
Ballypickas

Niall
Coss
Borris in Ossory/Kilcotton

Jack
Foyle
Borris in Ossory/Kilcotton

Keelan
Kelly
Borris in Ossory/Kilcotton

Tomas
Keyes
Camross

Jamie
Gill
Castletown/Slieve Bloom

Tadhg
Cuddy
Castletown/Slieve Bloom

Darragh
Tobin
Castletown/Slieve Bloom

DJ
Callaghan
Clonaslee St Manmans

Darragh
Hogan
Clough/Ballacolla

Kevin
Mulhall
Clough/Ballacolla

Adam
Kirwan
Mountrath

Brian
Bredin
Mountrath

Paddy
Hosey
Na Fianna

Darragh
Lyons
Na Fianna

Danny
Brennan
Park/Ratheniska

Mark
Ramsbottom
Park/Ratheniska

Eoin
Naughton
Portlaoise

Eamon
Delaney
Raheen Parish Gaels

Conor
Goode
Raheen Parish Gaels

James
Whelan
Raheen Parish Gaels

Aaron
Costigan
Rathdowney/Errill

Cian
Bourke
Rathdowney/Errill

Ian
Shanahan
Slieve Margy

Conor
Delaney
The Harps

James
Duggan
The Harps

Michael
Monahan
The Harps






redsetanta

Great to see young Shanahan from Slieve Margy in there. He wouldn't have had a chance a few years ago. Thats what its all about, developing hurlers for the county.
The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That's real glory. VinceLombardi

finbar o tool

Quote from: Tobias on January 18, 2017, 04:39:24 PM
There can be a debate about clubs amalgamating etc but the key point that I keep going back to is the lack of planning for the future at Co level. As I've said on so many occasions a plan for laois hurling must be devised structurally, financially supported and followed through by a full time director of hurling and a team working under him. I believe it's a travesty that the one man that had the vision and the passion to make it happen is no longer involved at any County level.

Absolutely agree, we can talk about numbers and physical size etc etc all day long but none of that matters if the above is not implemented. We are LITERALLY 10/15 years behind the likes of Dublin/Clare/Kilkenny when it comes to coaching and structures and organisation.
An amateur requires a personal commitment that money cannot buy