Antrim Hurling

[cfclg]

Very much so NAG - I fully agree.

JC I am really not convinced by how the development squads operate in Antrim.

It's fine in the big counties with big numbers - but in Antrim I see these squads taking players away from clubs and as such harming the overall picture. I am fully supportive of the weekends down south playing games but continuous training sessions with the team are not going to improve their standards any more than being with clubs and ensuring that scene is allowed to prosper. That will benefit them.

Also my experience is that they become the same players on the squad - harder to get off than on. Perhaps this proves that they can subdue the overall scene or maybe it's a lack of scope from officialdom.

Overall I think for Antrim these development squads should be limited to set weekends away with games and "celebrity" coaching sessions rather than continuous training through the year.

In terms of senior - as I say the county management must release players or croke park needs to guarantee set club periods. Otherwise the GAA will become so top heavy that'll it will fall over!

Trying to run development squads in Antrim (or Down) the same way they're run in Dublin or the likes won't work. I know we can't afford to be without four or five minors let alone four or five seniors and still put out a team on a sunday, but thats whats happening in most counties, the league hurling is carrying on without the intercounty players.
For clubs in Antrim and Down to play without their county players would be a huge drop in standard or you get what we have now, either players expected to play two days in a row, no game at all or squeezed in on a wednesday night.
In general I think Antrim club fixtures in Div1 are as good as can be expected with the long drawn out Leinster championship/qualifying rounds, then us playing in a round robin Christy Ring, then that worthless Ulster championship.

I tend to agree with that last statement, the CCC are doing the best job they can and to be honest it is probably one of the most thankless jobs ever. Unfortunately our county teams dictate the club scene and not the other way around. I feel if club hurling or indeed football was really prospering over a few years with good games and big crowds etc, eventually the level of our county team would increase. Throwing all our eggs in the one basket with the county team each year just doesn't work IMO.

[btdtgtt]

Absolutely - I don't blame CCCC - I blame the system where the over whelming majority of players are sacrificed for the few on the county squad.
The dropping club scene then impacts on the county set up.

It's the same with the development squad - are they really developing hurling in the the county?

Current state of Antrim hurling on the inter county scene negates any argument in favour of the status quo.

Change is needed in priorities and fixtures across the GAA.

[btdtgtt]

I see county Antrim GAA in the news for all the wrong reasons again;

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-26562258

[paddyjohn]

I see county Antrim GAA in the news for all the wrong reasons again;

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-26562258

A tad embarrassing. Laughable in fact!

[cfclg]

I see county Antrim GAA in the news for all the wrong reasons again;

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-26562258

A tad embarrassing. Laughable in fact!

Embarrassing, yes. Laughable, not in the slightest.
We are being let down time and again by our county executive. Something has to give.

Locals residents delighted by this no doubt!

Our present county board couldn't run a bath. Time for change, surely there is someone passionate enough with a few brain cells out there to take this on.

[Gizzy15]

I see county Antrim GAA in the news for all the wrong reasons again;

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-26562258

A tad embarrassing. Laughable in fact!

Embarrassing, yes. Laughable, not in the slightest.
We are being let down time and again by our county executive. Something has to give.

Locals residents delighted by this no doubt!

Our present county board couldn't run a bath. Time for change, surely there is someone passionate enough with a few brain cells out there to take this on.

Your right but this can only be achieved by the clubs. They need to stand together and bring down the sham of a setup..

[NAG1]

I see county Antrim GAA in the news for all the wrong reasons again;

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-26562258

A tad embarrassing. Laughable in fact!

Embarrassing, yes. Laughable, not in the slightest.
We are being let down time and again by our county executive. Something has to give.

You seem to be close to this HS, so tell us the solution?

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

what is the craic here with this social club? who actually owns it and how can they stop work going ahead?

[johnneycool]

I see county Antrim GAA in the news for all the wrong reasons again;

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-26562258

A tad embarrassing. Laughable in fact!

Embarrassing, yes. Laughable, not in the slightest.
We are being let down time and again by our county executive. Something has to give.

Locals residents delighted by this no doubt!

Our present county board couldn't run a bath. Time for change, surely there is someone passionate enough with a few brain cells out there to take this on.

Your right but this can only be achieved by the clubs. They need to stand together and bring down the sham of a setup..

The clubs can't get rid of Frankie though.

[Milltown Row2]

I see county Antrim GAA in the news for all the wrong reasons again;

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-26562258

A tad embarrassing. Laughable in fact!

Embarrassing, yes. Laughable, not in the slightest.
We are being let down time and again by our county executive. Something has to give.

You seem to be close to this HS, so tell us the solution?

I think they should lower the part that will stop the sun (3 days a year lol) from shinning and give the the bar back to the social members and give the residents 20 grand!! Job done, had they have done that at the start there would have been no hassle

[btdtgtt]

I see county Antrim GAA in the news for all the wrong reasons again;

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-26562258

A tad embarrassing. Laughable in fact!

Embarrassing, yes. Laughable, not in the slightest.
We are being let down time and again by our county executive. Something has to give.

You seem to be close to this HS, so tell us the solution?

Here was the solution. When the social club told our county that they were prepared to walk away without any issues 2 weeks before they planned to flatten the place - don't answer "We decide when you fcukin leave, not you".
When asked questions at a meeting about the concerns members of the social club have - don't answer "Fcuk up".
Don't go off your own bat and get the locks changed.
Don't go off your own bat and turn the water off.
Don't go off your own bat and turn the electricty off.
Don't phone a hire company and tell them to get their generator out of the ground or you will ensure they get no contracts in the new building.
All of the above done by members of our county executive.
The reasons why they are continually being dragged into court - and losing.

Casement Social Club, to my knowledge, have no interest in holding up or opposing the redevelopment of Casement Park. They are now hoping to negotiate a solution with Antrim GAA, be that in terms of premises within the new stadium and/or temporary premises in the interim, I am not sure.

It is time, however, that our county executive stop with the childish, bully-boy nonsense that they have been up to for almost a year now. It is costing our county a fortune and actually weakening their position.

I don't think there's any doubt that the county executive attitude to the social club is once again concerned with personal vandettas and preserving their own little empires - unfortunately this has been done at the expense of legalities which ultimately the clubs and ordinary gaels will pay for.

Will the executive be held to account for this?

Another narrative is that the social club members and the residents are against the casement re-development.
This is simply not true - but an easy ticket to sell in the media.

To my mind - both groups support the redevelopment - just not in it's current form.
And quite frankly, anyone who argues that the new stadium is too big, and is no longer under the control of Antrim GAA - is quite correct!

In short a couple of thing need exposed;

- our current executive have cost us all money trying to settle personal vendettas using the cloak of casement redevelopment
- the social club / members are not against a new casement, but they have legitimate concerns over the form of the re-development

The fact is that this is another example of how influences outside of the GAA, and within the GAA but outside of Antrim/Belfast, have been able to rail-road over ordinary Gaels at the behest of money and politics.

If that sounds like some grand statement from a soap-box it's honestly not supposed to be - its a statement of fact.

[Last Man]

I see county Antrim GAA in the news for all the wrong reasons again;

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-26562258

A tad embarrassing. Laughable in fact!

Embarrassing, yes. Laughable, not in the slightest.
We are being let down time and again by our county executive. Something has to give.

You seem to be close to this HS, so tell us the solution?

Here was the solution. When the social club told our county that they were prepared to walk away without any issues 2 weeks before they planned to flatten the place - don't answer "We decide when you fcukin leave, not you".
When asked questions at a meeting about the concerns members of the social club have - don't answer "Fcuk up".
Don't go off your own bat and get the locks changed.
Don't go off your own bat and turn the water off.
Don't go off your own bat and turn the electricty off.
Don't phone a hire company and tell them to get their generator out of the ground or you will ensure they get no contracts in the new building.
All of the above done by members of our county executive.
The reasons why they are continually being dragged into court - and losing.

Casement Social Club, to my knowledge, have no interest in holding up or opposing the redevelopment of Casement Park. They are now hoping to negotiate a solution with Antrim GAA, be that in terms of premises within the new stadium and/or temporary premises in the interim, I am not sure.

It is time, however, that our county executive stop with the childish, bully-boy nonsense that they have been up to for almost a year now. It is costing our county a fortune and actually weakening their position.

I don't think there's any doubt that the county executive attitude to the social club is once again concerned with personal vandettas and preserving their own little empires - unfortunately this has been done at the expense of legalities which ultimately the clubs and ordinary gaels will pay for.

Will the executive be held to account for this?

Another narrative is that the social club members and the residents are against the casement re-development.
This is simply not true - but an easy ticket to sell in the media.

To my mind - both groups support the redevelopment - just not in it's current form.
And quite frankly, anyone who argues that the new stadium is too big, and is no longer under the control of Antrim GAA - is quite correct!

In short a couple of thing need exposed;

- our current executive have cost us all money trying to settle personal vendettas using the cloak of casement redevelopment
- the social club / members are not against a new casement, but they have legitimate concerns over the form of the re-development

The fact is that this is another example of how influences outside of the GAA, and within the GAA but outside of Antrim/Belfast, have been able to rail-road over ordinary Gaels at the behest of money and politics.

If that sounds like some grand statement from a soap-box it's honestly not supposed to be - its a statement of fact.

The strings are being pulled from well beyond casement, the landlords tactics against the tricky Tennant..nothing new here albeit clumsy but I've heard of worse. I couldn't care less about the social club tbh. Considering some of the things I've heard said in there the betterment of Antrim GAA wouldn't be a high priority for alot of members. It also tnakes 2 to tango in the courtroom. If I wasn't wanted about the place i'd go somewhere else.  I'll also not be standing for the executive next year, should be an easy run for any takers.

[manballandall]

Seen a post on Facebook by a person I'd have a lot of time for so can only take what he says as true. But the members of the social club are now being threatened to be sued?
Seriously ? WTF is going on. A shambolic way to handle any situation if true.
It's getting worse the more it goes on. The problem of not having business men in charge.
Any truth in this HS?

[Tony Baloney]

100% true. A letter from O'Hare Solicitors on behalf of Antrim County Board threatening court action on each member of the club.

Outrageous.

Where is Brendan?

[btdtgtt]

Would it be possible to find anyone more incompetence to run our county?
Would it be possible to find anyone more unaccountable?

At what stage does it have to get to before "someone" steps in?