Antrim Hurling

[Gall the way]

I 'think' we lack passion for the game in the right numbers. A passionate Antrim hurling man is as passionate as any hurling man from the strong counties, but we lack (I believe) the right numbers across the parental population with the crazy desire needed to encourage their kids to go at the game in the right way. I think that results in a fall off in the effort applied by a fair number of kids as they move through U16 and U18 rather than push on. Variability in coaching standards across the county (as I'm sure in alot of counties) is a thing but I believe that has a symbiotic relationship with the apathy in population that I've mentioned.

I think these two points "parental population" and "coaching standards" are spot on with the schools added into the mix. My son is at a certain school in Atown Belfast that offer very little for GAA; the kids in his class seemed to have trouble with throwing and running at the recent sports day at P4 never mind how to hurl! My nephew is in an Irish school on the falls road and they have GAA after school twice a week as well as PE twice a week. Unless the school buy in then it makes it a bit harder. Nothing stopping the clubs giving support once a week to the school? Even to pay a club coach to go in  would be well worth it!
Although I do think clubs should be the focus for development, it's all well and good recruiting a child to play, but then to have a poor coach getting all players in a big line for a drill takes away the fun and development side.
I would only wish this Belfast plan was actually consulted with all club coaches and men on the ground!! Unfortunately our county board had other ideas of who to ask!

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

I 'think' we lack passion for the game in the right numbers. A passionate Antrim hurling man is as passionate as any hurling man from the strong counties, but we lack (I believe) the right numbers across the parental population with the crazy desire needed to encourage their kids to go at the game in the right way. I think that results in a fall off in the effort applied by a fair number of kids as they move through U16 and U18 rather than push on. Variability in coaching standards across the county (as I'm sure in alot of counties) is a thing but I believe that has a symbiotic relationship with the apathy in population that I've mentioned.

I think these two points "parental population" and "coaching standards" are spot on with the schools added into the mix. My son is at a certain school in Atown Belfast that offer very little for GAA; the kids in his class seemed to have trouble with throwing and running at the recent sports day at P4 never mind how to hurl! My nephew is in an Irish school on the falls road and they have GAA after school twice a week as well as PE twice a week. Unless the school buy in then it makes it a bit harder. Nothing stopping the clubs giving support once a week to the school? Even to pay a club coach to go in  would be well worth it!
Although I do think clubs should be the focus for development, it's all well and good recruiting a child to play, but then to have a poor coach getting all players in a big line for a drill takes away the fun and development side.
I would only wish this Belfast plan was actually consulted with all club coaches and men on the ground!! Unfortunately our county board had other ideas of who to ask!

I think thats the main point there with regards to primary schools. if theres something there whos willing to give up their time in order to promote and improve the 3 codes in that school then it wont be done.

Our own local PS has a few vols who are eager to continue that theme of coaching the kids and making sure that they are getting to blitzs, games etc and the kids love it. If they should decide to leave the employment of the school theres no guarantee that a person of that same level of enthusiasm would be there to step up and fill in the void that they have left.

with so much emphasis put onto education and the pressure kids and parents are under to ensure that they progress along with each other child the likes of GAA etc is at the back of a minds of many parents whilst they are in school, which is understandable.

i never once had a stick in my hand at primary school for the 7 years i was there. 5 years at secondary school i played 3 years of hurling and each time it was pure torture to get any sort of time off to play a match. that was brave while ago  but it seems that alot of kids are still having the same problems with regards to playing hurling at that age.

[ned]

Why are Antrim not good enough in both football and hurling? Does anyone actually know? Massive population but they've been shite in both codes for years and years. Is it the county board? Schools? Clubs? Gaelic games culture? or is it everything?

Fish Suppers and Ulster Scots genes

Haha! You might have finally cracked it there lad!

What % of the population of Antrim are actually GAA members compared to Tipp or Galway or Kilkenny? The number of hurling clubs isnt that great for a start. People seem to forget 50% plus of the population there are not interested in gaelic sports!

[Milltown Row2]

Population of County Antrim - About 620,000
50% - About 310,000

Population of County Kilkenny - About 100,000

Not sure we can blame the huns this time. Must be the fish suppers.

Pastie baps would be the staple diet...

[Sleeping giant]

hes back

naw theres been no answer to that, very disappointed when you consider how well they did this season.

its borderline a disgrace.  Unless there is a suitable reason as to why. 

[imtommygunn]

I also wondered about that. It would be nice to see a reason.

With regards to why we are unsuccessful you could probably write a phd on it.

County split in terms of gaa interest due to religion / politics. County split between hurling and football. No reall appetite for the county setup. Schools not competing at a high enough level etc. Hurling is a tougher one. Geography kills us and to be honest the game wexford, kilkenny, munster teams and galway teams play sometimes feels very different to what we play. I think the hammerings we have taken over the years in the hurling has led to a loss of appetite for the county team. I believe, like a lot, we should be a lot better in the hurling.

In the hurling for some reason i have always had a bit of hope but having gone to football games for about 30 years now i am not sure i am filled with much hope

[paddyjohn]

Population of County Antrim - About 620,000
50% - About 310,000

Population of County Kilkenny - About 100,000

Not sure we can blame the huns this time. Must be the fish suppers.

Pastie baps would be the staple diet...

Brown sauce or Mayo?

[Milltown Row2]

Population of County Antrim - About 620,000
50% - About 310,000

Population of County Kilkenny - About 100,000

Not sure we can blame the huns this time. Must be the fish suppers.

Pastie baps would be the staple diet...

Brown sauce or Mayo?

Chips on it with red sauce would be Aldo's main dish

[saffron89]

Skull hit the nail on the head.  If sheedy is coming up let him work with the underage crowd. Too late when it comes flto current seniors.  And I agree with dunloy realist not enough being done in schools.  Yet Antrim were 3Rd or 4th I think when it came to the amount being spent for coaches in Ireland.  We are a laughing stock both on and off the pitch 

[Gall the way]

Skull hit the nail on the head.  If sheedy is coming up let him work with the underage crowd. Too late when it comes flto current seniors.  And I agree with dunloy realist not enough being done in schools.  Yet Antrim were 3Rd or 4th I think when it came to the amount being spent for coaches in Ireland.  We are a laughing stock both on and off the pitch

Yes saw that document but that was an amount over 7/8 years which in fairness to Antrim was only enough to pay 3 full time staff over that period.
Heard that the u17 debacle was because "the lads wouldn't want another tanking." Honest to God! Couldn't believe it when I heard it! Can't see why the "saffron vision" wouldn't have wanted to play in an AI Semi!

[Last Man]

Skull hit the nail on the head.  If sheedy is coming up let him work with the underage crowd. Too late when it comes flto current seniors.  And I agree with dunloy realist not enough being done in schools.  Yet Antrim were 3Rd or 4th I think when it came to the amount being spent for coaches in Ireland.  We are a laughing stock both on and off the pitch

Yes saw that document but that was an amount over 7/8 years which in fairness to Antrim was only enough to pay 3 full time staff over that period.
Heard that the u17 debacle was because "the lads wouldn't want another tanking." Honest to God! Couldn't believe it when I heard it! Can't see why the "saffron vision" wouldn't have wanted to play in an AI Semi!

Kind of backs up my earlier posts, there's no interest unless there's a sniff of success. A pity really.

[theskull1]

I don't think many were aware until very recently that the U17 competition progressed in this way, so its possible that they had emotionally detached from it by the time they'd heard about that fixture.

[johnneycool]

I don't think many were aware until very recently that the U17 competition progressed in this way, so its possible that they had emotionally detached from it by the time they'd heard about that fixture.

Which kind of backs up the comments on Hoganstand from a Down contributor who I suspect would be involved with Down development squads that no one seemed to know how the Ulster representative was to be selected.
There's a good chance the Antrim U17 panel was defunct after the Celtic Challenge and hadn't prepared for this.

There's no reason to suggest that Dublin would have hammered Antrim either as they can't field any lads on their current minor panel whereas Antrim can.

[Hectic]

Having a scan through the league tables there and I see Glenravel are right down at the foot of Div 3/4.  If memory serves me right they played in the top half of Div 3 after the split last year.  As such this is a fair drop and even more significant when you consider who is managing them this season.  I know it was always said that Nelson was the real man behind the Shamrocks AI success - this probably further vindicates this view point.

[Last Man]

Having a scan through the league tables there and I see Glenravel are right down at the foot of Div 3/4.  If memory serves me right they played in the top half of Div 3 after the split last year.  As such this is a fair drop and even more significant when you consider who is managing them this season.  I know it was always said that Nelson was the real man behind the Shamrocks AI success - this probably further vindicates this view point.

They were Div.4 last year,I think it has a lot more to do with an aging team in fairness and having to struggle against div.3 teams, they'll be targeting a  run in the JHC all the same. I don't think there is any doubt that Nelson's input with the Shamrock's was key to their success and PJ has bound to have learned a fair bit off him in the process. How this translates to taking a struggling lower league club I don't know.