Antrim Football Thread

[Milltown Row2]

But the big question is this, are they getting fed before during and after these games??

[paddyjohn]

The thing with Saint Louis size, definitely in my time there were many boys who did'nt play sport at all never mind GAA but that has certainly changed.  They are building a new gym set up in there at the moment and there is a lot of positive work been done but its also about the club provision of quality to the school, transfer test results and the general push for football in the county.

In the late 90's St Louis had few successful years and a good few county players came through there and as i said before it was still more of a soccer school.  In those teams at that time the coaching was down to 2 maths teachers and a history teacher.  Hopefully going forward when the quality groups come through the platform will be there to progress.

St Louis had a serious amount of talent through their ranks. I remember seeing a picture on FB of an old team. Quite a few county minors/Un21s and seniors in it.

[Hectic]

St Louis played a friendly against us around 1990 at 5th year stage - it was arranged in part through some lads in both schools that knew each other - at that time they were gathering lads up for the game as they had no team entered in any competition - poor enough given their catchment - that said I think they did win an All Ireland hurling title around that time.

[clootfromthe21]

St Louis played a friendly against us around 1990 at 5th year stage - it was arranged in part through some lads in both schools that knew each other - at that time they were gathering lads up for the game as they had no team entered in any competition - poor enough given their catchment - that said I think they did win an All Ireland hurling title around that time.

St Louis got to an All Ireland B Hurling Final in the late 80s and an All Ireland B Football Final in the mid 1990s. Lost both, unfortunately. In fact, I have a notion that the school that beat them after extra time in hurling last year was the one that beat them in the football final previously.

[Dreen]

I didn't go there until 93 but there was a very good run and a lot of talent in both codes through it in my time and after.

St Louis catchment really abit of a myth as you needed a 1or2 in the 11 plus to get in firstly and in my year you had more Ballymena, Antrim town, Larne, Randalstown non gaa boys than you had from local gaa clubs.

Rasharkin and Dunloy were always split at grammar school by St. Louis and loreto and very few Creggan players in my time.

Our lady of Lourdes and St olcans had some great footballers through them when I was young.
Compare that situation to maghera say which worked in catchment area rather than selection and you see the disparity

[Walter Cronc]

It might not happen but should Antrim GAA not be trying to encourage lads (Portglenone, Creggan, Cargin etc) towards St Louis as opposed to the Convent/Maghera?

[Dreen]

I think there has been a chage in recent years and children wanting to attend the school on its gaa push.  The gear that's around the school and yes teams being fed pasta in school canteen before games etc has a very professional approach, credit to Gearoid on that.

Just too many variables for a push of children by county or club to a school.  Parents maybe wanting their child to attend the old school and more importantly for most the academic performance.

I know for a good few years st Mary's would have been a better performer in the league tables than St. Louis though there has been a great improvement since Sean Rafferty took over.

He has been behind the gaa push and that's what was needed.

[Walter Cronc]

I think there has been a chage in recent years and children wanting to attend the school on its gaa push.  The gear that's around the school and yes teams being fed pasta in school canteen before games etc has a very professional approach, credit to Gearoid on that.

Just too many variables for a push of children by county or club to a school.  Parents maybe wanting their child to attend the old school and more importantly for most the academic performance.

I know for a good few years st Mary's would have been a better performer in the league tables than St. Louis though there has been a great improvement since Sean Rafferry took over.

He has been behind the gaa push and that's what was needed.

Oh yes of course the academic aspect is first and foremost in the parents thoughts.

[Hectic]

I didn't go there until 93 but there was a very good run and a lot of talent in both codes through it in my time and after.

St Louis catchment really abit of a myth as you needed a 1or2 in the 11 plus to get in firstly and in my year you had more Ballymena, Antrim town, Larne, Randalstown non gaa boys than you had from local gaa clubs.

Rasharkin and Dunloy were always split at grammar school by St. Louis and loreto and very few Creggan players in my time.

Our lady of Lourdes and St olcans had some great footballers through them when I was young.
Compare that situation to maghera say which worked in catchment area rather than selection and you see the disparity

I get what you are saying about not having all the lads from surrounding clubs but surely what they would gather from Ballymena, Portglenone, Rasharkin, Dunloy, Moneygalss, Glenravel, Randalstown, and Antrim still represents a fair catchment (roughly a third of the football clubs in the county) plus I know there are kids that now travel from Glenavy to St Louis for their education.

If the school could get itself a reputation for pushing Gaelic Football strongly then they might attract other pupils on this basis in much the same way as St Pats Maghera operates.

[Dreen]

I would say they are currently benefiting from that sort of spread and that going forward we will see the benefit of that.  I'm more relating to the past and the many years probably lost in the push of football especially.

Can't see however how it will ever be like st pats whiles transfer tests exists. 

[blindside]

Dreen

don't think the expectation would be that it would become a St Pat's Maghera. The expectation would be that they should be very competitive @ B level every year. In the Newry area they have 3 schools within a handful of miles of each other competing close to the top of A level every year + 2 other schools about 20 minutes away also competing at A level. 

St Louis is not the only school that has pupils who don't play sport or indeed Gaelic Games. I do think they have the numbers ....approximately 150/2 per year ....  even @ conservative 20% gives 15 per year  team covering 2 year groups + cream of year below would give you 35 - 40 ....remember it is B level as well ... some reasonably strong clubs in the area as well so some decent talent 

As an ex pupil I have a fair idea of what is/has been there  ....not close to punching its weight

You better withdraw the comment about them getting fed ....very touchy subject @ the moment

[Dreen]

At 5th year this year they were competitive at A grade, and I think you have to look at it in context that B level football is at its most competitive it's ever been.  When you were a pupil blindside I'm sure you didn't have to contend with Cookstown or ballygawley as they were kicking vocational schools.

Those newry schools are selecting from very strong clubs which imo are ahead of a lot  of ours.

Schools football will always be cyclical in terms of how good a team come through, when saint louis had strong teams say for 2 years then the year after that the level could have dropped massively.

Sorry I may have good the food wrong, they brought the pasta with them

[blindside]

At 5th year this year they were competitive at A grade, and I think you have to look at it in context that B level football is at its most competitive it's ever been.  When you were a pupil blindside I'm sure you didn't have to contend with Cookstown or ballygawley as they were kicking vocational schools.

Those newry schools are selecting from very strong clubs which imo are ahead of a lot  of ours.

Schools football will always be cyclical in terms of how good a team come through, when saint louis had strong teams say for 2 years then the year after that the level could have dropped massively.

Sorry I may have good the food wrong, they brought the pasta with them

Good man Dreen you may have solved the food for Development Squads issue 

Bring your own Pasta and a flask of Boiling Water 

[country bumpkin]

Minors were unlucky to lose out to Derry last nite....excellent Ballymena pitch.

[bannside]

Going ok here in the Athletic grounds.  Armagh 1.03 Antrim 0.06. Great venue for a game.