Antrim Hurling

Started by milltown row, January 26, 2007, 11:21:26 AM

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johnnycool

Quote from: imtommygunn on January 14, 2022, 09:06:51 AM
Barr first all star and was a good one. Some strength in him. Dessie Donnelly not too shabby either.

I saw a comment on it on facebook which i thought was fair. Nelson was fantastic and deserves immense credit but they probably should have mentioned Sean McGuinness too as he laid a very good platform.

Big Sean would still have been with Antrim through most of the late 80's and 90's but for the row within Sarsfields which he believed the CB washed their hands off, hence why he stepped down and was my own counties gain.

As for Sambo, he was one strong, effective hurler with a great touch and a better hand on him and whilst not blessed with pace took the shortest route to get passed you, more often than not it was over you.. I've been there as a young lad and one experience up in the dall i can barely remember as i think he knocked me out for a short while under a dropping ball and his elbow caught me flush on the jaw. The next thing i remember was getting up after he'd scored a goal.
My Da had great time for him and used to block up the main street in Kircubbin with his bus if he'd saw Sambo delivering kegs to the Village Inn for a chat.

Not sure if he courts publicity and i've listened to him on a few radio interviews on RTE talking about hurling in Antrim and Ulster in general and more often than not he's bang on the money. He was once asked whether a Brian Cody type figure would help Antrim hurling and his response to it was that "we don't need a Brian Cody, we need a Ned Quinn".

I'll get round to watching him on the RTE player sometime this weekend..




JimStynes

Did McFetridge not only play for a handful of years due to injuries? Boys like Sambo played for a life time.

paddyjohn

Best I've saw play for Antrim, Leonard McKeegan or Beaver.

Watson gets a mention but attitude let's him down.

barnish oggie

Cloot was my first ever sporting hero so he gets it for me.

As Sambo said, he was a magician with a hurl and a great character.

Both goals v Offaly in 89 were testaments to what he could do.

Other notable mentions have to go to Dessie Donnelly, James McNaughton, Paul McKillen, Neil McManus And Liam Watson who could have been right at the top if the attitude was better.

Not old enough to have seen Eddie Donnelly or Danny McNaughton but heard a lot of great things about them so likely they should be in that company as well.

north_antrim_hound

Watched Sambo on tg4 last night, very touching and thought provoking on the educational system back then. At least we have moved on from those dark days. One depressing aspect was the reality check of where we belong on the hurling spectrum something Terence eluded to. The program rekindled the hype and euphoria in Antrim and Ulster that team brought. Never thought that winding forward over 30 years later we still haven't reached another final, still it was great viewing and well worth a watch.
There's a man with a mullet going mad with a mallet in Millets

bannside

Just watched the Loachra Gael there. A fantastic hour, possibly one of the very best episodes ever! Brings back many great personal memories of that team, of that time. It's only realistic to say we won't ever get that opportunity again in most of our lifetimes. Buses from all over the county travelling to places like Thurles or Ballinrobe for hurling league games around the country, everyone proud to be Antrim.

Bringing wee John into the mix at the end of the programme was a touch of class too. One for the archives.


johnnycool

Quote from: bannside on January 15, 2022, 10:14:39 AM
Just watched the Loachra Gael there. A fantastic hour, possibly one of the very best episodes ever! Brings back many great personal memories of that team, of that time. It's only realistic to say we won't ever get that opportunity again in most of our lifetimes. Buses from all over the county travelling to places like Thurles or Ballinrobe for hurling league games around the country, everyone proud to be Antrim.

Bringing wee John into the mix at the end of the programme was a touch of class too. One for the archives.

That was hard watching but fair play to him baring his soul like that. No doubt he'd a lot of personal battles along the way and he didn't shy away from them.

It has to be said that both Antrim and Down were playing in Div1 NHL at that time, IIRC there were two groups of 6 in Div1 but both were holding their own and as he pointed out Antrim really had Kilkenny on the rack that day down in Dundalk in an AI semi-final. I remember my dad taking me to it, hot sunny day with a big crowd at it.
Antrim weren't far off it back then and whilst that team did fall off it was because Down were pushing them and then Derry got their house in order and were also making the Ulster Championship competitive. Antrims straight run at an AI semi-final was now under pressure.

Looking back at it now, they were probably the golden years of Ulster hurling.

Once the Ulster championship was sidelined by Croke Park into intially an AI quarter final position and then ultimately a stand alone competition on the introduction of the Christy Ring and the likes was the demise of it as being a competition that held any meaning which is sad in a way but at the end the Ulster Council were rushing it through at any time they could squeeze it in and that served nobody.

Saffsof82

hear the Derry clubs looking back into juvenile and reserve leagues, be a good move for everyone that.

johnnycool

Quote from: Saffsof82 on January 19, 2022, 09:06:28 AM
hear the Derry clubs looking back into juvenile and reserve leagues, be a good move for everyone that.

We're looking to get a minor team in as well..


Ciall

Quote from: Saffsof82 on January 19, 2022, 09:06:28 AM
hear the Derry clubs looking back into juvenile and reserve leagues, be a good move for everyone that.

Agreed! There's a vast contrast in ability level within the leagues so this helps even it out a bit more. I think the external counties in our senior hurling leagues are badly needed kept too! I heard tell there was discussions as to whether they should be "kept in." Would be disastrous if they were removed! Eg St Galls and Sarsfields in Div 2 sit well at their level- if we remove the Down teams (for example) from Div 1, you end up with a lot  of mismatches in Div 1 and a waste of time for everyone concerned.
I'd actually suggest pushing to get Slaughtneil etc into our league also to help push our top 4/5 teams on!

Saffsof82

Quote from: Ciall on January 19, 2022, 12:46:17 PM
Quote from: Saffsof82 on January 19, 2022, 09:06:28 AM
hear the Derry clubs looking back into juvenile and reserve leagues, be a good move for everyone that.

Agreed! There's a vast contrast in ability level within the leagues so this helps even it out a bit more. I think the external counties in our senior hurling leagues are badly needed kept too! I heard tell there was discussions as to whether they should be "kept in." Would be disastrous if they were removed! Eg St Galls and Sarsfields in Div 2 sit well at their level- if we remove the Down teams (for example) from Div 1, you end up with a lot  of mismatches in Div 1 and a waste of time for everyone concerned.
I'd actually suggest pushing to get Slaughtneil etc into our league also to help push our top 4/5 teams on!

yes , 100% right, but heard the chairman not keen on outside clubs

Fear Bun Na Sceilpe

Because nobody likes travelling to us in Derry City for example-thats the issue

Ciall

Quote from: Saffsof82 on January 19, 2022, 02:36:57 PM
Quote from: Ciall on January 19, 2022, 12:46:17 PM
Quote from: Saffsof82 on January 19, 2022, 09:06:28 AM
hear the Derry clubs looking back into juvenile and reserve leagues, be a good move for everyone that.

Agreed! There's a vast contrast in ability level within the leagues so this helps even it out a bit more. I think the external counties in our senior hurling leagues are badly needed kept too! I heard tell there was discussions as to whether they should be "kept in." Would be disastrous if they were removed! Eg St Galls and Sarsfields in Div 2 sit well at their level- if we remove the Down teams (for example) from Div 1, you end up with a lot  of mismatches in Div 1 and a waste of time for everyone concerned.
I'd actually suggest pushing to get Slaughtneil etc into our league also to help push our top 4/5 teams on!

yes , 100% right, but heard the chairman not keen on outside clubs

I know he's chair and puts a fair amount of time into it I'm sure, but how could he possibly push through his own agenda without discussing with clubs? Did he even hurl? Or even hurl to a decent level to understand the need to for competitive games rather than drummings? I'd be disappointed to see something like that become real.


Tyrdub

Quote from: Ciall on January 19, 2022, 07:49:08 PM
Quote from: Saffsof82 on January 19, 2022, 02:36:57 PM
Quote from: Ciall on January 19, 2022, 12:46:17 PM
Quote from: Saffsof82 on January 19, 2022, 09:06:28 AM
hear the Derry clubs looking back into juvenile and reserve leagues, be a good move for everyone that.

Agreed! There's a vast contrast in ability level within the leagues so this helps even it out a bit more. I think the external counties in our senior hurling leagues are badly needed kept too! I heard tell there was discussions as to whether they should be "kept in." Would be disastrous if they were removed! Eg St Galls and Sarsfields in Div 2 sit well at their level- if we remove the Down teams (for example) from Div 1, you end up with a lot  of mismatches in Div 1 and a waste of time for everyone concerned.
I'd actually suggest pushing to get Slaughtneil etc into our league also to help push our top 4/5 teams on!

yes , 100% right, but heard the chairman not keen on outside clubs

I know he's chair and puts a fair amount of time into it I'm sure, but how could he possibly push through his own agenda without discussing with clubs? Did he even hurl? Or even hurl to a decent level to understand the need to for competitive games rather than drummings? I'd be disappointed to see something like that become real.
Now that is a ridiculous statement. Do you need to play to know what a team needs? Plenty of managers  who have won top level competitions but have never won them as a player.

imtommygunn

Slaughtneil wouldn't be the same beast in the league as the championship - too many football matches and I don't know how they'd coordinate them. I suppose this applies to Bredagh and Carryduff too mind you but I don't know how dual clubs work with clashes in dual fixtures with their own counties. Not an issue for the ards clubs or some others.

Is someone saying it's going to be an antrim only league? What happens the clubs outside antrim currently in the leagues or am I reading that wrong? If not that'd be a terrible idea...