Amalgamated Hurling Counties

Started by blueandwhite1, April 27, 2017, 01:19:15 PM

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blueandwhite1

I am starting this thread and will immediately duck to avoid getting hit by all the missiles that will be thrown at me!

Just an idea......


Ulster recently came up with the idea of creating an Ulster team to enter the All-Ireland hurling competition - pulling in all the best hurlers to produce a team that might be much more competitive than Antrim alone. (There are zero Ulster teams in this years championship - Antrim are Christy Ring).

What about the idea of a Midlands or Divisional team?? For pig-iron's sake say Laois, Carlow, Kildare, Wicklow or (god forbid) Laois, Offaly, Westmeath. There are a 100 ways it could be put together and another 1000 problems but it could give the best players in each county a chance at a Leinster / All-Ireland medal. 

Zooming around

Cavan have just reformed as well so we could include them. For example Carlow, Offaly, Cavan and Kildare could join up and enter as C.O.C.K... ie What this thread is a load of.

Dave like the tv channel

Quote from: blueandwhite1 on April 27, 2017, 01:19:15 PM
I am starting this thread and will immediately duck to avoid getting hit by all the missiles that will be thrown at me!

Just an idea......


Ulster recently came up with the idea of creating an Ulster team to enter the All-Ireland hurling competition - pulling in all the best hurlers to produce a team that might be much more competitive than Antrim alone. (There are zero Ulster teams in this years championship - Antrim are Christy Ring).

What about the idea of a Midlands or Divisional team?? For pig-iron's sake say Laois, Carlow, Kildare, Wicklow or (god forbid) Laois, Offaly, Westmeath. There are a 100 ways it could be put together and another 1000 problems but it could give the best players in each county a chance at a Leinster / All-Ireland medal.

To be honest, it's following the elitist path that Croke Park are paving at the moment.

It's not a bad idea and similar to the approach of clubs giving their players a chance to play A underage or senior adult, this would permit players from Laois, Offaly & Westmeath to start thinking of the later stages. Kildare had a useful league campaign too.

If you put Laois/Carlow/Wicklow, Offaly/Kildare/Westmeath/Meath and Ulster, you add two panels of players who won't see the business end of an All Ireland championship for a long time. Those combos account for most of Div2 in the 2017 NHL.

Should be proposed.


G@@

Don't we have the inter-provincials for exactly this purpose?
"I can't get over you - 'till you come out from under him" - Pat Shortt - Class!

blueandwhite1

Quote from: G@@ on April 28, 2017, 09:49:47 AM
Don't we have the inter-provincials for exactly this purpose?

The inter pros are dead. What Ulster are proposing is closer to what happens in Club Rugby. Munster - a province, play against English and French city-clubs with greater resources and population bases. Hence they are a divisional team of sorts. Cork Con or Shannon would never be competitive in the Champions Cup. Similarly, Laois and most other teams outside of the top 5 or 6 will probably never be competitive because of their playing populations and resources. What we all have though is a naive dream of a breakthrough which really won't happen unless we either hugely increase our player base (like Clare and Waterford) or there is some sort of amalgamation, similar to the Ulster proposal.

G@@

Quote from: blueandwhite1 on April 28, 2017, 09:56:45 PM
Quote from: G@@ on April 28, 2017, 09:49:47 AM
Don't we have the inter-provincials for exactly this purpose?

...will probably never be competitive because of their playing populations and resources. What we all have though is a naive dream of a breakthrough which really won't happen...

Populations - The population of Laois has gone from 51,171 (in 1981) when we were probably at our most competitive since 1915. Today it stands at 84,732 (the 2016 Census). So, what have we been doing to "sell" hurling to the new populace?

Resources - Compared to 1981, I'd safely say resources are a damn sight better.

Kilkenny's population is 99,118 in comparison and has increased from 70,806 in 1981.
"I can't get over you - 'till you come out from under him" - Pat Shortt - Class!

Dave like the tv channel

A lot of Laois' population increase are simply blow-ins. How much interest are these people taking in local clubs? In a lot of larger towns, you'll see more Dublin jerseys than Laois ones.

Anyway, back on topic, the proposal could be a stop-gap until G@@ figures out how to sell snow to the eskimos.

clonadmad

Quote from: Dave like the tv channel on April 29, 2017, 01:14:36 AM
A lot of Laois' population increase are simply blow-ins. How much interest are these people taking in local clubs? In a lot of larger towns, you'll see more Dublin jerseys than Laois ones.

Anyway, back on topic, the proposal could be a stop-gap until G@@ figures out how to sell snow to the eskimos.

The adults might be blow in's,but if they have Kids they will playing with local clubs.


OTF

Quote from: clonadmad on April 29, 2017, 09:40:19 AM
Quote from: Dave like the tv channel on April 29, 2017, 01:14:36 AM
A lot of Laois' population increase are simply blow-ins. How much interest are these people taking in local clubs? In a lot of larger towns, you'll see more Dublin jerseys than Laois ones.

Anyway, back on topic, the proposal could be a stop-gap until G@@ figures out how to sell snow to the eskimos.

The adults might be blow in's,but if they have Kids they will playing with local clubs.

Exactly ......and the last captain of Laois team( SH) in a all Ireland final was !!

Helix

Quote from: OTF on April 30, 2017, 12:10:28 PM
Quote from: clonadmad on April 29, 2017, 09:40:19 AM
Quote from: Dave like the tv channel on April 29, 2017, 01:14:36 AM
A lot of Laois' population increase are simply blow-ins. How much interest are these people taking in local clubs? In a lot of larger towns, you'll see more Dublin jerseys than Laois ones.

Anyway, back on topic, the proposal could be a stop-gap until G@@ figures out how to sell snow to the eskimos.

The adults might be blow in's,but if they have Kids they will playing with local clubs.

Exactly ......and the last captain of Laois team( SH) in a all Ireland final was !!

Good ol Paddy Ruschitzko
It's hardly possible to build anything if frustration, bitterness and a mood of helplessness prevail

blueandwhite1

The relationship between population and 'hurling population' has never been strong. Hurling is played in a few parishes in the county, mostly in the south and east, with an under supported hurling club in Portlaoise. Big towns such as Portarlington and Mountmellick and most of the north and west of the county don't play hurling at a serious level. It is not likely that the population increase will contribute meaningfully to the hurling landscape in Laois, much more likely to impact football but little evidence of that yet either. There has been plenty of representation from around the county at minor level but that tends to fall away completely at senior level. Kilkenny has a comparable population size but their hurling population is massive.