Antrim Hurling

[Link]

Bit of a disgrace that Lavey should be playing at this level tbf.

New hurling structure within derry this year. seems everyone is fairly happy with the amount of fixtures and the structure of everything.

Do you have a proposal for who should represent derry at intermediate level given Na Magha beat Coleraine easy and Coleraine can't represent Derry at junior level?

I would currently rank the derry teams in this order - SL, Banagher, KL, Screen, Lavey, Swatragh, Na Magha, Coleraine.

Not my responsibility to be proposing anyone, my point was that a club like Lavey playing in Im. Championship is not good for anyone.
It is not solely a Derry problem, I also think that Sarsfields are too good to be playing at that level too.

There has been a trend within Antrim in recent years to just drop down that level to get a championship run. Smacks of taking the easy route for me.

I don't think anyone in Derry feel Lavey are taking the easy route. They got beaten by KL as expected in senior QF then went onto beat swatragh, who were the other beaten quarter finalist, in the intermediate final.

If lavey win ulster int I assume they can't enter it again next year so most likely swatragh will get a run at it possibly without actually winning anything in derry. What may be considered taking the easy route is if screen, banagher or KL struggle in the league with could put them against SN in a QF and into intermediate.

I think the problem arises with the lack of hurling teams in derry (3 teams out of 8 representing Derry in ulster) and possibly in the whole of ulster bar antrim.

[Milltown Row2]

Bit of a disgrace that Lavey should be playing at this level tbf.

New hurling structure within derry this year. seems everyone is fairly happy with the amount of fixtures and the structure of everything.

Do you have a proposal for who should represent derry at intermediate level given Na Magha beat Coleraine easy and Coleraine can't represent Derry at junior level?

I would currently rank the derry teams in this order - SL, Banagher, KL, Screen, Lavey, Swatragh, Na Magha, Coleraine.

Not my responsibility to be proposing anyone, my point was that a club like Lavey playing in Im. Championship is not good for anyone.
It is not solely a Derry problem, I also think that Sarsfields are too good to be playing at that level too.

There has been a trend within Antrim in recent years to just drop down that level to get a championship run. Smacks of taking the easy route for me.

Sarsfields are a div 3/4 team this year, they were relegated the year before and stayed at Intermediate, and could have played in the Junior championship

Thats correct MR2 but I am talking about the talent that they have within the club, there is no way they should be a 3/4 team begin with.

It was a general point.

I agree they are a great team but this is the first time in a long time that they have acutally won anything at senior level at hurling, they have been beaten in a lot of first round games in championship these past few years, this current squad were never a Senior team until recently i.e wining the intermediate title.. now they can build on that and take it into div 2 and senior championship next year...

[old timers]

Seen on Social media today that Rossa minors won the minor hurling league at the weekend without any defeats along the way.  Well done to them.  Nice to see hurling in Belfast is still alive and kicking.

I'm not sure Rossa folk who know the pedigree of that squad will take much consolation from winning the league. How would anyone in the city who follows the sport not know just how commanding that team were through juvenile? Ballycastle chinned them in the 1st round of the Championship.....still trying to work out how that happened.

I doubt you are overly worried either Skull 

No worry at all there as it's only Belfast hurling which doesn't matter to most outside of Belfast. IMO.  It's very difficult to get kids out for matches on a weekly basis especially at minor level. As for being chinned at championship sure that happens to the best of teams even those outside of Belfast. Just look at the shambles of Antrim in the Christy ring final this year. Anyone can be disappointed as many are that you don't win or even do well in championship but IMO that happens to most of us.

[ciaran1988]

Not worried about the Derry championship structure it is what it is and if Lavey win it will be because they battled hard and Deserved it. Sarsfields have a great chance against them in my opinion. Anytime I've seen Sarsfields I've been more than impressed. Sarsfields by 3

[Glentaisie]

ahem ...

https://thesaffrongael.com/2017/10/03/mcquillans-ballycastle-seek-new-managers/

[paddyjohn]

ahem ...

https://thesaffrongael.com/2017/10/03/mcquillans-ballycastle-seek-new-managers/

And? U after the Football job?

[Milltown Row2]

That seems pro active!

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

owenbeg up for a pitch inspection on friday to see if its fit to take sundays game. Celtic Park on stand by as an alternative.

i heard on monday night that Ownbeg was still into the arse with water and hadnt recovered from the games on it previously. I would say if it doesnt stop raining we will be in Celtic Park sunday.

[johnneycool]

owenbeg up for a pitch inspection on friday to see if its fit to take sundays game. Celtic Park on stand by as an alternative.

i heard on monday night that Ownbeg was still into the arse with water and hadnt recovered from the games on it previously. I would say if it doesnt stop raining we will be in Celtic Park sunday.

We're in Corrigan on Sunday against Lisbellaw.

That's as good as it gets for Ards clubs wrt ulster club games so no complaints from us.

[theskull1]

That's as good as it gets for Ards clubs wrt ulster club games so no complaints from us.

After all that whinging about playing in Casement over the years

[johnneycool]

That's as good as it gets for Ards clubs wrt ulster club games so no complaints from us.

After all that whinging about playing in Casement over the years

Sure Antrim club teams won't be playing in the new Casement anyway. It'll all be good. 

[theskull1]

 
It'll be a neutral venue for the whole of Ulster to treasure

[Milltown Row2]

fecking gurny cnuts!!!

[ciaran1988]

How do we see this weekends games going for the Antrim clubs. Can Dunloy do to Slaughtneil what they did against Cushendall? So Sarsfields have enough for Lavey? Will Gort Na Mona get over the line this time? I'm predicting Antrim sides to win the 3 games

[Milltown Row2]

How do we see this weekends games going for the Antrim clubs. Can Dunloy do to Slaughtneil what they did against Cushendall? So Sarsfields have enough for Lavey? Will Gort Na Mona get over the line this time? I'm predicting Antrim sides to win the 3 games

A lot closer than people think, Gorts without their main scoring threat, straight red last day out, S'Neil Ulster champions in both codes, year older and bit more experience! Sarsfields up against an unknown in Lavey, can't really assess them but going on history Lavey are no mugs... all very interesting games