Gaels amalgamations

Started by The Monument Road, December 02, 2016, 01:18:10 PM

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merman

Feel a bit for Ballinakill.
They're facing a future at lower grades or at best, as perennial relegation contenders.
They have had a decent couple of years and showed that on their day, their current team can compete but this won't be the case after the next couple of years. They're a club I have a lot of time for and I know they have excellent people involved in their juvenile set-up; they just need to redouble efforts.
I wouldn't be surprised to see them look towards Ballypickas, Slieve Margy or Park-Timahoe.

In the end, Abbeyleix pride won out and I know a lot of club members didn't want to be party to taking hurling out of the town.
They are a club which should have no problems standing alone as a senior side. Their juvenile progress has stalled a little but they have still been one of the 2/3 strongest juvenile clubs over the last 5/6 years.

Big decisions tonight for our County Board. The removal of Gaels teams from the Senior A Championship would have serious consequences for a number of clubs.

Keyser Söze

Ballinakill have acted extremely desperately over the last few years, but I suppose survival is key.
This was impossible to justify for Abbeyleix. No sound reason in the world for it. Small crowd, but the right answer.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled.......

Don Draper

Quote from: merman on December 10, 2018, 11:57:35 AM

In the end, Abbeyleix pride won out and I know a lot of club members didn't want to be party to taking hurling out of the town.
They are a club which should have no problems standing alone as a senior side. Their juvenile progress has stalled a little but they have still been one of the 2/3 strongest juvenile clubs over the last 5/6 years.
Important to acknowledge too, the role Ballyroan played in helping Abbeyleix turn it down.

Gaels gone got grades under senior, roll on the area teams. Great news.

The PRO

Yeah, the only "Gaels" team next year in senior hurling  will be Castletown if they can agree with Slieve Bloom.

In football, I presume the Ballyfin and Crettyard Gaels thing will be allowed.

The big losers last night would have been the likes of Ballyfin (hurling), Shanahoe, Colt and Ballypickas. Mountmellick football too will have to stand up on their own two feet next year.

merman

Clubs who field more than two teams in the same code, say a Senior, Junior A and Junior C team, will not be allowed apply for Gaels teams.

I presume the Castletown-Slieve Bloom link-up is dead now as Slieve Bloom are Senior A.

The PRO

Quote from: merman on December 11, 2018, 09:09:22 AM
I presume the Castletown-Slieve Bloom link-up is dead now as Slieve Bloom are Senior A.
Of course. I missed that. Which means no Gaels teams at all in hurling next year and possibly just the two in football.

SCFC

Quote from: The PRO on December 11, 2018, 09:29:33 AM
Quote from: merman on December 11, 2018, 09:09:22 AM
I presume the Castletown-Slieve Bloom link-up is dead now as Slieve Bloom are Senior A.
Of course. I missed that. Which means no Gaels teams at all in hurling next year and possibly just the two in football.
They are on their last legs. The divisional competitions will supercede them. There may well be a divisional hurling competition this year. I think the football one showed that it can be done.

Keyser Söze

The football competition, while an entertaining concept & a very worthy cause, was hardly prestigious. I can't imagine crowds in future years when the novelty has worn.
I don't know if divisional sides would work so well in Laois. We don't have the same geographical spread as other counties or even an identification with these divisions.
The only way I could see this working is to have one "Rest or Laois" team for teams outside of the top two grades in hurling & football.

Good news that the Gaels concept got a bit of a tidy up.
Like the relegation clause too.

Anyone know what the general demographic was in Abbey-Kill in terms of voting for/against?
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled.......

Laois Rising

Divisional teams will work but will take time to bed down. It is the way forward. That way all clubs are playing at an appropriate grade and if there are players worthy of playing senior championship football from these intermediate/junior clubs then there is an avenue open to them as well. Sugru is right when stating the obvious-we have far too many senior clubs in Laois football and it is diluting the standard of our championship. 8 is more than enough for county size of Laois and then add in four regional teams. Maybe Portlaoise could have turned a couple of those losses in Leinster into victories the last few years had they been more battlehardened from playing some divisional sides in our county championship. The intermediate and junior championships would benefit greatly in competitiveness as well if clubs were regraded as well to match their current standing. This would also provide Laois clubs with a real shot at winning Leinster intermediate and junior club titles and provides them with a shot at playing in Croke Park in an All-Ireland Club final. Surely that is a more attractive proposition to clubs than forming a Gaels partnership just to try avoid being relegated from Laois senior championship every year. What captures an interest and invigorates a club is winning championship games and going on a run. The whole parish often buys into it and juveniles are inspired to follow in the footsteps.

Crettyard for example of the daftness in Gaels amalgamations. They are joined with Killeshin at all underage levels and then at senior they form a Gaels with Spink/Ballinkill. If there was to be some merit to Crettyard Gaels then surely at underage they are joined with Spink/Ballinakill and not Killeshin. At least in that way it shows some form of meaningful partnership between the clubs and where players have grown up playing alongside each other.   

SCFC

I wonder where the 2 Reddins and 2 Mullaneys stand in terms of playing football with Mountmellick next year?
With Gaels not allowed at intermediate level, the only way they can kick ball with MM is if Castletown pull their football team completely. Which is not impossible.

SpeculativeEffort

Quote from: Laois Rising on December 11, 2018, 01:54:20 PM
Divisional teams will work but will take time to bed down. It is the way forward. That way all clubs are playing at an appropriate grade and if there are players worthy of playing senior championship football from these intermediate/junior clubs then there is an avenue open to them as well. Sugru is right when stating the obvious-we have far too many senior clubs in Laois football and it is diluting the standard of our championship. 8 is more than enough for county size of Laois and then add in four regional teams. Maybe Portlaoise could have turned a couple of those losses in Leinster into victories the last few years had they been more battlehardened from playing some divisional sides in our county championship. The intermediate and junior championships would benefit greatly in competitiveness as well if clubs were regraded as well to match their current standing. This would also provide Laois clubs with a real shot at winning Leinster intermediate and junior club titles and provides them with a shot at playing in Croke Park in an All-Ireland Club final. Surely that is a more attractive proposition to clubs than forming a Gaels partnership just to try avoid being relegated from Laois senior championship every year. What captures an interest and invigorates a club is winning championship games and going on a run. The whole parish often buys into it and juveniles are inspired to follow in the footsteps.

Crettyard for example of the daftness in Gaels amalgamations. They are joined with Killeshin at all underage levels and then at senior they form a Gaels with Spink/Ballinkill. If there was to be some merit to Crettyard Gaels then surely at underage they are joined with Spink/Ballinakill and not Killeshin. At least in that way it shows some form of meaningful partnership between the clubs and where players have grown up playing alongside each other.

Agree on this and similar could be worked in the hurling with 10-12 seniors teams (including 2-4 area teams)and all clubs playing at their appropriate level with an avenue to senior. We cannot lose clubs. Hurling and football need to be widely played as part of our culture and identity. If we start losing rural clubs the GAA is dead to me.

TheGiantSquid

Any more amalgamation talks now that the Gaels are effectively dead? Colt and Clonad tie the knot? Trumera and Mountrath?

Don Draper

Quote from: TheGiantSquid on December 13, 2018, 08:09:00 PM
Any more amalgamation talks now that the Gaels are effectively dead? Colt and Clonad tie the knot? Trumera and Mountrath?
Clonad? Are you on drugs?

Helix.

Quote from: Don Draper on December 13, 2018, 09:01:37 PM
Quote from: TheGiantSquid on December 13, 2018, 08:09:00 PM
Any more amalgamation talks now that the Gaels are effectively dead? Colt and Clonad tie the knot? Trumera and Mountrath?
Clonad? Are you on drugs?

Say there'd be more of a chance of a regional team down the line than amalgamation.

Moregroundhurling

Quote from: Don Draper on December 11, 2018, 07:27:53 AM
Quote from: merman on December 10, 2018, 11:57:35 AM

In the end, Abbeyleix pride won out and I know a lot of club members didn't want to be party to taking hurling out of the town.
They are a club which should have no problems standing alone as a senior side. Their juvenile progress has stalled a little but they have still been one of the 2/3 strongest juvenile clubs over the last 5/6 years.
Important to acknowledge too, the role Ballyroan played in helping Abbeyleix turn it down.

Gaels gone got grades under senior, roll on the area teams. Great news.

Don't think football had anything to do with it. Abbeyleix had the giblets to back themselves against bigger amalgamations. As they say pride cometh before the fall, I hope it won't be for abbeyleix. They could be off designing names and jerseys but chose the road less travelled by with regard to most laois senior clubs. Tough year ahead for them. Fighting league and championship relagation is the price you pay for pride in the parish.
Good luck and God speed because you will need both