Ulster Hurling, it hasn't gone away just yet!

[Applesisapples]

So god knows when the Ulster Final will be played, he'd better as Jimmy Darragh interviewed on BBC last night sure couldn't enlighten us. When Mark Sidebottom did the promo for it at the start of the programme...What now for Ulster hurling sorted of thing, I waited patiently to hear what I thought was going to be an exposé on how the Ulster Council was going to transform the game...Boy was I disappointed both with Jimmy's sure we don't have the resources and the easy time he got from Sidebottom no hard question's from Mark, he needs to listen to Seamus McKee and learn. The bottom line seems to be that the Ulster Council like all county boards bar Antrim don't give a fiddlers about hurling or it's promotion.
Despite all this Clubs in Ulster struggle manfully with no money and scarce resources to keep our national game alive. It hasn't gone away but the UC needs to act now.

[ONeill]

Not much money to be made from it up here.

[BennyCake]

Why do Antrim get to play in two provinces? They could (a long shot I know) win two provinces in the same year. Let the other counties compete for it. Antrim winning it year after year does nothing to help Ulster hurling.

[Applesisapples]

What is needed is investment by the Ulster Council in clubs, coaching and infrastructure. A change is also required within the many football clubs who see hurling as a threat or a hinderance.

[Zulu]

I've changed my tune on this issue over the years. I come from a strong dual club background, always played and supported both codes and would still have a strong interest in both. However, I'm not sure I care much anymore if Kilkenny play football or Tyrone play hurling. In an ideal world it would be great to have clubs and counties strong in both codes but in reality it causes a lot of aggro in many dual clubs and establishing the weaker code in clubs/counties where it has never had much of a tradition is throwing good money after bad in many cases. By all means help clubs who have a genuine interest in developing both codes and if enough clubs are playing both codes that county should get better in the weaker code but the idea that we have to develop hurling in Mayo, Tyrone or Cavan is wrong IMO. The applies to football in hurling counties, you'd be run out of Newtownshandrum for example if you tried to get football going and while I personally think it's a shame both codes aren't promoted there, it's their club and if football doesn't interest them then fair enough.

[Applesisapples]

I've changed my tune on this issue over the years. I come from a strong dual club background, always played and supported both codes and would still have a strong interest in both. However, I'm not sure I care much anymore if Kilkenny play football or Tyrone play hurling. In an ideal world it would be great to have clubs and counties strong in both codes but in reality it causes a lot of aggro in many dual clubs and establishing the weaker code in clubs/counties where it has never had much of a tradition is throwing good money after bad in many cases. By all means help clubs who have a genuine interest in developing both codes and if enough clubs are playing both codes that county should get better in the weaker code but the idea that we have to develop hurling in Mayo, Tyrone or Cavan is wrong IMO. The applies to football in hurling counties, you'd be run out of Newtownshandrum for example if you tried to get football going and while I personally think it's a shame both codes aren't promoted there, it's their club and if football doesn't interest them then fair enough.

This is typical of the attitude held by many Nortern Gaels, there are many hurling only clubs in Ulster that given a fair wind could thrive. However many such as yourself are apathetic and as a result the game will never progress. The GAA exists to promote all our games not just the strongest in a particular area.

[Zulu]

Well I'm not a northern gael for starters and the GAA doesn't exist to promote all our games, I've never seen a single thing done to promote handball or rounders in any club I'm familiar with. Each club and county exist on their own terms so to speak. An club that only wants to play football can't and shouldn't be forced to play hurling. If a number of people in the club want to start/develop hurling then the GAA will help and that is largely all they can do. There is a limited pool of money to develop games and wasting money on token initiatives to develop either game in areas where there is little interest is pointless.

If there are 'many' hurling only clubs in Ulster then I agree, the GAA should help them develop. However, single code clubs are no less a GAA club than dual ones and the hand ringing that goes on about not enough being done for one code or the other is misplaced outrage.

[neilthemac]

Well I'm not a northern gael for starters and the GAA doesn't exist to promote all our games, I've never seen a single thing done to promote handball or rounders in any club I'm familiar with. Each club and county exist on their own terms so to speak. An club that only wants to play football can't and shouldn't be forced to play hurling. If a number of people in the club want to start/develop hurling then the GAA will help and that is largely all they can do. There is a limited pool of money to develop games and wasting money on token initiatives to develop either game in areas where there is little interest is pointless.

If there are 'many' hurling only clubs in Ulster then I agree, the GAA should help them develop. However, single code clubs are no less a GAA club than dual ones and the hand ringing that goes on about not enough being done for one code or the other is misplaced outrage.

Funny, cause handball and rounders are probably the two sports that could be played by all ages and male/female in a club.

Just shows the majority of GAA clubs are only interested in promoting and developing what their own perceived notion of what the GAA is...

[Zulu]

That's true neilthemac, but I would argue that it's fair enough for clubs to interpret what the the GAA is 'about' themselves. A club in Ulster might view the GAA and its role differently to a club in the other provinces due to the troubles and that's fair enough. Single code clubs for all intents and purposes might view the GAA as hurling or football only and again who is to say that's wrong? As long as you are running your club properly and welcoming to all who want to play the game(s) you offer then I think that's good enough. I think handball is a great sport to play but I never had the opportunity to play it in my club but I can well understand why my club didn't promote it and why it would be difficult to argue they start now.

[neilthemac]

The most successful and vibrant handball clubs are usually separate to any other GAA sport!

Very few clubs can successfully pull off a multi-sport and cultural setup.

[general_lee]

Let it be. If there's an appetite for something it will be satisfied. I agree there is no point forcing clubs or counties to embrace a code just for the sake of it. In the town near me you have 4 football clubs (one of which actually has a thriving handball club) and a hurling club, with about 4/5 other football clubs scattered around the outskirts of the town.

A sizeable GAA population, but there is little to no interest in hurling. The hurling club itself is Junior level and would cover the catchment area of all the local football clubs, drawing its players from these clubs. While they are holding their own, they won't be competing for senior any time soon.

It doesn't matter if a club is dual Division 1 senior club or a bottom of Division 3 Junior, so long as they promote the ethos of the Association and are the focal point of their community then they are a true GAA club in my eyes.

[Applesisapples]

Well I'm not a northern gael for starters and the GAA doesn't exist to promote all our games, I've never seen a single thing done to promote handball or rounders in any club I'm familiar with. Each club and county exist on their own terms so to speak. An club that only wants to play football can't and shouldn't be forced to play hurling. If a number of people in the club want to start/develop hurling then the GAA will help and that is largely all they can do. There is a limited pool of money to develop games and wasting money on token initiatives to develop either game in areas where there is little interest is pointless.

If there are 'many' hurling only clubs in Ulster then I agree, the GAA should help them develop. However, single code clubs are no less a GAA club than dual ones and the hand ringing that goes on about not enough being done for one code or the other is misplaced outrage.

Indeed the GAA does help with handball and many football clubs have handball sections. Rounders is a different matter, but the lack of support for these games does not abdicate the Ulster Council from responsibility to hurling.

[Applesisapples]

I'm not suggesting that football clubs should suddenly embrace hurling, great if they want to. What I am saying is that many hurling clubs are struggling for resources and numbers and that with a little generosity of spirit football clubs could help them at no cost to themselves. The Ulster council has quite rightly been lauded for reaching out to the unionist community, the need to reach out to hurling in Ulster. In addition can you imagine what hurling would be like in Ulster if some of the funding thrown at the International Rules was used to help out hurling in Ulster.

[Hardy]

I'm not suggesting that football clubs should suddenly embrace hurling, great if they want to. What I am saying is that many hurling clubs are struggling for resources and numbers and that with a little generosity of spirit football clubs could help them at no cost to themselves. The Ulster council has quite rightly been lauded for reaching out to the unionist community, the need to reach out to hurling in Ulster. In addition can you imagine what hurling would be like in Ulster if some of the funding thrown at the International Rules was used to help out hurling in Ulster.

Incoming. Take cover.

[Applesisapples]

I'm not suggesting that football clubs should suddenly embrace hurling, great if they want to. What I am saying is that many hurling clubs are struggling for resources and numbers and that with a little generosity of spirit football clubs could help them at no cost to themselves. The Ulster council has quite rightly been lauded for reaching out to the unionist community, the need to reach out to hurling in Ulster. In addition can you imagine what hurling would be like in Ulster if some of the funding thrown at the International Rules was used to help out hurling in Ulster.

Incoming. Take cover.

I'm not suggesting it should be pulled, I'm just stating that if some of that cash was used wisely in Ulster it would be an enormous help.