Messages

Just a few??

[Also think it would have been worth floating the idea of playing the match in Ballela/Castlewellen/Liatroim etc.]

Also think it would have been worth floating the idea of playing the match in Ballela/Castlewellen/Liatroim etc.

Whilst it would be great to see the fixture taking place in any of these venues and I no doubt these clubs and others have been approached with a view to hosting but clubs nowadays are more protective of their pitches and and given the recent weather who could blame them. During the Club off season Clubs undertake pitch renovations to prepare for the season ahead. It is probably the case that Club venues are not currently in a position to host.
Our County Squads are like Nomads roaming the County in search of somewhere to train and if Clubs facilitate training sessions the reason and desire for a COE to be constructed diminishes and the CB do not have to maintain a facility which is money hungry.

Makes sense logistically given the opponent (as opposed to Downpatrick) and would have done no harm for the hurling in  those clubs. South Down used to play out Ballela if I'm correct, and Liatroim have hosted Down camogs I believe. So it's not unreasonable.

Why should Down make it easier for the opposition, let's give any advantage we have to our teams. Do we get many Home games in the Kehoe Cup ? No we don't!  Why did you not suggest the likes of Clonduff, Warrenpoint or some other venue in that locality as a venue to make Louth's travel arrangements a bit easier but I would say that they have closed their pitches also   
With no disrespect to Ballela but the dressing rooms are not suitable for County panels where there could be 30+ players and backroom staff

Liatroim have hosted Down Camogie fixtures as have Castlewellan but not in January/February and they have also hosted NHL games when Ballycran and Pairc Esler have not been playable. As the match venue was initially fixed for Cherryvale at the start of the week you would have to ask what was the reason for the change?
Have Belfast CC closed the pitch? Was it double booked or not booked at all! As for BCC they don't seem to take much care of the surface on their Gaelic Games pitches at any of the venues I have been at.

The facility at Downpatrick is a commercial enterprise outside of school hours and is not as widely used during the summer whereas Club pitches are at their peak in terms of usage. During the summer the School can carry out repairs to the pitches during peak growing season where as Clubs cannot. This allows the School to use them in a better condition during term time after all it was constructed primarily for their use. 

Down Hurlers and Down Camogs trained in Belfast last year due to the lack of suitable facilities in Down. Clubs that did have suitable facilities were unwilling to give access to them as it probably meant that their own teams were loosing out on pitch time. Most teams want to train on a Tuesday and Thursday at 7:00pm whether it is U8s or Senior Inter County Teams and it is just not possible for it to happen to everyone's satisfaction . The availability of suitable pitches is at a premium during the pre season period

Splash it is not a personal criticism on yourself and your contributions on hurling matters are both excellent and welcome. Just pointing out there are a lot of considerations and work required in order to facilitate fixtures and training which the majority of people are not aware off especially at this time of the year where the weather is a major factor and dictates a lot of what is possible.

Let's hope both our Senior Teams today have a winning start to their campaigns and a successful 2024 season and we see movement on our COE even one pitch would be a start!     

Sympathies to GAA Board member jonnycool and the entire family circle on the passing of their father. A hurling stalwart of Club, County and Province. The "Cur" will be long remembered throughout the Ards and indeed the Country for his exploits and straight talking

RIP

[Who do Cullyhanna play next?]

How it a big upset with 3 county men, game was seen as very close going into it. Don't know what paper u read, Big upset not!!

Irish news mostly!
    Pomeroy 4/5 odds on favourites for the game and favourites for the title.
    Its an upset ok.
Great result for them.

4/5 for the home team means they're essentially even.

How does that work when Cullyhanna were 11/8 in a 2 horse race? We all knew the game was drawn for Omagh, and the bookies will have factored that into their odds along with the possibility of a draw.

Anyway i thought it was a fair upset.  And once again great result for Cullyhanna.
 

I don't think anyone other than you is actually shocked. I had fancied Pomeroy by a point or two but there was never going to be much in it. Who do Cullyhanna play next?

The winners of Liatroim v Kilanny

Liatroim have every right to feel aggrieved in the way that they were disrespected by the County Board and the media pundits who had them written off before the match. The CB appointed an outside referee for the other semi final thinking that it would be the tougher of the two semis. But was it? In the interests of the integrity of the competition that Ardstick is so worried about both semis should have had outside referees appointed. It also raises the question are there no other referees in Down capable of officiating at this level that don't have skin in the game? If not why not? Ask any Ballycran person involved with the team did they welcome yesterdays refereeing appointment, I think the number that did you could fit them all into a phone box! The Ards teams are not whiter than white in regards to transfers and outsiders playing for them and should be playing for their "own" club - McAllister, Sheehan & Prenter. You could make a case for Prenter all right with RGU not having a hurling team. So how do some of the Ballycran players feel about the two outsiders taking their positions, you can't just pin that scenario on just happening in Liatroim, it is not unique to there. I sense a bit of fear in the Ards that there is a threat to their dominance of the SHC so is it a case of wanting those players to return to where they come from and so dilute the threat. As JC has pointed out on many occasions there will be no underage trophy residing in the Ards for another year but I have no doubt that will change sometime soon.   

[I still struggle with why Down play all their home games in Ballycran and always have. It's the smallest pitch in the county and doesn't suit the forwards Down have at their disposal, albeit I know there's a bit of lack of pace in their defence, but not overly. Tight pitch suits the big, physical lads better than the speedsters.]

Kildare have been a big disappointment in the Joe Mc Donagh.

After shooting up in the Christy Ring, they haven't pushed on at all.  Must be a huge gulf between JMcD and CR.   Kildare really needed to stay in the Joe Mc Donagh this year to push forward.

Though with underage going well and Naas going well that they'd have got one result to keep them up.  Down caught them and gave them a lesson.

Down have quality hurlers but lack the physicality against big teams, Kildare in the past have usually been a big team but maybe have dropped in recent years, been a while since I've seen them in fairness.

Down were targeting this game for a few weeks now, lads carrying knocks held off in other games that ultimately weren't going to matter. Beat Kildare and stay up which they did.

I still struggle with why Down play all their home games in Ballycran and always have. It's the smallest pitch in the county and doesn't suit the forwards Down have at their disposal, albeit I know there's a bit of lack of pace in their defence, but not overly.
Tight pitch suits the big, physical lads better than the speedsters.

As much as I'd like Down to claim a few more scalps at this level I think hanging in here is all we can hope for to the next while.

Where would you find a more suitable pitch with a good surface in Down for hurling that would suit them JC? Just asking

Car parked on the Dublin Rd sure all the Limerick crowd would be heading that way.
Might have to stay on a bit and help the lads with a double clean up cut ;)you know how it is
You will be pushed to get the 10:30 boat with a 4:00 throw in

Thanks must look into it as heard it is heading to a 45,000 sell out even-though it is only a round robin match

Sell out it is

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-41133388.html

Terrace tickets only as per last night. A long way to travel and to stand

[shall go through this point,]

The process of substitution is covered within the TO where Rule 1.7 states
1.7 SUBSTITUTION ZONE.
An area of the sideline, extending 5m. on
either side of the centre-line, shall be marked
as the Substitution Zone, and all the players
coming off/going on to the field of play in acts
of substitution/temporary substitution shall go
through this point, when given permission by
the Referee
Mannion didn't comply not sure about the second sub.
From this it is almost certain that this will be strictly enforced in the Leagues and Championship.

With all the clamouring for a replay there may not be one offered.
With Glen submitting an objection it leaves the CCCC with an option  that would not have been available to them if they commenced an investigation and this may have been their reason for not engaging -that of awarding of the game to the opposing team
6.44 Rules of Specification and Control - Penalties
Penalties for breaches of the above Rules shall be as
follows:
(a) A team failing to field fifteen players, inclusive of
players ordered off or retired injured, by the start of
the second half of a game:
Penalty : Forfeiture of Game and Award to the
GAMES - GENERAL
118
Opposing Team.
(b) (i) A team exceeding the number of players
permitted under Rule 2.1 Rules of Specification,
Playing Rules:
(ii) A team exceeding the number of substitutions
permitted under Rules 2.4 (i) and (ii) or
breaching Rule 2.4 (iv) (b), Rules of Specification,
Playing Rules:
Penalties:
On a proven Objection - Award of Game to the
Opposing Team, or Replay, or Fine, depending on the
circumstances.
On an Inquiry by the Committee-in-Charge -
Forfeiture of Game without Award of Game to the
Opposing Team, or Replay, or Fine, depending on the
circumstances

It is possible that the Andy Merrigan Cup could be going up the road in a taxi.

KC might not get the chance to refuse to field 

IMO proper investment as you describe regarding resources to ensure that games have the highest possibility of being played as fixtured needs to happen at not just one venue but at a venue in each province given the number of fixtures there are across the four codes or we are back to square one.
Granted Connacht have the Dome but the spectator capacity is limited. just look at the number of Sigerson fixtures postponed during the week and pitch inspections today at the AG and Pairc Esler for the McKenna Cup Final. Due to Climate Change is there a possibility that this could be the normal where waterlogged and frozen pitches are just to be expected on a more regular basis. I would have thought that currently the AG in Ulster, O'Moore Park in Leinster, Semple in Munster and McHale Park in Connacht would be candidates for winter proofing. Could/should be included in the Casement build.  If there isn't a strategy in place for this there should most definitely be.

Let's put this in perspective. CP from the Leinster Club semi Finals until tomorrow 21 matches plus four days of CNB will have been played on it in 9 weeks. That's a nine month Premiership season of matches in the winter where growth and recovery are minimal. Yes they have resources that many other grounds do not have such as undersoil heating, grow lights, frost fleeces  and irrigation but even with these the pitch is not getting a chance to recover. What would Club pitches look like if they were getting that sort of use? They would be in bits no doubt about it. Another down side of the split season?
Usually the first fixtures in CP are the Intermediate and Junior Club Finals which traditionally took place mid February with the Senior Club semis fixed for a provincial venues around the same weekend. This saved the surface of CP  for Spring fixtures. The surface is/was usually excellent for these matches when held in February but the CP pitch is being overused to the extent of being abused.  The surface was totally re-laid after Garth Brooks with a hybrid carpet which retains the structure of the surface better than a non reinforced surface. I would not  like to see the condition of the pitch if it had been of a non reinforced construction.  Putting fixtures on in CP will with the utmost certainty see them not being postponed especially with the tight schedule as is, but with the possibility of a poor pitch surface quality being compounded further when the competitions are run off in the same calendar year. Dublin footballers are not helping the situation either with them nominating CP as their home venue for the NFL with their first match next weekend. It will be interesting to see what the attendance figures are for the their fixtures and could Parnell Park have been a more suitable venue.
Rest assured the groundstaff at CP and at all other grounds both club and county around the country will have them pristine again all it requires is a bit of patience and understanding from supporters and not expect August pitch presentation in January

Aye they are. Played their last three games there. Leinster Semi, Leinster Final and AI Semi, same goes for Ballyhale

Yes but I don't think the boxes are

Croke Park Master Fixture List 2023      
Date   Fixture   Expected Attendance / Notes
Nov-22      
19th November    Leinster GAA Club Football Semi Finals    5,000
27th November    Leinster GAA Club Hurling Semi Finals    5,000
Dec-22      
4th December    Leinster Club Football & Hurling Finals    5,000
10th December   LGFA Club Finals   5,000
17th December    Camogie Club Finals    5,000
18th December    Senior Club Hurling  Semi-Finals    5,000

Semi Final venue confirmed for Croke Park 18th December