Down Club Hurling & Football

[skat man]

i dont agree on the clubs you suggested as some of them are 1 school clubs with limited numbers going in.

that aside the main issue with hurling though is the lack of appetite for it in clubs that dont provide it. its not like hurling is banned in them clubs , there just isnt an appetite. opening the kids up to the game by bringing it into more schools would be a suggestion because then the players come into clubs looking to play it and clubs maybe facilitate it then .

there is no worry about kids enjoying hurling more , thats evident by the amount of kids who play each code currently . Hurling people have an arrogance over the skill levels and beauty etc of their game and how its somehow better than the football , maybe lose that and people will embrace it more

[Splash]

What clubs would you recommend? Those are clubs that either have a decent population to draw from, or already have a bit of a hurling tradition.

Bringing hurling into schools and improving links between clubs and schools is something which needs to happen to help the game.

I think it goes without saying the fact that there's more kids playing football would be due to the fact that most clubs offer football, whilst most don't offer hurling.

The argument that's there no appetite for it doesn't stand very well. If you build it, they will come as they say.

Don't think you can brand all hurling people as arrogant. Absolutely, there are hurling snobs, same as there is with anything else. Doesn't have to stop people enjoying the game. There's people who have an arrogance about football. I never let them put me off enjoying football, the same way I never let those who have an arrogance around hurling put me off enjoying the small ball.

I'm not going to debate game which is better. It's a subjective matter. I personally prefer hurling. I also enjoy football. If someone prefers football, that's fair. It's a good game, too. Don't think anyone here said the skills and beauty of hurling are superior to that of football. Not really sure where you pulled that one from.

Telling me to 'maybe lose that arrogance' to try and get people to embrace the game isn't the best argument I've heard Skat Man, can't lie.

[thewobbler]

Hurling's challenge in growing within existing football clubs is not one of politics, logistics or player numbers. Those are things for further down the line.

Instead it's almost entirely a cultural challenge, one that is owing to a simple conundrum whereby attempts to  displace a multi-generational disinterest in hurling, are likely to be met with continued disinterest.

Even in the unlikely scenario of a club stumbling upon a messianic group of hurling coaches and admins at the same time, hurling would be a futile and short term project unless those people are immediately followed up by likeminded folks, and then again after those. Developing and maintaining a conveyor belt is, by some distance, the most essential difference between a GAA club flourishing and faltering, in any code. That means suitable and focused coaches ready to step in every other year. For hurling, those people aren't football people.

I would instead suggest the "hurling crowd" focus on two other angles.

One is that there's probably too many football clubs in Down as it stands. Just run with this. Football doesn't need a club in every last town and village, and hurling certainly doesn't. So the existing clubs should be absolutely targeting neighbouring club's primary schools, but only for hurling. And if e.g. driving from Mayobridge or Kilcoo to Hilltown, is proving too much effort, then there's no sport that's going to work out for that family. Don't make excuses about short distances.

The other is that a standalone club like Craobh Rua is probably more likely to attract players from a broader radius, than a club that is traditionally tied to one or two primary schools / parishes. I think this approach would likely serve e.g. the Mournes better, serve Lecale better, etc. and on top of that it would mean that hurling aficionados from those parts of the world, can come together and trust each other to maintain the conveyor belt.

[Splash]

You're absolutely right that the lack of an existing hurling culture is a massive problem. North Down offers a good opportunity. We are yet to build a real GAA presence in that part of the county. Ignoring political and social factors for a moment, if we could manage to establish GAA clubs in Bangor, Newtownards, etc., it could be easier to create a hurling culture in these clubs as opposed to clubs which already have a dominant football culture.

Keeping a conveyor belt going is essential. Look at Darragh Cross. They were a strong team, who produced county hurlers. And then when that generation was finished, they just disappeared.

I do agree with existing clubs drawing from other parishes. Shamrocks do this very well. Especially at under age. A lot of clubs could do well from some sort of mutual agreement, e.g, Ballela and Annaclone. I know what you're saying that if someone isn't willing to travel it will never work out, and this is correct, but at the end of the day, some people won't drive their kids for 15 min every Saturday to play hurling, when they could just go 2 minutes to the football club in their own parish. I'm not saying whether is right or wrong. I'm just saying you'll always have that. And you'll always have people loyal to one club and one club only. There will be many in Kilcoo who will never want to play for Clonduff. Again, this will always be a thing, and there's not much that can be done, but it will exist nonetheless.

The idea of standalone clubs is one Id like to see more of. It has been started in the Mournes, with the clubs feeding an underage club called Clann Mhúrn. Something similar could be trialed in Lecale, or between Glenn/Saval/Drumgrath, etc.

It offers an opportunity for hurling people to come together, and does away with the problem some people may have of playing for their rival parish.

If it happened, and these clubs had the success of Craobh Rua, it would be a massive boost.

[skat man]

i dont think there are clubs you can just say ok lets start there and get them to provide hurling. its the same as anything, its supply and demand , kids love any sport so create a demand by offering summer schemes in 3/4 close proximity clubs and in the local schools maybe you create 3/4 players from each with a passion for taking up hurling , then the idea of your standalone clubs comes into play , very good idea btw.

who funds all this i have no idea but asking non hurling clubs to just start providing it is a non starter in my opinion , the same as it would be for non football teams .

[clonian]

Lots of kids from non hurling clubs play with their schools so I think if the option was there kids would go and parents would take them.

One thing I disagree on is that clubs aren't against hurling (or any other sport). I've been involved with football and hurling for a few years at underage. Everyone wants players that play nothing else so you can give a full commitment to their wee team. I've heard lads boast their lad isn't even allowed to watch soccer on the TV like that's a good thing. Let them play as many sports as possible.

There was hurling days (2 Saturdays a month) to be set aside for underage tournaments, no football blitzes allowed. We had to fight for every one of the Saturdays during August and September and most of the days football won out. Nobody wants to give an inch.

The hurling summer schemes in non footballing clubs would be a great idea. Ballela always did hurling only cul camps and you got a lot of neighbouring clubs coming out to it and they would get an odd one staying on. They would of got quite a few girls from Dromore hockey club coming out to train during the summer too.

[Truth hurts]

Are there any injuries for this week's game in Aughrim?

[Blackandblue2]

No fresh news on injuries. Assuming the team that started against Cavan will be close to our starting team. Although the subs all had a good impact when 6 points Down. Mason, Fancis, Mc Cartan, Docherty  be in with a shout to start?

[Truth hurts]

 J O'Hare; P Fegan, R McEvoy, F McElroy; D Guinness, A Docherty, P Laverty ; O Murdock , J Flynn; G McKibben, L Kerr , J Guinness; R Mason, P Havern , O Savage

[Hard2Listen2]

Liatroim looking for a new senior football manager

What's going on there? Just won the intermediate championship!

[downtothecore]

I would guess the football manager would have wanted a commitment from the team to fully focus on football so that liatriom could best realise their potential in the higher league and senior championship but they also have a strong hurling team with a potential to win something.....

[Mourne Red]

Liatroim looking for a new senior football manager

What's going on there? Just won the intermediate championship!

Players kept stealing his eggs after training

[sdg]

League starts Sunday,  nothing else but promotion has to be achieved

[Targetman]

I would guess the football manager would have wanted a commitment from the team to fully focus on football so that liatriom could best realise their potential in the higher league and senior championship but they also have a strong hurling team with a potential to win something.....

More or less, had a meeting with the hurling manager who apparently was quite accommodating but he wasn't happy with the outcome so he walked.

[Truth hurts]

I would guess the football manager would have wanted a commitment from the team to fully focus on football so that liatriom could best realise their potential in the higher league and senior championship but they also have a strong hurling team with a potential to win something.....

More or less, had a meeting with the hurling manager who apparently was quite accommodating but he wasn't happy with the outcome so he walked.

I heard that a few dual players were not committing to football.