Down Club Hurling & Football

[ardtole]

According to the Antrim page, our 3rd league game is away to Antrim. Does anyone have the other 6 fixtures? I can't find them anywhere online.

[ardtole]

Liatroim 2-4
Teemore 0-0
@ HT

[sdg]

John Kennedy to Clonduff?

Is this a rumour

[Hard2Listen2]

John Kennedy to Clonduff?

Is this a rumour

#fact

[SHEEDY]

Easy wins for Kilcoo and liatroim, drumaness beat by 4 by Tyrone junior champions.

[Johnnysboys]

Kilcoo display today suggests they will be a massive force in Ulster this year. Scotstown will feel their wrath next weekend in Newry and then it's a plum tie v either Cross/Trillick - but they are on a different level when they get into Ulster. Glen are potentially the only team that can stop them and Kilcoo owe them one!!!

[Splash]

Bredagh unfortunate to go out of Ulster in the first round. Creggan a good side- can't fault Bredagh for a one point loss.

Kilclief no match at all for Swatragh. Tough draw for them. Interesting to see how Kilclief get on next year in Intermediate. A lot of lads heading away travelling so the story goes?

Portaferry have a tough championship, but it's not that unrealistic they reach an Ulster Final, although anyone stopping Slaughtneil in the final will be a big ask.

Kilcoo and Liatroim looking line very well oiled machines.

[No1]

Kilclief no match at all for Swatragh. Tough draw for them. Interesting to see how Kilclief get on next year in Intermediate. A lot of lads heading away travelling so the story goes?

Swatragh should not be in the JHC by their own admission!

We have one player leaving for Oz this week and maybe a couple of retirements.  Very small squad all year and the JHC win probably reflects the weakness of the competition more than anything.

There are probably 5 or 6 of our strongest dual players currently working abroad or away travelling.  For a dual club with a limited catchment area it puts real pressure on us to field in either code, never mind be competitive.

There are so many opportunities for young fellas and GAA seems to be down the priority list, just the way of the world now!  I wouldn't fault any of them for choosing to go.

It's maybe easier to persuade fellas to stay if a club is successful on a continuous basis?

There is fantastic work going on at juvenile level and our facilities are excellent so hopefully better days are ahead!

[Splash]

You're right about Swatragh 

Ulster Championship probably needs some modifying and clarification of who is of junior standard. Swatragh and St Eunan's are not the same standard as Kilclief, Omagh, or Killeavy.

But c'est la vie.

Kilclief seem to punch above their weight to be honest. Fair play to yous.

Wouldn't blame any man for doing what he wants to do. More to life than hurling and football at the end of the day.

I'd imagine success around a club would keep young fellas interested. Far less likely to stick around if lads feel they're just going to get beat.

Good to hear there's good work going on in Kiclief.

Credit to clubs like Kilclief and Aghaderg/Ballyvarley. Small, rural clubs, with small catchment areas and relatively low numbers, but continue to field in both codes.

[Ardstick]

You're right about Swatragh 

Ulster Championship probably needs some modifying and clarification of who is of junior standard. Swatragh and St Eunan's are not the same standard as Kilclief, Omagh, or Killeavy.

But c'est la vie.

Kilclief seem to punch above their weight to be honest. Fair play to yous.

Wouldn't blame any man for doing what he wants to do. More to life than hurling and football at the end of the day.

I'd imagine success around a club would keep young fellas interested. Far less likely to stick around if lads feel they're just going to get beat.

Good to hear there's good work going on in Kiclief.

Credit to clubs like Kilclief and Aghaderg/Ballyvarley. Small, rural clubs, with small catchment areas and relatively low numbers, but continue to field in both codes.

Would have to agree Splash, Derry Hurling are in a weird spot in that they dont have enough clubs to spread over the 3 different levels of championship. Na Magha are probably the only real Junior side in Derry, its always a level enough game when they are representing them in Ulster. Swatragh would probably give the Down Intermediate a brave rattle.
Maybe Derry should just represent in Intermediate and Senior level.

[johnnycool]

You're right about Swatragh 

Ulster Championship probably needs some modifying and clarification of who is of junior standard. Swatragh and St Eunan's are not the same standard as Kilclief, Omagh, or Killeavy.

But c'est la vie.

Kilclief seem to punch above their weight to be honest. Fair play to yous.

Wouldn't blame any man for doing what he wants to do. More to life than hurling and football at the end of the day.

I'd imagine success around a club would keep young fellas interested. Far less likely to stick around if lads feel they're just going to get beat.

Good to hear there's good work going on in Kiclief.

Credit to clubs like Kilclief and Aghaderg/Ballyvarley. Small, rural clubs, with small catchment areas and relatively low numbers, but continue to field in both codes.

Would have to agree Splash, Derry Hurling are in a weird spot in that they dont have enough clubs to spread over the 3 different levels of championship. Na Magha are probably the only real Junior side in Derry, its always a level enough game when they are representing them in Ulster. Swatragh would probably give the Down Intermediate a brave rattle.
Maybe Derry should just represent in Intermediate and Senior level.

The Down hurling championships are quickly morphing into the Derry format and may morph even further if the new proposals pass through this winter.
Yes, the Down teams going into Ulster will be more competitive at intermediate and junior but do the true junior teams lose out in their day in the sun winning a county title would be my biggest concern!

[Splash]

Derry hurling is in an unusual spot but that format seems to work for them. We have too many teams in Down to implement that sort of championship, although there is an argument that we have too few teams for our current format to be properly effective.

Derry system if far from perfect, and have heard a couple of people in the county unhappy with it it, but I would imagine it will benefit Derry in the long run.

Our junior teams would be more competitive with Na Magha, but last year Na Magha dealt with Warrenpoint handily enough in the first round of Ulster, too.

Derry teams simply appear to be better than our teams. For talks sake, say the worst team in Derry is Na Magha, I'd imagine they'd still win our junior championship without too much bother.

Ballinascreen and Swatragh would be challenging for our intermediate.

Slaughtneil would win our senior.

It's a wonder the Derry county side aren't in Division 2A. Good hurlers, probably just not enough of them.

We probably need to take steps to improve the overall quality of hurling being played in Down.

What are the new proposals? Surely not to adopt something similar to Derry's format?

True junior teams deserve a chance to win silverware at their level.

[DuffGael]

At the moment we have 4 senior teams, the ARDS and liatroim plus 3 intermediate. Clonduff, The Point and Balela are not at the level of Carryduff, Bredagh and Shamrocks, they should be in the junior.
They reason Derry are not a better county team is 6+ of their best hurlers are on the Derry football squad. Having 3 senior teams who don't play football really helps our county team in that respect but we do punch above our weight.

[Splash]

If Bredagh get the players back next year they were missing this season, they will get back to being competitive at senior level. But as it stands they are a good bit off the Ards and Liatroim.

Clonduff and CPN are not at the level of Bredagh or Carryduff, but each would have walked this years JHC. Ballela are a junior level team, and Clonduff (without their top players) beat them by 20+ points in the IHC. They probably shouldn't be in the JHC. Better to have Carryduff and Bredagh in the SHC. Shamrocks aren't as strong as they were over the past few years. Clonduff and the Point probably aren't that far off of them, now.

Interesting to note that each of those teams rely heavily on 1-2 key players, and  there is a noticeable gap in standard when  these key players line out and when they don't.

I would agree that having some of their top hurlers being tied up in the football does have an effect on Derry's hurling fortunes.

The Ards focusing  entirely on hurling has essentially carried our county scene for many years (although players from less traditional clubs are starting to break in).
The fact that the Ards sides continue to play at a high standard has been a massive benefit to us, too. There are hurling only clubs in the likes of Armagh and Tyrone, but these clubs are not at the same standard of the Ards clubs.

We definitely punch above our weight on the county scene- particularly in the 90s when we played in Division One, and beat the likes of Kilkenny, whilst drawing from what was essentially 3, small, rural clubs.

[DownFanatic]

Who has the biggest pick of the three Ards clubs?