Connacht Club Championships 2017 - Senior/Intermediate/Junior Football & Hurling

[From the Bunker]

Where are Annagh Rovers from in Mayo? I assume they are an underage amalgamation that don't follow through to adult football?

Aghamore, Toreen area!

[ballinaman]

Where are Annagh Rovers from in Mayo? I assume they are an underage amalgamation that don't follow through to adult football?

Aghamore, Toreen area!

Aghamore/Ballyhaunis

[GaillimhIarthair]

Thanks Lads.  Surprising that a town the size of Ballyhaunis cannot put a minor squad together. 

[Syferus]

Thanks Lads.  Surprising that a town the size of Ballyhaunis cannot put a minor squad together.

If you listened to the PR in that Guardian documentary you'd swear they'd be naming two or three teams made exclusively of minority players at underage. The fact is not enough is being done almost anywhere to integrate new families (even from other parts of Ireland) into the GAA system.

[Cunny Funt]

Brigids will more than likely beat Balla in the final. Annagh Rivers more than likely will be the best hope of a Mayo winner next Friday. What are Tulsk like?

Maybe they will but what are you basing a Brigids win on?

He is probably basing it on beating Galway opposition who have been the best at Connacht minor level the last few years.

[mrhardyannual]

Thanks Lads.  Surprising that a town the size of Ballyhaunis cannot put a minor squad together.

Ballyhaunis has a surprisingly small catchment area which is mainly confined to the town itself. With the Roscommon border on one side and Eastern Gaels and Aghamore on the other two sides it is very hemmed in. It has the highest non-indigenous population of any town in Ireland and has a huge integration and participation programme, but the drop off rate is even higher amongst the newcomers as boys approach minor grade. Amalgamation with Aghamore must be a necessity as there is a fierce rivalry between the clubs.

[Syferus]

Thanks Lads.  Surprising that a town the size of Ballyhaunis cannot put a minor squad together.

Ballyhaunis has a surprisingly small catchment area which is mainly confined to the town itself. With the Roscommon border on one side and Eastern Gaels and Aghamore on the other two sides it is very hemmed in. It has the highest non-indigenous population of any town in Ireland and has a huge integration and participation programme, but the drop off rate is even higher amongst the newcomers as boys approach minor grade. Amalgamation with Aghamore must be a necessity as there is a fierce rivalry between the clubs.

They were no minority players on the hurling team that won the Mayo title for Ballyhaunis last year. Getting a lad to turn up for a couple training sessions is very different to integration. One looks good only when a reporter comes calling.

[Blowitupref]

Senior Quarter final result from this afternoon. Castlebar Mitchels 0-16 Mohill 0-11. Mitchels had to earn the win the hard way was 9 each after 45 mins.

[galwayman]

Claregalway won the Galway intermediate final today by 3 points.
Were 11 up early in second half which was whittled down to 2 near the end but they hung on.
They play St Johns from Sligo tomorrow in Connacht.
Can't see them winning to be honest.
I know what my body is like the day after a championship game anyway - couldn't imagine playing again that day.

[mrhardyannual]

Thanks Lads.  Surprising that a town the size of Ballyhaunis cannot put a minor squad together.

Ballyhaunis has a surprisingly small catchment area which is mainly confined to the town itself. With the Roscommon border on one side and Eastern Gaels and Aghamore on the other two sides it is very hemmed in. It has the highest non-indigenous population of any town in Ireland and has a huge integration and participation programme, but the drop off rate is even higher amongst the newcomers as boys approach minor grade. Amalgamation with Aghamore must be a necessity as there is a fierce rivalry between the clubs.

They were no minority players on the hurling team that won the Mayo title for Ballyhaunis last year. Getting a lad to turn up for a couple training sessions is very different to integration. One looks good only when a reporter comes calling.

It's not for the want of trying. Underage teams have good integration. As lads get older they are more concerned with earning money than playing sport. It's not something we haven't seen in Ireland a generation or so  ago when lads living in seaside towns wouldn't tog during the tourist season.
Once they reach adulthood and if they have papers most lads will move away to cities and to England. Simple economics dictates as there is nothing for them in Ballyhaunis. Easy for politicos to slap the club on the back for promoting integration but a few jobs and regional development might do more.

[Syferus]

Thanks Lads.  Surprising that a town the size of Ballyhaunis cannot put a minor squad together.

Ballyhaunis has a surprisingly small catchment area which is mainly confined to the town itself. With the Roscommon border on one side and Eastern Gaels and Aghamore on the other two sides it is very hemmed in. It has the highest non-indigenous population of any town in Ireland and has a huge integration and participation programme, but the drop off rate is even higher amongst the newcomers as boys approach minor grade. Amalgamation with Aghamore must be a necessity as there is a fierce rivalry between the clubs.

They were no minority players on the hurling team that won the Mayo title for Ballyhaunis last year. Getting a lad to turn up for a couple training sessions is very different to integration. One looks good only when a reporter comes calling.

It's not for the want of trying. Underage teams have good integration. As lads get older they are more concerned with earning money than playing sport. It's not something we haven't seen in Ireland a generation or so  ago when lads living in seaside towns wouldn't tog during the tourist season.
Once they reach adulthood and if they have papers most lads will move away to cities and to England. Simple economics dictates as there is nothing for them in Ballyhaunis. Easy for politicos to slap the club on the back for promoting integration but a few jobs and regional development might do more.

Of course there's dynamics with people leaving - same story in Ballagh, Castlerea, any of the other towns around Ballyhaunis with similar populations. Young people go off to college and get a job in Galway, Dublin, maybe Sligo or Athlone if they're lucky. The best outcome is usually finding lads with enough connection to either their mates or their club that they'll travel home to play but the idea of spending a round trip of 3+ hours at least once a week night and then the same again at the weekend is a form of madness many just can't tolerate. Going to England will sharply decline in the coming years anyways, they might as well have tattooed "Fúck off immigrants" to their foreheads at this stage.

I still do think despite all the factors it's a big black mark that a town the size of Ballyhaunis can't field a panel of 20+ lads aged between 15-18 in any given year. Much smaller clubs nearby manage it.

[Blowitupref]

JFC Semi-Final result. Lahardane (Mayo) 5-13  St Gabriels (Galway) 0-11. Impressive stuff from the Mayo champions there.

[maigheo]

St Gabriela were down to 14 men in the 1st half and finished with 13 men

[Blowitupref]

IFC semi final HT Moydavitts (Mayo) 0-7 Michael Glaveys 0-10. IFC Semi final  StJohns (Sligo) 1-08 Claregalway 1-08 aboit 15 mins to play in that game.

[Blowitupref]

StJohns 1-10 Claregalway 1-12 result.  Michael Glavey's: 0-17 Moy Davitts: 1-13 with 12 mins to go.