Westmeath hurlers seek Ulster entry

[downgirl]

Exactly Mentalman, why would you want your county to win or have the possibility of winning a provinical final that isn't even your own province.... eg Down - Munster Champions wouldn't feel the same to me as Down - Ulster Champions.

[Mentalman]

Exactly Mentalman, why would you want your county to win or have the possibility of winning a provinical final that isn't even your own province.... eg Down - Munster Champions wouldn't feel the same to me as Down - Ulster Champions.

Totally agree. I mean not that I think Westmeath could/would win Ulster, but it's not right on the good hurling folk of Down or Armagh or any of the other Ulster counties who struggle to keep the small ball game going up there to have the likes of Westmeath/Carlow/Kildare/Meath parachuted in on them, especially when they have their won provincial championship they should be competing in if they so wish.

[stevecw]

Crazy to see Westmeath having to resort to this. As a hurling county who are trying to develop, they should be allowed do what happened this year.
Westmeath were in Leinster and once they got beaten also had Christy Ring Cup to play for.
Carlow and Westmeath should be allowed into Leinster next year. When they lose, should also have CR Cup to go for.
Even a round-robin preliminary round where Carlow, Westmeath and say Meath & Kildare get to play each other with winners getting a crack at Laois or Antrim in leinster would work.

[AFS]

Why aren't the other provinces encouraged to go down the same route as Ulster whereby every county participates in the championship, particularly in Leinster? You could layer it the same way as its done in Ulster where the weaker teams are whittled down to one or two by the quarter final stage so that Kilkenny aren't drawing Longford in the first round, but at the same time hurling in these weaker counties would get the boost of having an outside chance of playing a big gun in a competitive game.

Looking in from the outside on the hurling scene it seems to me that the traditional hurling counties only pay lip service to the idea of promoting hurling beyond their borders, and that the reality is that they are perfectly happy with the status quo where there's really only 8 or 9 serious hurling counties. That more is not done to promote hurling outside of its traditional areas is one of the most disappointing and irritating aspects of the GAA for me.

[Mentalman]

Looking in from the outside on the hurling scene it seems to me that the traditional hurling counties only pay lip service to the idea of promoting hurling beyond their borders, and that the reality is that they are perfectly happy with the status quo where there's really only 8 or 9 serious hurling counties.

This is well known unfortunately, the phrase frequently used is that hurling outside of the big 8 is a waste of good timber, and it's firmly believed amongst those who make policy in the corridors of power. It's a crying shame, especially when you see someone like Brendan Murtagh at the weekend playing for his country, he's one of the few who tried a leg in the match. There's a guy who could have took the easy route of playing football for his county, but instead sticks to his first love, and as a reward he can't even look forward to a championship game in his own province.

[Croí na hÉireann]

Caught the highlights of the Shinty match, Murtagh fairly put Brennan and Lyng in the shade...

[Ash Smoker]

Westmeath exclusion is form of hurling apartheid

Dear Sirs,

The old British Empire strategy of 'divide and conquer' appears to be alive and well in the upper echelons of the GAA. On the one hand, you invite some teams to take part in the Leinster hurling championship, while on the other, you keep some Leinster teams out. How can this be justified when you analyse it objectively?

It was great to see the GAA president promoting our games in Penang, Malaysia recently. I believe players from over 15 nationalities took part in the ladies, men's and hurling competitions. Every county in Ireland was represented.

Isn't it ironic, then, that much closer to home Westmeath hurlers are not allowed take part in the Leinster senior hurling championship? Maybe they should apply to take part in the Asian games instead.

If it is your contention, Nickey, that the gap is too big for Westmeath to compete and by consequence we would constitute an embarrassment to the GAA, then I think examination of the facts may prove different. Let's look at the gap between Kilkenny and the other teams they played on the way to winning the 2008 All-Ireland Championship:

Leinster semi-final:

Kilkenny 2-24; Offaly 0-12

Margin: 18 points

Leinster final:

Kilkenny 5-21; Wexford 0-17

Margin: 19 points

All-Ireland semi-final:

Kilkenny 1-23; Cork 0-17

Margin: 9 points

All-Ireland final:

Kilkenny 3-30; Waterford 1-13

Margin: 23 points

The smallest winning margin was nine points, the other games were 18 points or more. Now compare that gap with the only time Westmeath played Kilkenny in recent years, in the championship, on June 11, 2006:

Kilkenny 1-23; Westmeath 1-9

Margin: 14 points

Also let's look at the draw for the 2009 Leinster SHC quarter-finals: Laois v Galway; Offaly v Wexford; Dublin v Antrim; Kilkenny bye.

Why couldn't we have had proper quarter-finals with eight teams, including Westmeath, in the hat? Why do Kilkenny go straight to the semi-final? It's still not too late to change as I'm sure Westmeath would be only too delighted to be afforded a chance to play Kilkenny in the quarter-final. We may even avenge the 2006 result and at the very least we would get the chance to see our lads competing against the best in Ireland.

Westmeath's record in the Christy Ring Cup is second to none: we won two finals, lost one in 2008 after extra-time and the year we didn't compete we beat Dublin in the Leinster Championship. With the possible exception of this year's final, our credentials to play in the Leinster championship are pretty good in my opinion.

While Westmeath have no problem with Galway and Antrim joining the province, it should not have been to the exclusion of Westmeath. Nickey, what you and the HDC are practising here is GAA apartheid, a policy of legal separation and segregation enforced by the HDC on the hurling people of Westmeath.

In the hurling world, you are treating Westmeath hurling people as second-class citizens. Kilkenny's football team don't take part in the Leinster football championship, but that is by choice. Why not afford the same luxury to the hurlers of Westmeath?

Instead of the rather negative approach we are currently experiencing, what we need here is a positive bias towards the weaker teams. In Australia, the AFL team finishing bottom of the league gets first choice of the draft the following year; in our own ladies football, a promoted team from intermediate level gets two years at senior before they can be relegated again.

Here are some suggestions you might consider:

County teams have the choice of participating or not in their provincial championship. But it is their choice and their choice only, not a decision foisted on them from above.

Automatic promotion for the Christy Ring Cup winners without a play-off. Similarly for the Nicky Rackard Cup. Restoration of the Christy Ring and the Nicky Rackard Cups to the All-Ireland hurling semi-final Sundays as originally intended.

Teams which have won the All-Ireland hurling final in the last 10 years only get one bite of the cherry. This means that if they are defeated in the provincial or All-Ireland series they don't get a second chance. Teams affected at the moment would be Kilkenny, Cork and Tipperary.

Now I have another question for the HDC. As a hurling coach here in Westmeath, how do I encourage a young fella to take up and play the game of hurling?

If you ask any player in any sport what his ambitions are, what would he say? "I want to be the best I can be and play against the best."

That would not be an unreasonable ambition in my opinion. But, under the current system in Leinster, he cannot achieve that ambition. Wouldn't he be better off to go and try his hand at rugby or soccer, he might even get to play in Croke Park? If he's good enough, he'll be allowed to play in the top competitions, he won't be discriminated against because he was born in Westmeath, and he could earn a bob or two along the way.

This is the crux of the matter really: there has to be a light at the end of the tunnel, a sense of fair play, a chance to be the best. That ambition has been taken away from the hurlers of Westmeath.

Instead, what hurlers in Westmeath need are positive and encouraging messages which will support the efforts and improvements made by Westmeath in recent years. This is the equivalent of a slap in the face to all involved in Westmeath hurling for the strides and efforts made by them in recent years. If there is no support from the top, then people will not be motivated to put in the effort. This is a fact which has been proven time and again in many organisations.

Finally, I would like to ask you, Nickey, to explain to us why this decision is a good decision for Westmeath hurling?

Regards,

Martin Carey

Martin Carey, a native of Roscrea now living in Athlone, is a mentor with the Westmeath U15 Hurling development squad

http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/westmeath-exclusion-is-form-of-hurling-apartheid-1517457.html

[corcaioch]

Westmeath would win the Ulster Championship in my opinion. It's disgraceful that they are not in the Leinster Championship. Who'd ever have 'thunk' that teams who wanted to enter their own provincial championship would be denied that right, and by interlopers as well. Shocking stuff.

I have no real objections to Galway and Antrim moving into the LHC, but I do have a problem with the likes of Westmeath, Carlow Meath and Kildare effectively being barred from entering.

I think almost everyone feels the same - Westmeath should be in the Leinster Championship so if that's the case - why are they being excluded?
...and Carlow who beat Antrim last weekend!

[didlyi]

If Westmeath Play in ulster then essentialy what we are heading for is,
A munster chamionship,
A best of the rest chamionship called leinster
and a next best of the rest 'b' championship called ulster

[Eoghan Mag]

I personally think that a protest should be made at every Leinster game in the Championship by Westmeath to highlight this blacklisting of a county who are doing their best to develop. Sure a few years back they beat Dublin in the Championship (in the lashings of rain) and look how well the Dubs are doing in the league this season. I think the entire hurling Championship set up for the coming year is a farce. 

[slow corner back]

The set up for the hurling championship has been an unsustainable farce from the moment they broke the link between the ulster championship and the all ireland series. When they did that they mad e it clear that the all ireland would be a closed shop for the elite. No more of the likes of Down and Derry making their way to Croke Park and annoying the elite. Westmeath and Carlow are not the first team to be banned from the championship

[Minder]

The set up for the hurling championship has been an unsustainable farce from the moment they broke the link between the ulster championship and the all ireland series. When they did that they mad e it clear that the all ireland would be a closed shop for the elite. No more of the likes of Down and Derry making their way to Croke Park and annoying the elite. Westmeath and Carlow are not the first team to be banned from the championship

In fairness SCB Ulster teams getting hammered in Croke Park year after year, after playing one game to win a provincial series was never going to be allowed to last forever and didnt do anyone any favours. If Antrim are good enough they will still get to play in Croke Park.

[johnneycool]

The set up for the hurling championship has been an unsustainable farce from the moment they broke the link between the ulster championship and the all ireland series. When they did that they mad e it clear that the all ireland would be a closed shop for the elite. No more of the likes of Down and Derry making their way to Croke Park and annoying the elite. Westmeath and Carlow are not the first team to be banned from the championship

In fairness SCB Ulster teams getting hammered in Croke Park year after year, after playing one game to win a provincial series was never going to be allowed to last forever and didnt do anyone any favours. If Antrim are good enough they will still get to play in Croke Park.

Granted but there should still be a link to the AI series from the ulster championship as the recent changes has rendered the Ulster hurling championship as worthless.

[slow corner back]

The set up for the hurling championship has been an unsustainable farce from the moment they broke the link between the ulster championship and the all ireland series. When they did that they mad e it clear that the all ireland would be a closed shop for the elite. No more of the likes of Down and Derry making their way to Croke Park and annoying the elite. Westmeath and Carlow are not the first team to be banned from the championship

In fairness SCB Ulster teams getting hammered in Croke Park year after year, after playing one game to win a provincial series was never going to be allowed to last forever and didnt do anyone any favours. If Antrim are good enough they will still get to play in Croke Park.

I saw waterford getting hammered in croke park last september and limerick the september before, are those counties going to be barred from the all ireland series? The ulster champions should be allowed directly into the all ireland series by virtue of being ulster champions. If Down or Derry beat Antrim and make it to an all ireland q-final good luck to them.

[Minder]

The set up for the hurling championship has been an unsustainable farce from the moment they broke the link between the ulster championship and the all ireland series. When they did that they mad e it clear that the all ireland would be a closed shop for the elite. No more of the likes of Down and Derry making their way to Croke Park and annoying the elite. Westmeath and Carlow are not the first team to be banned from the championship

In fairness SCB Ulster teams getting hammered in Croke Park year after year, after playing one game to win a provincial series was never going to be allowed to last forever and didnt do anyone any favours. If Antrim are good enough they will still get to play in Croke Park.

I saw waterford getting hammered in croke park last september and limerick the september before, are those counties going to be barred from the all ireland series? The ulster champions should be allowed directly into the all ireland series by virtue of being ulster champions. If Down or Derry beat Antrim and make it to an all ireland q-final good luck to them.

Are you comparing Limerick/Waterford & Antrim ? (Limerick were beaten by 7 by the best team i have seen, hardly a hammering) Both "hammerings" were in a final, so Waterford and Limerick proved they were good enough to play in a final.