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if 1st and last a hurler why play only caid in kingdom mayos keith higgins 1st ly a hurler and plays both for mayo

Very few dual players left now, Higgins is an exception (possibly a better hurler than footballer too).

In Issue 2 of Sliotar Magazine, we interviewed the Kildare Hurling Board (Abby Murphy - Secretary and Eddie Lawlor - Chairman) and the subject of dual players at club level came up. 

Abby highlights the threat to the dual
player as a potentially devastating blow to the future
of the game in Kildare. She explains: "Emigration has
already had a massive effect on the numbers hurling
in small clubs. If football managers are allowed to stop
their players from hurling, at least three Senior hurling
teams will be dissolved overnight."
Taking a long term view, Eddie Lawlor concedes
that the code will struggle to grow under the current
structures. "The foundations aren't right," he states.
"Hurling is being suffocated at underage level. There
are so many football competitions at that level and
such a focus on winning that mentors are actively
encouraging youngsters not to play hurling."
There are obstacles everywhere. Instancing, where
Ireland's national game is concerned, the 2008 Féile
na nGael competition, which Bord na nÓg ran as a
blitz over a single weekend, Abby says: "Players won't
continue to hurl to an adult level if they don't get
games. In hurling you need constantly to practice the
skills, especially young players. It's not a game that you
can drop for a few months and pick up again straight
away."

[Alternative Ulster]

Alternative Ulster

Ulster hurling. Even the sound of it feels like hard work, let alone trying to promote it.

Call to mind a sports scene far more familiar to make the point that it does not have to be this way. Last November 82,000 people in Croke
Park witnessed Ireland defeating South Africa. Now ask yourself: do you really think Ireland would have beaten the world champions in the professional era if the ERC had blocked provinces competing in the Heineken Cup?

That it could have happened if the clubs of Munster, instead of pooling their talents, were still independent little republics operating in
the All-Ireland League? With Ronan O'Gara's Cork Constitution being routinely hammered in the Heineken Cup by everyone other than Treviso, the inevitable consequence of so small a base operating against superclubs such as Wasps and Toulouse? If the furthest and highest Marcus Horan could go at club level was to move into Limerick and play with Shannon?

Of course not. If all this talent was diluted would be crushed by the sport's traditional powers – a bit like Antrim and Down and Derry
are in hurling.

Not long ago, RTÉ's Sunday Sport devoted nearly 20 minutes of primetime television to this very subject. The same clichés were trotted out: 'start with the kids', 'get the coaches into them', 'it's going to take hard work and it's going to take time'. About the most imaginative it got was the idea of Antrim playing in the Leinster Minor Championship.
Michael Duignan felt there was some hope for Derry, Down and perhaps Armagh but none for the others. "They're wasting their time in a
lot of the football counties," he said. "Forget about it: it's not going to happen." Never, in the course of those 20 minutes, was Team Ulster mooted. It is by time the GAA faced up to one of its hidden realities: the county system may have served football very well but it has essentially failed hurling. Whereas hurling has remained a two-province sport, the domain of ten to 12 counties, the decade just past saw 18 different counties contest an All-Ireland Senior football
quarter-final. 26 experienced the hype and buzz that went with a Senior provincial final.

In fact only three counties – Carlow, Kilkenny ...

Kieran Shannon makes the case for a combined Ulster hurling team in the latest edition of Sliotar Magazine, John McIlwaine also analyses the performance of the Ulster Counties in the NHL and previews the Championship from an northern perspective.

Sliotar Magazine is FREE, simply sign up at http://www.sliotarmagazine.com

Paul Galvin spoke to Sliotar Magazine about his experiences of Kerry hurling and how he is first and last a hurler...

Sliotar Magazine is a FREE monthly GAA magazine, sign up at http://www.sliotarmagazine.com

Sliotar Magazine - Ireland's Free Hurling Magazine

Sliotar is a new FREE online hurling magazine, delivered straight to your inbox from February 11 2010.

Sliotar will provide detailed coverage of the intercounty and club hurling and camogie season that you cannot find anywhere else. Featuring interviews, previews and profiles of the big games, the burning issues and the brightest stars in Ireland's national game, Sliotar is the magazine for serious hurling fans.



Among the highlights of the first full-colour issue of Sliotar:


•Enter Sandman: Kilkenny Captain TJ Reid talks to PM O'Sullivan about the pressures facing club and county in 2010.

•The Chasing Pack: Denis Walsh of The Sunday Times runs the rule over the coming hurling season.

•Galway's Racing Chances: Keith Duggan of The Irish Times wonders whether The Tribesmen are worth a punt in 2010.

•Camogie's New Contour: Pat Treacy discusses the challenge of bouncing back from All-Ireland defeat in 2009 with camogie legend Ann Downey.

•Moving On Up: PM O'Sullivan considers whether Tipperary can take that final step.

•Clare Memories: Banner legend Jimmy Smyth on the grandeur of hurling.

•Fitzgibbon Frenzy: Michael Geoghegan on the leading contenders this spring.

•Murt Flynn on starting afresh in a cold climate.

All the action, controversy and humour of the 2010 hurling calendar will be captured in full colour with the best in analysis, photographs, opinion, competitions and stats.

Get quality hurling news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox – sign up to Sliotar now!

To sign up for your FREE copy, visit: http://www.sliotarmagazine.com

For the second issue we hope to include coverage of the Ulster Hurling Scene and Division 2 of the National Hurling League.

The TC Tyres World of Gaelic Games - Show 19 presented by Pat Treacy.

This week's show previews the All-Ireland Junior Hurling Club Final between Danesfort of Kilkenny and Clooney Gaels of Antrim including interviews and opinions.


View the Radio Kilkenny webpage for instructions on how to subscribe to the podcast to receive the show every week.

Alternatively you can download the show in mp3 format direct

Check out the Radio Kilkenny Archive on KilkennyCats.com for previous editions of the podcast and other featured broadcasts.