Messages

U14 football and U16 hurling on alternative Sundays.

You learn something new every day.

Thanks for the detailed reply Splash. Genuinely I'm not trying to wind our hurling fraternity up. Well, maybe only a little!

But I would explain that anytime I encounter suggestions for "forced" hurling, it does light a little fire inside me. You're very careful above to propose that what you would like to see is in no way compulsory, in no way forced through. So I'll not refer to it in those terms again, only to say that I still cannot help  interpreting "every primary school" as something that would require a dogmatic approach pressed hard from on high. It would require a stick, per se, rather than a carrot.

Why does this light a fire inside me?

Well I'll explain it from my current perspective. I'm entering my third consecutive season of under-14 football coaching. In that time I've worked with upwards on 60 boys across every ability range, from 5 distinct school years, the vast majority of them having started school life in Ballyholland PS.

Of those young players, north of 50 of them play competitive soccer.

Bear in mind these things. They don't get exposed to soccer in their primary school.  For the overwhelming majority of them, the same applies in post primary school. There are as good as no soccer facilities for them in Newry: all the clubs lean on GAA school AstroTurf for training. Even our biggest and most successful teams, with the exception of Newry City, have no club rooms for younger players. Every Saturday morning in life there's a procession of Newry parents heading to Lisburn, Belfast, Moira, Crumlin and Craigavon to play matches against teams of lads from many miles away, who they don't know, and as such don't have anything approaching a rivalry / bragging rights. Every season it seems half or more of them change clubs, often for a lesser challenge / guaranteed spot in a team. I've watched first hand that some of the coaching is very good, but game day messages, well they almost invariably applaud getting rid of it. Personally I find it hard to applaud a young lad for kicking a ball over a sideline but I'd guess my feelings on soccer are similar to yours on Gaelic Football; I do enjoy it but not that much. 

And to top all that, as a predominantly winter sport, they play most of their season in awful weather on heavy pitches.

Yet despite all these disadvantages (for boys in the Newry area), the lure of soccer actually seems to be growing year on year, even among the rural fringes where clubs like ourselves, Saval, Glenn, Drumgath are the cornerstones of the community.

So much so that we are a point that I would expect over half of the lads I've worked with would pick soccer every single day over Gaelic Football.

And while not ignoring the fact that the bright lights and marketing of the Premier League play a significant role, I fundamentally believe this growth is being driven by families. Parental influence is key.

Hence, I understand and even admire your determination that hurling can and will grow across our County with a sustained effort on influencing /recruiting players at a young age. But if Gaelic Football - even with all the advantages we've created for ourselves in these areas over the past 100 years -  finds it difficult to secure the hearts and minds of these young people, then the sceptic in me, just can't see it being the springboard for hurling that you can see.

Mainly because if parents aren't interested in hurling, then their children are unlikely to give the game the focus required to being them up to (anywhere near) the level of those who come from hurling families.

Even though it initially seems back to front, if you really want to change the culture of hurling in Down it has to be to find ways to cajole, snare, interest young parents and those about to become parents. Then the children have a half a chance.

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Footnote 1: By adulthood, soccer is a hobby and Gaelic Games are a vocation. But our sports are becoming more vocational at an earlier age these days, which means may kids are naturally going to sway against, and I acknowledge I'm part of this problem.

Footnote 2: Gaelic football has two extraordinary advantages over soccer in the Newry area. The first being that we enjoy a summer sport, which far from guarantees the weather but it's miles above what soccer goes through. The second being that we provide proper home matches in the heart of our communities. It's a stepping stone for young lads to become important parts of their community.

This season our clubs have approved a calendar that sees under-14 football taking place every other week. Which means one home game a month over the summer for all these young lads. They might as well go to Lisburn every week.

Somebody please make sense of why this is happening, for I can't.

I don't think that's correct when it comes to U14 football; isn't it every Sunday?

In the long run, our county board would benefit more from spending £60,000 annually on two full-time hurling coaches who visited the schools rather than wasting tens of thousands of pounds on excessive coaches for our intercounty teams. The GAA must take action about the number of individuals overseeing a 35-person squad.

These days, eating steak out is a luxury because of the cost.

Will there be any coverage of tomorrow's game on TV or radio?

There will always be a place for the Sigerson but I cannot see county players buying into it for much longer. Playing without the intercounty stars would mean more to the colleges as last evenings match was played like a friendly game.

A wonder kick from Tohill.

UU continue their extraordinary knack for making it look like the 15 men who take the field have never met each other before the throw in.

That's most likely what took place.

Down GAA need to back Saval tonight and become a leader within the organisation. All delegates and county officers should be supporting this. I hope that everyone in the club has had an opportunity to cast a vote on this issue.

Saval pulled the motion. No other club supported it.

That statement is lies!

Not lies.....can you confirm where the support was coming from?

It is false to claim that clubs did not support the proposal because it was never brought to the table, which prevented clubs from speaking on it.

Down GAA need to back Saval tonight and become a leader within the organisation. All delegates and county officers should be supporting this. I hope that everyone in the club has had an opportunity to cast a vote on this issue.

Saval pulled the motion. No other club supported it.

That statement is lies!

I was told that . What is correct.? How many  lubs supported the County team being pulled from the leagues?

It never went to a vote, no clubs had a chance to support it.

Down GAA need to back Saval tonight and become a leader within the organisation. All delegates and county officers should be supporting this. I hope that everyone in the club has had an opportunity to cast a vote on this issue.

Saval pulled the motion. No other club supported it.

That statement is lies!

Down GAA need to back Saval tonight and become a leader within the organisation. All delegates and county officers should be supporting this. I hope that everyone in the club has had an opportunity to cast a vote on this issue.

The Sunflower does Beamish for around a £5er. Maybe it's time more pubs made the switch?

Is Beamish much cheaper per keg?

The price of a price in my local has went from £3.50 before covid to £5. That's nearly 45% in less than 6 years. There is no other business ripping punters off like this.

That was a disappointing pre-season, we did not get any new blood and it will be back to the same old faces to get us back up the divisions.

Alcohol free Guinness , what a load of crap. Drink is far too dear these days.