Antrim Hurling

[Seamroga in exile]

We were lucky enough against Dunloy in the semi but we'd been unlucky against them in previous years. We beat Loch gCaol out the gate in the final though.

we never turned up. The funny thing is that with 15 minutes to go we were still in with a shout. Too many boys thought it was won. Plus a great Rossa Performance.

[Milltown Row2]

We were lucky enough against Dunloy in the semi but we'd been unlucky against them in previous years. We beat Loch gCaol out the gate in the final though.

we never turned up. The funny thing is that with 15 minutes to go we were still in with a shout. Too many boys thought it was won. Plus a great Rossa Performance.

It was a shitty day and the rain and wind wasn't helping both teams in fairness but Rossa wanted it more on the day, Shannon was possessed that day, and as been mentioned before that Rossa team was past it's peak as there was better teams before that winning team

[Hurler24]

@NAG1 I agree that a club like Ballycastle shouldn't have a lack of talent due to the population they can draw on but it happens in every club. The current team has usually about 10-12 U21 players starting and possibly only two over 26?? As SIE pointed out winning a Feis can give a team belief at this level as happened with Loughgiel. Ballycastle probably wont win the Championship but they are back as contenders.They ran Cushendall to two points despite not hitting a point from play.They ran Dunloy to a point in last years championship.This group of player has won everything on their way up.That is the difference to the players throughout the 2000s

[Fairhead]

You have to remember as well that Cushendall beat Ballycastle in three finals in the 90's and Dunloy beat them in a few finals as well. We beat them in 1992, 1993 and 1996 and they should really have won in 1992 but for some heroics from the late Danny Mc Naughton and Jackie Carson who both got goals in the final ten minutes. They had great players at that time, Humpy, Jennings, Liam Gallagher, Stephen Boyle, Dessie, Brian & Ronan Donnelly.

Leyland nothing against the club at all, just going on pure facts and having watched them for a good number of years.
Always expect them to do better than they have done and then when it comes to it they don't produce. Maybe this crop of young players coming through will help maybe they won't, but too many times I have expected them to come to the championship and be really competitive recently and when it came to it just didn't count.

If your not from Ballycastle NAG, what facts are you going on that gave you such optimism about Ballycastle over a good number of years and that has left you so disappointed?

I can give you some facts as well. The 1990's was a barren time for our underage development and teams and apart from a handful of players there wasn't sufficient numbers coming through to step in to the senior panel. That meant when the core of the team from the 90's left the scene in the mid 2000's we were at a very low ebb at senior level and there was no real competition for places. It came to a stage that around 2007/08 there was only really Pinky and Cosey over the age of 24/25 in the senior team and it was a case of putting in players from the '07 u21 team like Cormac Donnelly, Neil McAuley, the Dallats, Gerard Laverty etc. That still didn't give us a big enough squad and we have then really had to wait to the last couple of years for the next good underage crop (this years u21 team mainly) to blend in with those other lads. This has given more numbers at senior level and competition for places again but of course this year we are missing one of the top players in the county and no team can afford to lose a player like that.

We are still developing a team and a squad and who knows it could be a few years before we get back to a senior final but we will get there. So I certainly haven't been disappointed with the teams efforts over the last few years, in fact I have been getting more and more optimistic.

This is exactly my point, look at the calibre of those players and add a few others not mentioned, reaching all those finals and not getting over the line, in my book that's under achieving whatever about lack of underage development. At that time they had a serious team and should have done better, yes there have been barren years since but my point is still valid. IMO they have under achieved in the last number of years and are not the championship team that they have the reputation for any more.

NAG you are entitled to your opinion but above you started off talking about facts but you didn't really listen to the facts I gave above. Ballycastle have not underachieved in the last 10 or so years, we simply have not had the team to compete, some great players but not a strong enough team. Theres a difference. As for the 1990's we were second best in 3 those of the finals, 93 & 96 to a good Cushendall team and 98 to a fabulous Dunloy team. That's not underachieving that's just coming up against better teams on the day. Granted in 1992 we left one behind us but I don't think you can brand nearly 2 generation of hurlers as underacheivers because of that.

[Gizzy15]

@NAG1 I agree that a club like Ballycastle shouldn't have a lack of talent due to the population they can draw on but it happens in every club. The current team has usually about 10-12 U21 players starting and possibly only two over 26?? As SIE pointed out winning a Feis can give a team belief at this level as happened with Loughgiel. Ballycastle probably wont win the Championship but they are back as contenders.They ran Cushendall to two points despite not hitting a point from play.They ran Dunloy to a point in last years championship.This group of player has won everything on their way up.That is the differenrce to the players throughout the 2000s

Very true. The newes

[Seamroga in exile]

I still say the west Belfast clubs have a bigger population to draw on than any clubs in the rest of the county. The problem is too many clubs in that area.

[btdtgtt]

I still say the west Belfast clubs have a bigger population to draw on than any clubs in the rest of the county. The problem is too many clubs in that area.

That's a direct contradiction SiE!
Because there's so many clubs = less playing population for each. 
In terms of numbers to draw from just look at the squads at training / match days - in the end that's what clubs have to work with.
Fact is north Antrim are better off.
We could argue all day about relative populations and affecting factors!

[Gizzy15]

We were lucky enough against Dunloy in the semi but we'd been unlucky against them in previous years. We beat Loch gCaol out the gate in the final though.

we never turned up. The funny thing is that with 15 minutes to go we were still in with a shout. Too many boys thought it was won. Plus a great Rossa Performance.

It was a shitty day and the rain and wind wasn't helping both teams in fairness but Rossa wanted it more on the day, Shannon was possessed that day, and as been mentioned before that Rossa team was past it's peak as there was better teams before that winning team

see all the points beyond this but i have to say this, it was overdue the county title going to Rossa, played the town in the 90's and they were good. but money goes to money(what i mean by this is you win c/ship you win). Belfast does have a big population then you devide and divide and divide(catholic, gaa man, football or hurling, then 1 of 17 clubs in the west). belfast loking to north antrim for help is like the county looking to croke park for help.

until the belfast clubs can go 1 code then we will help ourselves as going with the cap in hand to N Antrim or Croke Park will not rub. we have always had the underage kids in belfast winning i would say more than 50% of titles up till minor but then its a dead end road. sort that out and were half way to sorting the county scene out. Sin é

[Seamroga in exile]

The problem is too many clubs in west Belfast. Simple.

[Gizzy15]

The problem is too many clubs in west Belfast. Simple.

thats what i was trying to say but also them all being dual comfounds the problem.

[Seamroga in exile]

I've said before on here perhaps a few of the clubs should look into amalgamating their hurling teams. I know it'll never happen but it's worth considering.

[Two Hands FFS]

I've said before on here perhaps a few of the clubs should look into amalgamating their hurling teams. I know it'll never happen but it's worth considering.

Did this not happen a couple of years ago? Or it was meant to happen and the Johnnies pulled their players out to concentrate on winning an intermediate championship.

I think SIE means some of the smaller clubs in Belfast joining together instead of just being pretty much social clubs

[Milltown Row2]

I've said before on here perhaps a few of the clubs should look into amalgamating their hurling teams. I know it'll never happen but it's worth considering.

Did this not happen a couple of years ago? Or it was meant to happen and the Johnnies pulled their players out to concentrate on winning an intermediate championship.

It was intermediate and below clubs that played in this Belfast team. Was shit, no training and no team spirit.

[Seamroga in exile]

A bit like Antrim at the minute.

[Milltown Row2]

A bit like Antrim at the minute.

You have heard of the phrase, be nice to people on the way up...........