Antrim Hurling

[theskull1]

Yes

To the detriment of the overall tournament but that doesnt seem to matter to the top brass. Again its a case of the strong getting stronger and forgetting the rest.

Great weekend but just a shame that it has been split in this manner.

Suggest a format that would work NAG? Johnny has pointed out that it was going down a questionable path so I can at least see why it was changed.

Div1 this year would have been essentially Div2 in previous years

Did Antrim ever have a team (teams?) compete in Division 1? I know they have had teams win Division 2 in the past but there doesn't appear to be promotion/relegation between the Divisions.

Don't know how that works myself. Cant see promotion/relegation working considering its a totally different team the following year.

[NAG1]

Yes

To the detriment of the overall tournament but that doesnt seem to matter to the top brass. Again its a case of the strong getting stronger and forgetting the rest.

Great weekend but just a shame that it has been split in this manner.

Suggest a format that would work NAG? Johnny has pointed out that it was going down a questionable path so I can at least see why it was changed.

Div1 this year would have been essentially Div2 in previous years

There was nothing wrong with original format IMO it just needed the clubs to adhere to the spirit of the competition.  Any clubs who didnt should have had sanctions, it is as much about the development of them as young adults as it is about winning and this got lost with a few clubs taking it way to seriously.

It is meant to be a fesitval of hurling, making connections and bringing clubs together forming new bonds and friendships, to me there is something missing if you split it up. If the top counties want to play in a separate competition then they could do so at another date, especially if it played over one day as it is.

[theskull1]

There was nothing wrong with original format IMO it just needed the clubs to adhere to the spirit of the competition.  Any clubs who didnt should have had sanctions, it is as much about the development of them as young adults as it is about winning and this got lost with a few clubs taking it way to seriously.

It is meant to be a fesitval of hurling, making connections and bringing clubs together forming new bonds and friendships, to me there is something missing if you split it up. If the top counties want to play in a separate competition then they could do so at another date, especially if it played over one day as it is.

Your opinion yes, but you can't say the Feile committee didnt canvass opinions and come to a different conclusion.

http://www.galwaygaa.ie/more-info-6/97-latest-news-2013/759-national-feile-2014-information

These innovations aim to promote:
• a greater level of participation by clubs in Féile;
• a games programme that facilitates the participation of teams that are equal or close to equal in standard
• an all-island games' programme for u14 players during Féile weekend.

Not saying I'd be that happy with the top sides being left out  but I'd be in agreement with the findings and the intent to get participation levels up across the island

[btdtgtt]

Really interesting debate on feile.
Clear to see problems - solutions not so evident.
The gap between the big clubs and most of them now from Dublin is evident at U-14.
I suppose the notion of spirit in the competition has long since died at the expense of winning - often driven by adults!

Heard a few rumours on the St. John's situation but nothing concrete if anyone can shed some light?

As for the county - another game against Offaly?
How novel!
How many time have we played them this year?
Wake me up when it's all over zzzzzz.

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

this will be the 4th time this year we will have played them.

[nrico2006]

Skull - was that the Division 1 final your boys played in?  Or the second or third tier of the wider event?

If not the top tier, do you know who won the top tier?

Can someone explain the new feile structures to me?

While I would love for the All Ireland under 14 final to have been between Dunloy and Dungiven, it appears there was another feile "final" in Thurles over the weekend with Kilmacud Crokes beating Midleton.

Have the "top" teams in the "top" counties been taken out of the competition?

Didn't know that it had been split.  I was actually impressed thinking that Dunloy and Dungiven had won the main event.

[theskull1]

Didn't know that it had been split.  I was actually impressed thinking that Dunloy and Dungiven had won the main event.

The Div1 Feile is almost always won by clubs who have a massive pick at juvenile agegroups

Kilmacrud who won the tournament in Thurles, have teams at U8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16

At U14 they have 2 Teams, so with that kind of pick, you're always going to hammering clubs who can only put out U8/10/12/14/16 panels (most of them need to overlap as well). Its not a matter of their top players being any better than everyone elses top players, its just they have more of them. Not much you can do there. 

[johnneycool]

Didn't know that it had been split.  I was actually impressed thinking that Dunloy and Dungiven had won the main event.

The Div1 Feile is almost always won by clubs who have a massive pick at juvenile agegroups

Kilmacrud who won the tournament in Thurles, have teams at U8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16

At U14 they have 2 Teams, so with that kind of pick, you're always going to hammering clubs who can only put out U8/10/12/14/16 panels (most of them need to overlap as well). Its not a matter of their top players being any better than everyone elses top players, its just they have more of them. Not much you can do there.

Other than ensure your 14 year olds are every bit as well coached as the Crokes 14 year olds and so on down through the age groups, something which we're possibly still lacking.
The Crokes have three full time coaches under their watch, that's what you're up against.

Three of the Crokes last Feile winning team lined out for Dublin minors on Saturday and that is seen as a success for the coaching and management of the Crokes minors. Competition for places is intense in Dublin with young fellas prepared to do whatever it takes to make the intercounty hurling teams. I can't speak for Antrim, but thats an alien concept in Down.

At a local level I never get overly excited about underage wins or results, moreso the attitude and ability of the individuals involved as there's a hope that it'll all come good at senior level when there's enough like-minded players coming together over several age groups.

[theskull1]

Didn't know that it had been split.  I was actually impressed thinking that Dunloy and Dungiven had won the main event.

The Div1 Feile is almost always won by clubs who have a massive pick at juvenile agegroups

Kilmacrud who won the tournament in Thurles, have teams at U8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16

At U14 they have 2 Teams, so with that kind of pick, you're always going to hammering clubs who can only put out U8/10/12/14/16 panels (most of them need to overlap as well). Its not a matter of their top players being any better than everyone elses top players, its just they have more of them. Not much you can do there.

Other than ensure your 14 year olds are every bit as well coached as the Crokes 14 year olds and so on down through the age groups

I thought that went without saying. 

[north_antrim_hound]

Didn't know that it had been split.  I was actually impressed thinking that Dunloy and Dungiven had won the main event.

The Div1 Feile is almost always won by clubs who have a massive pick at juvenile agegroups

Kilmacrud who won the tournament in Thurles, have teams at U8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16

At U14 they have 2 Teams, so with that kind of pick, you're always going to hammering clubs who can only put out U8/10/12/14/16 panels (most of them need to overlap as well). Its not a matter of their top players being any better than everyone elses top players, its just they have more of them. Not much you can do there.

Couldn't agree more
The old format of clubs with huge numbers having an advantage wasn't really fair
There's as many people in dublin as there is in the whole of the north

[NAG1]

Whats the thoughts then for the match at the weekend?

Would show some progress to beat Offaly again, realistically it is a game we should be looking to win having it at home etc

[Milltown Row2]

I don't think we have anything at all to fear v Offaly on Sunday and the fixture has a win for us written all over it.

p.s. Anyone know how many teams are relegated from our ACHL Divisions 1, 2 and 3 and also, how many teams are promoted?

Two down 2 up, was the format last year

[NAG1]

I don't think we have anything at all to fear v Offaly on Sunday and the fixture has a win for us written all over it.

p.s. Anyone know how many teams are relegated from our ACHL Divisions 1, 2 and 3 and also, how many teams are promoted?

Do they not normally wait to see who has been relegated first to see if they need to reformat the leagues the following year, I thought that was SOP. 

[Milltown Row2]

I don't think we have anything at all to fear v Offaly on Sunday and the fixture has a win for us written all over it.

p.s. Anyone know how many teams are relegated from our ACHL Divisions 1, 2 and 3 and also, how many teams are promoted?

Do they not normally wait to see who has been relegated first to see if they need to reformat the leagues the following year, I thought that was SOP. 

Only if its Ballycastle lol

[Hurler24]

I don't think we have anything at all to fear v Offaly on Sunday and the fixture has a win for us written all over it.

p.s. Anyone know how many teams are relegated from our ACHL Divisions 1, 2 and 3 and also, how many teams are promoted?

Do they not normally wait to see who has been relegated first to see if they need to reformat the leagues the following year, I thought that was SOP. 

Only if its Ballycastle lol

I seem to remember Ballycastle recently taking their year in Division 2 and winning it to get back up?However again last year we changed to accommodate Down teams in our leagues!