Antrim Hurling

[btdtgtt]

Te championship in both football and hurling is to be seeded this year. It was voted in 24-20 in favour of it as the meeting the night.

Top seeds in football are st galls, cargin, St. John's and Rossa.

Top hurling seeds are loughgiel, cushendall, dunloy and ballycastle.

This should make for some debating!

Maybe a stupid question but i take it its only senior? Either way it is disappointing, open draw always adds to the excitement, personally i was delighted to see galls get to a SHC final this year I'm sure it has boosted hurling in the club.

It boosted it so much they haven't even got a senior hurling manager this year - only in St Galls. Clooney Gaels will be the club with the real appetite this year. They'll be back with a vengance and hopefully they'll get a bit of luck in the draw.
I do agree with you on the open draw though - it's the only way to go. Names in a hat, draw them out and whoever is the best will win the championship. The history, passion and pride that's associated with our championship should not be compromised. Open draw - simples!

Has Oliver Bellew packed it in? Why?

I don't think there was ever any doubt that getting to the senior final was ever going to be more than a day out.

No harm to MR2 and his preference for the wee ball, but big ball rules there. And if you don't win a final - then I'm not sure there's much more in it than the day out.
The Johnnies got there a couple of times in the 90s, and Cushendun also.
Does it really matter now?
For Galls I would have thought their victory against Dunloy would have been more of a spur to their potential than the day out for beating Clooney & Sarsfields.

However sadly, I dont see any team in the City putting up a challenge to the Big 3 (sorry Bonamargey!) or Ballycastle either.

[theskull1]

Strange how 24 clubs voted for this seeing as 100% of gaels on here would have voted it down. A cabal springs to mind

[NAG1]

Strange how 24 clubs voted for this seeing as 100% of gaels on here would have voted it down. A cabal springs to mind
[/quote

What would be you major objection to it be skull, just interested?

[btdtgtt]

Strange how 24 clubs voted for this seeing as 100% of gaels on here would have voted it down. A cabal springs to mind

Excuse me there now NAG, just you hold on a minute - but I did state a year ago that I was in favour of seeding!
I have not really changed that view - but a few comments on here have enlightened me as to the merits of the open draw!

[themac_23]

Hold on a second here, am i really seeing Lamh Dearg entering into JHC for this season?

[NAG1]

Strange how 24 clubs voted for this seeing as 100% of gaels on here would have voted it down. A cabal springs to mind

Excuse me there now NAG, just you hold on a minute - but I did state a year ago that I was in favour of seeding!
I have not really changed that view - but a few comments on here have enlightened me as to the merits of the open draw!

Read up, you are quoting skull not me

[All seeing I]

Te championship in both football and hurling is to be seeded this year. It was voted in 24-20 in favour of it as the meeting the night.

Top seeds in football are st galls, cargin, St. John's and Rossa.

Top hurling seeds are loughgiel, cushendall, dunloy and ballycastle.

This should make for some debating!

Maybe a stupid question but i take it its only senior? Either way it is disappointing, open draw always adds to the excitement, personally i was delighted to see galls get to a SHC final this year I'm sure it has boosted hurling in the club.

It boosted it so much they haven't even got a senior hurling manager this year - only in St Galls. Clooney Gaels will be the club with the real appetite this year. They'll be back with a vengance and hopefully they'll get a bit of luck in the draw.
I do agree with you on the open draw though - it's the only way to go. Names in a hat, draw them out and whoever is the best will win the championship. The history, passion and pride that's associated with our championship should not be compromised. Open draw - simples!

Has Oliver Bellew packed it in? Why?

I don't think there was ever any doubt that getting to the senior final was ever going to be more than a day out.

No harm to MR2 and his preference for the wee ball, but big ball rules there. And if you don't win a final - then I'm not sure there's much more in it than the day out.
The Johnnies got there a couple of times in the 90s, and Cushendun also.
Does it really matter now?
For Galls I would have thought their victory against Dunloy would have been more of a spur to their potential than the day out for beating Clooney & Sarsfields.

However sadly, I dont see any team in the City putting up a challenge to the Big 3 (sorry Bonamargey!) or Ballycastle either.

Yeah he's gone. Kevin Ryan has him now. Did well to get them into Div 1 and keep them there. Anything less than a county final appearance would have been deemed a failure, but they got there and competed.

You're 100% right. There'll be no challenge from the City for some time. The only chance would be an outside manager taking St Johns. Someone with no ties and wasnt prepared to be influenced by clubmen. They'd upset one of the big 3 but unfortunately wouldnt have enough to go all the way.
Ballycastle are a sleeping giant at the minute. With the likes of Clarkie, Stoogie and Saul up front they could be a scoring machine. I don't know if Humpy is the right man for that job though - but could prove me wrong.

Other than that it's up to Dunloy to upset the apple cart. There hasnt been much coming through the ranks for a right few years but with Woody hurling the way he is at the back and Shorty for one up front - maybe!!!!!

[johnneycool]

Any agreement on relegation/Promotion between Div1 and Div2 now that its going to an 8 team Div1?

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

the fact it was voted 24-20 shows how tight it was at mondays meeting.

does anyone know if it means the senior championships only in both codes or is it the intermediate and junior also?

Talking to a few people yesterday aggrieved that their club wasnt informed this was on the agenda for the meeting! Rail-roaded through?

yeah it seems that way, my dad was there for a finance meeting and then came home to inform me of this seeding! all the entries for the 2015 championships had to be in for the 12th, nicely in time for that meeting!

[btdtgtt]

Strange how 24 clubs voted for this seeing as 100% of gaels on here would have voted it down. A cabal springs to mind

Excuse me there now NAG, just you hold on a minute - but I did state a year ago that I was in favour of seeding!
I have not really changed that view - but a few comments on here have enlightened me as to the merits of the open draw!

Read up, you are quoting skull not me

FULL APOLOGY NAG!
You heard me anyway Skull

[btdtgtt]

the fact it was voted 24-20 shows how tight it was at mondays meeting.

does anyone know if it means the senior championships only in both codes or is it the intermediate and junior also?

Talking to a few people yesterday aggrieved that their club wasnt informed this was on the agenda for the meeting! Rail-roaded through?

yeah it seems that way, my dad was there for a finance meeting and then came home to inform me of this seeding! all the entries for the 2015 championships had to be in for the 12th, nicely in time for that meeting!

It seems the modus operandi hasn't learned much since the Casement debacle - but still - the clubs tolerate so ce la vie.

[btdtgtt]

Te championship in both football and hurling is to be seeded this year. It was voted in 24-20 in favour of it as the meeting the night.

Top seeds in football are st galls, cargin, St. John's and Rossa.

Top hurling seeds are loughgiel, cushendall, dunloy and ballycastle.

This should make for some debating!

Maybe a stupid question but i take it its only senior? Either way it is disappointing, open draw always adds to the excitement, personally i was delighted to see galls get to a SHC final this year I'm sure it has boosted hurling in the club.

It boosted it so much they haven't even got a senior hurling manager this year - only in St Galls. Clooney Gaels will be the club with the real appetite this year. They'll be back with a vengance and hopefully they'll get a bit of luck in the draw.
I do agree with you on the open draw though - it's the only way to go. Names in a hat, draw them out and whoever is the best will win the championship. The history, passion and pride that's associated with our championship should not be compromised. Open draw - simples!

Has Oliver Bellew packed it in? Why?

I don't think there was ever any doubt that getting to the senior final was ever going to be more than a day out.

No harm to MR2 and his preference for the wee ball, but big ball rules there. And if you don't win a final - then I'm not sure there's much more in it than the day out.
The Johnnies got there a couple of times in the 90s, and Cushendun also.
Does it really matter now?
For Galls I would have thought their victory against Dunloy would have been more of a spur to their potential than the day out for beating Clooney & Sarsfields.

However sadly, I dont see any team in the City putting up a challenge to the Big 3 (sorry Bonamargey!) or Ballycastle either.

Yeah he's gone. Kevin Ryan has him now. Did well to get them into Div 1 and keep them there. Anything less than a county final appearance would have been deemed a failure, but they got there and competed.

You're 100% right. There'll be no challenge from the City for some time. The only chance would be an outside manager taking St Johns. Someone with no ties and wasnt prepared to be influenced by clubmen. They'd upset one of the big 3 but unfortunately wouldnt have enough to go all the way.
Ballycastle are a sleeping giant at the minute. With the likes of Clarkie, Stoogie and Saul up front they could be a scoring machine. I don't know if Humpy is the right man for that job though - but could prove me wrong.

Other than that it's up to Dunloy to upset the apple cart. There hasnt been much coming through the ranks for a right few years but with Woody hurling the way he is at the back and Shorty for one up front - maybe!!!!!

Ollie Bellew with Kevin Ryan? Not sure on his qualification for the role! Great guy but not sure anothe county would have appointed him on any basis - but then its doesnt matter much since Ryan will do his own thing with McManus - maybe nice just to have a city accent aroung.

Unfortunately I dont see the Johnnies pushing at all.
Their succesful minor teams have little of no chance at senior level. Usual story.
From what I saw of them last year against the other city teams they were little better.

Ballycastle have been a sleeping giant for so long now - when was their last final appearance let alone win it? I think them winning the Volunteer Cup would be a real shock. I have posted a few times might seem over-critical of them - no harm intended and I would love to see them shake the Big 3 up some!

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

at this moment i wouldn't class ourselves as big anything after last season. i see it more as a top 2 in cushendall and loughgiel with ourselves, ballycastle on the edges.

2001 was their last final against ourselves and the last win was 1986. that's an awful long time for a club with such a great hurling tradition. great players at the moment in neil mcauley, stoogie, saul etc but for some reason come championship they just don't do it.

in this past 6 odd years they have ran into ourselves and lost 3 times. they need a first round win under their belt to get some sort of momentum going. they def have the players to win a championship its just translating it into success.

[btdtgtt]

at this moment i wouldn't class ourselves as big anything after last season. i see it more as a top 2 in cushendall and loughgiel with ourselves, ballycastle on the edges.

2001 was their last final against ourselves and the last win was 1986. that's an awful long time for a club with such a great hurling tradition. great players at the moment in neil mcauley, stoogie, saul etc but for some reason come championship they just don't do it.

in this past 6 odd years they have ran into ourselves and lost 3 times. they need a first round win under their belt to get some sort of momentum going. they def have the players to win a championship its just translating it into success.

Agree fully.
So many posts today - I was supposed to be working in Derry City!
The good old Glenshane!

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

haha snow day!

i didnt even try to drive to belfast today to work, hoped onto the train and slept on the way there and looked at the snow instead!