Antrim Hurling

[Milltown Row2]

I was there on Monday and the county chairman stated the seeding proposal for championship were  100% financial driven and was prised by the county not the clubs.

The vote was 20 against and 26 for. With only 44 clubs in Antrim someone behind me asked what was the voting strength and if all clubs were present and how could we have more votes than clubs. The response was that county executive could vote even though not all members were present and some say they didn't even know it was being proposed.

With regard money, clubs that host any championship games are entitled to 10% of the gate on the day but are never told until later date what is collected.

Role on the championship draws this Monday night.

That's a first for me, always thought a club had to propose a change like leagues and championships and the clubs voted..... Either or its still down to clubs that voted to change it regardless of who proposed it... Seeding the football means Rossa this year will get to quarter final before kicking a ball and having not won a championship match in a while.... No doubt hardstation can give a better view on that.

Well as long as everyone thinks this will improve Antrim hurling then grand

[btdtgtt]

If "your club treats it like a bit of a joke" is a different way of saying
"Your club can find enough interested coaches to develop the game properly" then I'd agree with that 

Every club is reliant on enough people giving the right time to doing all the things you speak about. Its a numbers game

Its all to do with the standing of Hurling in both Antrim and Ulster. Dual clubs and city  clubs in particular continue to hold hurling as secondary and a lesser objective in terms of their ambition. Football in the city has always been the dominant code, possibly with the exception of O'DR and St. Johns.

Dropping down to lower grades in hurling championship, provides a means for a predominant football club to possibly pick up a other piece of silverware to enhance and populate the trophy table.

Football, whether you like it or not, is and always has been, will be the predominant code, that's fact! Clubs, County and Ulster Council have created this by choice.

Strong, dominant hurling clubs such as we have in NA, will always be a minority. On the rare occasion when hurling in Rossa or St. Johns is reasonably strong, always makes for an interesting and competitive Antrim SHC. Other than that,  clubs will pick and choose IHC or JHC in pursuit of silverware. Have to agree, Championship grade should be determined by League divisions.

And we in NA will battle on keeping the game alive in the more serious and committed fashion. You SA men need to get your gaff sorted ffs! 

Oh right. Because nobody in SA is working at hurling at all?
The problem is not getting "our gaff" sorted - be it the dual issue, social issues, too many clubs, whatever - they aren't going away. City clubs are working against and with issues which NA clubs are not. Thtas just a fact. The statement is disrepectful to those who give their efforts both taking teams and playing in them.

I notice not all the NA clubs are keeping gaelic football alive by offering it to their members.

Apologies btdtgtt, no disrespect intended, just stating the obvious scientific fact - NA - Hurling / SA Big ball!

I appreciate the difficulties and obstacles SA and in particular dual clubs face, but its all about choice and preference, nothing wrong with that.  Bear in mind though, other than St. Galls/Johnnies doing well in the football over past years in Antrim, Ulster ans AI series.  Now if you flip that coin, Antrim clubs in all grades of hurling, Senior, Int. Jun. could very well progress through Ulster and to All Ireland series and possibly achieve great things. In recent years, Johnnies, Rossa have dropped down and progressed through Ulster to the bigger stage.  Now LD doing the same!  Pot hunting, mere pot hunting, nothing to do with playing at your level, but amazing what a few pieces of silver may bring to the party.  Creggan, have done it and, jaysus they are a SW dual club!    Less likely for that to happen in football, eh?

So all you big ball/dual clubs, make the decision, its all about choice and preference of course, as in life!!!!!! Still an open draw for me, creates opportunites for serious upsets and potential progress.   Case in point, lets take Limerick, Clare, Tipp, KK etc. do you really think the give a fiddlers fcuk about the big ball?    Nah, see, it all about choice and preference.    In NA, it has always been the sliotar and caman code, although the town, may beg to differ, but I don't think so, do you? 

Fair enough Sham no offence taken!

However as regards "choosing" single/dual codes:

1) many clubs have been around circa 100 years as dual clubs and are rightly proud of it. There's no such thing as choosing to do away with that.

2) there's a broader onus on gaa clubs than winning - a responsibility as gaels to cater for and develop young people - best done by offering them both codes.

3) our association is not single code - so clubs need not pursue this either.

Given these three points I hope you realise the notion of choosing a code is pretty much redundant for existing dual clubs!
Mind you - I know of some people who would love to!

[Sham Man]

If "your club treats it like a bit of a joke" is a different way of saying
"Your club can find enough interested coaches to develop the game properly" then I'd agree with that 

Every club is reliant on enough people giving the right time to doing all the things you speak about. Its a numbers game

Its all to do with the standing of Hurling in both Antrim and Ulster. Dual clubs and city  clubs in particular continue to hold hurling as secondary and a lesser objective in terms of their ambition. Football in the city has always been the dominant code, possibly with the exception of O'DR and St. Johns.

Dropping down to lower grades in hurling championship, provides a means for a predominant football club to possibly pick up a other piece of silverware to enhance and populate the trophy table.

Football, whether you like it or not, is and always has been, will be the predominant code, that's fact! Clubs, County and Ulster Council have created this by choice.

Strong, dominant hurling clubs such as we have in NA, will always be a minority. On the rare occasion when hurling in Rossa or St. Johns is reasonably strong, always makes for an interesting and competitive Antrim SHC. Other than that,  clubs will pick and choose IHC or JHC in pursuit of silverware. Have to agree, Championship grade should be determined by League divisions.

And we in NA will battle on keeping the game alive in the more serious and committed fashion. You SA men need to get your gaff sorted ffs! 

Oh right. Because nobody in SA is working at hurling at all?
The problem is not getting "our gaff" sorted - be it the dual issue, social issues, too many clubs, whatever - they aren't going away. City clubs are working against and with issues which NA clubs are not. Thtas just a fact. The statement is disrepectful to those who give their efforts both taking teams and playing in them.

I notice not all the NA clubs are keeping gaelic football alive by offering it to their members.

Apologies btdtgtt, no disrespect intended, just stating the obvious scientific fact - NA - Hurling / SA Big ball!

I appreciate the difficulties and obstacles SA and in particular dual clubs face, but its all about choice and preference, nothing wrong with that.  Bear in mind though, other than St. Galls/Johnnies doing well in the football over past years in Antrim, Ulster ans AI series.  Now if you flip that coin, Antrim clubs in all grades of hurling, Senior, Int. Jun. could very well progress through Ulster and to All Ireland series and possibly achieve great things. In recent years, Johnnies, Rossa have dropped down and progressed through Ulster to the bigger stage.  Now LD doing the same!  Pot hunting, mere pot hunting, nothing to do with playing at your level, but amazing what a few pieces of silver may bring to the party.  Creggan, have done it and, jaysus they are a SW dual club!    Less likely for that to happen in football, eh?

So all you big ball/dual clubs, make the decision, its all about choice and preference of course, as in life!!!!!! Still an open draw for me, creates opportunites for serious upsets and potential progress.   Case in point, lets take Limerick, Clare, Tipp, KK etc. do you really think the give a fiddlers fcuk about the big ball?    Nah, see, it all about choice and preference.    In NA, it has always been the sliotar and caman code, although the town, may beg to differ, but I don't think so, do you? 

Fair enough Sham no offence taken! Glad to see you have cooled your jets!

However as regards "choosing" single/dual codes:

1) many clubs have been around circa 100 years as dual clubs and are rightly proud of it. There's no such thing as choosing to do away with that. But sure both codes should be treated equally with abundant resources??

2) there's a broader onus on gaa clubs than winning - a responsibility as gaels to cater for and develop young people - best done by offering them both codes. Very commendable and no dispute in this regard

3) our association is not single code - so clubs need not pursue this either. There is no rule to say you have to pursue all codes, Football, Hurling, Handball, Rounders, Camogie, Ladies big ball!!!!!

Given these three points I hope you realise the notion of choosing a code is pretty much redundant for existing dual clubs!
Mind you - I know of some people who would love to!   I know some clubs who would willing drop football and vice versa.  A major drain on human and financial resource and over subscribed catchment areas

Fair to say my suggestion of opting for one code is not redundant.  Resources, players, cost factors have a big impact on every club, in my view it is not sustainable for the future unless of impending mergers, especially in the city.    Just my lateral thinking, which some may view as radical.   There was a time LD did not subscribe to the wee ball code, and were evidently more successful at football, the demise of hurling in LD could very well be to their long tern benefit???

[Milltown Row2]

If "your club treats it like a bit of a joke" is a different way of saying
"Your club can find enough interested coaches to develop the game properly" then I'd agree with that 

Every club is reliant on enough people giving the right time to doing all the things you speak about. Its a numbers game

Its all to do with the standing of Hurling in both Antrim and Ulster. Dual clubs and city  clubs in particular continue to hold hurling as secondary and a lesser objective in terms of their ambition. Football in the city has always been the dominant code, possibly with the exception of O'DR and St. Johns.

Dropping down to lower grades in hurling championship, provides a means for a predominant football club to possibly pick up a other piece of silverware to enhance and populate the trophy table.

Football, whether you like it or not, is and always has been, will be the predominant code, that's fact! Clubs, County and Ulster Council have created this by choice.

Strong, dominant hurling clubs such as we have in NA, will always be a minority. On the rare occasion when hurling in Rossa or St. Johns is reasonably strong, always makes for an interesting and competitive Antrim SHC. Other than that,  clubs will pick and choose IHC or JHC in pursuit of silverware. Have to agree, Championship grade should be determined by League divisions.

And we in NA will battle on keeping the game alive in the more serious and committed fashion. You SA men need to get your gaff sorted ffs! 

Oh right. Because nobody in SA is working at hurling at all?
The problem is not getting "our gaff" sorted - be it the dual issue, social issues, too many clubs, whatever - they aren't going away. City clubs are working against and with issues which NA clubs are not. Thtas just a fact. The statement is disrepectful to those who give their efforts both taking teams and playing in them.

I notice not all the NA clubs are keeping gaelic football alive by offering it to their members.

Apologies btdtgtt, no disrespect intended, just stating the obvious scientific fact - NA - Hurling / SA Big ball!

I appreciate the difficulties and obstacles SA and in particular dual clubs face, but its all about choice and preference, nothing wrong with that.  Bear in mind though, other than St. Galls/Johnnies doing well in the football over past years in Antrim, Ulster ans AI series.  Now if you flip that coin, Antrim clubs in all grades of hurling, Senior, Int. Jun. could very well progress through Ulster and to All Ireland series and possibly achieve great things. In recent years, Johnnies, Rossa have dropped down and progressed through Ulster to the bigger stage.  Now LD doing the same!  Pot hunting, mere pot hunting, nothing to do with playing at your level, but amazing what a few pieces of silver may bring to the party.  Creggan, have done it and, jaysus they are a SW dual club!    Less likely for that to happen in football, eh?

So all you big ball/dual clubs, make the decision, its all about choice and preference of course, as in life!!!!!! Still an open draw for me, creates opportunites for serious upsets and potential progress.   Case in point, lets take Limerick, Clare, Tipp, KK etc. do you really think the give a fiddlers fcuk about the big ball?    Nah, see, it all about choice and preference.    In NA, it has always been the sliotar and caman code, although the town, may beg to differ, but I don't think so, do you? 

Fair enough Sham no offence taken! Glad to see you have cooled your jets!

However as regards "choosing" single/dual codes:

1) many clubs have been around circa 100 years as dual clubs and are rightly proud of it. There's no such thing as choosing to do away with that. But sure both codes should be treated equally with abundant resources??

2) there's a broader onus on gaa clubs than winning - a responsibility as gaels to cater for and develop young people - best done by offering them both codes. Very commendable and no dispute in this regard

3) our association is not single code - so clubs need not pursue this either. There is no rule to say you have to pursue all codes, Football, Hurling, Handball, Rounders, Camogie, Ladies big ball!!!!!

Given these three points I hope you realise the notion of choosing a code is pretty much redundant for existing dual clubs!
Mind you - I know of some people who would love to!   I know some clubs who would willing drop football and vice versa.  A major drain on human and financial resource and over subscribed catchment areas

Fair to say my suggestion of opting for one code is not redundant.  Resources, players, cost factors have a big impact on every club, in my view it is not sustainable for the future unless of impending mergers, especially in the city.    Just my lateral thinking, which some may view as radical.   There was a time LD did not subscribe to the wee ball code, and were evidently more successful at football, the demise of hurling in LD could very well be to their long tern benefit???

Their football pedigree ain't great either to be fair, they won a senior championship in the committee room I think, though they were a decent team....

Look the dual thing will continue in the city's of most counties, its always the options for players as they go through juvenile and before you know it they are playing one or the other or both.... when they have a decent squad at both that's when the problems arise, the commitment now is getting harder as every team has or will be upping their efforts every year and to do that year in year out with the same cohort is hard...

Would these lads stop doing it? Nah I can't see it but remember its an amateur sport

[btdtgtt]

Sham read your own response:

"But sure both codes should be treated equally with such abundant resources"

Then:

"A major drain on human and financial resources and over-subscribed catchment areas"

You contradict yourself!

Although to finish you rightly highlight the issue of so many clubs and all splitting between hurling and football.
Whilst it's a great aspiration it's just not working anymore - too many youngsters dropping out.
The way I see it - there needs to be a visionary yet vet very difficult plan to deal with this - because if it's left for clubs to wither and die then all will be affected.
Some people think there might be an almost natural wastage with clubs essentially folding and the strongest survivinand this becoming more prominent. I'm not so sure.

Personally I feel amalgamations don't work.
Players aren't loyal to them and we've saw the problems with violence at that underage game perhaps because some youngsters don't have duty to mentors or jersey.

I believe if a team cannot field in their own right - then players should follow the other code under sanction to another specific club. This is more coherent than amalgamated teams. The problem is that the parent club is afraid of losing the player altogether.

[Sham Man]

Sham read your own response:

"But sure both codes should be treated equally with such abundant resources"

Then:

"A major drain on human and financial resources and over-subscribed catchment areas"

You contradict yourself!

Although to finish you rightly highlight the issue of so many clubs and all splitting between hurling and football.
Whilst it's a great aspiration it's just not working anymore - too many youngsters dropping out.
The way I see it - there needs to be a visionary yet vet very difficult plan to deal with this - because if it's left for clubs to wither and die then all will be affected.
Some people think there might be an almost natural wastage with clubs essentially folding and the strongest survivinand this becoming more prominent. I'm not so sure.

Personally I feel amalgamations don't work.
Players aren't loyal to them and we've saw the problems with violence at that underage game perhaps because some youngsters don't have duty to mentors or jersey.

I believe if a team cannot field in their own right - then players should follow the other code under sanction to another specific club. This is more coherent than amalgamated teams. The problem is that the parent club is afraid of losing the player altogether.

A forensic observation btdtgtt, glad to see you were paying attention!    Totally agree about amalgamations, loss of identity and pride I suppose, and I think it is inevitable smaller clubs are likely to fold.  The young ones dropping out is also of major concern, but too many other lucrative and more appealing alternatives.  This is major issue for the association and clubs to address.

Moving to another club to play either the hurling or football code as a consequence of your own clubs predominance of one specific code, I think is also fraught with difficulties, but certainly maybe the better option for some???  Trouble arises when,  if his home club have a football match and his adopted hurling club have a game on the same day!!!!!!!!  I have no doubt, smaller clubs will fold, which is sad of  course.  Pity really, a lot of history and hard work gone down the swanny! 

[antrimgeal1989]

With the 2015 selections sorted who are the favourites for league and championship? Intermediate and div 2 looks as competative as ever

[antrimgeal1989]

And on the topic I have noticed that a few of the junior teams have failed to enter the league. Larne and Ballymena finished? Sad to see but it really is becoming a struggle all over the country

[Bonamargy]

With the 2015 selections sorted who are the favourites for league and championship? Intermediate and div 2 looks as competative as ever

Div 1: Loughgiel
Championship: Ballycastle R/up Shams😉

Div 2: Ballygalget
Intermediate: Sarsfields R/up Glenariff

Div 3: lamh Dhearg
Junior: lamh Dhearg R/up Glenarm

Div 4: St Agnes
Junior B: St Agnes

[btdtgtt]

With the 2015 selections sorted who are the favourites for league and championship? Intermediate and div 2 looks as competative as ever

Div 1: Loughgiel
Championship: Ballycastle R/up Shams😉

Div 2: Ballygalget
Intermediate: Sarsfields R/up Glenariff

Div 3: lamh Dhearg
Junior: lamh Dhearg R/up Glenarm

Div 4: St Agnes
Junior B: St Agnes

Would argue much - except I think the shamrocks will wrestle back the volunteer cup. All things considered they are still the best side for me.

Also - interesting saffrongael1989 point not lost.

[Bonamargy]

With the 2015 selections sorted who are the favourites for league and championship? Intermediate and div 2 looks as competative as ever

Div 1: Loughgiel
Championship: Ballycastle R/up Shams😉

Div 2: Ballygalget
Intermediate: Sarsfields R/up Glenariff

Div 3: lamh Dhearg
Junior: lamh Dhearg R/up Glenarm

Div 4: St Agnes
Junior B: St Agnes

Would argue much - except I think the shamrocks will wrestle back the volunteer cup. All things considered they are still the best side for me.

Also - interesting saffrongael1989 point not lost.

Loughgiel are certainly the team to beat, will be recharged ready to go again in 2015. I hear sambo has stepped down in Cushendall and John McKillop (Smokey) has taken the reigns.

[antrimgeal1989]

Senior Loughgiel
Div 1 Cushendall

Intermediate Cloughmills
Div 2 Ballygalget

Junior Lamh Dhearg
Div 3 Lamh Dhearg

Div 4 St Agnes
Junior B St Agnes

[hurlingstick]

Is this Loughiel's centenary? They could win back the championship this year. So many average teams in the senior championship last year. Not sure if Humpy is the man to bring the trophy back to Ballycastle. I'm sure they are kicking themselves as it was there to be won last year. I'll go Loughiel.

[Bonamargy]

Is this Loughiel's centenary? They could win back the championship this year. So many average teams in the senior championship last year. Not sure if Humpy is the man to bring the trophy back to Ballycastle. I'm sure they are kicking themselves as it was there to be won last year. I'll go Loughiel.

All joking aside, I would say it will be difficult for humpy to come in and perform a miracle in his first year for us, give him 2/3 years to be realistic challengers. I think Loughgiel will win it handy enough this season.

We have a more realistic chance of winning a minor championship this year, for the first time since 1990. We have a promising group at that age and just heard tonight that we have got Sean McCormick to leave his job as Carey manager and join our minor management. The dungers will like that one lol

[btdtgtt]

It really is amazing how long ballycastle have gone without minor or senior championships?!

Would you attribute this to anything?
I assume it's carrying one hell of a weight on the clubs shoulders?

Hopefully not much longer would provide a real shot in the arm to have the town back.