Antrim Hurling

[neilthemac]

The structures in Westmeath are nothing to shout about.


The senor and minor setups have improved hugely in the last two years as they have excellent management in place. The minors have a good crop of players with one or two standout players. The senior squad have had a few quality players coming through each year for the past few years who have been developed.

[Bonamargy]

I think the whole mess is summed up by the selection of Shorty at corner back!! Probably our best and most consistent scoring forward over the last couple of years stuck into corner back. I despair!

[north aontroim gael]

I think Antrim hurling people have a higher opinion of their County's standing in the game.

What have Antrim ever achieved at minor / U21 / Senior that leads people to believe we SHOULD be beating Laois, Westmeath, Kerry etc?

We simply don't have enough highly skilled, enthusiastic coaches willing to put in the hard thankless hours with County teams at underage.

There is also a general ill feeling towards our county team from certain quarters. I know of plenty of people (including from my club)  who are happy to see Antrim get beat now so they can slag certain individuals and have 'the told you so' attitude. Some of these people I remember seeing in Croke Park when things were going well for the County.  I work in Tyrone from time to time and the people have a serious love for their County & follow every grade, there simply isn't the same interest in Antrim no matter what people on here like to tell themselves.

Antrim will never be a force again in my lifetime unless their is a serious attitude shift. I don't think there will be though.

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

nearly went to the match yday, had a lift sorted then plans changed. thank god i didnt waste my time and go.

really is a massive step back

[btdtgtt]

Personally I don't have any mis-conceptions about our true level.
I think it should be division2 / 1B.
I say we're competing with the Laois / Carlow / Westmeath and on a good day Offaly.
No issue with the fact that I won't be going to Casement to watch the top teams any more (or Ballycastle!)

But the fact is that a defeat to Kerry and a drubbing  by Westmeath are shocking results!
Even for our new reduced level of standing!

I think we should be better than this!
And I think there's the players in Antrim to produce muhc better than this!

We can set aside who is to blame for the best team not being on the pitch - but that does not change that we have a problem here!

[hurlingstick]

Last year we beat every one of these teams in championship hurling. We also beat Offaly in the league. How can we go so spectacularly backwards within a year?  We have a really poor pool of players which are a product of poor structures.  Go and watch as many club games this year as you can. You will notice how limited we are. Last year's league and championship is a prime example. The top 5 teams were so mediocre, we couldn't even win Ulster.

[johnneycool]

The structures in Westmeath are nothing to shout about.


The senor and minor setups have improved hugely in the last two years as they have excellent management in place. The minors have a good crop of players with one or two standout players. The senior squad have had a few quality players coming through each year for the past few years who have been developed.

We'd regularly play friendlies against Westmeath club teams and they're as handy as any in Antrim, just don't get the same profile due to the greater difficulties getting out of Leinster as opposed to Antrim club teams easier runs out of Ulster. That's no disrespect to Loughgeil or the previous Dunloy outfit who in my mind were exceptional club teams of their era and would have made an impact on a national stage no matter what province they were in.
You'd be a fool to think club hurling in Westmeath isn't a pretty decent standard and they've always produced very good hurlers from the Kilcoynes to Darren McCormack and to now.

I still think club hurling is King in Antrim due to this 'easier' route to national glory.
The days of Antrim, Down or Derry teams getting a run out in Croke Park in an AI semi-final based solely on winning an Ulster title are now gone and that has skewed the focus onto the clubs.

Why would players bust their balls all winter, playing in NHL games, getting castigated, right, left and centre, play in low profile Leinster round robin games watched by a handful of supporters when they can save themselves for a club championship campaign in August/September and if successful in Antrim, more or less be sure of a run out in a high profile AI semi-final in February?


As for Kerry, they've turned themselves into Tipp lite, with three or four Tipp lads lining out for them as well as the ex Clare lad Kelly. None of the Tipp lads live in Kerry, so they're ripping the hole out of the rule allowing Grade 2 counties to avail of the services of top tier players, not making their county squads, but are meant to be living within that county!!

If Antrim do get into another relegation/promotion battle with Kerry I hope to f**k Antrim win it, and win it well.

[btdtgtt]

The structures in Westmeath are nothing to shout about.


The senor and minor setups have improved hugely in the last two years as they have excellent management in place. The minors have a good crop of players with one or two standout players. The senior squad have had a few quality players coming through each year for the past few years who have been developed.

We'd regularly play friendlies against Westmeath club teams and they're as handy as any in Antrim, just don't get the same profile due to the greater difficulties getting out of Leinster as opposed to Antrim club teams easier runs out of Ulster. That's no disrespect to Loughgeil or the previous Dunloy outfit who in my mind were exceptional club teams of their era and would have made an impact on a national stage no matter what province they were in.
You'd be a fool to think club hurling in Westmeath isn't a pretty decent standard and they've always produced very good hurlers from the Kilcoynes to Darren McCormack and to now.

I still think club hurling is King in Antrim due to this 'easier' route to national glory.
The days of Antrim, Down or Derry teams getting a run out in Croke Park in an AI semi-final based solely on winning an Ulster title are now gone and that has skewed the focus onto the clubs.

Why would players bust their balls all winter, playing in NHL games, getting castigated, right, left and centre, play in low profile Leinster round robin games watched by a handful of supporters when they can save themselves for a club championship campaign in August/September and if successful in Antrim, more or less be sure of a run out in a high profile AI semi-final in February?


As for Kerry, they've turned themselves into Tipp lite, with three or four Tipp lads lining out for them as well as the ex Clare lad Kelly. None of the Tipp lads live in Kerry, so they're ripping the hole out of the rule allowing Grade 2 counties to avail of the services of top tier players, not making their county squads, but are meant to be living within that county!!

If Antrim do get into another relegation/promotion battle with Kerry I hope to f**k Antrim win it, and win it well.

But yet it's held to ransom for the county scene!

[johnneycool]

The structures in Westmeath are nothing to shout about.


The senor and minor setups have improved hugely in the last two years as they have excellent management in place. The minors have a good crop of players with one or two standout players. The senior squad have had a few quality players coming through each year for the past few years who have been developed.

We'd regularly play friendlies against Westmeath club teams and they're as handy as any in Antrim, just don't get the same profile due to the greater difficulties getting out of Leinster as opposed to Antrim club teams easier runs out of Ulster. That's no disrespect to Loughgeil or the previous Dunloy outfit who in my mind were exceptional club teams of their era and would have made an impact on a national stage no matter what province they were in.
You'd be a fool to think club hurling in Westmeath isn't a pretty decent standard and they've always produced very good hurlers from the Kilcoynes to Darren McCormack and to now.

I still think club hurling is King in Antrim due to this 'easier' route to national glory.
The days of Antrim, Down or Derry teams getting a run out in Croke Park in an AI semi-final based solely on winning an Ulster title are now gone and that has skewed the focus onto the clubs.

Why would players bust their balls all winter, playing in NHL games, getting castigated, right, left and centre, play in low profile Leinster round robin games watched by a handful of supporters when they can save themselves for a club championship campaign in August/September and if successful in Antrim, more or less be sure of a run out in a high profile AI semi-final in February?


As for Kerry, they've turned themselves into Tipp lite, with three or four Tipp lads lining out for them as well as the ex Clare lad Kelly. None of the Tipp lads live in Kerry, so they're ripping the hole out of the rule allowing Grade 2 counties to avail of the services of top tier players, not making their county squads, but are meant to be living within that county!!

If Antrim do get into another relegation/promotion battle with Kerry I hope to f**k Antrim win it, and win it well.

But yet it's held to ransom for the county scene!

By the CB and the County manager, yes you're right and its a downward spiral which ultimately weakens both unless clubs, their players and County manager, along with the CB putting in place proper structures to facilitate a balanced approach to hurling at all levels, then a county with limited playing numbers and clubs like Antrim are stuffed.

[getevennotcross]

So the facts are:

1. We have a poor/limited selection of players to choose from
2. We have a  pool of players who have been on the roller coaster of failure and humiliating defeats for a number of years now
3. We have an inept management/coaching team devoid of imagination and counter active game plans
4. The negativity which festers throughout our county also spills over and lives within the players mindset, they feel it also
5. We are currently and have been playing 3rd rate hurling, we do not deserve or have any rite to be playing at levels above our current status
6. We do not have the financial or physical resources that other counties enjoy and take for granted
7. We historically have been living hand to mouth for decades and minimal support from County Executive, Supporters, Club Aontroma etc.  (By the way, where have all the Club Aontroma people gone??)
8. We have no strategic plan or even a basic plan to develop hurling in our county or the appropriate personnel to deliver such a plan
9. This time next year, the year after and the year after that, we will still be here talking,debating, discussing, finger pointing about the same things
10. The perpetual cycle of negativity, feeling sorry for ourselves, frustration, accusatory and finger pointing ways is set to continue regardless, unless the right committed and adept personnel step up to the plate, i.e. players and management
11. We will  be playing in Div. 2 A, and we are not in a position of confidence to expect to win it and automatically go back up to Div. 1B
12. I wont be travelling to Cusack Park, Mullingar again as I did yesterday, to witness another humiliating and resounding defeat by a team that we ordinarily think we have the rite to beat.  This is the 2nd time in recent years we have been humiliated by Westmeath in championship.


I think I will cancel my direct debit with Club Aontroma, honestly cant see any return like many others on my small investment.

So, do we now go in search of a new messiah?  Get Dinny back I say!  Under Dinny we experienced the only true semblance of progress and demonstrated an ability to punch and perform above our expected weight (Dublin and Cork spring to mind).

Disappointing and Pitiful days!  Sadly our misfortune and demise is set to continue, it wont fix itself!

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

a league game this wednesday night and then nothing again for another 2 weeks on a wednesday night and then another 2 week break till the next one.

Our players aren't getting any game till worth looking at and it cant be good

[btdtgtt]

a league game this wednesday night and then nothing again for another 2 weeks on a wednesday night and then another 2 week break till the next one.

Our players aren't getting any game till worth looking at and it cant be good

Very true.

Can't be good for the clubs - which KR & Executive & Croke Park don't care about.

Can't be good for our county - which KR & Excectuive won;t acknowledge & Croke Park still don't care.

[getevennotcross]

The sooner everyone realises that KR, County Exec. Ulster Council, Croke Park, Aoghan O'Farrell, Sinn Fein, the Sports Minister don't give a toss.  Its not viable to develop Antrim/Ulster Hurling, its not lucrative and in many respects the problem of hurling in Ulster is just a gravy train for some.  The only people who can fix hurling in Ulster and Antrim in particular, is the clubs, players and supporters.  The aforementioned bodies/individuals are only a vehicle which may assist in a licentious, but uncommitted way.

Hurling people and hurling people alone need to strand up an be counted and take some measure of responsibility.  Is that ever going to happen, especially in Antrim?  I fear not, we are so insular and fragmented.  The problem with Hurling is Hurling people!  There is no collective approach to addressing our hurling ills, we go about doing our own little thing and as a result of our own individual/insular self gratification, we think we are making an impact, sadly that is not the case.  But on we go, the individual club's attitude is "I'm all right Jack". 

The club focus is insular, win Antrim, win Ulster and maybe an All Ireland along the way.  In many ways that is understandable.  Beyond that, Antrim as a county  is full of broken and fragmented clubs who in themselves have great difficulty surviving and keeping hurling alive and vibrant.  Hurling clubs in some respects are like a mirror reflection of our political arena, individual brands of Republicanism, Loyalism, Independents i.e.  Sinn Fein, CIRA, INLA, IRSP, WP, Oglaith Na Eirrean, DUP, UUP, TUV, PUP, Alliance, SDLP, so many disparate groups with no federated theme or objective. And regrettably, it is set to continue.

Antrim needs a cohesive and joined up approach by its constituent clubs, NA, SA & SW, in a serious effort to addressing our hurling woes!

[btdtgtt]

If that is true that after a big break for clubs regarding games (two weeks I think), they will get one game this Wednesday and then not another one for another fortnight then that, in terms of organising and facilitating clubs to play hurling is pretty shit.  Why is that?  Is that deliberate so that club games aren't being called off during the Leinster Round Robin games? Pretty crappy if you are a club player or a club coach trying to improve standards overall.

That said, we have a serious amount of dual club and the football end of things also need to be facilitated.  A lad was telling me that there is around 4 games to be played between end of September and October this year.  Weeks in April and May without games and as many as you want in October.  The GAA really need to sort out their season.  Club players are being shat upon.

In antrim, any attempt to facilitate the dual clubs evapoarted long ago. The County Executive openly admit this - and to be fair it's hard to see that they can given how the county season is so over-bearing.
You are right - the County season is far too long and it's a crippling issue in nearly every county as regards the majority of gaels in clubs.

[maxpower]

Between now and the end of June div1 clubs have 6 fixtures, plus in NA we have potenitially another 3 Feis cup games. That's at least 7 games! Nothing wrong with the fixtures so far!