Antrim Hurling

[milltown row]

any thoughts about this weekend of hurling lads? we're very quiet, we play the dall and they were looking to get it called off!!!!!!

think they may have a few boys away but i'm sure they are a strong outfit, we probably wont have CJ or Sean Burke due to football committments, unless mister Gormley sees the benifit of releasing players to play club Championship.

who'd be favourites for this Championship?

[maxpower]

under 21 championship should be very interesting, would cushendall not start as stand out favourites given McManus, McNaughton, Graffin, McGill, McCarthey all very strong players at this level and will be very keen to make amends for that shock defeat to Clooney Gaels last year.  Loughgiel should also boost impressive creditials with several players who competed in Senior Championship finals in recent years, they too have big players in the McCloskeys, McKillop and Coyles and will be there or thereabouts this year as they always seem to be very competitive at this grade.

Our boys (Dunloy) play Ballycastle on Sunday and i just hope the pitch is in a condition suitable for championship hurling, Ballycastle will be favourites for this game given the comprehensive nature of their victory in last years decider.  But no too games of hurling are the same and it would be a fair assumption that dunloy played within themselves last year and will have a bit more fire in the bellies.  Ballycastle as a very big strong imposing team with plenty of pace on the wings and in Neal McAuley have one of the outstanding players at this grade (if fit)

Unfortuanately don't know much about the city teams, but would have thought the Johnnies would be starting to deliver on all that underage promise, that seems to be a problem for city team in bringing through winning minor championship teams.  Its bound to be a long time since the u21 championship went to belfast.  In the last 10-12 years i can think of an outstanding st pauls, rossa (2) and st galls teams that didn't quite make it.

[milltown row]

Max we played 3 under21 finals in a row against the Shamrocks in the past 6/7 years,

we would not be strong but the Johhnies and Rossa should have decent teams

[Two Hands FFS]

Milltown...maybe i'm mistaken but were Cushendall not looking to get the match changed to Saturday instead of Sunday. ie play U21 Championship on Saturday & Rossa in Ulster league on Sunday.Heard that Sean Burke will be playing for St galls & is CJ not injured

McManus more & likely wont be playing & probably wont hurl again this year, has to go for operation at start of May. McCarthy is not hurling this year out of choice...(dont ask).....So again it's a pretty open championship this year with B/castle, Loughgiel, St Johns, Dunloy all pretty strong.

[Two Hands FFS]

Under 21 Hurling Championship - Rearranged Fixtures04 April 2008
1. St. Gall's v Cushendall
Refixed to:  Wednesday, 9th April @ 8.00 p.m. in Casement Park

2. Lamh Dhearg v St. Brendan's
Refixed to: Saturday, 12th April @ 2.00 p.m. at Lamh Dhearg


I wot imagine st galls match changed due to Antrim football match on Sunday. Fair enough if it is.

[girt_giggler]

Loughgiel U21's hammered Glenarm in a friendly on Tues evening in Feystown. We were the only club about willing to play them a friendly ( according to themselves)

[milltown row]

at training on wed night the match was fixed for Sunday night, dont think the management wanted to change it, CJ and sean Burke were both due to play for their club in championship hurling, non starters in the football for Jody.

we are playing portaferry on sat night so it could not be moved.

seems the CCC have re arranged the first game of the year in hurling

[PlayWithTheWind]

Unfortuanately don't know much about the city teams, but would have thought the Johnnies would be starting to deliver on all that underage promise, that seems to be a problem for city team in bringing through winning minor championship teams.  Its bound to be a long time since the u21 championship went to belfast.  In the last 10-12 years i can think of an outstanding st pauls, rossa (2) and st galls teams that didn't quite make it.

St John's are not in this years u21 hurling chapionship   

[PlayWithTheWind]

No, St.John's did not enter the u21 hurling championship. Which is Strange. Not sure if it was a mistake or a way of saving a few pounds.

[PlayWithTheWind]

So they have one county senior hurler then

and a lot of boys who have contested hurling championships at juvenile level

all in all strange from St Johns

[Minder]

I hear there is a split in St Johns between the hurlers and footballers

[Two Hands FFS]

Cant believe they dont have a team. Is it cos they dont think they can win it or wot??

As hardstation said they had a good minor team in that final & maybe should have won it.

[theskull1]

*Barry McFall being the second, although, he pulled off the county panel recently.

Did he now?    

Did they keep their helmets on?

[Baggio]

Milltown

Think you'll find that St Galls secretary contacted Cushendall secretary looking match moved because they had 2 players playing for the County footballers. They couldn't rearrange it and wasit  left to be played on Sunday. CCC then went back on earlier decision not to refix and changed it to Wednesday

[youngfella]

Are they not? That's a good St. John's team. They were unlucky to be beaten by Cushendall in the Minor Final 3 years ago.
[/quote]

Think that may have being ballycastle HS, they were in a couple of county finals at minor level in that period but i guess the lads found out about the ale in the bot or were distracted by women, tut tut