Antrim Hurling

[youngfella]

this topic has died a death !

[Syd The Sailor]

this topic has died a death !

What topic can we indulge you with youngfella??

[youngfella]

was there any club hurling on over the weekend??

[theskull1]

The ulster hurling league  round 2 is on this saturday. All county football on Sunday

[Arthur_Friend]

Judging by the match I seen at the weekend between Glenariff and Loughguile it seems the shams will be playing the dirty card this season. Must be trying to win back some 'pride' after their gutless performance in the final last year.

[slow corner back]

how are loughgiel shaping up this year so far?  i see they along with dunloy have popular past players in charge of the teams. dunloy could be a team to watch out for. a succesful team of john delargy & james mcnaughton back again along with gazza in at cushendall. will keep things fresh but with being joint managers there could be conflict later in the yea when it gets to picking championship teams

any thoughts?

Who is in charge at Dunloy this year? Also what happened skinner at C, Dall I thought he was their trump card for the last two years. C, Dall are not that far ahead of the rest they may regret the loss of skinner.

[North Antrim]

Think the lad Cassidy (Cross & Passion teacher) is helping out in Loughguile this year. Not sure what is role is or what he offers. I think this year will be the tighest for a long time with a number of teams in the mix

[Glensman]

Loughgeil/Ballycastle
Cassidy is the fitness trainer for Loughgeil I believe - not sure if he can help them with the psychological element of things where they have been lacking for the last few years.
Not one to normally talk about such rumours/crap but heard that certain people in Ballycastle weren't too happy with Cassidy taking up this post with the bodies. What a joke. If Loughgeil approached him first and wanted to tap into something good (he and yer man Kearney have clearly had a great effect on Cross and Passion) then good on them. Ballycastle can have no gripe with the man after this work with C&P and then him taking them pretty far in the junior football Cship last year (and also defending their corner with the controversy surrounding it).

As regards the comments that Loughgeil may be fresher than other teams due to lack of county involvement - arguably Winker/w**ker(your choice) is the only one who would have been on the panel. Johnny C and Barney will be on there to the death and will probably both start on our assault on the All Ireland this year.

Dunloy
Gary O'Kane is the third past player involved.

Cushendall
Personally think its the right time to freshen things up. After a long hard slog reaching the all ireland semi a change is as good as a rest, though they have had one of those as well. That Skinner gets to spend more time with the family is a bonus.
Am not sure whether I share the opinion that Skinner is a tactical genius that has been expresssed on this board before. An astute passionate manager indeed but as the Loughgeil final last year is probably seen as his crowning glory - Cushendall couldn't have played much worse in the first half, Loughgeil completely choked and targetting certain players with a bit of the hard stuff isn't groundbreaking.
Nonetheless the man deserved alot of credit.

[Ruairi Og exile]

Regarding this year's championship I think it could be very interesting. I definately wouldn't write off Dunloy as I reckon with Pappy, Mushy & Shane they will have alot of respect from the players(alot of championship medals there). In the semi -final in B/castle last year we were lucky enough to get a couple of goals from mistakes near the end of the first half to put a maybe unfair reflection on the scoreline. If they get a fully fit team, they'll challenge again.

re Loughgiel..I see they have decided with their new set up to go for a more physcial approach, but do they have that type of player to go down that route, but I can understand why the management want to toughen them up..mentally probably even more so

Ballycastle..training like mad as they tend to do at this stage but come championship time just dont have good enough players(especially forwards)

Re the reigning champs Cushendall...alot will depend on their hunger this year. They have the best defence in the county & if they can develop their forwards they'll be hard to stop again. Micky Monty will be a huge plus as he'll now be fully fit & can play in a number of positions. Skinner just didnt want the job again, you cant really blame him as he has been in it for 3 years, it's alot of work & he has left us in a better place than where he found us.

What of St Johns..maybe Rossa if they got their act together

[North Antrim]

Aye typial ballycastle, hes a Derry lad i thin. He wudnt have anything to do with the town other than work there. Personally think Dunloy are past it and it wil take them 3/4 years to build another team fit to really challenge at the top.

[Glensman]

Disagree North Antrim...he does have a fair bit to do with the town. He is married to a girl from there I believe and lives there. Also trained the footballers and obviously C&P.
Have seen him out and about in the Town as well.
But still no right for Ballycastle to have gripes about it.

Not sure what age you are North Antrim but how can you say Joe Cassidy "is a Derry lad I think". The man played for Derry for a number of years, admittedly not in their most successful period, but he should be and is a well known name.

Not sure who for Dunloy is past it to be honest - they might just have the blend of experience and youth that is needed though arguably Cushendall and to a lesser extent Loughgeil have that as well.


Will Bell be hurling for Rossa with the football commitments?

[Ruairi Og exile]

Disagree North Antrim...he does have a fair bit to do with the town. He is married to a girl from there I believe and lives there. Also trained the footballers and obviously C&P.
Have seen him out and about in the Town as well.
But still no right for Ballycastle to have gripes about it.

Not sure what age you are North Antrim but how can you say Joe Cassidy "is a Derry lad I think". The man played for Derry for a number of years, admittedly not in their most successful period, but he should be and is a well known name.

Not sure who for Dunloy is past it to be honest - they might just have the blend of experience and youth that is needed though arguably Cushendall and to a lesser extent Loughgeil have that as well.


Will Bell be hurling for Rossa with the football commitments?


Are Dick O'Kane, Ally Eliott & Patch still hurling for Dunloy?? Ally still dangerous but obviously doesnt have the pace he used to. They still have the backbone for a very strong team. Paul Shields & Darren Quinn never hurled against us in the semi-final...both are quick & good hurlers.

Bell will be hurling for Rossa..Antrim will be long gone in the football before hurling really kicks off.

[Glensman]

You are right Colonel...I forgot about the Scullions.

Ruairi Og - I think those 3 are still hurling for Dunloy. Wouldn't put those three as either past their sell by date at all or even players who would stay past their sell by date.
ALL class acts.

Paul Shields would be more useful than Darren Quinn in my book but I believe the latter is only getting back to full capacity after being out injured for a while. Good to see it if so as he always had the talent.


Skull - are you of the opinion that the same thing happened to Darren Quinn that you fear will happen to Paul Shields? He was lining out for the senior Antrim squad under Dinny.

[theskull1]

Skull - are you of the opinion that the same thing happened to Darren Quinn that you fear will happen to Paul Shields? He was lining out for the senior Antrim squad under Dinny.

For different reasons glensman but yes.....
Well Darren sat on the bench for most of the time under Dinny and never took the advice to go back to his club and cut his teeth playing for them. He was never senior county material at that time. This along with a car accident last year have hampered his development. But he's a hard working lad who if he takes the right advice from the new management, should become a real threat up front for us. Still work to do though. I hope he's up for it. Shorty is slightly different. He has all the tools in the tool box, but he is far too light of frame to be up to the rigors of intercounty training IMO. The poor fella looks as if he is ready to collapse with tiredness any time I watch him play. He needs to be given the right time to develop. Time which S&W are not giving him. For example against Dublin they played him in a sweeping role between the 3/4 and 1/2 back lines. Played him the full game in this lung busting role know that he was captaining st louis in a schools cup soccer match the next day. S&W do not have shorties best interests in mind IMO

[Ruairi Og exile]

Skull agree with you about Shorty looking really tired, see him in the Darragh Cup Final in Cushendall on Easter Monday, looked really tired, he just seemed to lack any sharpness & zip in his play which would possibly come from overtraining. At his age he hasnt played much club hurling for Dunloy seniors & should concentrate on that. He must have A-levels??(added pressure) to do as well as play for Antrim/Dunloy & soccer too, he'll be burnt out.  He's too good a talent to be treated incorrectly