Corduff lose their Ulster Title - Swanlinbar win appeal

[brokencrossbar1]

The divisional system that is used in Kerry and Cork is an excellent way for clubs and players to develop.  When you take into consideration the geography of both counties and the population you can see why there would be so many small clubs.  St Mary's are an anomily as they have gone down the grades but a club wouldn't do that if it felt it didn't need to.  I think that counties such as Tyrone, Donegal and Galway would benefit greatly from a similar system as they are large and have a lot of smaller clubs.  It would benefit the county set up no end if they had players who are ostensibly junior players who regularly are playing at senior club levels.

[ziggysego]

what way have corduff taken all this?

On the chin.

[Main Street]

Resounding emphatic win for the Kerry juniors, well deserved congratulations are in order.

are u a corduff man main street?

Not at all and quite content with that. They're a bit slow witted around those parts but not cheats.

I suppose the congratulation for Kerry Mary's has to be tempered by the fact that they hardly had to break into a sweat to run up a cricket score against the  (in name only) Ulster title  holders, who themselves had been already played off the park by Corduff.

[Kerry Mike]

Great win for D'Mary's of Caherciveen, 3rd All Ireland club title for the South Kerry area is a hugh achievement for an area devestated by unemployment and emmigration, and it keeps up a good record in this competition for Kerry teams. As for all the begrudgery again about Kerry club competitions this is how we run things, it works well for us so why should we change. Every county determines how they run their competitions and that is how it should be. I'll put up a summary of the Kerry club structure for 2011 when I get a chance which may expain it a bit better to the ignorant wans, though AZ has done a great job on it already.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Are there any actual "clubs" in the Novice championship or is it simply for Seconds and Thirds sides?

[AZOffaly]

Are there any actual "clubs" in the Novice championship or is it simply for Seconds and Thirds sides?

They are clubs, but they'd be very small in a lot of cases. As I mentioned, it would be Junior B standard.

The list of clubs per grade for 2001 is as follows

Senior Clubs - Laune Rangers, Rathmore, Gneeveguilla (won intermediate last year), Doctor Crokes, Austin Stacks, Saint Michaels Foilmore, Legion, Kilcummin, Kerins O'Rahillys, Dingle, Ardfert


Intermediate Clubs - Spa, Finuge, John Mitchels, Sneem/Derrynane, Milltown/Castlemaine, Listowel Emmetts, Skellig Rangers, Keel, Waterville, Annascaul, Saint Mary's (won junior last year), Castleisland Desmonds, Castlegregory, Currow, An Ghaeltacht, Glenflesk,

Junior Clubs - Duagh, Valentia, Churchill, Tarbert, St. Pats, Cromane, Tousist, Glenbeigh, Kenmare, Ballymacelligott, Ballyduff, Beaufort, Cordal, Na Gaeil (winners of Novice last year), Firies, Dromid Pearses


Novice Clubs - St. Senans, Knocknagoshel, Lispole, Kilgarvan, Asdee, Scartaglin, Moyvane, Templenoe, Ballylongford, Ballydonoghue, Renard, Beale, Brosna, Fossa, Listry.

[The Blow In]

I agree with Kerry Mike that the way Kerry run their championship is their own business. However, I have a serious grievance with a club who have a number of senior county championship winning players being allowed to play at junior level in Munster and All Ireland. It's only a few years ago that they won the Co. Division 1 league as well. From my information, St Mary's were not relegated to junior level but chose to regrade to that level. I would imagine they would probably have beaten the Cavan senior champions had they played them. You just need to look at their winning margins in every game to see that they should not be competing at this level. Maybe next years Kerry junior champions should compete at Intermediate level?

[mylestheslasher]

Do the Kerry junior champs win this all Ireland every year? Best team won, end off.

[galwayman]

It also seems to be the smaller number of clubs at each grade in Kerry would mean that the lower grades would be stronger.
The list provided by AZOffaly shows only eleven senior clubs in Kerry. In Galway there's twenty senior clubs and 16 in intermediate!!
This is not good as some of them are patently not good enough to be in senior.

Using the Kerry system there would be 9 current senior clubs that would be down in intermediate which in turn means that 9 current intermediate clubs would be playing junior football now which would lead to a far stronger junior championship.

The North Galway Junior A championship (in which my own club plays) is littered with senior clubs' 2nd teams purely because there are far too many clubs in senior and intermediate.

St.Marys do seem to be particularly strong to be playing at the junior grade alright though. I'm not too sure that clubs should be allowed to decide that they wish to step down a level.

[The Blow In]

Kerry teams have contested the final of this competition 6 out of the last 7 years, winning 5 of those. Again, it's not Kerry that needs to reform but I think the GAA maybe need to look at bringing in another tier. I know that some clubs run a junior b provincial club championship as a fundraiser. Maybe this needs to be expanded to All Ireland and allow the junior champions of weaker counties to play in it.

[ziggysego]

Do the Kerry junior champs win this all Ireland every year? Best team won, end off.

No, not every year

[BallyhaiseMan]

I agree with Kerry Mike that the way Kerry run their championship is their own business. However, I have a serious grievance with a club who have a number of senior county championship winning players being allowed to play at junior level in Munster and All Ireland. It's only a few years ago that they won the Co. Division 1 league as well. From my information, St Mary's were not relegated to junior level but chose to regrade to that level. I would imagine they would probably have beaten the Cavan senior champions had they played them. You just need to look at their winning margins in every game to see that they should not be competing at this level. Maybe next years Kerry junior champions should compete at Intermediate level?

You're not serious are you?
The Cavan Senior champions have beaten the likes of St Galls,Clontibret,St Eunan's etc and have run Galls and Crossmaglen close on other occasions over the last decade.
Comparing a Junior club team to a Senior Club Championship winning side is ridiculous and is an insult to Cavan Football.

Kerry are doing nothing wrong in their use of their system,and i applaud them for it.
Giving junior club players high quality senior club championship football with amalgamation/divisional sides like South Kerry is undoubtatedly  a great benefit to their IC set-up.
Every County could learn from them in this regards...

[The Blow In]

BallyhaiseMan, maybe you didn't read the first line of my post about Kerry running their championship? I wasn't insulting Cavan football. What I am saying is that the Kerry junior football champions are so strong that they would be very competitive at Cavan senior level. They had a 4 time All Ireland medal winner, and a number of other players who have won county senior championships in the top football county in Ireland. They shouldn't be playing junior football in the first place and as far as I know were regraded by choice rather that relegated from Intermediate. I fully agree that every county could learn from Kerry and it is no coincidence that Kerry and Cork, two counties who use the divisional system are two of the most successful GAA counties.

[BallyhaiseMan]

BallyhaiseMan, maybe you didn't read the first line of my post about Kerry running their championship? I wasn't insulting Cavan football. What I am saying is that the Kerry junior football champions are so strong that they would be very competitive at Cavan senior level. They had a 4 time All Ireland medal winner, and a number of other players who have won county senior championships in the top football county in Ireland. They shouldn't be playing junior football in the first place and as far as I know were regraded by choice rather that relegated from Intermediate. I fully agree that every county could learn from Kerry and it is no coincidence that Kerry and Cork, two counties who use the divisional system are two of the most successful GAA counties.

St Marys are a singular club side. How many All Ireland winners they have,or other players who were part of divisional sides is irrelevant and is down to the good work within the Kerry system which gives Junior club players a chance to play at a higher level.
Now maybe St Marys shouldnt have been allowed drop to junior,like you say,but it is up to other counties to follow suit,and allow players playing at a low grade access to a higher quality of football.
If the Cavan championship had a divisional/amaglamation set up, whereby Swad players had been playing senior championship football,then they would have been better off,of that i have no doubts.
This St Marys side is good no doubt,but your insistence in saying they would be competitive in Senior level in an above average club championship is ridiculous.
Id fancy my own club(Intermediate Championship and Div 1 league) against them anyday.
They wouldnt be in the same league as the likes of Cavan Gaels,Kingscourt,Castlerahan etc.

[laceer]

Would selection of divisional sides in Kerry cause many rows? Who selects the selectors?