Antrim yaps- under 21 hurling final

[johnneycool]

It's pretty simple. The notion that any team should gain automatic entry to an All-Ireland semi-final belongs to the 1950s.

Why so now? Did you have this thought when Galway have availed of this opportunity in minor and U-21 let alone senior for years and cleaned up at both minor and U-21 for years?

Yes.

Ok, show me the post where you put it down in writing?

[blanketattack]

Orchardman antrim were a disgrace?? That comment is a disgrace. Do you know anything about hurling?

There have been years where all ireland finals in any code have turned into hammerings. Waterford kilkenny hurling and mayo kerry football being prime examples.

You beat what is in front of you. Antrim did and clare did.

U21 is a funny grade too. Tipp hockeyed galway too the other year. So what munster was stronger than the rest of ireland. What should they have done - just played munster?

Antrim beat wexford and deserved to be there and i don't buy this on the hop nonsense. That clare team would beat most senior teams and are at a stage in time where they are at their absolute peak with senior prep. Wexford would have suffered the same fate.

Ridiculous remark.

I think it's fair enough comment. I reckon that Clare U21 team would beat all the counties competing in the Ring, Rackard and Meagher competitions along with Antrim, Westmeath, London, Carlow and Laois and give a decent account v Wexford and Offaly.

[Sidney]

Ok, show me the post where you put it down in writing?

Well, considering I haven't been posting here that long, I won't be able to give you written proof of what I thought 25 years ago. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Galway got automatic entry to the 1955 and 1958 All-Ireland hurling finals under the provincial rotation system, as Ulster teams didn't compete, and the Leinster champions played the Munster champions in the All-Ireland semi-finals in those years.

Was that a good thing or a bad thng?

Why should Galway and Antrim not compete in Leinster at under-age level, now that they're there at senior level?

[johnneycool]

Ok, show me the post where you put it down in writing?

Well, considering I haven't been posting here that long, I won't be able to give you written proof of what I thought 25 years ago. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Galway got automatic entry to the 1955 and 1958 All-Ireland hurling finals under the provincial rotation system, as Ulster teams didn't compete, and the Leinster champions played the Munster champions in the All-Ireland semi-finals in those years.


Why should Galway and Antrim not compete in Leinster at under-age level, now that they're there at senior level?

Why only Antrim?


Galway also competed in the Munster senior championship for years and never won a game.

For what its worth I think you have a point but the Leinster/Munster thing stunts the potential for growth outside those invited to the top hurling party.

What's next? Club championship hurling?

[clootfromthe21]

If a team can't come out of Leinster and beat Antrim, they have no hope of giving Clare a game.

Clare would have beaten Wexford by a similar score.

sometimes teams get caught on the hop, it happens. You can't seriously think that one of the proper hurling counties like wexford would have suffered anything more than a 10-12 point beating yesterday? Antrim were a disgrace and yes it is a farce that galway are also straight into an all Ireland semi final. But the difference is galway are usually good enough to win their semi final or even final now and again. 18 points by half time tells the story

How the hell were Antrim a disgrace??

They were completely outplayed from the outset by a far superior opposition, does that of itself make them a disgrace? Because apart from that, I cant see any basis whatsoever for your comment. They didn't start swinging sticks when they fell behind and they kept going till the very end. Were Donegal a disgrace this year against Mayo? Waterford against Kilkenny a few years ago?

Should they have not bothered showing up? Maybe let Wexford just take their place??? ("Sorry, lads, we beat you there but yous lads go on anyway . . .")

The only think disgraceful is your comment.

[Milltown Row2]

Ok, show me the post where you put it down in writing?

Well, considering I haven't been posting here that long, I won't be able to give you written proof of what I thought 25 years ago. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Galway got automatic entry to the 1955 and 1958 All-Ireland hurling finals under the provincial rotation system, as Ulster teams didn't compete, and the Leinster champions played the Munster champions in the All-Ireland semi-finals in those years.


Why should Galway and Antrim not compete in Leinster at under-age level, now that they're there at senior level?

Why only Antrim?


Galway also competed in the Munster senior championship for years and never won a game.

For what its worth I think you have a point but the Leinster/Munster thing stunts the potential for growth outside those invited to the top hurling party.

What's next? Club championship hurling?

Aye that be next, the 'elitist' would love that, Though the Down and Antrim champions would account for a right few club teams

[deiseach]

I think it's pretty cool that there is still a national hurling title that doffs a cap to the old days when it was winner takes all, Munster and Leinster titles leading to the All-Ireland semi-finals, and all that.

[Sidney]

Ok, show me the post where you put it down in writing?

Well, considering I haven't been posting here that long, I won't be able to give you written proof of what I thought 25 years ago. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Galway got automatic entry to the 1955 and 1958 All-Ireland hurling finals under the provincial rotation system, as Ulster teams didn't compete, and the Leinster champions played the Munster champions in the All-Ireland semi-finals in those years.


Why should Galway and Antrim not compete in Leinster at under-age level, now that they're there at senior level?

Why only Antrim?

I'm sorry? Did you read my post?

[johnneycool]

Ok, Why only Antrim and Galway?

[Orchardman]

I can see that my comments haven't been taken too kindly, but some people need to wake up and smell the coffee. Comparing the defeat to Donegal etc is nonsense. This is now the 3rd year in a row ( prob nearly every year actually, but i'm just keeping it recent) that antrim have been beaten by 20-25 points in this comp, if that's not a farce then what is.

Ok, yes they beat wexford fair on the day, they played the better hurling on the day, maybe I didn't make that clear. But if they played them another 5 times who would likely win, who would you antrim lads put ur money on?that's what I meant by 'caught on the hop', no need to be so defensive.

Yes antrim are way ahead of the rest of ulster, good knows how much Armagh would be stuffed by, but it seems to me they are happy to being the big boys in the small ulster pond and then get trimmed down south every year.

[deiseach]

I can see that my comments haven't been taken too kindly, but some people need to wake up and smell the coffee. Comparing the defeat to Donegal etc is nonsense. This is now the 3rd year in a row ( prob nearly every year actually, but i'm just keeping it recent) that antrim have been beaten by 20-25 points in this comp, if that's not a farce then what is.

Ok, yes they beat wexford fair on the day, they played the better hurling on the day, maybe I didn't make that clear. But if they played them another 5 times who would likely win, who would you antrim lads put ur money on?that's what I meant by 'caught on the hop', no need to be so defensive.

Yes antrim are way ahead of the rest of ulster, good knows how much Armagh would be stuffed by, but it seems to me they are happy to being the big boys in the small ulster pond and then get trimmed down south every year.

'Disgrace' is way too strong. There's a hierarchy of blame here. If the other counties in Ulster are happy to be stuffed by Antrim most years then I don't see why Antrim should say no. And if Antrim are happy to put teams up to be slaughtered most year by Galway (I still recall with some annoyance how we ended up playing Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final in 1994) and the Munster/Leinster champions then the other counties will happily do that. No one is going to force them to represent Ulster and if they ask for a different system then I've no doubt some arrangement would be reached to the mutual (dis)satisfaction of everyone.

[Orchardman]

I stand by what I meant by 'disgrace', but i'll take it back on the grounds that other people clearly have a different view of the word  in sporting terms than I have

[deiseach]

I stand by what I meant by 'disgrace', but i'll take it back on the grounds that other people clearly have a different view of the word  in sporting terms than I have

And I know what you meant. In it's own terms you have to wonder what is to be gained by Antrim hammering Down, Derry et al, then being in turn hammered by those further south. But nobody is forcing anyone to turn up.

[imtommygunn]

I can see that my comments haven't been taken too kindly, but some people need to wake up and smell the coffee. Comparing the defeat to Donegal etc is nonsense. This is now the 3rd year in a row ( prob nearly every year actually, but i'm just keeping it recent) that antrim have been beaten by 20-25 points in this comp, if that's not a farce then what is.

Ok, yes they beat wexford fair on the day, they played the better hurling on the day, maybe I didn't make that clear. But if they played them another 5 times who would likely win, who would you antrim lads put ur money on?that's what I meant by 'caught on the hop', no need to be so defensive.

Yes antrim are way ahead of the rest of ulster, good knows how much Armagh would be stuffed by, but it seems to me they are happy to being the big boys in the small ulster pond and then get trimmed down south every year.

We know what you mean by caught on the hop Orchardman.

Your use of the word disgrace is an insult to those guys out playing and is what people take issue with. Disgrace means disgrace sporting or otherwise so I don't know where you come up with the idea that it means differently in sporting terms than in any other terms.

How do you know that 5 out of 6 times Wexford would have won? Your argument now is that who would we expect to win? If antrim can compete with them one day they can compete with them the next.

Let me repeat what others have - that Clare team would have done anyone on saturday. People jumping on saying ulster hurling is rubbish etc didn't jump on it before the game and now they're coming in with the I told you sos?

As for your comments about being happy to be the big boys in the small ulster pond it doesn't even make any sense. What are they to do? They have entered Leinster in the seniors. They play national league every year and they play championship every year. If they were so happy doing that sure they'd just win ulster and not bother playing. They're happy to take trimmings you say - but they didn't get trimmed this year.

In addition as JC says they beat Down by 2. So what about them? Ulster wasn't that uncompetitive after all this year.

[Milltown Row2]

I don't think the normal route to the semi finals is the best or fairest way, again an open draw would solve a lot of problems, you can have your Munster, Ulster and Leinster as a side. We done really well this year I believe down to the fact that these lads were preparing hard for their club championships. As preparation was exactly as Ryan had said, rubbish