Ulster Hurling, it hasn't gone away just yet!

[Hardy]

I'm not suggesting that football clubs should suddenly embrace hurling, great if they want to. What I am saying is that many hurling clubs are struggling for resources and numbers and that with a little generosity of spirit football clubs could help them at no cost to themselves. The Ulster council has quite rightly been lauded for reaching out to the unionist community, the need to reach out to hurling in Ulster. In addition can you imagine what hurling would be like in Ulster if some of the funding thrown at the International Rules was used to help out hurling in Ulster.

Incoming. Take cover.

I'm not suggesting it should be pulled, I'm just stating that if some of that cash was used wisely in Ulster it would be an enormous help.

Very wise to distance yourself from criticism of the highlight of many a GAA career. You were within a micron of having a "backwoodsman" label slapped on you.

[Applesisapples]

I'm not suggesting that football clubs should suddenly embrace hurling, great if they want to. What I am saying is that many hurling clubs are struggling for resources and numbers and that with a little generosity of spirit football clubs could help them at no cost to themselves. The Ulster council has quite rightly been lauded for reaching out to the unionist community, the need to reach out to hurling in Ulster. In addition can you imagine what hurling would be like in Ulster if some of the funding thrown at the International Rules was used to help out hurling in Ulster.

Incoming. Take cover.

I'm not suggesting it should be pulled, I'm just stating that if some of that cash was used wisely in Ulster it would be an enormous help.

Very wise to distance yourself from criticism of the highlight of many a GAA career. You were within a micron of having a "backwoodsman" label slapped on you.

lol, maybe deserved. But there needs to be a debate in Ulster about hurling.

[Milltown Row2]

I haven't posted about this as it's (hate using this word now) depressing!!

The Ulster council have always nailed their colours to the football mast, has there ever been a hurling man at the helm of the Ulster council? This would maybe give us a reason as to the funding or thinking behind a lot of the things that have went on before or continuing to do so.

At club level Loughgiel recently won an All Ireland, we've been unlucky a few times at Junior and Intermediate level (Middletown), clubs are continuing to do well considering the lack of coaching compared to football coaching, the spin will be that their are more football clubs. That's true because they don't promote it as much, hurling is also more expensive than football so it may also be a factor.

We were brought up (like most Gaels in Belfast) playing both codes, everyone found their best sport, some couldn't decide and excelled in both, the demands on those players is tough, though in fairness the county board have tried hard to accommodate the club dual player but it's impossible to accommodate the County dual club players. This impacts on (defo my club) some clubs as their best player is playing county football but missing out on an important club hurling game (fixed for same day)

This year has proved to be a great year for hurling Nationally, there has been a great spread of winners this year, Clare have raised the bar and Antrim reached their first ever under 21 final. Dublin again unlucky after some great wins in not reaching a final and it's not that long ago that we beat Dublin in Croke Park, at the minute though we'd be lucky to beat Louth.

A serious think tank is required with actions from the meeting leading to proper outcomes, this wont be done over a period of 2/3 years it will take a generation of players in all the counties to raise the bar, 20% improvement is realistic if certain measures/funding was put in place.

I won't hold my breath on this though

[Applesisapples]

It might be depressing Milltown, but I really wanted to try and encourage some debate and some thought around the dire state of Ulster Hurling...misguided probably.

[OakleafCounty]

I remember playing against Dungiven in an U-14 football friendly at Owenbeg (Derry training grounds) when there were three pitches on a midweek night. On the best pitch which was surrounded by floodlights you had Tohill and his lesser piers on the Derry senior football panel training. On the next pitch you had the Derry minors and our pre season friendly took up the third picth.

On a field next to us which was covered in sheep shite you had the Derry senior hurlers attempting to have a training session. Ironically this was by far the best Derry team of my lifetime with players like Ollie Collins who went on to give Offaly a decent enough game in the All-Ireland qf's. To me that memory sums up how much both the Derry county board and the Ulster Council treat hurling compared with football.

[Milltown Row2]

It might be depressing Milltown, but I really wanted to try and encourage some debate and some thought around the dire state of Ulster Hurling...misguided probably.

Not really but we'd need a hurling movement from the clubs and for Croke park to actually look at this properly instead of the lip service that has went on before. It's dying out in some strongholds due to the failing numbers and kids playing other or not playing sports at all. I'd rather a massive push on it now while it's still popular (albeit in certain areas) to improve this slid, because if they continue with the status quo we will only have a handful of clubs left playing it, and to a poor enough standard.

We need too have someone in the Ulster Council who's willing to go against the grain, he'll not be popular that's for sure, might be a good idea to get Crossey in their to vent his anger at the Casement thingy

[Orior]

I do hope for the players sake that the final is played as soon as possible.

I would hate to think that a player missed out on a medal because of the scheduling difficulty.


By the way, scheduling is not easy.

[johnneycool]

/quote]


no you're right, Donegal and monaghan hadn't the first clue when the football was to be played .

[theticklemister]

lol

[Tony Baloney]

I'm not suggesting that football clubs should suddenly embrace hurling, great if they want to. What I am saying is that many hurling clubs are struggling for resources and numbers and that with a little generosity of spirit football clubs could help them at no cost to themselves. The Ulster council has quite rightly been lauded for reaching out to the unionist community, the need to reach out to hurling in Ulster. In addition can you imagine what hurling would be like in Ulster if some of the funding thrown at the International Rules was used to help out hurling in Ulster.

Incoming. Take cover.

I'm not suggesting it should be pulled, I'm just stating that if some of that cash was used wisely in Ulster it would be an enormous help.

Very wise to distance yourself from criticism of the highlight of many a GAA career. You were within a micron of having a "backwoodsman" label slapped on you.

You wouldn't Sean Cavanagh to hear that chat. He thinks club fixtures should revolve around his "Ireland" appearances...

[johnneycool]

With Donegal getting summoned to Croke Park to answer questions on their future delaying of club championships until Jim and the lads are finished for the summer, will the head honchos in the Ulster council also be summoned to explain their treatment of hurling in the province?

[Applesisapples]

With Donegal getting summoned to Croke Park to answer questions on their future delaying of club championships until Jim and the lads are finished for the summer, will the head honchos in the Ulster council also be summoned to explain their treatment of hurling in the province?

Probably not

[snoopdog]

its hard to promote hurling in ulster . some clubs have a limited pool and having to compete with hurling would affect their football progress. for example in Down Burren kilcoo and mayobridge wouldn't be as successful if the had hurling as it would affect their selection pool and that is the reason

[Milltown Row2]

its hard to promote hurling in ulster . some clubs have a limited pool and having to compete with hurling would affect their football progress. for example in Down Burren kilcoo and mayobridge wouldn't be as successful if the had hurling as it would affect their selection pool and that is the reason

There are some exceptions though, St Johns in the 80's were unlucky not to win both Ulsters in the same year Lavey in Derry also nearly done it losing out in the hurling final after winning the football final. Tradionally the Down teams never had dual clubs, Newry Shamrocks, Bredagh would be decent at intermediate level in both codes, would they be any better if they stuck to one code?

We've won All Irelands at senior while managing to be a yo yo team in hurling, div 2 and every couple of years play for a spell at div 1. Wish we could have given the hurling a real go a few years ago when we had very strong team, past by now.

Hurling is strong in the pockets in which it's played, we just need more pockets and County Boards to promote it more, I've seen on a Sat morning parents actively take their sons away before hurling training starts (which is after the football), young lads not even getting a chance to try it because of parents who don't want their kids playing because they think it's dangerous ffs, good thing they weren't about in the 70's/80's it would have died a death