Down Club Hurling & Football

Started by Lecale2, November 10, 2006, 12:06:55 AM

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Truth hurts

Quote from: Johnnysboys on December 02, 2021, 05:15:09 PM


First I have heard that but he is only young so I can't imagine this to be true.
It will be interesting to see what O'Rourke can bring to Ballyholland, I have not heard of him much in managing. That's all the positions filled bar Bryansford and the Fin. The Fin could do with a big name to try and take them to the next level.

Will Down school win anything of note in schools GAA this year? Would the Red high be one of the favorites for the McLarnon? St Malachys took a pasting in the first game as did Knock. St Malachys and St Marks were always stepped in Gaelic football and given the clubs that feed into them should they not be playing at a higher level. Would these schools be playing Rannnafast football does anyone know. I cannot see anything on the website which is hard to navigate. Smurfy do you know anything about St Marks? I mind playing them years ago when Barney was in charge and they were well drilled.
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I went to St Mark's myself and loved the football there under Barney. My lad goes there now and it's a joke what's happening to a school of their stature football wise. I understand them having no football for u18/u19 as they have limited places in A levels and one year only had 10 boys in the whole A level programme. But U16s and U14s used to be dominated by them. My lad comes home and tells me of playing nerf wars at PE instead of GAA and my blood boils. If the interest ain't there from teachers - the pupils can do very little.
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St Marks is in South Down heartland and has players from Warrenpoint, Rostrevor, Ballyholland, Burren, Mayobridge and Clonduff feeding it so it is a school that should be one of the best about in football terms. When I was going to school they were a force to be reckoned with at schools level and were always the team to beat. I hope for Down GAA that they can improve their results.

johnnycool

Quote from: Truth hurts on December 03, 2021, 08:59:26 AM
Quote from: Johnnysboys on December 02, 2021, 05:15:09 PM


St Marks is in South Down heartland and has players from Warrenpoint, Rostrevor, Ballyholland, Burren, Mayobridge and Clonduff feeding it so it is a school that should be one of the best about in football terms. When I was going to school they were a force to be reckoned with at schools level and were always the team to beat. I hope for Down GAA that they can improve their results.

We played St Marks in the Down U16.5 vocational final back in the day. got an absolute walloping in Liatroim IIRC and I scored our only score, a goal I might add. Liam Howlett was the star for them back then.. They went on the win the AI that year.

We'd beaten LaSalle Downpatrick and St Louie's Kilkeel on our way to the final and only one of our team played club football for Kilclief, the rest the only time they played football was at school PE. I don't even think we trained after school back then.
We'd an Allstar at midfield for us though.  ;)

Mourne Red

Quote from: Johnnysboys on December 02, 2021, 05:15:09 PM


First I have heard that but he is only young so I can't imagine this to be true.
It will be interesting to see what O'Rourke can bring to Ballyholland, I have not heard of him much in managing. That's all the positions filled bar Bryansford and the Fin. The Fin could do with a big name to try and take them to the next level.

Will Down school win anything of note in schools GAA this year? Would the Red high be one of the favorites for the McLarnon? St Malachys took a pasting in the first game as did Knock. St Malachys and St Marks were always stepped in Gaelic football and given the clubs that feed into them should they not be playing at a higher level. Would these schools be playing Rannnafast football does anyone know. I cannot see anything on the website which is hard to navigate. Smurfy do you know anything about St Marks? I mind playing them years ago when Barney was in charge and they were well drilled.
[/quote]

I went to St Mark's myself and loved the football there under Barney. My lad goes there now and it's a joke what's happening to a school of their stature football wise. I understand them having no football for u18/u19 as they have limited places in A levels and one year only had 10 boys in the whole A level programme. But U16s and U14s used to be dominated by them. My lad comes home and tells me of playing nerf wars at PE instead of GAA and my blood boils. If the interest ain't there from teachers - the pupils can do very little.
[/quote]

Thats where the issue lies IMO Johnny.. Teachers they just aren't there in the schools at this moment in time. Red High have Morgan who will coach them along well but obviously they will have a year or 2 where the talent isn't there, whereas St Malachys and St Marks as far as I know don't have the great coaches/teachers of the past. As you mentioned St Marks had Barney and in St Mal's we had PJ Magee (Best coach/manager I've ever had) and Paul Duffin 2 big GAA men, doesn't matter how bad you were at GAA they made us play it every PE session. Bar the rainy days when we were inside playing soccer or Basketball both sports which compliment GAA.

Dublin and Gaelfast have it to some extent and I know its not cheap but having a GAA coach in our big schools full time would be off big benefit to us finding and keeping players playing GAA within the County

Truth hurts

I think more of an emphasis needs to be put on the secondary schools. No point in  O'Toole and Ambrose and the likes running to primary schools to be a glorified PE teacher which gives the teachers an hour on their phone when they could be in these schools giving coaching to lads who want to be coached. It's highly likely that half of the primary kids have no interest and are kicking daisys. Poacher looks to have revitalized St Josephs Newry and going by social media they seem to be pushing GAA heavily which is great for the Newry area. De le Salle Downpatrick and  St Comlcilles in Crossgar are other schools that need a bit of TLC

Johnnysboys

Don't have the same as the past is right. But St Mark's have Treanor who coached Castlewellan to promotion this season and is away with Danny Hughes to Saval next year. Marty Farrell has won ulster title in the school and coached plenty of clubs, Donal O'Hare is in the school and Seàn O'Hare has won numerous titles at schools and club level. Add in big Aidan Farrell, Aidan McGivern and a club mate of mine Eddie O'Hare and they really have zero excuse for being so far behind. Yeah I seen Poacher had 70 odd at an U14s training session on Twitter but St Mark's still hammered them in a recent game.. Stevie mayb needs to stop taking pictures of the sessions and get stuck into them.

No1



We played St Marks in the Down U16.5 vocational final back in the day. got an absolute walloping in Liatroim IIRC and I scored our only score, a goal I might add. Liam Howlett was the star for them back then.. They went on the win the AI that year.

We'd beaten LaSalle Downpatrick and St Louie's Kilkeel on our way to the final and only one of our team played club football for Kilclief, the rest the only time they played football was at school PE. I don't even think we trained after school back then.
We'd an Allstar at midfield for us though.  ;)
[/quote]

Legs was some soccer player too!  I remember Kilclief playing the Crans in football way back when, I imagine when Greg Blaney transferred to Carryduff that was the beginning of the end of their football team.

We always benefitted from some great footballers coming across the shuck to play minor football for us, many of whom went onto play senior county hurling (when the hurlers were a decent side)! It was only ever a sideline for them though and mostly because a few of our boys were classmates of theirs in St Columbas.

I think there was a county bye law at one stage were the Ports had to field a football team in the minor championship every year, not sure what that was about.

My oul fella taught in Ballyphillip and Noddy, Hunter and those boys were in his P7 class. Best football team he ever had he maintains to this day!!    ;D

6th sam

#35826
Massive result for redhigh last in qualifying for first ever Mageean final. Great to see a Down school in a senior A final. Mainly Portaferry and ballygalget lads but liatroim Castlewellan Carryduff ballycran and Drumaness also represented on the squad.
Hurling definitely on the rise on many levels throughout the county , a lot of good work being done in schools and clubs .

Mourne Red

Disgraceful scenes in that Kilcoo game - Eugene Brannigan should be handed a hefty suspension.. Wearing tights as an outfield player in a match, unforgivable

Lotto

#35828
Quote from: Ed Hardy on November 24, 2021, 04:01:06 PM
Any word of who else is involved in backroom team?

I hear Down have appointed some coach but I can't remember his name who has been involved with 3 club teams in the last 3 years, not great if you are gone after one year. The other coach is commentating on the Kilcoo game tonight, who is that? 

Edit. Just discovered it's the uninspiring Aidan O'Rourke. God help us all.

SHEEDY

Quote from: Lotto on December 04, 2021, 07:08:55 PM
Quote from: Ed Hardy on November 24, 2021, 04:01:06 PM
Any word of who else is involved in backroom team?

I hear Down have appointed some coach but I can't remember his name who has been involved with 3 club teams in the last 3 years, not great if you are gone after one year. The other coach is commentating on the Kilcoo game tonight, who is that?
Aiden O'Rourke is the co commentator on rte, he's along with wee James
nil satis nisi optimum

befair

Kilcoo should have this dead and buried; missed some great opportunities. But look the much superior team.

Lotto

Easy for Kilcoo tonight, hard to see who will beat them in Ulster.

SHEEDY

Impressive stuff at times from kilcoo, looking strong and fit and they'll take a bit of stopping.
nil satis nisi optimum

supersub

Quote from: Mourne Red on December 04, 2021, 06:34:27 PM
Disgraceful scenes in that Kilcoo game - Eugene Brannigan should be handed a hefty suspension.. Wearing tights as an outfield player in a match, unforgivable

He could wear a skirt and ballet shoes in my team if was producing the level of performances he does for Kilcoo. Just honest work. Some asset.

SHEEDY

Quote from: supersub on December 04, 2021, 07:53:08 PM
Quote from: Mourne Red on December 04, 2021, 06:34:27 PM
Disgraceful scenes in that Kilcoo game - Eugene Brannigan should be handed a hefty suspension.. Wearing tights as an outfield player in a match, unforgivable

He could wear a skirt and ballet shoes in my team if was producing the level of performances he does for Kilcoo. Just honest work. Some asset.
totally agree, great player. A player every team would love to have.
nil satis nisi optimum