Antrim camogie

[johnnycool]

Agree with you on that.

The last five All Ireland junior finals have featured the Ulster winners - Eoghan Rua (2021) Bridini Oga (2022 & 2025) and Granemore (2023 & 2024) - with Ulster clubs winning it 4 times.

Clearly the grading isnt working if that is the case. There should be more of a push of counties upwards into Intermediate.

The senior club is a bit beyond the counties outside of Antrim, Derry & Down at the moment but that wont always be the case unless counties are pushed on.

Down senior winners have only been in Ulster senior club the last three years and should have been in it much earlier but winning intermediate was a big pull for a certain club with a lot of sway in the camogie board

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Would there still be much of a gap between Clonduff and Portaferry in the Down championship?

Also can someone explain how Niamh can play for Sarsfields during the year whilst playing for Galway yet come back to play championship for Portaferry?

Ive wanted to get my head around being allowed to register for two clubs in one season - regardless if she never fields for the Galway club in the league or championship

[johnnycool]

Would there still be much of a gap between Clonduff and Portaferry in the Down championship?

Also can someone explain how Niamh can play for Sarsfields during the year whilst playing for Galway yet come back to play championship for Portaferry?

Ive wanted to get my head around being allowed to register for two clubs in one season - regardless if she never fields for the Galway club in the league or championship

Yeah,
   There'd be a big enough gap between Clonduff and Portaferry even with Niamh fielding.
The two Carr sisters and Paula O'Hagan would still be their main spine even if there's plenty of miles on their clocks, but they do have good players on the periphery and for me they've improved due to the exposure to playing Loughgeil and Slaughtneil in Ulster.

Liatroim would be the next strongest team and then there's a fair drop off till ourselves and Ballycran.

Girls getting pregnant and going off to play rugby for Ulster and professional golf have fecked us up, but hey ho.

As for Niamh being eligible to play for Galway when registered as a Sarsfields player and then transferring back to Portaferry once the IC camogie is over is a big loophole which Down Camogie board (hint to my previous statement about a club with a lot of sway) went to Croke Park about last year but lost out as it's not clearly against the rules.
That loophole may well be closed now though, we will see how this pans out later on in the year.

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

I couldn't get my head around how its permitted at all. I have previously sat on the THDC in Antrim and have dealt with transfers a fair bit. The rules around them and how strict they are always made me wonder how there was a way to do this at all.

Between sanctions to and from America and transfers back from Australia its all tight and hard to get away with doing something that isn't allowed.

If there is a loophole previously it left it open to being completely abused by players wanting to play for stronger counties if they were working or studying away from home. Whats to stop a county doing all they can for a really good player to get to a uni in the south on a scholarship and then them play for them during the all ireland.

Its open to being abused badly.

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

You have to wonder about the sense of these U23 fixtures just after the league and prior to the All Ireland series.

Its ok for the larger counties with big numbers but those with smaller pools of players have more players involved with two sets of the panels with no break.

A nice idea on paper for the likes for Cork, Galway, Dublin etc with large numbers but no so for the likes of us who have the same players in our senior panel. 14 of our U23 panel are in the senior panel.

Player welfare means zero when they are constantly on the go and its only April.

Had a feeling this might be apt with this weekend coming.

Ulster senior camogie final and U23 All Ireland semi final all on one weekend. 14 of the senior panel involed in both.

Poor planning for fixtures and no thought put onto player welfare.

[Cannon Fodder]

Antrim County Board were well aware that there was going to be a major clash before entering the team for the U23 competition as far back as before christmas with one former executive member telling me personally that it was going to clash with the already declared Ulster Championship series.

And yet they entered the team anyhow.

Who`s to blame I don`t know but it could have been avoided or else don`t play those players who are already playing senior. Waterford for example aren`t playing their senior players who could play for both teams so why are we? 

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

To be honest it was very poor planning from our own county not to forsee this happening.

The fact that the panel is so young should of been a clear sign that this was going to lead to players playing far too many games in a tight space of time.

The U23 comp only suits the larger counties with bigger panels. Antrim dont have this, and havent had this for a long long time.

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Two good wins for the county at the weekend.

I was at the game Friday night and they made real hard work of that game. Down to their credit made a great game of it and while they didn't look like they could really grab the game by the neck and win it they def made Antrim work hard for it.

It will def be an interesting game in the round robin match with Down having home advantage.

Sundays win away to Limerick was massive as this group of players had to play 2 games in 48hrs - something of which shouldn't be happening - but well done to the girls for picking up a hard earned win.

It sets up a final v Wexford who they have already beaten in the comp. A good weekend for the county.

[podge]

Two good wins for the county at the weekend.

I was at the game Friday night and they made real hard work of that game. Down to their credit made a great game of it and while they didn't look like they could really grab the game by the neck and win it they def made Antrim work hard for it.

It will def be an interesting game in the round robin match with Down having home advantage.

Sundays win away to Limerick was massive as this group of players had to play 2 games in 48hrs - something of which shouldn't be happening - but well done to the girls for picking up a hard earned win.

It sets up a final v Wexford who they have already beaten in the comp. A good weekend for the county.

Fair play to the girls.  It was a big ask and maybe the challenges of short term demands will be forgotten when they play an all Ireland final a get valuable experience under their belt.

On a separate point, are there not some notable absentees from the u23 squad .  V small representation from R Og for example.  I assume the just ruled themselves out ?

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Concentrating on winning the league it seems

Eva & Kaydy McNeill would be a big asset to that team. Not sure if Eva would be eligible as she's still minor. Laura Black is a miss with an injury she picked up the first league game v Tipp. unsure if shes available.

Marie Laverty from Loughgiel (if eligible as still minor) would also be a starter if she was there.

The three Magills, Eimear Johnston from Dunloy also.

[whereshegoinref]

Concentrating on winning the league it seems

Eva & Kaydy McNeill would be a big asset to that team. Not sure if Eva would be eligible as she's still minor. Laura Black is a miss with an injury she picked up the first league game v Tipp. unsure if shes available.

Marie Laverty from Loughgiel (if eligible as still minor) would also be a starter if she was there.

The three Magills, Eimear Johnston from Dunloy also.

Pretty sure L Black has featured as sub for u23s in most of their games.