Dub and Kilkenny SHC Finals

[Bud Wiser]

Best of luck to Ballyboden St. Enda's tomorrow night when they play Vincents in the Dub SHC Final.  It would be great to see Keaney be on the first team to win the championship for Ballyboden. He is  another example of what happens hurling when players are more or less frog marched off to play football and told to forget about hurling, my belief being that in any business if you have a surplus on one side of the balance sheet and a deficit on the other, you balance the books and so it should be with hurling and football.

The Cats's web page says the following about tickets for Sundays County Final as to where tickets are available from:

1.  Government Buildings, Hebron Road:
2.  Mc Evoys Gate Hebron Road Stiles 9 to 16.
3.  McGuinness's, O'Loughlin Road:
4.  Supporters Club Wagon, The Angle Car Park, O'Loughlin Road

The GAA need to do something like this for this years Leinster Final. Quite frankly I think that if this years Leinster Final is a no show from a supporters point of view then it will be the end of hurling outside of the Quarter Finals and Finals.  Those who support hurling are a different bunch from football, they are not armed with credit cards and laptops with access to Ticketmaster on their tractors down in Ballinakill where I come from and there is no doubt about it whatsoever that if it is advertised properly that tickets for this years Leinster Final are available outside the ground on the day then there could be at least a crowd and an athmosphere at the Final. 

Rant over as they say.

[INDIANA]

He is  another example of what happens hurling when players are more or less frog marched off to play football

Yeah- he was kidnapped by Paul Caffrey and members of the SWAT team -brought to the Dublin Mountains and help at gunpoint and brainwashed to say "Thou shalt not ever lift a hurl again for Dublin" repeatedly. On his return to civilisation Conal forgot all about hurling and found this strange object in his closet called a football. Thus ends the story of Conal the hurler and thus began the era of Conal the footballer.
Will you ever give over. He made the decision himself. It is thanks to the likes of John Bailey and Co. as to why Conal gave up hurling. They had no interest in the game- couldn't organise them with a  decent manager- so why would he turn down an opportunity to play with the footballers. I would have loved to see him remain with the hurlers- but why would he continue to train in shambolic circumstances with Humphrey and the rest of Sesame Street in comparison to play in front of 80,000. Anyone would have done the same. He's the best Dublin hurler i ever saw - and he's never been replaced but he soldiered with the hurlers for as long as he could until they descended into a pub team which was the direct responsibility of John Bailey.
Anyway come on the vins- i'm sure Conal will win one soon- just not tomorrow night hopefully.

[Bud Wiser]

Well I have to agree with you about John (my own importance) Baily.

Will you ever give over. He made the decision himself. It is thanks to the likes of John Bailey and Co. as to why Conal gave up hurling. They had no interest in the game- couldn't organise them with a  decent manager- so why would he turn down an opportunity to play with the footballers. I would have loved to see him remain with the hurlers- but why would he continue to train in shambolic circumstances with Humphrey and the rest of Sesame Street in comparison to play in front of 80,000. Anyone would have done the same. He's the best Dublin hurler i ever saw - and he's never been replaced but he soldiered with the hurlers for as long as he could until they descended into a pub team which was the direct responsibility of John Bailey.
Anyway come on the vins- i'm sure Conal will win one soon- just not tomorrow night hopefully.

Every word I agree with and he would not have walked away and made the decision himself if other players like him had not been given the same incentive to stay playing hurling as football.  I look forward to seeing the standard of play tomorrow night, the potential for Dublin Hurling in the coming year and to seeing how many of the Vincents and Boden players will find footballs in their wardrobes when it is over.

[tayto]

Agree about Conal, he was playing on a silly number of team when he was in his early 20s, Club u21, Senior Club, College, County u21 and Senior County X Hurling and Football. Something had to give. The shambles that was the hurling county setup a few years ago was the deciding factor but I had the feeling he'd go with the football at some stage. Such a shame becasue he'd be some addition to the hurlers now as they're improving bit by bit.

Looking forward to it, Although i wouldn't get the hopes up about the quality, the pitch is very heavy and uneven at the moment. Hopefully they'll buck the trend and we'll have a good open county final. Ironically Dave Sweeney and Damien Russell are arguably two of the most in form players, neither on the Dublin panel anymore. Has Hiney recovered from the knock he got the other day? Boden will have their work cut out to bypass Fallon and Billings, both are in great form, but the same goes for Hiney and Perkins.

Random thoughts over ...

[Bud Wiser]

Is there places for parking over there within a reasonable distance Tayto, I haven't been there for years?

[Gnevin]

Is there places for parking over there within a reasonable distance Tayto, I haven't been there for years?

Park in the Church on the side street around their

[tayto]

I dont drive so I wouldn't be the best for the parking spots, in the church car park would be my guess as well. Get there early for the minor match and parking shouldnt be a problem! 

Hiney has been cleared to play so that's good news for boden.

There's talk of Sweeney and Russell being invited back for the league, would be a good idea methinks, Russell is some player when he gets going and could add a bit pf physicality to the Dublin half forward like next year. A Half forward line of :: McCrabbe - Russell - O'Reilly has a good blend of skill and ball winning, if you want to play Crabber in midfield or in the corner then I'd go for O'Carroll - Russell - O'Reilly ... again a good blend of ball winning, skill and pace. Mind you I dont think Kev O'Reilly is going to be back for the start of the league after his curciate operation.

[Canalman]

Wouldnt bother driving. Take either Dart (Killester stop) or bus from town. Parking is a problem near PP with the church and Scoil Chiaráin the only main parking areas.
Dont know bus nos though.

[his holiness nb]

Wouldnt bother driving. Take either Dart (Killester stop) or bus from town. Parking is a problem near PP with the church and Scoil Chiaráin the only main parking areas.
Dont know bus nos though.

Balls, even for full houses at league games in Parnell you would have no problem parking withing 5 mins walk.

[tayto]

Wouldnt bother driving. Take either Dart (Killester stop) or bus from town. Parking is a problem near PP with the church and Scoil Chiaráin the only main parking areas.
Dont know bus nos though.

basically any of the busses from abbey street will do you, the 130 dosent turn left in fairveiw so you might have to hop out and walk from there but the 29s and 42s'll drop you right by donneycarney church.

[Pull Hard Hes No Relation]

Guys - thinking of heading down from Newry to watch this, would it be worth the run. I used to hurl with Eoghain Rua/Oliver Plunketts when I lived in Dublin so still keep an eye out for developments in the capital. When I played club hurling was tough, hard stuff and space to express yourself was limited - has it changed?

Agree with Tayto about Keaney, fine hurler and now with the Dublin U21 and Minor teams coming through there should be aconcerted effort to get guys like him back hurling with the county and allowances being made to let him do so. Dublin can't afford to do without players like him if they are to make the real breakthrough.

[tayto]

Plunketts are in the minor final i think v lucan beforehand so it might be worth your while. The SHC hasn't been fantastic to date but i'm hoping for a good one tonight, the lights should be interesting.

[Sean3]

The 29 bus goes out the Howth Rd so it would mean a walk up from the Beachcomber pub. The 42's, 27's and the 20B all stop at Donnycarney Church.

If driving from the M50, take the Ballymun exit and come down Collins Ave. Go past Whithall Colmcilles' clubhouse and at the next lights turn left. Take the second right onto Collins Park and there is always parking at the bottom of the road or at the green.

Alternatively stay on Collins Ave and turn right at any of the three next turns (in order Belton Park, Hazel Rd and Oak Rd). There's always parking around these streets and they are just opposite the church.

[Bud Wiser]

Bud here was on the flat of his back since last Wednesday, thought I was going to make it to Parnell Park but grounded with the flu. Will someone post the results of 'Boden - Vincents for me please.  Something like Ballyboden 2-11 Vincents 1-10 would be grand thanks.

[Bogball XV]

Ballyboden St Endas 2-13 St Vincents 1-05

just in case you missed it, Drici posted it over on the 'around the counties' thread.