Messages

Why is there 14 teams in under 16 D2 but only 7 in D1?

The likes of Creggan,  Cargin, Ballymena,,  LD, ODonovan Rossa, Aghagallon,  Dunloy all playing D2??

Some of the teams mentioned there are surely only named because of reputation.

Cargin, Aghagallon and Ballymena certainly aren't strong at that age group.

Nor have they been with that group and adjacent ages right up from U12.

Do you think certain teams should play Div 1 just because of the name of their club, rather than assessing the actual strength of the panel?

Not having a go by the way, it is a genuine question.

The impression I get with Dunloy is, they know they are good enough to play and compete Div 1 U16 and Minor, their Feile win shows that, but the big ball will always be secondary so the focus is on Div 1 Hurling at underage.

To be fair, he is right about that Saffron Gael report.

It is disappointing that those in charge didn't edit that wording at the start, as it is just embarrassing and reflects badly on a highly respected  publication.

I would say even most PG1 people would be embarrassed by reading it.

I'm heading to Moneyglass & Toome to see if I can talk Snoopy & Screamer to comeback again.

Two of the best !

 Is Richie Leahy in through Moneyglass now ? I seen pictured taking udnerage girls games , must have daughters playing there now!

Yep Richie and Amanda jumped ship from St Comgalls (your club isn't it?) a season or two ago.

Think there was a bit of a fall out.

I believe they have a couple of daughters playing for Moneyglass underage and Amanda possibly still togs out for their senior reserve team.

With a missed penalty and some 2 pointers for the winners not sure Cargin would be too concerned.

The match report had Tomas not starting, is that right? Cargin are a total different animal with him playing (perhaps to the point of reliance).

A number of our (good) dual ref have a tendency to allow hurling rucks to develop on the football field, as the man said find the soft free and move on.

Pg1 score line probably the most notable of the weekend , if not the result.

If St Pauls can beat Agahgallon in 2 weeks  at home probably looking at Tir na nog going down in a playoff (regardless of how poor rossa have been).

Yeah, with 4 draws and 2 losses by 1 point, I would fear TNN just don't have the belief to get over the line if it comes to a play off.

We won't pick up any more points this year with the opposition we will face.

Having a young team this year means they won't have the same battle hardened experience that a few of the missing players this year would have brought.

That and other teams at the bottom getting their county players back just at the wrong time for us.

There you go everyone. Your big chance to right all our problems!

On a serious note this is a big position, hopefully we will get the right person to fill it.

Click the link below....


https://ulster.gaa.ie/council/jobs/

Is it just me or does anyone else get the sniff of a jobs for the boys stench off these applications?

You put the up on your website, advertise it on SM etc on the 27th of May, with the cut off for applying is Monday the 2nd of June, is that normal?

Yep, sounds just like a teaching application where they already have a teacher subbing at the school that they want to give the job to!

I'm more than pleased with group 3. If we get through it, we will be have been more than tested in a couple, if not all, of those games.

Cargin must be sick of the sight of whitehill and st.johns.

I can assure you, whitehill are more sick of the sight of Cargin and St Johns!

Sound quality was awful but I think the groups were:

Group 1
Cargin
TNN
Dunloy
St Johns

Group 2
PG1
Con Magees
Aldergrove
Rossa

Group 3
Lamh Dhearg
St Galls
Ballymena
Creggan

Group 4
St Brigids
St Pauls
Aghagallon
Ahoghill

Outside Belfast but Belfast City Council park

Mallusk 0playing fields has been Belfast Council land for as long as I can remember, the pitches have also been badly maintained and covered in dog crap for that period too.

That link reminds me that Belfast Council have been reviewing their pitches strategy for 2 years and are yet again delayed. Public consultation closed 1 year ago and no outputs yet....possibly waiting to include Casement as a newly developed Gaa pitch in the city

Mallusk pitches have just recently been upgraded with 2 new GAA pitches, formerly soccer pitches.

You can see the brand new catch nets from the M2.

The pitches are between the changing rooms and Chimney Corner Hotel, so are different pitches from where I have been to games before.

Allen park also has a 4g GAA pitch and I would imagine it is Council owned.

Still, there should be a lot more facilities made available for GAA.

Ballysaggart played an under aged player in a Junior club all Ireland one year, now I understand how people would say why would you complain about an under age lad, but this lad was exceptional and is still exceptional for Waterford

Shane Bennett

Are you sure about that Milltown?

My recollection is that when Creggan beat Ballysaggart after a replay in the All Ireland Junior Final, an issue was raised by them (Ballysaggart) about the potential ineligibity of a Creggan player as being underage.

Yes that is correct, creggan did field an underage player, think he was 1st year minor.

Don't think anything came of it though.

I heard something about a goalkeeper having played in a younger age group and someone recognised him as the same player at another age group where the rules didn't allow a student of that age to be eligible for both competitions.

If that is who it was then he played in both the Foresters and Gallagher Cup competitions for them, although was outfield in the Gallagher Cup.

Is Foresters 5th year and Gallagher 3rd year?

I'm pretty sure the wee fella was an u14 last year so it is a surprise that he would be too young.

[an older player]

Both debacles centre around Ballycastle fielding a ringer in the Forresters final.

FFS...at school level? What's a ringer in this case (alledgely), an older player?

Be mad if this is true?

I never get this 'ringer' craic. Coaches are just depriving a 'proper' player game time.

  apparently the opposite in the case.

Is there a rule about the minimum age a player has to be?

Never heard that mentioned before.

What is the pick of the reserve games tonight ? I have been given a free pass from the wife she is away so hoping to get to one , weather permitting !!

Is she away to Knock for the weekend?

The teen Elk would be more likely

10 TICKETS PER CLUB, NO TICKETS ON GENERAL SALE

Whatever way you slice it it's a small allocation , 50 odd clubs?

It's a small pie to sliced up and by time ulster  council take their share, the squads &staff, sponsors and county board etc get their cut, doesn't leave too many left from under 4000.

They could do with moving it to a larger venue....... 

[While they aren't full time coaches, surely you'd think between them they could get a tune out of their teams.]

Full time coaches in our main secondary schools would be a good start. By main I mean central catchment areas for a lot of our clubs and big school populations.  Thinking St Mal's, St Mary's, St Louis Ballymena and possibly others.

What are the obstacles there?

Finance I assume is one?

And if finance the major stumbling block then would we be better forgoing development squads and aiming to put full time coaches in most schools?

Same coaches and same players getting coached, plus a lot more.  And they will be playing competitively in competitions from year 8 right through.

While schools hurling in Ulster is Tier 2, football has Tier 1 meaning our schools can aim to play at the very top end.  Plus Ulster schools dominate at All Ireland level in Tier 1 meaning if you can get in there you are competing against the very best. Maybe that is the point SS was trying to make.

Appreciate there may be an element where the schools don't put sporting achievement high among their priorities.  If that's the case can they be convinced?

St Louis currently have Emmett Bradley, Paddy McAleer and Sean Cassidy teaching there.

While they aren't full time coaches, surely you'd think between them they could get a tune out of their teams.

I mentioned before on here, county/Gaelfast should providing that extra assistance to them to take things up a level.

Even looking into an idea of having a combined schools team, like they do in Donegal, to push for entry in the MacRory Cup.

Why?
If it was that simple, you'd think there'd be a lot more tunes out of our county than we've had in the last 50 years.

Why? Because those 3 have a good pedigree in the game.

And I am not saying getting a tune out of them would be winning the MacRory Cup, all I mean is giving them a platform to build on that even remotely looked like they could enter the MacRory Cup in the next 5-10 years.

I have children in that school so I am well aware of what effort is put into it and that isn't at a level where it seems that anyone is overly interested, which is a pity.

Full time coaches in our main secondary schools would be a good start. By main I mean central catchment areas for a lot of our clubs and big school populations.  Thinking St Mal's, St Mary's, St Louis Ballymena and possibly others.

What are the obstacles there?

Finance I assume is one?

And if finance the major stumbling block then would we be better forgoing development squads and aiming to put full time coaches in most schools?

Same coaches and same players getting coached, plus a lot more.  And they will be playing competitively in competitions from year 8 right through.

While schools hurling in Ulster is Tier 2, football has Tier 1 meaning our schools can aim to play at the very top end.  Plus Ulster schools dominate at All Ireland level in Tier 1 meaning if you can get in there you are competing against the very best. Maybe that is the point SS was trying to make.

Appreciate there may be an element where the schools don't put sporting achievement high among their priorities.  If that's the case can they be convinced?

St Louis currently have Emmett Bradley, Paddy McAleer and Sean Cassidy teaching there.

While they aren't full time coaches, surely you'd think between them they could get a tune out of their teams.

I mentioned before on here, county/Gaelfast should providing that extra assistance to them to take things up a level.

Even looking into an idea of having a combined schools team, like they do in Donegal, to push for entry in the MacRory Cup.