Antrim Hurling

[slow corner back]

Did Cushendall not win the minor championship last year? They were certainly in the final against Loughgiel and drew the first day, I was at it. Paddy McNaughten was a minor this year, he is a good player for a young fella. I think Cushendall will be there for a year or two yet, McManus and Graffin were both U-21 this year for a start.

Loughgile won it in 2007 and 2008, Cushendall had them well beat in Casement in 2007 but Loughgile came back well and got a goal deep into injury time and won the replay well in Ballycastle.

The years slip by so quickly now its no longer funny

[the colonel]

convention report on the county site. Interesting read.

also College Allstars are up on the www.ulstercollegesgaa.org site. big shock is no allstar for Ciaran Clarke from CPC

[NAG1]

What would be the reason for that? Was he sent off at anytime during the season?

[Uladhabu]

Jim Nelson Taking the Shamrocks job!!!!! Backward step IMO

[Minder]

convention report on the county site. Interesting read.

also College Allstars are up on the www.ulstercollegesgaa.org site. big shock is no allstar for Ciaran Clarke from CPC

Serious? The All Stars selections have always been a bit of a joke, but if he was excluded it would make a total mockery of them. Are there any extenuating circumstances?

[CountyGK]

aye its a joke clarkey didnt get one, man of the match in the mageen final with 1-8 or 1-9 or somethin like that

[imtommygunn]

It's all based on trials though. If you're not there or you have a bad day you wouldn't get one.

Unless that's changed since I left school but hadn't heard anything to suggest it had...

[the colonel]

i was at a trial one year, the way it works is that there will always be a few certs and they will play about 15 mins the first day because they are sure to be in the second trial. But they will play the second one also, but for the certs its more about where they get selected, not if.

We had two players for the dall selected a couple of years ago who played in the full forward line in the first trial, thought they wouldnt get one there so they ended up in the full back line. Half the time the selectors just chatted to each other, didnt watch and drank tea in the freezing cold. the whole process is balls

[nrico2006]

As mentioned earlier, its all about how you play on the days of the trials which is a bit of a joke method of selecting the team.  Players can even turn up from schools that dont enter the colleges competitions, well they used to. 

[maxpower]

Flawed system alright but nobody is going to get to see all the college matches and so they need to have trails, players from colleges that don't enter the competition deserve a chance as well, god knows they probaly have little else to aspire to in hurking ambitions. Are these awards given much credit in clubs

Also, is Jim Nelson managing Loughgiel, surprised is the Shamrocks went for an outsider, always thought Sean Paul McKillop would someday manage them, seemed to play the game with a fair degree of intelligence,

[Ballybredagh]

Ciaran Clarke's omission from the colleges hurling all-stars defies belief - he has taken the Cross and Passion to two Mageean successes in a row and to last year's All-Ireland success. Four All-Stars from St Mary's, three from Cross and Passion (who hammered St Marys in the Mageean final), two form St Louis/Loughgiel and two from St Pat's Armagh - think if you look at the selection panel you'll understand how this came about. Partiality/club/school loyalties shouldn't come into the equation, but unfortunately this appears to have been a key factor in selecting this year's team. Also, don't refer to these all-stars as a "team", it's quite the opposite and recognises individual performance at a couple of trials, which are are a complete nonsense.  In effect the trials are about individuals trying to outdo one another in the middle third of the pitch and have nothing to do with a team ethos.  Call them individual awards instead. Ballycastle CPC was by far the best team in colleges competition this year and only had 3 representatives on this selection and the most special talent of all, Ciaran Clarke, was overlooked. A complete and utter joke!!

[theskull1]

Seems to have been a bit of an obvious ommission....but in the grand scheme of things it hardly matters in the long run. Let the boy just get on with his hurling.

[NAG1]

Lads in all honesty what would JM have to offer loughgiel at this stage and vice versa (maybe scratch the vice versa bit there actually)

Great coach 15-20 years ago, I could understand it if they had gone for an outsider 5-6 years ago when they were at the height of their powers but IMO they are on a downward curve now.

[johnneycool]

Seems to have been a bit of an obvious ommission....but in the grand scheme of things it hardly matters in the long run. Let the boy just get on with his hurling.

Exactly right, joke of an awards scheme as the type of hurlers who sometimes impress in friendly/trial games etc hide when the real thing is on.

I'm sure young Clarke will look back on his hurling career and not give it a second glance.

[ha ha derry]

Lads in all honesty what would JM have to offer loughgiel at this stage and vice versa (maybe scratch the vice versa bit there actually)

Great coach 15-20 years ago, I could understand it if they had gone for an outsider 5-6 years ago when they were at the height of their powers but IMO they are on a downward curve now.

Also heard they approached a Derry man first.