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[in it's current format as a waste of resources.It can be seen as an easy path to inter-county recognition for a non-Ards Hurler who has not got the ability or committment to make the Down SH team.The South Down performances in recent Down SHC indicates that most South Down players would struggle to make any of the Ards club teams never mind the Down SH team.Certainly if there are individual non-Ards players good enough and committed enough for Down seniors then the CB should do all they can to support these players.The CB monies spent on the South Down team would be much better spent hiring the lights in Downpatrick and using this as a convenient base for non-Ards players,and it's only 10mins from the ferry for the Ards lads.No doubt the Kilclief and Liatroim boys would find this attractive.It's handy for the Belfast boys,and for the South Down boys reasonably accessible.The annoyance of the ferry journey for the Ards lads,would be outweighed by the opportunity to do stickwork in the winter in a top class venue.Thoughts?]

I think,that EUD is probably referring to the South Down Hurling team.In addition lads,I'm not sure the county board should be preferentially supporting any clubs,should it be Ards,non-Ards ,Hurling or Football.
As a hurling enthusiastist from outside the Ards,I see the South Down Hurling team in it's current format as a waste of resources.It can be seen as an easy path to inter-county recognition for a non-Ards Hurler who has not got the ability or committment to make the Down SH team.The South Down performances in recent Down SHC indicates that most South Down players would struggle to make any of the Ards club teams never mind the Down SH team.Certainly if there are individual non-Ards players good enough and committed enough for Down seniors then the CB should do all they can to support these players.
The CB monies spent on the South Down team would be much better spent hiring the lights in Downpatrick and using this as a convenient base for non-Ards players,and it's only 10mins from the ferry for the Ards lads.
No doubt the Kilclief and Liatroim boys would find this attractive.It's handy for the Belfast boys,and for the South Down boys reasonably accessible.The annoyance of the ferry journey for the Ards lads,would be outweighed by the opportunity to do stickwork in the winter in a top class venue.Thoughts?

My view on the south down team is that of a development squad but of recent years there has been players on it well past their prime. Use it to blood the up and coming hurlers from Warrenpoint, Clonduff, Bredagh, Carryduff into a better standard of hurling than they're currently getting with their clubs.

As for using the lights at Downpatrick I think that is already being looked at if not put in place for whatever manager ends up with the inenviable task of trying to gel a team together.

Though this South Down team somewhat competes at the lower levels of the national league, these boys should be playing as a club team against the ards firsts and the antrim teams; in other words they should be put into antrim div 1 and allowed to progress as a team. whats the point in hammering pish county teams if theyr'e gona get destroyed by a half decent club team??

And i'm sure the next argument is goin to be, 2whos gona play down div1/2 hurlin, plus football and a senior hurlin match in ballycastle all in one week?2
in that case boys need to get there priorities right and either hit the football or the hurlin on the head and give someone who wants to play the chance to play. but at the end of the day, if boys who play for the ards seconds can make three + matches a week, there is no reason why boys from the inland can't!!

Great programme we had this evening in Newry.

Credit must go to Paul Rooney and Aidan Mallon of Mayobridge and also Louis McNally of Rostrevor.
Well done.

Are they the same boys that do the programmes for the All Ireland Final, Time magazine and if i'm not mistaken, the Book Of Kells?,

dr crokes and mc quillan's ballycastle

wat does taking the soup mean??

carryduff senior hurlers' first game in the betsy gray cup on wednesday.... carryduff to stun ballyvarley and come out on top by 5pts.

If they play the way they did in the first half v Warrenpoint in the JHC they have every chance!

if i had to put money on it i would say carryduff will beat ballyvarley: as i said about the game against castlewellan their players just dont have the pace to stick with even an en experienced carryduff side, especially on a big field! Carryduff to win handy enough.

dadga you seem to have it in for ballyvarley ,,any reason for this?

Ach well i wouldn say i have it in for them., personally i think they've did quite well this year compared to previous years! However, beatin severely poor Ards 3rd's teams and weakened inland teams doesnt warrant much praise. As the championship shown!

i see a lot of people talking very negatively about Ballyvarley on this site recently and as a Ballyvarley man i cant see why other people would not like to see us do well. after all, its not like we have the rivalry at this side of the water that the Ards teams have!!!!

I do agree that we do suffer from having a generaly slow team though we do have about 4 boys who could keep with the fastest people in the county any day of the week, unfortunatley these lads have been more or less unavailable all year or having been playing there best. but if they would have been right come championship things would have been alot different!!!

good luck to carryduff tonite and i hope Ballyvarle can win handy  enough