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Antrim at least appear to making some effort to keep up at underage. Very hit and miss here in Down and needs revamp. Minor such a key age. Antrim were very competitive with Sambo and think Woodie at that age for a few years. Why? What was different? Are all the best players currently playing for Antrim? Watching on TV Kildare appeared bigger and better conditioned. No easy answers but Antrim have regressed.

Agree if everything you say there Johnny but blitzes must have started earlier as mind being in the Ards or other venues around 2009/2010 wi 6/8/10s?? The Eddie Irvine centre was good too but wild early start!!!

Some very thought provoking responses on here to splashes excellent though lengthy post on hurling. The Wobbler gave a very accurate summation of the issues facing GAA in his area issues which are similar in the likes of Newcastle Warrenpoint Castlewellan Downpatrick Kilkeel etc. Soccer is a challenge. It's going to become a bigger challenge to our games in the 26 counties going forward with the switch to a Summer season going forward. It's up to each club in the first instance to instill a love for / interest in our games and a sense of club from an early age. The county has to facilitate this too. Not sure about the u14 F u16 H on alternate Sundays is the best approach. One thing is certain. Without an early start (5/6),  parents on board, good structured coaching of hurling and or football you face an uphill battle. A lot of big dual clubs have one parental wattsapp group for the younger age groups and work hard on their dual aspect. Down currently have 14 hurling clubs to adult plus 3 other clubs with early juvenile sections and Mourne drawing from a number of football clubs. A long and winding road ahead but the journey has begun at least.

U14 football and U16 hurling on alternative Sundays.

Clonian, can you share the schedule for juvenile hurling and football this season please?  We currently have no secretary and info is scarce on the ground! 

I don't have the full confirmed schedule but as far as I know:

Sunday - U14 football & U16 hurling alternative weeks & reserve football
Monday - U16 football & senior hurling
Tuesday - Minor football
Wednesday - U12 football
Thursday - minor hurling
Friday - u14 hurling & senior football
Saturday - U8/U10s & Premier reserve football

U12 Hurling on a Saturday??

Fair enough points there Wobbler but on this island of ours in particular the Celtic / Gaelic instinct has been to use stick and ball (historically all over the island in 2 distinct forms) with the ball alone documented as a more 'recent' thing over last couple of hundred years and historically nowhere near the game we have now. That being said we are all GAA people and the aim should be to promote our 2 games amongst our youth both male and female codes as best as we possibly can.

The wobbler on the wind up. Obviously hasn't watched much hurling but talking of instinct is chasing a pigs bladder for 60 mins or as in your area Wobbler where ye don't seem to differentiate between 60 and 90 minutes any more of a human instinct? I disagree with Splash on the school issue. Hurling has to grow organically. The new 3 or 4 underage clubs in Down need to be given help to establish and grow and by all means coach in their feeder schools but waste of resources going to other areas where there is no hurling.

Mind Bryansford playing a bit. There was also a juvenile team in the 90s called Rosconnor Gaels over around teconnaught area. Eddie 'Tipp' behind it.

Tullycarnon

Where exactly is Tullycarnon?

A quick search online shows there are two townlands in Down with the name- one in and around Portaferry, the other about Ardglass.

Bottom of the peninsula. Think they were a junior club in the 40s and 50s.

Tullycarnon

Derry champions stronger physically and while so many knock the dual aspect it clearly helps both codes at times. Serious hurlers too. Big McKague out last year is some man to bring in. Notable lack of depth in the Portaferry ranks hurt them too. Ulster Final will be some battle. Slaughtneil narrowly??

Re The grading system in Ulster. The big issue is Derry Donegal in Hurling and Cavan in football. Senior takes care of itself. Intermediate football will always throw up a senior team who slip down for a year or two. The Tyrone championship is cut throat and for example Clonoe could be running Errigal close in 2024 but then find themselves in Intermediate the following year. Cavan invariably seems to throw up a team in junior from their top leagues. Arva were div 1 I think.
Lavey competing with Slaughtneil and Kevin Lynchs one minute find themselves in Ulster JHC while Burt ran Bredagh to 3 points in Intermediate 2025. They should not be in Ulster JHC. Would Down like Donegal nominate the top 3 in the county round robin to play in Ulster? Hardly. Time for Ulster to tighten up on their competitions.

A young Castlewellan team ran into battle hardened Burt who had ran Bredagh to 3 points in the Ulster intermediate last year. Competitive first half but Burt took over after half time. Take Burt and probably Lavey out and the Ulster junior this year would be pretty level.
Liatroim will be kicking themselves as they could have progressed but a few things conspired against them.  The one week turnaround not ideal from Down to Ulster for both these teams either.

Portaferry have every chance against Slaughtneil. A lot of the good minor team are well established and a year stronger. They left something behind them last year. Should be a cracker.
Liatroim v Glenariffe is tough to call but should be a good game also. The game is in Loughgiel and home advantage may help but the way Liatroim dug in second half last Saturday showed the can do it.
Castlewellan have a tough one. Burt seniors finished 3rd in the round robin Donegal SHC and actually won it in 2024 so just like Derry the grading system is out of kilter with the rest of Ulster. Lavey not Junior either. Burt seniors then got nominated for Ulster junior. Their actual seconds lost the Donegal Junior final. Expecting Castlewellan to give a good account of themselves.
Best of luck to all our representatives in Ulster.

Kilclief going well short odds for a Junior double??

Our minors will play Bredagh in the Minor final for the 4th year in a row next Wednesday night in Pairc Esler.

Bredagh have won all three previous encounters.

TBH within the club we didn't expect this considering we'd lost seven lads from last years team and two of our 18yo's have been injured most of the year and another struggling with a knee issue so doing nets.

In the semi-final v a very fancied Castlewellan we were also missing our normal FB who got a straight red in the previous game but battled through, scoring 6 goals in the process. The lads from the U16 team that have been on the receiving ends of big batterings at that level can hold their own at minor.
Castlewellan will be disappointed, they'll be stronger next year though and will need to learn that when you're dominating the game how to convert into scores.

A Wee bit of testerone got the better of some lads after the final whistle, but all made it to school the next day so no harm. 


Bredagh had a much easier night out against our neighbours, Portaferry and will go into the final as bigger favourites than last year.



Fair play to Ballygalget continuing to make most of resources. Silverware all good but most important thing is the path to senior level. Hope both clubs can harness what they have at this age going forward but never easy.