Antrim Hurling

[SaffronSports]

Understanding how it happened isn't the issue. The issue is it's not fair.

[johnnycool]

I'm not having any issues understanding how it happened, but by that logic, would it not be apt to argue that Loughgiel or Ballygalget should enter Ulster Intermediate as they're the second best teams in their respective counties? Or that Dunloy and Ballycran should be entering the Ulster Junior Championship as the third best teams in Antrim and Down?

If there's only 5 clubs in a county like Donegal and to a lesser extent Derry with 8 clubs vying for all three championships I can see why they're doing that TBH.

Antrim have multiples of those clubs and are doing their championships at the levels that works for those clubs internally.
They're all at their competitive levels.

Down are similar for me and whilst on the Down thread there may be a bit of consternation that the bottom two teams in the senior round robin drop down into the intermediate semi-finals and have more or less dominated that the last few years the winners of Down intermediate haven't been winning Ulster championships by the bucket load, so for instance this year Liatroim came up just short in their game v Glenariffe in Loughgiel.

If anything in Ulster the teams are pretty well matched, in particular intermediate and junior, The two Derry teams came up short and most games were only won by a few points barring the odd exception.

Is that not a good thing for Ulster hurling in general?

[SaffronSports]

Not sure if it is still the case in Derry but there have been rules in place in the past that stopped Derry clubs dropping down too far at Ulster level. I remember Lavey winning Junior Derry but weren't allowed into Ulster Junior and Na Magha took their place that year. About 2/3 years ago?

[imtommygunn]

I'm not having any issues understanding how it happened, but by that logic, would it not be apt to argue that Loughgiel or Ballygalget should enter Ulster Intermediate as they're the second best teams in their respective counties? Or that Dunloy and Ballycran should be entering the Ulster Junior Championship as the third best teams in Antrim and Down?

If there's only 5 clubs in a county like Donegal and to a lesser extent Derry with 8 clubs vying for all three championships I can see why they're doing that TBH.

Antrim have multiples of those clubs and are doing their championships at the levels that works for those clubs internally.
They're all at their competitive levels.

Down are similar for me and whilst on the Down thread there may be a bit of consternation that the bottom two teams in the senior round robin drop down into the intermediate semi-finals and have more or less dominated that the last few years the winners of Down intermediate haven't been winning Ulster championships by the bucket load, so for instance this year Liatroim came up just short in their game v Glenariffe in Loughgiel.

If anything in Ulster the teams are pretty well matched, in particular intermediate and junior, The two Derry teams came up short and most games were only won by a few points barring the odd exception.

Is that not a good thing for Ulster hurling in general?

You could be the 2nd best team in Derry and draw SN in the quarter finals though. In principle I kind of agree but tbh Derry in particular should be maybe playing more games to work out 5th , 6th , 7th and 8th rather than one off quarter finals with the luck of the draw. I get that's championship but it's a bit different with the kind of grading aspect. (Or at least that's my understanding of it)

Yeah I vaguely mind that SS and wondered why it didn't apply to Lavey this year. There used to be something about 5 years but I can't mind what?

[NorthAntrimSaff]

If you won ulster at intermediate or junior you couldnt compete at that level for 5 years. Was dropped to 3 i think. Not sure what it is at present. Middletown of Armagh and Lisbellaw had long stints up a grade if i remember rightly.

[Milltown Row2]

Was Keady that had long periods up at senior level during that five year suspension

[Derry Man]

I'm not having any issues understanding how it happened, but by that logic, would it not be apt to argue that Loughgiel or Ballygalget should enter Ulster Intermediate as they're the second best teams in their respective counties? Or that Dunloy and Ballycran should be entering the Ulster Junior Championship as the third best teams in Antrim and Down?

If there's only 5 clubs in a county like Donegal and to a lesser extent Derry with 8 clubs vying for all three championships I can see why they're doing that TBH.

Antrim have multiples of those clubs and are doing their championships at the levels that works for those clubs internally.
They're all at their competitive levels.

Down are similar for me and whilst on the Down thread there may be a bit of consternation that the bottom two teams in the senior round robin drop down into the intermediate semi-finals and have more or less dominated that the last few years the winners of Down intermediate haven't been winning Ulster championships by the bucket load, so for instance this year Liatroim came up just short in their game v Glenariffe in Loughgiel.

If anything in Ulster the teams are pretty well matched, in particular intermediate and junior, The two Derry teams came up short and most games were only won by a few points barring the odd exception.

Is that not a good thing for Ulster hurling in general?

You could be the 2nd best team in Derry and draw SN in the quarter finals though. In principle I kind of agree but tbh Derry in particular should be maybe playing more games to work out 5th , 6th , 7th and 8th rather than one off quarter finals with the luck of the draw. I get that's championship but it's a bit different with the kind of grading aspect. (Or at least that's my understanding of it)

Yeah I vaguely mind that SS and wondered why it didn't apply to Lavey this year. There used to be something about 5 years but I can't mind what?

There is no 1/4 finals in Derry, 2 groups of 4 top 2 into senior semi finals with losers going into intermediate Final, bottom 2 in each group play in junior semi finals. It was the case that only Coleraine or Na Magha played in Ulster.

[imtommygunn]

Aha I stand corrected... Much better than I thought.

[GTP]

Not sure if it is still the case in Derry but there have been rules in place in the past that stopped Derry clubs dropping down too far at Ulster level. I remember Lavey winning Junior Derry but weren't allowed into Ulster Junior and Na Magha took their place that year. About 2/3 years ago?

My recollection is this was more an admin error than a rule. Lavey had not been nominated a Junior team as they weren't expected to be at that grade, which I think was for bottom 2 at the time. (This may be completely wrong)

[SunnyJim]

In derry 2 groups of 4

A 1st v B 2nd
B 1st v A 2nd

Winners senior final, losers in intermediate Final

A 3rd v B 4th
B 3rd v A 4th

Winners Junior Final, losers out.

Lavey missed out due to admin error, and not to having won intermediate Ulster. 

They do have it you can only drop down one, so KL were in the senior final, they can only say go to Ulster intermediate, can't drop down two to junior

[Saffrongael]

Mageean final postponed

[johnnycool]

Is the weather meant to be that bad?

[SaffronSports]

Owenbeg tomorrow at 3. Im sure cpc pleased with that

[johnnycool]

Owenbeg tomorrow at 3. Im sure cpc pleased with that

A hours drive?

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Its actually a shorter drive to Owenbeg than it is to the dub from Ballycastle lol