Antrim Hurling

[Queenie]

Hi HatchetMan,  you have been listening to too much of that Sinn Fein rhetoric at the top of the Rock.  Lets get back to living in the real world for goodness sake.

Who is going to fund all these grand ideas of your strategic plan?  Unless you know a wee bank down town with the side doors open!

[Last Man]

I should really ignore you Queenie but just this once? I am involved in juvenile development and I have attended county meetings to say my piece but the status quo will not be upset by one man, "Last Man" or whoever,democracy prevails in our beloved GAA as well you know. I am assuming some intelligence or knowledge of the current system on your part of course, over generous on my part possibly. Why don't you write down some of your good ideas on the back a postage stamp and send them on to me. I look forward to your constructive input and opinion.

Hold on a second.  You are the one who is blowing your mouth off about how bad we are, what needs to be done etc.  Your suggestion about me putting my ideas on the back of a postage stamp, I feel is typical of you apathy and a little uncalled for.  In many ways I agree with what you have said having witnessed the intensity, skill levels and pace of yesterdays game.  However, I don't believe that your rantings here outlining all that is wrong with the powers that be a HQ in Casement is going to change anyting.  Begrudgers they maybe, but all this talk about 'Long term development/strategy plans' is equally meaningless unless the quality of coaching within this county improves tenfold.  You can coach juveniles all you want, day in - day out, it will make now difference.  Until there is support from families, clubs, communities, parishes, divisional boards, county boards and provincial boards I may add, our wonderful 'sliotar agus caman' game is doomed.  The quality and intensity of our coaching/coaches needs to improve vastly.

Lets be real honest here, it needs major investment, it requires coaches of a high standard who bring no baggage with them.  It requires schools, clubs, parishes, communites etc, etc, to really commit to hurling to ensure it's long term survival in this part of the world.

In Antrim, 'CLUB' is everything, the only thing! 'County', where hurling in particular is concerned, is secondary and in many respects a costly inconvenience!  The entire 'mind set' regarding hurling and how we improve it in this county has to change.  Individuals at Club and County Board level need to look beyond self preservation and embrace a major willingness to change.  I am not sure there are that many individuals in our county prepared to grasp such a nettle.   You can talk about the County board present incumbents all you want.  We have done that for years.  You can criticise, moan, begrudge and engage in major character assassinations - sure haven't we seen  and heard that all before!  In '89, we had our day in the sun and it looks like we are content with that!  Your club, my club and everybody else's club is really all that matters when it comes down to it!

My issue is not with the board incumbents but instead with the delegates who represent our clubs as they ultimately can influence change. Small minded clubs who can't see past their own gate and everybody look after their own is the road to nowhere. Clubs instead need to start working in partnership, get out there and evangelise about the game, stop intimidating people with their petty rivalries.
Rivalries should be saved until the ball is thrown in and put away afterwards.
What would that cost?

Fair enough! But do you or anyone else for that matter see the likes of St. Johns (my club) working closely with the likes of Rossa? Or can you imagine the likes of Loughgeil working in tandem/harmony with Dunloy as part of an overall aim/objective with a greater 'strategic Plan' I honestly don't think so.  Hate to sound if I am being apathetic, but being a little bit longer in the tooth than most of you fellas and also having been around a few hurling corners, I cant honestly see or envisage the necessary change required to improve our hurling lot in the near future.

For the great and necessary change to evolve, to me there would have to be serious casualties among the present personnel within the county admin and at club level also.  A fair amount of gutting out would have to take place. That may sound very radical, but believe me it would be a major prerequisite.

We have been waiting from direction from the CB for years and lets face we won't be getting any so leave that one for now. The divisional boards hold the key IMO and certain club personell would have to be gassed no matter what good short term work they are perceived to do.
Chasing juvenile silverware at all costs has to stop, that would go a long way to reducing inter club bitterness and promote co-operation.

[SaffronArmy]

Hatchet, fair play. A lot of negative people around here that would complain and point out what is wrong, but you took your time and pointed out what needs to be done to correct these wrongs. Although it may seem simple, I'm sure those ideas wouldn't have been as quickly thought up at county board, or south antrim level. Your ideas are a mirror image of your progressing club. One thing I'd like to know however, and not just about GNM, about every city club, and country for that matter. How many coaches would you say you have around the ability of say, taking a minor county team. I know there aren't too many about, and I think this is what this debate is all about, the more quality coaches we have, the better our players are going to be, simple. More things need to be carried out, the way the north antrim board have done with the Munster coaches, when was the last time this took place? This should be happening at a county level, but look how long it has taken them to act, things need to be acted upon straight away to start our slow rise to the top.

[Queenie]

Queenie, to be honest mate i don't have to energy o discuss anything wih someone with your attitude and typical St johns snobbery!  Trust m, we've some good men up in GNM - not enough but some good men who know their shit.  I think the problem around parochial crap and negative attitudes lies very close to the homes of people like yourself. 

Going against better judgement, i feel i need to clarify a point to you, which will be my last because you stike me as a bit of a d ickhead - my point around the strategic plan wasn't intented to teach anyone how to suck eggs - it was my opinion on what needs to happen and if you ad have read my posts a bt more clearly, you would see that i wrote something along the lines of them being meaningless unless actioned!!

Maybe your own club should concentrate on its encircling community in which you play no part whatsoever. That's what we do and we're very proud of it.

Well friend , you are entitled to your opinion!  How do you deduce that Noamh Eoin  or I  play no part in our local community.  I think it's worth rememebering chum, St. Johns was long in existence before  GNM was even thought of.  I did read your contribution and whilst I did feel there was some merit in it, I do however feel it resembles a lot of the old SF rehetoric.  Maybe you are being infiltrated by the Shinners at the 'Top of the Rock' too much and dont readily realise it.

What our county needs is radical change, a real, meaningful, workable and realistice strategy.  It needs finances and appropriate human resources who are porepared to lead, challenge and change the current staus quo.

It needs good, committed people, missionarys, not mercenaries, who will elad from the front without any underlying political or self serving club agendas.  Our you one of these people?  Are you prepared to lead from the front and challenge?  You and the likes of you can sit here and talk all day.  Lambast, ridicule and condem all you want. Your views and opinions on the GAA Board will count for nothing.  I for one am prepapred for strategic and radical change and willing to do something about it!  Can you say the same?

[theskull1]

Not much chance of you seeing any failings regarding that attitude and demeanour of yours there Queenie?

Do you really think you come across as a missionary?

Some advice. You need a radical change in your own attitude towards what are genuine Gaels before you do anything else to help the game. But it would appear your too blind to see that

[NAG1]

I think Queenie has achieved his aim coming on to the board so think best just to leave him to it.

What the story for the weekends semi final then? I have been hearing that JC might be lining out for the shams anyone confirm this?
What are the rest of the mind games being played up there, not much love lost between these two sides.

Will cushendall have a game plan for LW or will they just go man for man as usual. It is a intriguing game from a few different angles, pity it has been taken down to Ballycastle I always feel there is a lack of atmoshere at their new pitches.

IMO Cushendall by 5

[Guillem2]

When will the teams be named?

[NAG1]

Id imagine in Loughgiels case they wont name a team to just before the game.

Cant see Cishendall's team changing much.

[Minder]

Paddy Power

Loughgile 8/11
Cushendall 6/5 

[ha ha derry]

forget about that auld senior stuff. our young boys (kevin lynch,s) play ballycastle tonight at dunloy u-12 league final. thanks to the antrim board for letting us in.

[theskull1]

Don't expect an invite next year if youse win it 

All the best..thats a handy young side youse have

[Queenie]

You are so negatve that you can't even see that we agree on most of this.  Shinners and all that crap??   I must  send you a map of the Murph and the 'Top of the Rock' so you St Johns men know where it is.  We were here before you???  How juvenile can you be?  The whole of Belfast knows that you play no direct part in the Whiterock/Ballymurphy area, in fact you abandoned the Murph!

Anyway, i do play my part in my club and in my community and am proud of it and will certainly not be answering to walt like you.  Honestly mate you're not worth the effort from here on in.

Ah you talking the greatest load of oul bolls!  Dint even suggest for 1 second that I would agree with you or your likes.  Sure you GNM people tend to encroach in all patches trying to get people to play for ya.  Sure many a good person from the Turf and surrounding areas would rather come to St. Johns and other clubs in Belfast rather than join GNM.  You GNM people just like the shinners have conned the people in that part of west Belfast.  You are now starting to latch on to all that is good in the GAA by trying to establish some sort of credibility in the Turf/Rock etc.  The sooner you stop trying to live of the backs of the young, vulnerable  and downtrodden people of Turf/Murph/Rock, the better. 

St. Johns have offered great opportunity to young people and the community as a whole in these areas before you were even born.

You're beginning to sound like a Casement Park Administrator.  Well, we have our man JM in a strong position for elevation at this years county convention, I really cant wait for it to come around.  When our man JM ousts the Doc, St Johns will be on the ascendancy again!  GNM and other clubs will fade into insignificance again.

You're very fond of the name calling by the way.  Thats a really positive contribution you make to the betterment of the GAA, isn't it!  Catch yourself on, Amadan!

[Queenie]

Not much chance of you seeing any failings regarding that attitude and demeanour of yours there Queenie?

Do you really think you come across as a missionary?

Some advice. You need a radical change in your own attitude towards what are genuine Gaels before you do anything else to help the game. But it would appear your too blind to see that

So Skull, in your opinion I have failings, an attitude and portray a negative demeanour?  This is what I said :

"It needs good, committed people, missionary's, not mercenaries, who will lead from the front without any underlying political or self serving club agendas.  Our you one of these people?  Are you prepared to lead from the front and challenge?  You and the likes of you can sit here and talk all day.  Lambast, ridicule and condem all you want. Your views and opinions on the GAA Board will count for nothing.  I for one am prepared for strategic and radical change and willing to do something about it!!  Can you say the same?

Are you a missionary?  Are you prepared to change and be less self serving in terms of Dunloy?  Are you prepared to put your shoulder to the wheel and embrace radical change relating to hurling development in this county?  Of that I am not sure.  You appear to be a guy who is very self opinionated, yet refuses to see the validity in others contributions regrading hurling development.  Seems it has to be your way or no way!

When all is said and done, everyone who contributes to the Antrim hurling debate on the GAA Board as far as I can see, are making no significant contribution to the improvement and sustainability of hurling in our county.

It is easy to see why WUMs and the likes come on here to challenge what is being said by the key/guarded contributors.  Do you guys really feel your rhetoric/dialogue is making the slightest bit of difference for the advancement of Antrim hurling?  I for one don't think so at all.

It's all idle talk you are engaged in! Why is that you feel you need to challenge if a contributor is a missionary?  Are you a missionary?  Is you role/contribution in Dunloy the only thing that matters?  Come on, I am curious about your constant challenges to contributors on the Antrim forum. What is it that makes your views so much more important than others who contribute here?

[ha ha derry]

does any one know who the ref was at the kevin lynch v ballycastle u-12  game last nite at dunloy. he was a baldy man. perfect reffing. does he do senior ?

[twotwocharlie]

good morning
just on your thread to ask if anyone has a spare ticket or two for the All Ireland

we have followed the minors all year and now that the big one has arrived we have nothing.

i would be very gratefull for any help.

you can contact by PM

many thanks

armagh supporter