Antrim Hurling

[NAG1]

There are a number of issues with Casement. One being that we have now lost our county ground to the Ulster Council.
Brit government puts in 65 million.
GAA in Dublin puts in 15 million.
Antrim GAA hands over a ground worth whatever million.
Ulster council don't give a washer and take over the ground.

The whole thing has been handled disgracefully. A bunch of fcukin shysters.

I don't understand why there isn't a multi use ground. Casement as it stands is a too big and is left to rot most of the year. Its pity Ulster rugby and GAA couldn't work on something together. Then the ground would have some use in the wintertime and the place could develop in a community hub. Getting this government money would have been a great chance to build a shared future.

Seriously?   

Has to be a WUM

[btdtgtt]

Couple of big topics there lads!

1) without getting political about shared futures - it is somewhat curious to completely rebuild a stadium which is not only perfectly fit for purpose - but which sits idle 99% of the year and has rarely been filled if ever in my lifetime.

2) there is little or no doubt that if Antrim as a county are to progress - then the key to this is maximising the numerical potential in Belfast. The glens can't bring Antrim to a top level themselves and Belfast (like any urban area) needs help - and needs to help ourselves. Dublin's success is not just down to investment - they had good people doing the right things.

[NAG1]

Couple of big topics there lads!

1) without getting political about shared futures - it is somewhat curious to completely rebuild a stadium which is not only perfectly fit for purpose - but which sits idle 99% of the year and has rarely been filled if ever in my lifetime.

2) there is little or no doubt that if Antrim as a county are to progress - then the key to this is maximising the numerical potential in Belfast. The glens can't bring Antrim to a top level themselves and Belfast (like any urban area) needs help - and needs to help ourselves. Dublin's success is not just down to investment - they had good people doing the right things.

correction

They had good paid people doing the right things on the ground in each club and then up the chain also.
It was investment that got them to where they are today plain and simple.

[btdtgtt]

We have people here in Antrim being paid too!

Maybe they're just not as good they're job.
Or maybe the money isn't being spent as well.

The idea that the GAA threw a blank cheque into Dublin hurling - and it magically produced results is crazy and naive.
Our top club teams may beat their top club teams - but underneath that Dublin hurling is much stronger than ours. The schools & colleges are further evidence.
That's not just because of "investment plain and simple"

[NAG1]

We have people here in Antrim being paid too!

Maybe they're just not as good they're job.
Or maybe the money isn't being spent as well.

The idea that the GAA threw a blank cheque into Dublin hurling - and it magically produced results is crazy and naive.
Our top club teams may beat their top club teams - but underneath that Dublin hurling is much stronger than ours. The schools & colleges are further evidence.
That's not just because of "investment plain and simple"

btdtgtt

Im sorry but you are missing the point here, Dublin did not put 'development officers' around the county of Dublin, they with the clubs put them into individual clubs. A full time paid person developing a specific club, writing development plans, encouraging coaches to come to the club, upskilling these coaches and anything else to help the club progress.

Our one development officer for the whole of Belfast and one for North Antrim is a drop in the ocean to this.

[btdtgtt]

I'm not missing the point at all.

I think the Dublin development officer is a great idea and and obviously is one of many things that worked for them!
Although they obviously have greater numbers than us. Much greater! Belfast and Dublin citiy's are not directly comparable that's the 1st mistake often made.

That said - it doesn't mean we are getting value for money from our existing paid officials! It's not just quantity - but quality too. I have experience of around clubs & schools and I don't speak to anyone who believes we are getting much value for money - a monthly blitz and woodlands is not going to catch up on Dublin! Our development squads are box ticking exercises - all about looking great on paper with little tangible outcomes - in my opinion.

Also - I can tell you that GAA funding is not secretive and they are at pains to prove it matches per capita and linked to internal investment - otherwise don't you think every county would be screaming for their case?!
In terms of money we have to look at how it's spent!
One word - dunsilly?!

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

in terms of development we had for the first time in our club no minor football team due to lack of numbers. it was actually unbelivable that it happened but it shows that it can happen to any club esp a dual club like ourselves who always fielded teams at every grade and code.

i actually dont know who the developemnt officer is in our area? who are they? what do they do?

if it wasnt for the great work of the men and woman who take our U12-Minor players at our club then we wouldnt be where we are today.

i watched former senior players last night coaching our U12-14 players and the enthusism they give to those wee lads is brilliant. they kept saying to them 'this is what the seniors do, they keep going and going' nad stuff like that.

[johnneycool]

We have people here in Antrim being paid too!

Maybe they're just not as good they're job.
Or maybe the money isn't being spent as well.

The idea that the GAA threw a blank cheque into Dublin hurling - and it magically produced results is crazy and naive.
Our top club teams may beat their top club teams - but underneath that Dublin hurling is much stronger than ours. The schools & colleges are further evidence.
That's not just because of "investment plain and simple"

btdtgtt

Im sorry but you are missing the point here, Dublin did not put 'development officers' around the county of Dublin, they with the clubs put them into individual clubs. A full time paid person developing a specific club, writing development plans, encouraging coaches to come to the club, upskilling these coaches and anything else to help the club progress.

Our one development officer for the whole of Belfast and one for North Antrim is a drop in the ocean to this.

Dublin had a coherent and well thought out plan to try and get funding to put in place, now there was a 'get belfast to hurl' initiative a few years back whatever happened there? Nothing, diddly squat.

Dublin clubs fund 50% of their full time coaches salary, how many Belfast clubs could do the same? How many Belfast clubs have the resources of a Ballyboden, a Kilmacud Crokes, or the other many dual clubs with up to 1000 paying members?

There are very few similarities GAA wise between Dublin and Belfast, Waterford would possibly be a better bet.

[Ballybredagh]

Spot on Johnnie C. Belfast has no resemblance to Dublin. Just check the demographics on the NINIS website. Better if we concentrated on getting the right coaches in place, role models for our juveniles and not unknowns, albeit passionate ones. Much better if we paid young stars/current players who our young aspire to.

[btdtgtt]

Agree with both Johnny & ballybredagh.

The Dublin comparison is lazy.

One minor point - Belfast clubs being unable to raise the money that Dublin clubs do is not a slant on them - socio-economic fact. (Not saying u meant it as a slant either JC).

[johnneycool]

Agree with both Johnny & ballybredagh.

The Dublin comparison is lazy.

One minor point - Belfast clubs being unable to raise the money that Dublin clubs do is not a slant on them - socio-economic fact. (Not saying u meant it as a slant either JC).

No, it wasn't meant to be a slant on Belfast clubs as most of us have probably been to one of the big Dublin clubs in recent years and the resources available to them beggars belief. The Celtic tiger was good to them.

[Fairhead]

We have people here in Antrim being paid too!

Maybe they're just not as good they're job.
Or maybe the money isn't being spent as well.

The idea that the GAA threw a blank cheque into Dublin hurling - and it magically produced results is crazy and naive.
Our top club teams may beat their top club teams - but underneath that Dublin hurling is much stronger than ours. The schools & colleges are further evidence.
That's not just because of "investment plain and simple"

btdtgtt

Im sorry but you are missing the point here, Dublin did not put 'development officers' around the county of Dublin, they with the clubs put them into individual clubs. A full time paid person developing a specific club, writing development plans, encouraging coaches to come to the club, upskilling these coaches and anything else to help the club progress.

Our one development officer for the whole of Belfast and one for North Antrim is a drop in the ocean to this.

Dublin had a coherent and well thought out plan to try and get funding to put in place, now there was a 'get belfast to hurl' initiative a few years back whatever happened there? Nothing, diddly squat.

Dublin clubs fund 50% of their full time coaches salary, how many Belfast clubs could do the same? How many Belfast clubs have the resources of a Ballyboden, a Kilmacud Crokes, or the other many dual clubs with up to 1000 paying members?

There are very few similarities GAA wise between Dublin and Belfast, Waterford would possibly be a better bet.

Very valid point JC. Another point is that the coaches in the clubs in Dublin are GAA coaches not just hurling coaches. They have to develop both codes so that means the same amount of training sessions, there aren't just hurling only clubs in Dublin.

[clootfromthe21]

I understand that the annual membership of some of the big south Dublin "superclubs" can be in excess of €250.00 per annum. That plus a large number of members and you are talking a serious income. While certainly "the GAA" put money into Dublin hurling, a lot of the resources were self generated. There is no comparison with Belfast (save, perhaps, for one relatively new club in the south of the city?!?!?!?). As such, the Dublin "template" cannot be applied to Belfast without serious tweaking.

That said, I agree with btdtgtt that, if Antrim are to make progress, the "resource" of Belfast's population will have to be used better.

Don't know what the answer is, though. Club Antrim seems to have gone a bit quiet, although lack of inter-county success (in either code) creates problems in raising the profile.

[Seamroga in exile]

Why is nobody addressing the elephant in the room? There are too many hurling clubs in west Belfast. Yes?

[Milltown Row2]

Why is nobody addressing the elephant in the room? There are too many hurling clubs in west Belfast. Yes?

Far too many, but what do we do? Some of these clubs are going longer than yourselves and have tradition also. Does the county say that if you're not fielding juvenile teams at all levels then you have to cease?

I'd love to see fewer clubs, I'm lucky being involved with a bigger club but I'd feel pissed off if I had to join another. What would the criteria be to close?