Antrim Football Thread

[Sportacus]

Congratulations to St Brigid's, and hope you go well in Ulster when it comes.

[PólAointroim]

A club where no club was needed. Congratulations to the biggest amalgamation in Ulster.

[marty34]

A club where no club was needed. Congratulations to the biggest amalgamation in Ulster.

Was there not a club needed there?

[Christmas Lights]

Why is the seethe so high for St Bridgets winning?  What are they doing any different to any Belfast or city club who have blow ins from everywhere, pinch players from other clubs etc...?  They where the best team in the championship and deserving winners, have been threatening to get over the line for a good few years now.  Fair play to them.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

Why is the seethe so high for St Bridgets winning?  What are they doing any different to any Belfast or city club who have blow ins from everywhere, pinch players from other clubs etc...?  They where the best team in the championship and deserving winners, have been threatening to get over the line for a good few years now.  Fair play to them.

I agree. Reaping the rewards of a lot of hard work. They were the better team today though Rossa weren't far away. A couple of tweaks could have seen a different result.

[gallsman]

There was absolutely a need for a club there, don't let anyone tell you any different.

Their best ever player (and Antrim stalwart) didn't play and wouldn't have played football had they not existed.

[PólAointroim]

Ask Eire Og, ask Aggies. I wonder how many of them escaped to Brides.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

Ask Eire Og, ask Aggies. I wonder how many of them escaped to Brides.

Plenty "escaped" to other clubs too.
What are they escaping from though? For many years, these clubs struggled to offer juvenile football so the choice was made for them.

[Walter Cronc]

Seem to be a club going places. Would their pick be Stranmillis, Lisburn Road, Malone Road and Finaghy? That's some numbers if so.

[marty34]

Seem to be a club going places. Would their pick be Stranmillis, Lisburn Road, Malone Road and Finaghy? That's some numbers if so.

Would there be a clash with Bredagh for players? Or is the distance too big?


Surely Lisburn GAA should have big numbers now also. With west aBelfast moving out that way.  Would they be strong at underage or is that soccer terrority?

[imtommygunn]

Not sure if finaghy is in there. Not sure how anyone thinks the club wasn't needed - sure look at the size of it. A massive area was crying out for a club.

Bredagh would more clash with Carryduff I would say. There are a few places comparable distance to a few of those clubs.

[Walter Cronc]

Seem to be a club going places. Would their pick be Stranmillis, Lisburn Road, Malone Road and Finaghy? That's some numbers if so.

Would there be a clash with Bredagh for players? Or is the distance too big?


Surely Lisburn GAA should have big numbers now also. With west aBelfast moving out that way.  Would they be strong at underage or is that soccer terrority?

Don't think so. Bredagh would only get players from the Co. Down side of the river.

Can any of the west Belfast posters explain how clubs work up there? Geography or family links or a bit of both?

[Gold]

Seem to be a club going places. Would their pick be Stranmillis, Lisburn Road, Malone Road and Finaghy? That's some numbers if so.

Would there be a clash with Bredagh for players? Or is the distance too big?


Surely Lisburn GAA should have big numbers now also. With west aBelfast moving out that way.  Would they be strong at underage or is that soccer terrority?

Lisburn should be a Giant to rival Brigid's with all the New Build developments (literally thousands of houses) but the estates are full of different West Belfast GAA jerseys as families stick to bringing their children to their own clubs generally, rather than Lisburn.

Brigids have a massive catchment area where there was absolutely a need for at least 1 club. The area was unionist previously but from Nationalists started studying and working in Belfast, 'Country' GAA people moved in there (and GAA people from West Belfast) and their kids went to the local primary school and they either went to clubs in West Belfast, Carryduff or didn't play. Club was then formed and went from the bottom rung to the top of the pile today

The Primary School is linked to the club exactly as Country primary schools like Creggan and Cargin etc are, everyone in the huge area plays for one club. In the West you could be living in a house where you have players from 2 different clubs living either side of you.

I hear people in Belfast being pissed off when sons of West Belfast GAA players who live and went to the primary school play for Brigid's with their neighbours and schoolmates, rather than head to play for their Da's club but it doesn't annoy me, I think kids (like kids in Lisburn) should play for where they're from and go to school etc

The unbelievable Galls side had lads from all over the West and City playing, it and other West Belfast clubs are made up by families, generally not kids or people living around or near the pitch

Brigids are winning underage regularly, 12s and 16s in the last week, so unlikely they won't be around and competing for the foreseeable, competing probably with Cargin with their big town of Toome (and load of new build estates there bringing even more to their club) repeatedly with other teams coming and going when they've a good crop (and when the kids of Gall's great team all reach adult playing age, ounce of breeding beats a tonne of feeding etc).

[BigGreenField]

Ask Eire Og, ask Aggies. I wonder how many of them escaped to Brides.

There is more lads playing for St Paul's, st galls, St John's etc from Eire og and aggies "area" should they be wound up if they arent self sustaining?

Brigids have to date done their work well, not everyone's cup of tea but who is. If other clubs are seeing juvemile players opt for them then the answer is to look in the mirror at what is being offered.

In fairness to Eire og in particular they have had a marked increase in their entry Juvenile efforts and have seen their numbers pick up as a result. 

[BigGreenField]

A bit of a so so final

Brigids tip toed through it without really hitting any momentum.

Rossa shooting at times was spectacular
But the bread and butter scores seemed to elude them.

Not a huge amount of entertainment.

Brigids won't care and as with most first
Time champions should be congratulated, always nice to have a new kid on the block ( insert your own Marky Advanced Mark puns).