Down Club Hurling & Football

[wobbller]

There an interesting podcast in the Gaelic life this week. They talk about the game being stronger if it had fewer clubs? What's your thoughts on this? personally, there are too many clubs in Down and there should be a few amalgamations!

Possibly correct but would love to hear your suggestions
as to where to start?

[Truth hurts]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

[Mourne Red]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Balkykinlar players wouldn't go to Dundrum when they folded.. Finn, St Johns and Ardglass got the players from there.

Glassdrumman would be a good shout, club that's struggling recently and amalgamation would be best for them to keep some part of history. Same goes with Mitchells/Bosco suggestion

[Truth hurts]

also the county board need to be stricter on clubs poaching players

[wobbller]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Aghaderg and St Michaels
Kiclief and Ardglass
Saul and Bright
St Johns and the the Finn
Darragh Cross and Drumaness
Saval and Glenn
East Belfast and St Pauls
Tullylish and Clann Na Banna
Annaclone and Drumgath

[Truth hurts]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Aghaderg and St Michaels
Kiclief and Ardglass
Saul and Bright
St Johns and the the Finn
Darragh Cross and Drumaness
Saval and Glenn
East Belfast and St Pauls
Tullylish and Clann Na Banna
Annaclone and Drumgath

Some of them are ludicrous Wobb, East Belfast and St Pauls are two of the biggest clubs in the county in terms of membership. Darragh and Drumaness don't need to amalgamate but it's certainly an area that needs tapped into.

[bigarsedkeeper]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Aghaderg and St Michaels
Kiclief and Ardglass
Saul and Bright
St Johns and the the Finn
Darragh Cross and Drumaness
Saval and Glenn
East Belfast and St Pauls
Tullylish and Clann Na Banna
Annaclone and Drumgath

Having a GAA club is about more than just if you can play senior football. My wife's grandfather played for Clann Na Banna in the 50s. They couldn't get a pitch in Banbridge and had to play in Ballyvarley. They had to fight their way through organised unionist blockades on the Scarva Rd just to play. Why would they give up what they've built, as limited as it may seem to some of the bigger clubs, if they have the numbers to keep going. Not every club can be a division 1 club.

You could say that some of those clubs should have an arrangement at underage so lads are playing at a better level but most of the clubs mentioned there are happy enough with where they are.

[Truth hurts]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Aghaderg and St Michaels
Kiclief and Ardglass
Saul and Bright
St Johns and the the Finn
Darragh Cross and Drumaness
Saval and Glenn
East Belfast and St Pauls
Tullylish and Clann Na Banna
Annaclone and Drumgath

Having a GAA club is about more than just if you can play senior football. My wife's grandfather played for Clann Na Banna in the 50s. They couldn't get a pitch in Banbridge and had to play in Ballyvarley. They have to fight their way through organised unionist blockades on the Scarva Rd just to play. Why would they give up what they've built, as limited as it may seem to some of the bigger clubs, if they have the numbers to keep going. Not every club can be a division 1 club.

You could say that some of those clubs should have an arrangement at underage so lads are playing at a better level but most of the clubs mentioned there are happy enough with where they are.

I would not want to see amalgamations for the sake of it but only when it's needed. There is more chance of Crusaders and Cliftonville amalgamating as North Belfast soccer team than Glenn and Saval .

[bigarsedkeeper]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Aghaderg and St Michaels
Kiclief and Ardglass
Saul and Bright
St Johns and the the Finn
Darragh Cross and Drumaness
Saval and Glenn
East Belfast and St Pauls
Tullylish and Clann Na Banna
Annaclone and Drumgath

Having a GAA club is about more than just if you can play senior football. My wife's grandfather played for Clann Na Banna in the 50s. They couldn't get a pitch in Banbridge and had to play in Ballyvarley. They have to fight their way through organised unionist blockades on the Scarva Rd just to play. Why would they give up what they've built, as limited as it may seem to some of the bigger clubs, if they have the numbers to keep going. Not every club can be a division 1 club.

You could say that some of those clubs should have an arrangement at underage so lads are playing at a better level but most of the clubs mentioned there are happy enough with where they are.

I would not want to see amalgamations for the sake of it but only when it's needed. There is more chance of Crusaders and Cliftonville amalgamating as North Belfast soccer team than Glenn and Saval .

There's some clubs you mentioned are in trouble in the long run and they'll have to do something new in the near future. The only full amalgamation in recent history, even that's 40 years ago, I can think of is An Riocht - I have no idea how the agreement was made though.

[manwithnoplan]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Aghaderg and St Michaels
Kiclief and Ardglass
Saul and Bright
St Johns and the the Finn
Darragh Cross and Drumaness
Saval and Glenn
East Belfast and St Pauls
Tullylish and Clann Na Banna
Annaclone and Drumgath

Some of these are ridiculous. Some of these "smaller" clubs have done great work in recent years that's now led to success at various levels.

Shows a real South Down 'Big Club' arrogant attitude.

Saul - recent IFC winners and now playing SFC
Bright - recent JFC and Div 4 winners with underage success, trying to build something. Facilities are superb.
Finn - Now in Div 3 after some hard years and likely to win the JFC, good underage structure there now and player retention has been good.
Darragh - IFC possibility this year
St Pauls - Huge effort in recent years to turn a struggling senior team in to a solid young team, with players now coming through from underage. Recent JFC winners.
East Belfast - Brand new club with huge numbers, haven't even begun to establish themselves yet they should not exist?

Never mind the rest.

Not to mention some of the great facilities some of these clubs have worked hard for.

[wobbller]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Aghaderg and St Michaels
Kiclief and Ardglass
Saul and Bright
St Johns and the the Finn
Darragh Cross and Drumaness
Saval and Glenn
East Belfast and St Pauls
Tullylish and Clann Na Banna
Annaclone and Drumgath

Some of these are ridiculous. Some of these "smaller" clubs have done great work in recent years that's now led to success at various levels.

Shows a real South Down 'Big Club' arrogant attitude.

Saul - recent IFC winners and now playing SFC
Bright - recent JFC and Div 4 winners with underage success, trying to build something. Facilities are superb.
Finn - Now in Div 3 after some hard years and likely to win the JFC, good underage structure there now and player retention has been good.
Darragh - IFC possibility this year
St Pauls - Huge effort in recent years to turn a struggling senior team in to a solid young team, with players now coming through from underage. Recent JFC winners.
East Belfast - Brand new club with huge numbers, haven't even begun to establish themselves yet they should not exist?

Never mind the rest.

Not to mention some of the great facilities some of these clubs have worked hard for.

Just my opinion and will not happen in the next five years but sometime down the line just as the debt is paid off(maybe not even)

[Truth hurts]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Aghaderg and St Michaels
Kiclief and Ardglass
Saul and Bright
St Johns and the the Finn
Darragh Cross and Drumaness
Saval and Glenn
East Belfast and St Pauls
Tullylish and Clann Na Banna
Annaclone and Drumgath

Having a GAA club is about more than just if you can play senior football. My wife's grandfather played for Clann Na Banna in the 50s. They couldn't get a pitch in Banbridge and had to play in Ballyvarley. They have to fight their way through organised unionist blockades on the Scarva Rd just to play. Why would they give up what they've built, as limited as it may seem to some of the bigger clubs, if they have the numbers to keep going. Not every club can be a division 1 club.

You could say that some of those clubs should have an arrangement at underage so lads are playing at a better level but most of the clubs mentioned there are happy enough with where they are.

I would not want to see amalgamations for the sake of it but only when it's needed. There is more chance of Crusaders and Cliftonville amalgamating as North Belfast soccer team than Glenn and Saval .

There's some clubs you mentioned are in trouble in the long run and they'll have to do something new in the near future. The only full amalgamation in recent history, even that's 40 years ago, I can think of is An Riocht - I have no idea how the agreement was made though.

Are Annaclone and Clonduff not amalgamations? Though men from Mageral and Cabra will always tell you where they are from?

Does anyone know what way the county board is voting at congress? What did the clubs agree upon? Option B I hope!

[bigarsedkeeper]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Aghaderg and St Michaels
Kiclief and Ardglass
Saul and Bright
St Johns and the the Finn
Darragh Cross and Drumaness
Saval and Glenn
East Belfast and St Pauls
Tullylish and Clann Na Banna
Annaclone and Drumgath

Having a GAA club is about more than just if you can play senior football. My wife's grandfather played for Clann Na Banna in the 50s. They couldn't get a pitch in Banbridge and had to play in Ballyvarley. They have to fight their way through organised unionist blockades on the Scarva Rd just to play. Why would they give up what they've built, as limited as it may seem to some of the bigger clubs, if they have the numbers to keep going. Not every club can be a division 1 club.

You could say that some of those clubs should have an arrangement at underage so lads are playing at a better level but most of the clubs mentioned there are happy enough with where they are.

I would not want to see amalgamations for the sake of it but only when it's needed. There is more chance of Crusaders and Cliftonville amalgamating as North Belfast soccer team than Glenn and Saval .

There's some clubs you mentioned are in trouble in the long run and they'll have to do something new in the near future. The only full amalgamation in recent history, even that's 40 years ago, I can think of is An Riocht - I have no idea how the agreement was made though.

Are Annaclone and Clonduff not amalgamations? Though men from Mageral and Cabra will always tell you where they are from?

Does anyone know what way the county board is voting at congress? What did the clubs agree upon? Option B I hope!

I was going to mention Annaclone & Magheral but I didn't think many would know much about Magheral. Annaclone have been a club since 1896, Magheral started at the end of the 40s and closed up at the end of the 50s and most of those players left came back to Annaclone.

I can't see an amalgamation with us and Drumgath getting much support or any need for it, hopefully, but we have had some good arrangements at underage over the last 30 years.

Off The Ball have been reporting Down as supporting Option B - heard it got full support from clubs at the last meeting.

[passedit]

Tullylish (Gilford & Laurencetown) 60s
St Pauls (Holywood & Bangor) 70s
St Johns (Drumnaquoile & Drumaroad) 70s
St Michaels (Kilwarlin & Magheralin) 60s

are all amalgamations AFAIK. Also BAK I'm not sure the disbandment of Magheral was entirely voluntary

[stillsenior]

I'm a Down man living in Tyrone. Hearing tonight from a very reliable source that Peter Canavan is the new Down senior manager