Down Club Hurling & Football

[Splash]

The big issue for Ulster Hurling is the likes of Derry and Donegal putting teams out that are going to trounce other teams.

This isn't to say that the Ulster Championship is dead- in the past decade teams from Derry, Donegal, Monaghan, Antrim, and Armagh have all won it.

But anybody saying that Lavey shouldn't be in Junior needs to have another look. Lavey gave Cuchulainns of Armagh a big beating today. Cuchailainns, the Armagh Intermediate Champions. Lavey maybe haven't won much in Derry in recent times, but it is only this year Slaughtneil overtook them on the role of honour, and they'd probably win most senior championships outside of Down, Derry, and Antrim.

On the flip side, it is concerning that our Ulster Champions are so uncompetitive on the Junior All Ireland scene. Eg, Ballinascreen were so dominant in Ulster last year, but got badly beat by the Cork Champions in the All Ireland.

Obviously, the key issue is we need to drastically improve the overall standard of hurling in Ulster. But that's a long term project.

We do need to improve the standard of our clubs in Down, ie, the likes of Derry Junior (Eoghan Rua or Na Magha, etc.) would be a better than Down Junior.

But, it is no good having our Junior teams getting big beatings. Castlewellan are probably the best junior team to come out of Down in a few years. They got a big enough beating off Burt. But as others have said, Burt are a strong team, who won the Donegal Senior Championship last year, and are in around the level of Bredagh, Carryduff, etc. I am fairly confident that Castlewellan would have beaten the Donegal Junior Champions, Letterkenny Gaels, by a similar score line that Burt beat Castlewellan.

We do need to improve the standard of hurling in Down (and Ulster) to catch up with the rest of Ireland, but I don't see the benefit of other counties putting Intermediate or Senior sides into the junior championship. As has been said, Down wouldn't put Ballycran into the Ulster Junior.

[thewobbler]

f**king hooters

[thebigfullforward]

Can't see Lough getting within 6 or 7. Hooters should be confiscated upon entry