The future of laois hurling

[burdizzo]

Colt/ Shanahoe and Ballyfin/ M'mellick/ Clonaslee.

[clonadmad]

Thanks ClonadMad.

Can you tell us who makes up the following teams;

Raithin Og (U13B)
Na Fianna A&B (U13-U17)

Do Clonaslee, Ballyfin or Mountmellick not have a single juvenile team of their own?

It's a pity to see that neither of those 3 clubs see fit to enter teams on their own even at B level.

Clonaslee seem to fallen off a cliff in the last few 2/3 years as a juvenile club

[Keyser Söze]

Ah ok, I see now that Clonad are going solo at u13 level.
As well as Ballyfin, Mountmellick & Clonaslee, are Na Fianna likely to draw from a collection of other clubs also? The likes of Kilcavan, Emo, even Slieve Bloom?

Overall it's good to see so many clubs taking the plunge at A level.

[clonadmad]

Ah ok, I see now that Clonad are going solo at u13 level.
As well as Ballyfin, Mountmellick & Clonaslee, are Na Fianna likely to draw from a collection of other clubs also? The likes of Kilcavan, Emo, even Slieve Bloom?

Overall it's good to see so many clubs taking the plunge at A level.

Na Fianna are the "designated club" for Slieve Bloom even though a lot of their Juveniles have  transferred to Castletown in the last year.

Emo would be part of St.Pauls and they would be then isolated players from u15 onwards

In fairness to Sean Connolly he has been resisting valiantly the natural inclination of a lot of clubs to automatically head for the B and maybe pick up a handy cup.

If you have the numbers or anything approaching the level required,he will grade you in the A,end of story

[Keyser Söze]

Fair play to him for that, but he also seems to have been a very active driver of the evolution of that "superclub" over the last 10 years.
I keep saying it, but it really isn't acceptable in my opinion.

[clonadmad]

Fair play to him for that, but he also seems to have been a very active driver of the evolution of that "superclub" over the last 10 years.
I keep saying it, but it really isn't acceptable in my opinion.

Yes there's seems to be an element of looking after na fianna first and foremost when it comes to things like gradings and bringing in more clubs into that amalgamation

The likes of Ballyfin,Slieve Bloom,Mountmellick and Clonaslee should be able to stand on their own especially at 13 a side u13 even if they all have to go into the B

It's doing nothing for the development of those 4 clubs having a whole load of lads standing on a sideline

Fair enough if you don't have the numbers in any given year,then there's a case to be made 

[Ballyroan Abbey]

Slieve Blooms future has been taken away with those transfers, over a jersey? How it was let happen is a disgrace. Realistically no player in Laois should be granted a transfer to another club inside the county, particularly a lad from a junior/small club to a senior club, bar its something like a lad moving from clonaslee to graiguecullen other than that its a small enough county, lads from every club regardless of grade should be given an oppurtunity to hurl or kick senior.

Regarding mass amalgamations at underage i feel every club should make an effort to try go solo for as long as possible even if it means playing B, Rosenallis are a prime example of this and you can see the benefits of it now for them. And even if some smaller clubs feel the need to go together they should try go with a club of simular size, surely better for kilcavan and the rock playing football together than sending young lads into mountmellick as it for mountmellick too, same with Ballinakill going with Ballypickas in hurling rather than taking lads into Abbeyleix or The Harps who have numbers on their own

All you have to do is look over the ditches where galmoy/windgap is the only underage amalgamation in Kilkenny, Ballyhale play at C level sometimes if they have to, meanwhile in Offaly you have Birr going in with two other clubs at some grades to make up teams.

[Ogie]

Did I see it said Peter Hally is now leaving our GDA team ??

[Keyser Söze]

We seem to have trouble holding onto our GDAs?

[clonadmad]

We seem to have trouble holding onto our good GDA's

Andrew Kavanagh,Colm Begley and now Peter Hally all gone

We have a budget in place for 5 gda's and a games manager.

We have never been able to fill all the roles at once or keep the good ones on board

[Zooming around]

it's strange. Being a GDA seems like a good job to have. You'd wonder why we can't hang on to them.

[Mad Mentor]

There is a lot of weekend and evening work involved with the job. Apart from schools, no club wants a GDA during the day Monday to Friday. I'd imagine having a social life would be quite difficult. I have to say all the GDA's we have had have always been more than willing to help clubs when asked and have brought value to every session. Peter will be missed.

[Zooming around]

There is a lot of weekend and evening work involved with the job. Apart from schools, no club wants a GDA during the day Monday to Friday. I'd imagine having a social life would be quite difficult. I have to say all the GDA's we have had have always been more than willing to help clubs when asked and have brought value to every session. Peter will be missed.

I'd agree with you there. I always find them very helpful when they come to our club.

Is there any word on a replacement for Peter Halley.

[CluainABU]

Slieve Blooms future has been taken away with those transfers, over a jersey? How it was let happen is a disgrace. Realistically no player in Laois should be granted a transfer to another club inside the county, particularly a lad from a junior/small club to a senior club, bar its something like a lad moving from clonaslee to graiguecullen other than that its a small enough county, lads from every club regardless of grade should be given an oppurtunity to hurl or kick senior.

Regarding mass amalgamations at underage i feel every club should make an effort to try go solo for as long as possible even if it means playing B, Rosenallis are a prime example of this and you can see the benefits of it now for them. And even if some smaller clubs feel the need to go together they should try go with a club of simular size, surely better for kilcavan and the rock playing football together than sending young lads into mountmellick as it for mountmellick too, same with Ballinakill going with Ballypickas in hurling rather than taking lads into Abbeyleix or The Harps who have numbers on their own

All you have to do is look over the ditches where galmoy/windgap is the only underage amalgamation in Kilkenny, Ballyhale play at C level sometimes if they have to, meanwhile in Offaly you have Birr going in with two other clubs at some grades to make up teams.

I hear what you're saying @Ballyroan Abbey re. clubs of similar sizes going together, as opposed to "super clubs". However, especially at Juvenile level, for most parents, they are not going to travel unreasonable distances to play GAA, with a similar sized club, if there's a soccer pitch, or rugby pitch closer. If there's a neighboring GAA club, no matter how big the numbers, then that's the more practical option.

On the option of clubs like Clonaslee and Slieve Bloom going on their own at U13, which @clonadmad mentions, I don't believe that's an option either, like you said. Slieve Bloom have been cleaned out at juvenile by Castletown, who are the same parish, so it's difficult to see how they will recover. I believe Trumera are on their own at a few juvenile grades this year too and finding numbers though. For clubs like those mentioned, I think amalgamation is the realistic route to survival. For that to work, you really need to be looking at your neighboring clubs. Whatever about the options for Clonaslee, given their location, Slieve Bloom should be a strong candidate not just from their own perspective, but also from the perspective of other clubs in the vicinity - which includes Castletown, despite the recent difficulties between both clubs. If they end up going in with the likes of Ballyfin, Mountrath or whoever else on a full amalgamation, the parish rule that cleaned them out, might have the opposite effect with that "super club" and bolster numbers in that new arrangement.

The "super club" isn't a fad. Whether it be for the benefits it brings in terms playing numbers, resources ($$$), number of pitches etc. etc., IMO it makes a lot more sense to have players representing your area in a healthy "super club" and using your club grounds as part of that setup, when the alternative is watching your club slowly decline, while you wait for what?

[Keyser Söze]

Just on this.
I think Clonaslee have proved themselves a bit difficult to work with at underage level. And you can't exactly criticize Rosenallis for how their solo run has gone.
Similarly from enquiries I have made Slieve Bloom may well have shot themselves in the foot regarding their former juvenile arrangement. Reports of almost zero involvement in coaching teams and (unbelievable if true) their club not even being represented on juvenile committees over a number of years wouldn't draw much sympathy.
Only those involved know the full story in all of the instances. Pity. There did seem to be potentially successful arrangements between Clonaslee & Rosenallis and Castletown/Slieve Bloom. Rosenallis appear to be the only ones who have emerged from all of this in a positive position.