• Physiotherapists
• Dental/Gum Shield Clinics
• Coach Hire
• Accessories
• Accommodation
• Ground Development

Conor McManus
my cousin plays for clon they are a savage side but get left out when it comes to players on the county team. pure joke how county team is picked in cork, reserved mainly for players around cork city.............
hurling4life , 16/01/2012 at 21:20

Conor McManus
Conor has been called into the Donegal McKenna cup panel after a great year with the Kilcar club!
Jamesie , 05/01/2012 at 19:09

GAA Team Training & Bonding Weekends
Check out the Break for Ball Winter newsletter, and read about the Dublin Club who headed to Belfast for a Team Building Weekend, enroute to winning
their Senior Championship.

http://www.breakforball.com/news/details/?id=42
Breakforball , 05/01/2012 at 12:16

Roy Keane
Well what do the blinkered Cork people think of Roy's latest rant? The guy is so full of contradictions that it's hard to know even where to start
gahfan , 20/12/2011 at 16:27

Setanta Released By Carlton
why would anyone in there right mind leave australia to go back to draw the dole in ireland.he would be a great addition but snap out of the dream
pearse9 , 16/12/2011 at 13:29

New Championship Format
As there's not much happening on the field this time of year, and as just about every football county seems to be dissatisfied with both the national league and championship format, I'm going to propose a new format on each Hogan stand county forum.

I hope this will at least provoke debate.

Basically, this system is based on making the objective of the league games (i) Reaching the final phases of an open draw championship, rather than (ii) Redundant National league finals.
However Provisional Finals are retained by using a system which is based on to the Conference system used in American Grid-iron Football.

Incentives are supposed to be included at every stage so that teams aren't going through the motions in any match. It's not easy to explain these things on paper, but here goes;

Each Year the 32 Football Counties are divided into 4 "National Conferences" based on a seeding system determined by performance in the previous year.
For Example Dublin, Kerry, Cork and Tyrone might be seeded 1 next year, with each heading up one of 4 conferences.
Similarly Mayo, Donegal, Kildare & Meath might be seeded 2, and would also be placed in different conferences, each made up of 8 teams drawn from 8 pots of 4 teams ranked at levels 1-8.

For example, level 8 teams might include London. Carlow, Waterford and Clare, who would get the chance of seeing the top teams at their grounds using this system.

Each county would play 7 games in this "League" phase of the competition, which is very similar to how the 4 divisional leagues are played now, however without the finals given there is a new objective for these games which is explained as follows;

Later in the year, the 8 Provincial Finalists would be determined, not by championship as at present, but by the top 2 league records from each province, regardless of conference played in. Counties records would be compared across conferences first by points total, followed points difference, then points scored. (In the unlikely event of equal records mid-week play-offs could be used).

The 4 provisional finals would of course produce 4 winners, with these teams getting direct to the AI Quarter final as at present, having 8 competitive games under their belt.

The 4 provincial champions having qualified, conference placings would again be used to determine the 16 other teams with the best "League Records". If losing provincial finalists don't fall in to this category (possible but unlikely) they would exit at that stage.
2 series of an open draw "knock-out" championship, with home field advantage determined by league record, could quickly reduce 16 teams to 4 by the end of July, as is the case now.

8 teams now remaining, All Ireland Quarter finals, would take place and I'd suggest offering home field advantage to the Provincial winners to boost the significance of those titles and make up for the 2/4 week lay-off which they also experience with the current system, but without compensation.
Semi-finals & Final would be played in Croke Park as at present.

The 12 other teams who did not qualify for the All Ireland Series would play in a B Championship, with the prize playing in Croke Park on AI Final day before the AI Final, and a higher seeding the following year for teams which progress.

Although not perfect, the benefits of this system include;
1. Meaningful League Series, giving qualification for, and home field advantage within, the AI series.
2. Coveted Provincial Titles
3. Dublin & Kerry Regularly appearing in places like Aughrim and Carrick on Shannon
4. End of League Finals played in front of 10,000 people.
5. End of Back Door System
6. More meaningful games, and bigger attendances, for all counties.
7. Realistic target for Division 4 Teams.
8. Not playing the same teams year after year
9. And Best of all, all teams in all counties would be playing at the same times of year, leaving proper windows for Club.
spiritof1991 , 09/12/2011 at 14:35

Pairc Ui Chaoimh redevelopment
I think CCB are required to reduce capacity in the meantime to around 30,000 on health & safety grounds. As for the redevelopment those plans seem to be kept very much under wraps so not sure what they have decided to do there.
tj09 , 29/11/2011 at 13:31

Pairc Ui Chaoimh redevelopment
I just saw on the main page that the Cork County Board are hoping to keep the capacity of Pairc UI Chaoimh at 43,000, after 'renovation' work in the next few months, and this renovation will be done by Summer. I had been under the impression that the entire stadium was going to be re-developed, and that this had recently been given the green light:
link

The gist of those plans seemed to be rebuilding the stadium, and re-opening in 2014. Have these plans been shelved in favor of a small renovation? Are they doing both?
Marlon_JD , 22/11/2011 at 15:12

Sean Og back in squad confirmed.
i'm delighted to see sen og return, there is surely one or two good years left in him, i cant understand why he was not required in the last years, i know cork were trying to bring in new blood but u need lads like sean og there as well. he is a class hurler, i hope it goes well for him
kilross , 17/11/2011 at 12:24

Sean Og back in squad confirmed.
he wont be coming back to cork thats confirmed
stekhli , 09/11/2011 at 15:30

Sean Og back in squad confirmed.
seeing that setanta was dropped from carlton any word of him going home joining the brother in the cork camp?
hurling4life , 06/11/2011 at 13:41

Can Jimmy Barry get the Rebels back in the Bigtime?
There's no real reason to believe that he can - but I believe it anyway!

The player pool is certainly limited, but you'd hope that these guys are better than we've seen so far. With the right coaching, and a competent backroom team guys like Paudie Sul, Pat Horgan, Cian McCarthy, Conor Lehane, Luke Farrell etc, might just nbe top class players. We might get Cahalane settled in at FB, and relaease cadogen to an HB line including Egan and Gardiner. Maybe Sean Og might cut it at FB. Pa Cronin was flying at MF last year, and McLoughlin must be improving.

I think we have to believe that we can win the AI next year. Of course it's a lot to ask. There's far too many 'mights' and 'maybes' in the paragraph above. It's not likely that it'll all come right for JBM. But the first thing he must put right is belief and confidence. These guys must believe that it can come right for them.

The last two years saw the most dis-spirited Cork performances of the last three decades. These guys were mentally beaten before they left the dressing room. There's no need for such a poor attitude. Cork can win the AI. A lot would have to go right for them - but if it did - they could beat anybody. For that reason they shouldn't fear anybody.
Culchie , 24/10/2011 at 17:57

Setanta Released By Carlton
I'd love to see it happen, and I'd say his skill could return. For me, he was always the most skillful hurler of the O hAplins. It would take at least twelve months for him to get his eye in though.

The one thing about the O hAlpins is that they're fierce workers. Sean Og worked hard to compete at the top level. Aisake wasn't the greatest hurler (in my opinion) but he never stopped trying. He always got A+ for effort, and when he played, he was one of the few Cork lads whose attitude was spot on. There was a lot of malaise in the Cork panel over the last few years - but the one man who gave it everything was Aisake. He was also slowly improving when he (understandably in my opinion) walked away. If he'd stayed, he might have become a much better player.

If Setanta was to return, and ally his skill with his brothers work ethic, he would get his touch back. I hope he gives it a go. However, perhaps the work situation will stand in his way.
Culchie , 24/10/2011 at 13:51

Setanta Released By Carlton
even if he was to come back it would probably be with the cork footballers
id imagine his hurling skills are rusty due to the fact he has not played for such a long time
id imagine down under he did not pick up the hurl everyday and go for a puck down the beach
pidge , 23/10/2011 at 18:30

Sean Og back in squad confirmed.
As a exile Sean Og's best days in a Cork jersey are behind him. While he was a great servant in the Cork jersey its time to step back and concentrate on playing with na Piarsaigh.
parkhead , 21/10/2011 at 15:48

Setanta Released By Carlton
it says hes intent on returning to cork as no other aussie teams will take him .. i think its very possible , hes a massively strong man now just, what the cork hurling team need
healy96 , 19/10/2011 at 18:05

Sean Og back in squad confirmed.
googd news that sean ogs back , such an influential figure the roar of the cork crowd when he comes on for the last 20 mins of a munster champ match
stekhli , 19/10/2011 at 13:31

Setanta Released By Carlton
wont happen!
stekhli , 19/10/2011 at 13:30

Setanta Released By Carlton
Oh god yes....but probably wont happen...other aussi rules teams will go for him
pidge , 18/10/2011 at 18:09

Setanta Released By Carlton
Setanta have released former Cork prodigy Setanta O'Hailpín .. Do yee think JBM should now recall him to the Senior hurling panel? I think its worth a try.
healy96 , 18/10/2011 at 18:00