National Forum

Club Championships 2017

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Replying To alwaysasub:  "Agree with Hurler101, I think you are being a bit cynical. Even clubs that prefer hurling that have a football team, dont bother training at it so they might aswell just be playing hurling. Just Oulart dont play football, dosent diminish there achievements any less in my view and I am not an Oulart supporter before you ask. They have been great servants to the club and county but every club has a cycle and Oulart are going through one now."
Ah here now you are talking like they just lost the regulation final not the county final, they were the second best team in the county so still not bad.

To be honest I have no time for clubs out the country being a one code only club at least at underage level - give kids a choice, most likely they will play both but if you force them to play one only you may lose them. This is not a H v F thing but rather its doing whats best for the kids and the GAA.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1806 - 24/10/2017 15:38:30    2057565

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Replying To zinny:  "Ah here now you are talking like they just lost the regulation final not the county final, they were the second best team in the county so still not bad.

To be honest I have no time for clubs out the country being a one code only club at least at underage level - give kids a choice, most likely they will play both but if you force them to play one only you may lose them. This is not a H v F thing but rather its doing whats best for the kids and the GAA."
My point is it is a lot easier to coach and train players when you only have one code in your club. At all levels players are only playing matches every second week. More time to recover and more time to prepare and plan for your next match. Anyone who thinks it is not easier to be over a team in a club that only promotes one code has never been over a team in a club that promotes both codes.

mrfox (Wexford) - Posts: 338 - 24/10/2017 16:13:10    2057581

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Replying To zinny:  "Ah here now you are talking like they just lost the regulation final not the county final, they were the second best team in the county so still not bad.

To be honest I have no time for clubs out the country being a one code only club at least at underage level - give kids a choice, most likely they will play both but if you force them to play one only you may lose them. This is not a H v F thing but rather its doing whats best for the kids and the GAA."
Good post

mrfox (Wexford) - Posts: 338 - 24/10/2017 16:14:24    2057582

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i am from a dual club.i coach underage when my job allows.we have had some very good success in either code,but never in the same year.
the record of dual clubs is simply disastrous,it is easy for st martins when they have the pick they have.
but having said that,if rathnure or buffers alley or oulart decide to play only hurling,given their history and record,who is anybody to question them?every club is allowed focus on whatever they want.

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 24/10/2017 17:07:21    2057601

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Replying To mrfox:  "They have put in a lot of work alright but not as much as some other clubs"
Thirteen county titles in 23 years- seems ok to me

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4342 - 24/10/2017 17:58:17    2057631

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Replying To perfect10:  "i am from a dual club.i coach underage when my job allows.we have had some very good success in either code,but never in the same year.
the record of dual clubs is simply disastrous,it is easy for st martins when they have the pick they have.
but having said that,if rathnure or buffers alley or oulart decide to play only hurling,given their history and record,who is anybody to question them?every club is allowed focus on whatever they want."
That is not true at all. The record of duel clubs is not disastrous. At underage level and adult level clubs are reaching county finals in both codes.

mrfox (Wexford) - Posts: 338 - 24/10/2017 18:05:12    2057636

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Replying To perfect10:  "i am from a dual club.i coach underage when my job allows.we have had some very good success in either code,but never in the same year.
the record of dual clubs is simply disastrous,it is easy for st martins when they have the pick they have.
but having said that,if rathnure or buffers alley or oulart decide to play only hurling,given their history and record,who is anybody to question them?every club is allowed focus on whatever they want."
I agree with that bar you saying its easy for the Martins with their pick. Its not easy to do what they are doing over the past few years, its seriously hard to be fair to them! They coached and helped mould the pool of quality they have in both codes so hats off to them on that!!
It doesnt bother me what any club does bar my own to be honest!

hurler101 (Wexford) - Posts: 471 - 24/10/2017 18:29:00    2057646

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Replying To hurlorhurley:  "I expect Naomh Eanna, Rapperees, St Martins to be the main contenders in hurling over the next 5-10 years.
I think Oulart will have one final title in them but once the Over 30's crew retire they have a barren spell ahead of them.
Has happened to Buffers Alley and Rathnure and I can see it happening to Oulart as well.
St Martins have got the balance just right, the key to their success is compromise and having one crew in charge of everything and these crews work together to win everything they can.
So far their top team in each code has won a championship Ladies Football 1st team won intermediate championship, Camogie 1st team won senior championship, hurling 1st team won championship, Football 1st team into county final.
Hats off to St Martins their underage structures are on the money and continuing to produce."
Yeah think gorey will be strong in the coming years possibly oilgate aswel, on the rapps they always produce strong teams at underage but the fact enniscorthy is such a multi sport town with gaa, rugby and soccer I think they'll always have that extra stumbling block.i think oulart will be in the top 2 or 3 for the next couple of years but will experience a fall off similar to rathnure and buffers alley after that. They had a golden generation and made hay so fair play to them the martins have the potential to do something similar

bostonredsox (Wexford) - Posts: 4368 - 24/10/2017 19:33:56    2057663

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Replying To mrfox:  "That is not true at all. The record of duel clubs is not disastrous. At underage level and adult level clubs are reaching county finals in both codes."
i will ask you to back up that claim at senior adult level?

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 25/10/2017 08:09:00    2057754

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Replying To wexico15:  "Yeah think gorey will be strong in the coming years possibly oilgate aswel, on the rapps they always produce strong teams at underage but the fact enniscorthy is such a multi sport town with gaa, rugby and soccer I think they'll always have that extra stumbling block.i think oulart will be in the top 2 or 3 for the next couple of years but will experience a fall off similar to rathnure and buffers alley after that. They had a golden generation and made hay so fair play to them the martins have the potential to do something similar"
It's very easy to be wise after the fact and to say that an outcome that has happened was inevitable. We do this all the time in sport and in life and that's the case for some now with the win by St. Martin's but it's important to look back at the facts. As recently as the 1980s, Martin's and Glynn-Barntown had to field combined teams at certain grades. For most of their existence, the most St. Martin's achieved was an occasional junior triumph with very little high level underage success. I remember an interview with Jack O'Connor when the Martin's won their first U21 hurling title in 2014 and he said that was his first ever county title at any age grade so there was certainly no tradition of them dominating at underage. Their current underage successes have given them a platform to build a young and successful senior team but those successes have come on the back of a long period of serious work at underage level and I think that this long-term planning is how clubs can maximise their potential, but it does take time and nerve.

Achieving dual success at adult level is really difficult and luck can play a part: the Martin's, for instance, were blessed to beat the Alley in hurling and could have lost to Shels in football. Plus, they've been lucky this year in terms of injuries. On top of that, a single manager over both codes is essential, otherwise the inevitable tension between both camps can destabilise. It's definitely more challenging to manage teams in a dual club than in a single-code club but I think it's essential to have both sports on offer to the youngsters as otherwise some kids will inevitably be left behind and will be too easily lost to other sports or to the couch / FIFA. Football is very often the glue that can keep some of the less naturally skilled kids involved with a club and, over time, as their confidence and abilities improve you can find them getting more interested in hurling too.

As for Oulart, they haven't gone away you know! I fully expect them to be in the county final again next year. They won't have a Leinster campaign to worry about this winter so I think they will really give it a lash in 2018. What they've achieved over the last decade is outstanding and again reflects what can happen when a whole club, a whole community, pulls together in the same direction. I think next year will be really competitive as other clubs will take heart from the Martin's win and so I expect to see Glynn-Barntown, Shelmaliers, Gorey and Rapps / Starlights really driving hard in 2018. Hopefully St. Martin's will go well in Leinster but I expect their first match to be against the current All Ireland champions, Cuala (assuming they win the Dublin final and then beat the Kilkenny champs), so that's a really tough match for them.

UncleJunior (Wexford) - Posts: 26 - 25/10/2017 09:30:49    2057773

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Replying To perfect10:  "i will ask you to back up that claim at senior adult level?"
For starters you made a general comment about duel clubs having a disastrous record straight after you stated you are involved in underage teams. Now you want examples in senior only. Dose underage or lower grades in adult not matter to you. You put up a loose comment and when you are challenged on it you try limit it to senior.

mrfox (Wexford) - Posts: 338 - 25/10/2017 09:40:17    2057775

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Replying To perfect10:  "i will ask you to back up that claim at senior adult level?"
Crossabeg Ballymurn competing strongly in football and hurling for the past 5 years
St James competing strongly in football and hurling for the past five years
St Martins competing strongly in football and hurling in past five years
Gusserane have won hurling and football titles in last couple of years
When Clongeen won senior football they were also flying in hurling

Slaughtneil in Derry heading for back to back Ulster Hurling and Football titles

if the work is put in at underage which it obviously has been with all these clubs then the production line is there to be successful at all levels.
Oularts success is not because they don't have football it's because they put in incredible work with their underage squads in the 80's and 90's. St Martin's success now is because they have been putting in incredible work at underage level since 1996 kind of era.

Out of the four semi-finalists in senior hurling this year three of them also made a football final with their top football team in their club.

hurlorhurley (Wexford) - Posts: 1660 - 25/10/2017 10:57:38    2057786

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1 component you can't legislate for is having a very talented crop all coming at same time. Oulart team of the past decade, buffers alley in the 80's and early 90's, duffrys team which won 8 football titles in 9 years all perfect examples

bostonredsox (Wexford) - Posts: 4368 - 25/10/2017 11:22:52    2057793

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Anyone any thoughts on the new structure changes for underage? Big changes I thought would of been discussed more here, while I agree with the changes, I do fear for the 18 year old, lets say who cant make a clubs second team (resuming you have one) and that the U20 grade wont be take seriously.

alwaysasub (Wexford) - Posts: 403 - 25/10/2017 12:56:37    2057843

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Replying To alwaysasub:  "Anyone any thoughts on the new structure changes for underage? Big changes I thought would of been discussed more here, while I agree with the changes, I do fear for the 18 year old, lets say who cant make a clubs second team (resuming you have one) and that the U20 grade wont be take seriously."
I think it makes perfect sense

hurlorhurley (Wexford) - Posts: 1660 - 25/10/2017 13:06:57    2057848

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Replying To hurlorhurley:  "I think it makes perfect sense"
Very disappointed it came in, speaking from a parents point of view, my 15 year old son was a sub on a under 16 team this year, and I always said to him next year is your strong year how wrong I was, so another year on the bench, loads more like him, my son will give up hurling I say, no games in two years how could you blame him,

Teddy5 (Wexford) - Posts: 122 - 25/10/2017 13:42:55    2057861

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Replying To Teddy5:  "Very disappointed it came in, speaking from a parents point of view, my 15 year old son was a sub on a under 16 team this year, and I always said to him next year is your strong year how wrong I was, so another year on the bench, loads more like him, my son will give up hurling I say, no games in two years how could you blame him,"
Teddy, its understandable that your worried about your son but the benefits of this are far greater than the downside. If your son is 15 years of age and can't make his clubs under 16 team I have 2 comments to make
1. There is every chance that with some improvement or maybe natural growth that your son would be on the team next year.
2. If your with a club which doesn't ensure that a 15 year old gets fair game time then perhaps that is an issue where your club is at fault and if your club has that type of approach then it won't just be your son that suffers so its worth highlighting with your club.

890202 (Wexford) - Posts: 1278 - 25/10/2017 14:16:53    2057881

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Replying To hurlorhurley:  "I think it makes perfect sense"
I think its fine up until u20. Huge problems will come about if they insist on only taking players that are 18, 19 and 20 at this grade. Look how many clubs amalgimate at u21 level. That takes in 17-21 year olds! Where will the players come from. Secondly, when will the run this u20?? Along the timeline of u21?

A lot of unknowns at this grade for me and thats never good. The entire thing seems rushed for some reason, id just like to have gotten more details on the running of it.

The other grades, i see no issue bar a few lads loosing out here and there but that always happens with change.

hurler101 (Wexford) - Posts: 471 - 25/10/2017 18:18:44    2057963

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Watershed week for Wexford hurling, St Martin's new kids on the block bursting with youth and talent. Oulart the old gunslingers fading back to the pack after a glorious era. Buffers Alley launching a book about history, wrong priorities

luvgaa (Wexford) - Posts: 157 - 25/10/2017 20:54:30    2057989

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Replying To luvgaa:  "Watershed week for Wexford hurling, St Martin's new kids on the block bursting with youth and talent. Oulart the old gunslingers fading back to the pack after a glorious era. Buffers Alley launching a book about history, wrong priorities"
what is this about a book that buffers alley launched?i thought it was an individual who has gave his life to club and county and has a lot to be proud of.
tell us what you have done in the games,or are doing?

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 25/10/2017 21:37:37    2057996

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