I agree with Offside Rule it doesnt matter what county the game is played in.
If I remember correctly the Derry champs had a cut off Cushendall too and it just shows Ulster Club hurling can be every bit as competitive as Munster & Leinster.
Nice to see a new name coming through last year it was MLR from Carlow who went all the way to the club final.
And when you see the Laois Champions beaten only in ET yesterday by a point shows how level a playing field club hurling can be. Last week we have Kerry Senior champs beat the Cork Intermediate champs.
What great times these are for club hurling.

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 03/11/2014 11:45:30    1669282

Yip, Slaughneil did have a cut at Cushendall in Derry (Owenbeg), but beaten well in the replay in Antrim (Loughgeil), now there's more to it than that, but familiar surroundings do play a part as the football ones are now complaining about the unfair advantage Dublin have in the football and lets not forget the gurning about Tipp U-21 hurlers having home advantage in an AI final a few years back.


Club hurling in general is a more level playing field and hence why there's a better spread of AI winners outside the traditional big three.
There's been winners from Antrim, Wexford, Galway, Offaly, not to mention AI appearances from the Carlow and Leinster champs, so long may it continue.

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 03/11/2014 12:08:55    1669293

Why does Lixnaw not participate in the Munster SHC club championship? They would give it a fair rattle! I think they are cutting themselves short playing in the Intermediate. Perhaps it's out of their control?

portavogielad (Down) - Posts: 446 - 03/11/2014 13:21:46    1669337

Ya it is hard to look past Vincent's at the moment, but stacks are a different proposition to the crokes as in they are harder men in my view, crokes tended to get bullied a bit by teams from the north but you won't bully the Rockies.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 03/11/2014 14:07:02    1669360

Lixnaw did compete before as did the Kerry winners down the years in the Senior Championship. I remember back around 2005 / 06 Kilmoyleley or Lixnaw came fairly close to beating Toomevara one year in Thurles.Im sure twas Lixnaw but Kilmoyleley often bought Toome down to their pitch and gave em plenty of it.
Causeway once nearly beat Garryspillane of Limerick a few years ago.Cant think of the year doh.
They wouldnt look out of place in the Senior Championship Lixnaw but if they beat Bruff they will have a great chance to win a Munster title for Kerry in hurling.
With the Cork lads gone , the Tipp lads withdrawn , Bruff are the strongest team I would say at this stage left. the Waterford & Clare champs I don't know much about other than Cappaquinn got a walkover due to the Tipp Co Board fiasco.

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 03/11/2014 14:35:53    1669370

KingdomBoy1
County: Kerry
Posts: 2554

1669246
The fact that dr crokes have been knocked out leaves the Munster championship wide open this year with ballincollig cratloe and the Rockies all in with an equal chance of winning it IMO.

You omit the Nire from Waterford - maybe not intentionally but they will be very hard to beat as well. Their semi with Cratloe will be the closer of the two.

Ballincollig have never won a county before and Austin Stacks have not won one in a while. Ballincollig are decent - However, besides Patrick Kelly, John Miskella and Stephen O Donoghue, they are all very young and have no experience at this level at all - a lot of under 21s in their team. Stacks at home should win.

Cratloe with hurling committments may eventually become vulnerable. I go with the Nire just.

Munster club is very level - could be way off but I might just go with The Nire for the final this year. A Kerry/Waterford final would be in Cork.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 03/11/2014 15:36:20    1669403

Bennybunny
I didn't think of the nire , ya they could have a chance against cratloe and they have a game under there belt as well, just tought cratloe would have too much for them, and as for stacks and ballincollig you couldn't call it, but like you say home advantage could swing it for the Rockies, if they don't go too mad on the celebrations :-)

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 03/11/2014 15:49:03    1669409

Didnt The Nire only lose to Dr Crokes a few years ago by a point in a Munster final ?

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 03/11/2014 15:58:29    1669414

I rang tg4 there showing Sarsfield's v limerick champs then deferred coverage of Brigids v Ballintuber. Such a pity there not showing Portlaois v Vincents that will be a great game.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 04/11/2014 08:30:40    1669514

Ya I'd rather watch Vincent's and portlaoise my self but brigits and ballintubber shoud be a cracker as well ,looking forward to that game, I suppose they have to show one football and one hurling.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 04/11/2014 08:56:11    1669525

Vincents should win by 5+. Portlaoise are not the team they used to be. Obviously TG4 are of a similar opinion choosing to show the Connacht game instead.

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 2991 - 04/11/2014 10:26:38    1669544

Wildpundit,
What way do the Munster Council set the senior club championship fixtures as there seems to be home/away arrangements in place? Is the final a neutral venue?

Same with Leinster, but is it only in Ulster that its been near on 30 years that a senior club hurling championship fixture has been played in Down. In fact the drawn game between Slaughneil and the Dall was played in Antrim so they must have felt the original fixture was a home one for the Derry champions.

I'd nearly be getting a persecution complex if I think anymore about this.

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 04/11/2014 10:50:27    1669552

Fair enough if they think it will be a better game but my only problem is they've showed Ballintuber already mix it up a little show someone else, I think Vincents will win but it won't be easy not down there Portlaois gave them a great game also they've Cahir Healy who is a great defender and he can keep Connolly quiet so Vincents will get nothing easy down there.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 04/11/2014 11:28:10    1669561

Bricktop ,

The final is nearly always at a neutral venue in Munster. Last year for the final between Na Piarsaigh & Sixmilebridge however it was played in Ennis.
Toomevara had advantage in Thurles back in 2004.

Every other year I only remember games in Thurles not in involving Tipp teams those are normally played in Cork or Limerick. For the Tipp clubs sides who made the finals in recent years they played:

Cork & Clare champions in Limerick - Sars & Tulla I think
Waterford champions De La Salle in Cork

Semple Stadium is normally the choice of venue now a days provided a Tipp club are not in the final.
if Thurles reach the final this year however I would think it could be in Limerick whether its against either the Cork or Limerick champions.
If Cratloe win the final will more than likely be in Thurles / Limerick depending if Kilmallock win.
I would only think should it be a Clare Limerick club final that after last year arrangement it be in Limerick.

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 04/11/2014 12:05:49    1669579

clondalkindub
I agree they should mix it up regarding coverage. I didn't know that Ballintuber were alredady shown on TG4.

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 2991 - 04/11/2014 12:41:57    1669593

Semple Stadium is normally the choice of venue now a days provided a Tipp club are not in the final.

That seems fair, does it not?

What about semi-finals etc, etc, are they home/away arrangements?

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 04/11/2014 13:27:59    1669610

That,s very fair Bricktop and should always be the case. However I am also in the predicament that a pitch is a pitch and as long as its not the home ground of the actual club i.e. Thurles then a final should not be played there anyway.

In Munster seems to be a home & away agreement for quater finals and semi finals.

For you guys up North there are some issues obviously as the final will always more as less be between an Antrim club and a club from Derry / Down. I know Keady from Armagh got to one or two in most recent years but havent seen them on the radar past 5 years or so.
The Geographic location of Derry , Antrim & Down I suppose is there not a set agreement should clubs meet in a final from those counties that a pitch outside the 2 competing counties be chosen ?

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 04/11/2014 15:53:43    1669661

Lily white1 they showed them against Castlebar in the Mayo final only 2 weeks ago, I'd be very surprised if Brigids don't win comfortably.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 04/11/2014 16:34:42    1669673

I prefer hurling in general but a Portlaoise v Vincents/ ballintubber v Brigids double header this weekend would have been good.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 04/11/2014 18:21:33    1669694

clondalkindub
County: Dublin
Posts: 5545

1669514 I rang tg4 there showing Sarsfield's v limerick champs then deferred coverage of Brigids v Ballintuber. Such a pity there not showing Portlaois v Vincents that will be a great game.

I'm curious as hell! Did they answer the phone in Irish? Did ye chat in Irish? And if not, was it much of an imposition on them to talk in English? I've emailed TG4 and RnaG before but never considered ringing them. (By the way, when I emailed TG4, I emailed them in Irish and they replied in English!!!)

Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1042 - 05/11/2014 09:36:47    1669757