PaudieSull1
County: Down
Posts: 75

1775400 Offside there are circa 30 clubs hurling in Antrim which is almost as many as clubs like Clare etc, by the way I'm assuming you are counting the Tyrone clubs when you say there are 11 clubs playing in their league.

Reality is Antrim have it easy in Ulster and are more than happy to 'hog the limelight' of the annual run out in an all Ireland semi or quarter final hence their opposition to the team Ulster idea as they feel it is a threat to their privileged position - if they are really interested in developing go into the Leinster championship at all grades, ultimately it will do hurling in Antrim and indeed Ulster more good.

Claiming a 12 pt defeat while playing two sweepers is some sort of moral victory is an embarassment to all the good Antrim hurling people, at least the Antrim miners who were well prepared by Ciaran Kearney went out to hurl and compete, for me Saturday was an embarassment to Ulster hurling.

Stop the farce, Antrim into Leinster and the rest of Ulster into the All Ireland B, Meath play Wicklow in the All Ireland u21 B on TG4 in couple of was of little doubt Down, Derry etc could compete for a place there.


Antrim like Galway have pushed for their minors and u21s to be included in Ulster. It was blocked by the Leinster Council so if you're going to level accusations at least make them accurate.
As for 'hogging the limelight', how does getting tanked every year (bar 2 years ago)for the last god knows how long in an U21 semi final do that, in fact if anything it does the complete opposite and shines the light on the fact that you do not warrant a place in the semi final.
I have to say a lot of youse Down boys have a serious chip on your shoulder when it comes to Antrim hurlers.
If the rest of the Ulster counties got their fingers out of their a$$ that would improve Antrim and Ulster hurling and I include your own county there. Antrim has enough problems internally to contend with never mind somehow blaming the ills of Ulster Hurling on us too and don't forget that Antrim clubs are part of the reason the 3 ards teams and latterly Bredagh to an extent are playing a decent standard of hurling!

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 24/08/2015 16:49:23    1775462

Bumper, Galway applied for all their teams in Leinster but Antrim didn't, that's the facts. The Antrim league benefits just as much from the Ards teams playing in that league as the other way around, so let's not try claim that Antrim are doing Down some kind of favour.

Antrim is the only county in Ulster that takes hurling half serious, the rest don't and that won't change hence why they should be in Leinster striving to raise their own standards as participating in a farce of an Ulster championship us no good to anyone - be interesting to see do Antrim get a bye to Ulster final this yr now they are in the Christy Ring like the rest of us??

Antrim have the playing numbers yo compete if they sort themselves out, yes the apathy from Croker doesn't help but their internal issues are the biggest stumbling block - beating the likes of Down and Derry while celebrating doing so just shows how far Antrim hurling star has unfortunately fallen.

PaudieSull1 (Down) - Posts: 738 - 24/08/2015 17:09:00    1775479

flack
County: Dublin
Posts: 756

1775345
Benny bunny, the parts of the country with very little hurling are minuscule, population-wise (with the exception of west ulster). Theres plenty hurling clubs everywhere else in Ireland, especially at underage, before the football nazis get their claws on the players

A bit of an exaggeration there given that counties where hurling is strong like some counties south Leinster (Offaly, KK, Laois, Carlow) also have a small population compared to the likes of Kerry, Meath, Donegal and the areas with really big populations like Dublin/Cork while having plenty of hurling also have massive competition from other sports(and I am aware of the population Leitrim, Longford etc)...however that is by-the-by as that was not the point I was making anyway..the point was about geographical space and how such a small amount of physical space is divided into into so much GAA bureacracy..you could drive from Midleton in Cork to Dublin in 2.5 hours yet you go from the East Cork Divisional board to the Cork County board, the Munster council, Leinster Counicl, Dublin County board and central council all having some hurling jurisdiction over that area...pointless..

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 25/08/2015 09:43:08    1775686

Spot on bumper. Other Counties in Ulster would do well to remember the saying that when you are pointing your finger at someone remember there are three pointing back at you. We know where the crux of a lot of our problems lie but just can't seem to get over the barriers to date though we live in hope. Yet posters on here and elsewhere constantly harp on about how we are somehow the big bad monster when it comes to Ulster hurling from where matches are played to getting in to a Final as a bye and everything in between. As I have said before, if I thought for one minute that playing the semis and finals away from Casement or putting us in at the first stage would make a difference or is a factor in why the other Counties haven't taken Hurling as serious over the decades or are where they are then I would welcome the idea with big open arms and a slobbery kiss. But these factors don't account for the fact that all but 13 of the Ulster titles have been won by us and we have shown that Casement as a venue is irrelevant. Then you look at our leagues - we have Teams from other Counties, Downs best included, playing alongside our own to help raise standards across not only these guest Teams Counties but also in Antrim too - it's a symbiotic relationship. We can only get to the standard we would like to be at if the other Counties buy in to improving Ulster Hurling. And lose the chip.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 25/08/2015 10:18:38    1775721

Bumper, Galway applied for all their teams in Leinster but Antrim didn't, that's the facts. The Antrim league benefits just as much from the Ards teams playing in that league as the other way around, so let's not try claim that Antrim are doing Down some kind of favour.

Antrim is the only county in Ulster that takes hurling half serious, the rest don't and that won't change hence why they should be in Leinster striving to raise their own standards as participating in a farce of an Ulster championship us no good to anyone - be interesting to see do Antrim get a bye to Ulster final this yr now they are in the Christy Ring like the rest of us??

Antrim have the playing numbers yo compete if they sort themselves out, yes the apathy from Croker doesn't help but their internal issues are the biggest stumbling block - beating the likes of Down and Derry while celebrating doing so just shows how far Antrim hurling star has unfortunately fallen.




Paudie you're incorrect again.

Antrim like Galway did request to enter minor and u21 into Leinster in 2009, I know it doesn't suit your argument but thems the facts as they say. I do also believe that they have attempted to enter again since then, everyone in Antrim knew that moving the seniors only into Leinster would not benefit them.

Im also old enough to remember when all 3 ards teams played in division 2 in the late 70s and early 80's alongside cuchulainns in Armagh.
So tell me how that was benefitting Antrim hurling then? If anything having 3 ards clubs in Division 1, as Ballygalget will be there again next year, is stunting the improvement of the Antrim clubs closer to the top tier in Division 2. I will give you that the 3 ards clubs make division 1 more competitive now that they've upped their standards from the 70s/80s.
In fact The Antrim Leagues have included in more recent times Bredagh, Ballyvarley and Ballela from your own county, Na Magha from Derry and Strabane Shamrocks as well as Sean Traceys from Armagh. There are also numerous Antrim coaches and managers the length and breadth of Ulster with club and county sides.
So you are seemingly insinuating that Antrim are insular and only look after themselves. I beg to differ as we are the standard bearers for hurling in Ulster and are doing are best at trying to improve those standards all around us with very little help from Ulster and Central Council!

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 25/08/2015 10:55:22    1775763

A bit of an exaggeration alright bennybunny. :-), just the point I'm making that hurling isn't the minority sport people always say it is, its played in all the city's, (not saying it's dominant), and theres plenty hurling, especially underage, in heavily populated counties like Meath and kildare, and wickla

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 25/08/2015 11:04:10    1775768

"for example the Derry and Down teams trained once all yr before their semi final meeting!"

im aware of a few lads from the city from my club who trained with the team more than once. Strange comment

As for the amount of clubs you may want to check those again

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 25/08/2015 15:29:21    1776004

"Antrim is the only county in Ulster that takes hurling half serious"

Go to owenbeg any Saturday morning and see the 100s of kids out playing. Speak to the coaches who go to almost every school in Derry on a weekly basis.


Last I checked we are now both in the ring......look forward to next years battle......hopefully we can find 15 men to play the beast that is Antrim

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 25/08/2015 15:32:41    1776009