Bricktop,valid question regarding Thurles Sarsfields.For a team sprinkled with present/former Tipperary hurlers,they seem to have a soft core to the team.Maybe our Tipp friends can shed some light on their Munster failures.Lar chipped in with what seems to be his usual solitary point in recent big games.He really has gone down hill lately.Dennis Maher failed to score.He was a starter for Tipperary in the half forward line in last couple of years and rarely troubled the scoreboard.If your not scoring in club action,chances are you will struggle in elite inter county level.Pa Burke had his brief time with the Tipp seniors before disappearing off the scene.Always seemes to light and dare i say it.....a bit flowery.Not a man for the trenches.Forwards like these are nice when given time and space but in close combat under pressure,sometimes they dont want to

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 16/11/2015 11:36:27    1807540

they don't want to know.Obviously the Tipp posters will have seen a lot more of these lads in club action,but ive seen enough of them to make that harsh criticism.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 16/11/2015 11:38:50    1807542

bennybunny,faythe harriers wouldnt be oulart's biggest rival in wexford,the only clubs in the county who would wish oulart to lose this are rathnure and buffers alley i would think,their own glory days being such a distant memory it is better to begrudge another club their day in the sun!i remember being shocked at rathnure people loudly shouting for MLR in the final about 2-3 years ago,while every other wexford man forgot the club rivalries and shouted for one of our own.

i come from a club who have seen a lot of oulart and been beaten by them plenty of times in recent years,at both adult and underage.but i think the very least the likes of rossi,the jacobs,david redmond,paul roche,garrett sinnott,etc deserve after what they have contributed to wexford is a leinster club medal.they are a likeable team of players,maybe too nice to get over that finishing line?sunday week will tell.

it would also be good for wexford hurling if they do it.successful clubs = successful county in my view.

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 16/11/2015 16:45:41    1807656

Being a Dub,i will be shouting for Cuala but i would also like to see Oulart finally win that elusive Leinster title.Losses in six finals since 1995,including four-in-a-row between 2011-2014,must be very hard to take,but fair play to Oulart,they keep fighting and are back in another final with a good chance.Cuala were excellent in hammering the Offaly champions and beating the Kilkenny champions was no mean feat.I haven't seen Oulart this year,but they are sprinkled with inter county players and that ravenous hunger and hurt may just see them over the line.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 16/11/2015 17:10:09    1807666

I hope Cuala can go all the way now and become the first Dublin club to win the Club All Ireland and I give them a great chance of doing so.
After Cuala I believe Na Piarsaigh are the most likely winners.They have the players and the experience of 2013 when they were unlucky to lose out to Portumna.

Condorman (Dublin) - Posts: 983 - 17/11/2015 10:20:11    1807819

Oulart must think they have a great chance to land a Leinster club title at last this year, after all the disappointment over the last 5 years. Cuala have been a revelation this year, 2 good wins, and now a Leinster Final. I fancy Oulart to land it this year. Nothing against Cuala.

thelongridge (Offaly) - Posts: 1741 - 17/11/2015 12:38:58    1807892

Condorman
County: Dublin
Posts: 392

1807819
I hope Cuala can go all the way now and become the first Dublin club to win the Club All Ireland and I give them a great chance of doing so.
After Cuala I believe Na Piarsaigh are the most likely winners.They have the players and the experience of 2013 when they were unlucky to lose out to Portumna.

I think Nap are a far better side than they were in 2013 Condorman a lot of the passengers of which there wasn't many in fairness have been replaced with v good young hurlers whether they are good enough to win ultimate honors or not will be severly tested next sun v Ballygunner but if i was a betting man i'd tip nap and hope they win.

someday (Limerick) - Posts: 1104 - 17/11/2015 15:08:40    1807970

There is no hype about Oulart this year which I think will stand to them. It is all very quiet down here, unlike in other years when it wasnt and the expectation got the better of them.
They are also underdogs which will suit them. Also all but 2 clubs in Wexford want them to win. 2 pathetic clubs living on past glories I must add.

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 21/11/2015 13:49:34    1808853

Na Piarsaigh take on Ballygunner today in the Munster Club hurling final. Bookies have the Limerick champions clear favourites. But Ballygunner have looked good. Heard they could be missing 1 or 2 of their main men though. Best of luck to both teams.

The Galway county final replay takes place today also. Nothing to separate Craughwell and Sarsfields the last day. Im siding with Sars slightly.

We'll be down to 5 teams after today with Leinster club hurlin final next week between Cuala and Oulart. Should be a cracking game too.

wing back (Offaly) - Posts: 115 - 22/11/2015 11:18:45    1808953

Na piarsigh are favorite for the all ireland at this stage, I wouldn't back against them, most of their panel have two munster medals, they're physically strong and very skillful with pretty much all of there team having some form of County experience. They've been missing David Breen since before the County final who was always a big player for them. Whatever you think about him at County level, he was always a great club player! Not sure if he's back today?

blackspot91 (Limerick) - Posts: 1055 - 22/11/2015 12:12:07    1808961

Also, typical the hurling is differed for the bloody connaught football final! I would have thought alot more would want to watch the hurling! Especially since corofin are hot favorites..

blackspot91 (Limerick) - Posts: 1055 - 22/11/2015 12:15:05    1808962

na piarsigh missing peter casey kevin downes and david breen. huge losses

blackspot91 (Limerick) - Posts: 1055 - 22/11/2015 14:16:52    1808981

in fairness,tg4 will always cater for those in the gaeltacht areas before those in limerick or waterford cities.hard to blame them. just ignore the tv and radio etc for an hour and a half blackspot91,itll be like watching it live,you can do it!

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 22/11/2015 14:18:39    1808982

sorry casey is there, thought he got injured in a school match, must have cleared up!

blackspot91 (Limerick) - Posts: 1055 - 22/11/2015 14:20:45    1808984

Good win for Na Piarsaigh today against Ballygunner in Thurles. Piarsaigh are a fine team and have some fine players scattered right through their team. If Cuala can win the Leinster final next Sunday against Oulart, it should be a great battle between themselves and Piarsaigh for a spot in Croker on St Patricks Day.

clonjon (Dublin) - Posts: 665 - 22/11/2015 20:01:39    1809079

Anyone could win this, although Na Piarsaigh are worthy favourites now.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 23/11/2015 18:02:01    1809324

Leinster final Sunday in Carlow 2pm, Cuala v Oulart The Ballagh. Dublin clubs have a pathetic record in this completion with just one winner in its forty five year history. Only four Dublin clubs have appeared in the final in all that time. Crumlin were first up in 1978, but lost to Ballyhale Shamrocks by 7 points. One year later Crumlin were back in the final and became Dublin's only winners so far, beating Camross of Laois by three points. Next up was next Sundays finalist Cuala, but Ballyhale done a number on them winning with 10 points to spare. O'Tooles arrived in the final in 96 but went down to Camross by 4 points. It was Ballyboden St Endas turn in 2007 and after a great battle with an excellent Birr team, in a gale force wind in Tullamore, went down by one point. Two Wexford clubs, Rathnure and Buffer;s Alley have won this completion a total of nine times between them, though the last of those was seventeen years ago.

clonjon (Dublin) - Posts: 665 - 24/11/2015 13:58:00    1809519

Great bit of info there Clonjon , hope Cuala do it , major shot in the arm for what has been a great year in Dublin for hurling

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 24/11/2015 14:49:14    1809538

now that we are down to the last four, I honestly think that all teams including my club; Cushendall Ruairi Ogs have every chance to win a all Ireland title. we have not yet reached a final but have been denied on a few occasions by replays or last minute scores.i do know that Sarsfields once had a great history in this competition but they were big outsiders to win in Galway. all the Favourites have fell by the wayside in each province and I really do think we have as good a chance as anyone left. Cushendall have county men all through their team young and old,yes Antrim hurling has been poor this season because our players(N Mcmanus,A Graffin,E Campbell,s Delargy,O McCambridge,S McNaughton) were out injured most of the NHL season but all are back fit and hungry.i think we are the only reigning county champions to have defended our title defending all Ireland past winners Loughgiel along the way.

exref (Antrim) - Posts: 63 - 29/11/2015 18:48:09    1810475

The Club Hurling takes place this weekend. 2 games which could go either way. All involved have a good chance of reaching Croke Park on St Patricks day. My personal preference would be for Na Piarsaigh Vs Cushendall, as I think Na Piarsaigh are the best team left in the competition and have had to come through a much tougher route than any of the other teams, and I just like Cushendall. Oulart will have a lot of outside sympathy supporters as they try to make up for the many years of hurt in Leinster finals. Sarsfields have great tradition in the competition and despite being rank outsiders going into the Galway county championship, they showed great resolve coming through many tough matches including replays despite all of the....what some would call.... more "fashionable" teams in Galway.

Na Piarsaigh had to come through a few scares in Limerick...Patrickswell pushed them all the way. In the 1st round of Munster they were unlucky and had to play a quarter final against Sixmilebridge. They were being hammered out the gate in that game and came back to win. It was a similar story against the all star studded Thurles Sarsfields whom they trailed at half time and came back to win. In the Munster final, Ballygunner seemed to have the upper hand in the 1st half before the Limerick men upped their game considerably to overpower the gunners.

Oulart banished all the memories of past Leinster Finals in 2015. They did all that was asked of them but unlike other years where Oulart usually had to do all the hard work and knock out the Kilkenny champions....this year they were blessed with a much easier passage to the final playing Clough Ballaghcolla of Laois and Clonkill of Westmeath. Cuala of Dublin on the other side done all the donkey work dispatching former Leinster Champions Coolderry convincingly and Kilkenny champions Clara with some great hurling all in consecutive weeks as they had to play their county final against St Judes the week before they played Coolderry. The Wexford men won out convincingly over what looked a tired Cuala team however in Carlow on a day that hurling should never be played in.

Having said all that...all that really matters is both are respective provincial champions of Munster and Leinster. I can't see much in this match despite Na Piarsaigh being favourites.

In the other semi It's a lot harder to call. The only hurler I'm familiar with in either team really is Kerril Wade who was once the shining light of Galway underage hurling. I recall himself and Niall Healy winning an U21 for Galway on their own when he was only minor in the Gaelic Grounds in 2005 against a star studded Kilkenny team that included Eoin Larkin, Michael Fennelly, Cha Fitz, Richie Power to name a few. He never really reached the heights expected of him for the Galway seniors but I'm sure he'll excel at this level with his experience on the bigger stage. Cushendall came through the ultra competitive Antrim c'ship which is not easy as there are at least 4 or 5 clubs who could easily come out of Antrim in any given year. They then disposed of Armagh's Middletown who are constantly improving (just lost to Mount Leinster Rangers in an intermediate all Ireland in 2012) before coming through against the GAA super club that is Slaughtneil of Derry after extra time. This one is very hard to call. I really would love to see Cushendall in the final as any boost to hurling in the North is great and considering the progress being made by clubs like Slaughneil, Middletown and Portaferry in recent years up there...If they see Cushendall following up on Loughgiel Shamrocks win from a 2012, and with them knowing how close they are to Cushendall in standard, it will only drive there determination to keep the improvement in hurling going up north. But aside from what my heart says...Sarsfields did come through the toughest club c'ship of them all in Galway and despite being 50/1 to win it...they won it.

Na Piarsaigh win
Sarsfields win

wing back (Offaly) - Posts: 115 - 03/02/2016 13:58:59    1821921