Over the past year the organisers of the above competition have stopped amalgamated college side like West Limerick Colleges from taking part in the competition. However in the corresponding competition in Leinster there are amalgamated sides allowed as in Antrim Colleges, Carlow Colleges, Laois Colleges, Offaly Colleges, Westmeath Colleges, Wexford Colleges and a side each from North and South Dublin. I feel this is hugely detrimental to the development of hurling in large tracts of Waterford Limerick, Clare and Kerry and the relevant County Boards should do all in their power to get amalgamated side returned to the Harty Cup.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4318 - 26/10/2015 14:09:44    1801965

Yet another case of the elite protecting the status quo regardless of the consequences. The established colleges saw a possible threat not just to their sporting record but if players in smaller schools could play Harty Cup hurling in their own catchment area then it would slow down the flow of talented hurlers in to Ard Scoil Ris in particular but other colleges also from areas well outside their natural feeder areas. Make no mistake these schools are not in the Harty for the development of hurling in Limerick or Clare or any other county. They are putting in a big investment for the big return their own school will make on that investment and not for the benefit of anyone outside their gate.
The big schools voted out the amalgamations and unfortunately there is nothing any county board can do about it.

Westfester (Limerick) - Posts: 943 - 26/10/2015 16:07:20    1801990

Normally the county second level schools have a rep who attends meetings about 5 times a year. Individual schools dont vote but make motions to their rep or can write into the committee themselves, but not forward a motion - this has to go through official county rep. This is the case in leinster. The respective county boards would liase with the county pp committee on internal comps, coaching, group teams too. So if a county board was strong on an amalgamated team, it would carry a lot of weight.
Amalgamated teams are popular in leinster hurling with differing results. I would put dublins hurling renaissance in part down to their colleges success in the 90s and beyond. What has spooked them in munster is the dungarvan success of 2 yrs ago in winning the a and b colleges. With the scrapping of the vocational comp, it now means the a and b finals are the one day in thurles. So the dungarvan situation would mean players potentially playing 2 matches one after the other or asking to pull one and thus loosing schools prime tv spot. And then theres the jealousy that success brings too.. take your pick!

old yellar (None) - Posts: 2625 - 26/10/2015 16:41:18    1802001

I am an old Ardscoil Ris boy myself and I am not so sure that County Boards can do nothing about this as I was part of a group that lobbied Co Board chairmen in Limerick for years to get a WLC team in place. It was only when we met a chairman , Liam Lenihan, who was open to the idea that WLC were allowed enter a team. I just think it is no coincidence that the minute he was replaced as Co board Chairman WLC went with him. As regards Dungarvan no team from the town had won the Waterford Co title since 1941 and it 1953 that the last team within ten miles won the county.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4318 - 26/10/2015 17:19:22    1802013

The official line we were told in leinster was the fixture/tv issue over a similar dungarvan a/b success. Our combined juvenile teams play in the league but not championship. Seniors can play in both, but draw ensures group teams play off first to narrow them down. Cant represent the province going forward though.

old yellar (None) - Posts: 2625 - 26/10/2015 19:16:41    1802052