http://www.dublingaa.ie/news/three-dublin-teams-entered-in-celtic-challenge

Just off the bat think this is a fantastic idea , for two reasons the age group is around when fellas start to drop off , equally lads are Not doing exams , plus what an opportunity for lads at that age to pull on a county jersey when perhaps not quite up to full minor level , great response from most counties .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 20/04/2016 12:57:58    1847595

Ahem,
16 year olds sit 'State' exams in the black north, not to mention 17 year olds doing part A levels.

Very 26 county this GAA of ours and worse so when it comes to hurling!

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 20/04/2016 14:25:38    1847631

Ahem,
16 year olds sit 'State' exams in the black north, not to mention 17 year olds doing part A levels.

Very 26 county this GAA of ours and worse so when it comes to hurling!

bricktop (Down) - Posts:1341 - 20/04/2016 14:25:38

Yeah but its hurling

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 20/04/2016 15:10:59    1847652

Ahem,
16 year olds sit 'State' exams in the black north, not to mention 17 year olds doing part A levels.

Very 26 county this GAA of ours and worse so when it comes to hurling!

bricktop (Down) - Posts:1341 - 20/04/2016 14:25:38


Its for 16 year olds that ARE NOT sitting exams of course some including my own son are , those that ARE SITTING are not eligible for selection.

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 20/04/2016 15:12:44    1847653

The northen qualifying/seeding group of this comp has already been played off, no lad was disbarred if he was sitting exams. The teams are waiting now to see how they get seeded. Antrim beat everyone, Down beat everyone except Antrim, Derry beat the rest. Nothing new about it so far up here anyway

downredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 567 - 20/04/2016 15:26:57    1847663

Downredhand,

I believe Donegal also took part in the early rounds even though, technically, not in the North. Fermanagh not taking part at all :-(

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 20/04/2016 15:54:21    1847681

Its for 16 year olds that ARE NOT sitting exams of course some including my own son are , those that ARE SITTING are not eligible for selection.

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts:3244 - 20/04/2016 15:12:44

Almost all 16 year olds in the North sit exams, GCSE's of various grades and before the Dubs started getting state funding to develop hurling you were regularly handed you arse on a plate by Down hurling teams, so don't be getting all high and mighty now..

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 20/04/2016 16:16:46    1847691

Yeah Keeper, the group was Antrim, Down, Derry, Armagh, Donegal & Tyrone, guessing that the other 3 Ulster Counties are taking no part. Each team played each other, most of the fixtures were in March

downredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 567 - 20/04/2016 16:28:01    1847699

The exam rule doesn't count for the six counties as our kids have exams from 16 right through (no transition year in the six counties) .....great competition for the 26 counties but our lads will be playing the final stages of this in the midst of their AS and GCSE exams.

PaudieSull1 (Down) - Posts: 738 - 20/04/2016 16:32:50    1847702

So we are in agreement , it's a great competition for lads in the 26 counties that are not sitting exams ?

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 20/04/2016 18:03:06    1847734

So we are in agreement , it's a great competition for lads in the 26 counties that are not sitting exams ?

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 20/04/2016 18:03:06    1847735

http://www.wexfordgaa.ie/2016/03/celtic-challenge-u-17-hurling/

Really good details on the Tournament here.

The GAA made provisions for counties where players would have exams. They have their group games earlier. They then still compete in the knockout rounds.

Seems like a really well thought out initiative to me.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4222 - 20/04/2016 19:05:30    1847750

That's a brilliant piece on the Wexford site , fantastic information I'd say any lad involved would love that read, somehow the North managed to get quite a few teams involved , seems some on here we've had a knee jerk reaction wonder if they even be bothered to research the tournament before commenting or maybe they just like a good moan , anyway still a good news story hope it's a success ,

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 20/04/2016 20:41:37    1847782

Yeah Keeper, the group was Antrim, Down, Derry, Armagh, Donegal & Tyrone, guessing that the other 3 Ulster Counties are taking no part. Each team played each other, most of the fixtures were in March

downredhand (Tyrone) - Posts:233 - 20/04/2016 16:28:01 18

Cavan and Monaghan competing but in a different group. we are grouped with the likes of Leitrim,Longford,Sligo I think.
I am not sure about Fermanagh, perhaps they are not taking part at all.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 21/04/2016 08:29:26    1847821

I'd say there's a lot of merit in the way Wexford seem to be doing it, restricting it to lads from junior and intermediate (initially) and also lads not on their county minor team..

That way more than the select few get developed, something Down could learn from!

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 21/04/2016 09:31:41    1847836

Goldrick,

Louth are also in that group & Fermanagh are not competing.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 21/04/2016 10:38:27    1847861

http://livescores.sportsnewsireland.com/

Click to see latest results of Celtic games played last night

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 05/05/2016 13:20:51    1852285