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"It's Worrying For Hurling!"

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Just musing over football changes and those that might suit hurling or not.
1. No need for scoring arc but could boost goals to 4 points.
2. Maybe could have some version of 3v3
3. Tap and go could be adopted.
4. Could bring in the passing back to goalkeeper restriction.
5. Puck outs should go long to create contests.
6. 1v1 for throw in seems unnecessary.
7. Possibly a version of the advance mark that encourages playing the ball in from outside the 65 that encourages contests and going for goals.
8. Some changes around cynicism have come in already.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 10068 - 26/08/2026 13:39:34    2691398

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It would seem that the change in the Bas size has had some unintended consequences with less contests for the ball and the game more about finding a player in space within 80m of the goal for a reasonable chance of a score. Any frees from within 100 meters are nearly a gimmie at the highest level.

I think the rule on the size of the Bas should be changed back and properly enforced.

brianb (Kildare) - Posts: 506 - 26/08/2026 14:28:26    2691404

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Replying To Goreylad1985:  "Agree 1million percent with your last paragraph.

To give a perfect example, I have a 1st cousin from Thurles in Tipperary. (My aunt married a Tipp man and moved there!)

My cousin married a Donegal woman and moved up to her home place and are settled there. Football only club.

Few years back he made the drive to start the hurling with the underage academy.
Got the green light from the club executive, got the resources and funding sorted himself for hurleys / helmets. Basically himself and another father from Offaly doing the whole lot.

There was a bit of buy in at the start but it just fell to the wayside after a while. Novelty for a few months but then the football coaches, parents and the club decided that that's enough of that craic now. Back to football.

My cousin put a lot of time and effort into this but as you said horse water drink.

They don't want the distraction of hurling. It's not on their radar.

You could bring Cian Lynch, Brian Hayes or even Jimmy Barry Murphy upto some clubs but you can't promote hurling to people who refuse to have it promoted to them"
It's hard to change culture in a short timeframe. A new hurling club was setup in south Mayo in recent years but the fact is football is number one and always will be. It's culture and it's in the blood. I'm sure if a football delegation went to Kilkenny they wouldn't get much support.

John Meyler on OTB saying hurling should be compulsory for ALL GAA clubs. I'm not sure how statements like that help. From my own area underage football clubs are amalgamating all over the place. Not sure throwing hurling into the mix of which there is zero knowledge or expertise is going to help.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 12252 - 26/08/2026 14:35:17    2691407

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Replying To yew_tree:  "It's hard to change culture in a short timeframe. A new hurling club was setup in south Mayo in recent years but the fact is football is number one and always will be. It's culture and it's in the blood. I'm sure if a football delegation went to Kilkenny they wouldn't get much support.

John Meyler on OTB saying hurling should be compulsory for ALL GAA clubs. I'm not sure how statements like that help. From my own area underage football clubs are amalgamating all over the place. Not sure throwing hurling into the mix of which there is zero knowledge or expertise is going to help."
Every club bar a couple plays underage Football in Kilkenny. And those clubs that dont have Football only clubs in the same parish.
No parent in Kilkenny has to bring their children more than a few miles to play Football.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20561 - 26/08/2026 15:55:52    2691415

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Replying To legendzxix:  "Just musing over football changes and those that might suit hurling or not.
1. No need for scoring arc but could boost goals to 4 points.
2. Maybe could have some version of 3v3
3. Tap and go could be adopted.
4. Could bring in the passing back to goalkeeper restriction.
5. Puck outs should go long to create contests.
6. 1v1 for throw in seems unnecessary.
7. Possibly a version of the advance mark that encourages playing the ball in from outside the 65 that encourages contests and going for goals.
8. Some changes around cynicism have come in already."
7) Given cheap points from all distances and angles - maybe a mark inside the 'arc or 20' could result in 2 pts over the bar from the 'play on' or the 'bring back' following an unsuccessful goal attempt?

1) If allowing 2-pointers, maybe a goal could be 5 (especially to further cheapen long-range points)?

2,3,4,5) Yes x 4.

6) I'm somewhat indifferent - but slightly in favour of 1v1.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 3531 - 26/08/2026 16:22:18    2691424

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Replying To yew_tree:  "It's hard to change culture in a short timeframe. A new hurling club was setup in south Mayo in recent years but the fact is football is number one and always will be. It's culture and it's in the blood. I'm sure if a football delegation went to Kilkenny they wouldn't get much support.

John Meyler on OTB saying hurling should be compulsory for ALL GAA clubs. I'm not sure how statements like that help. From my own area underage football clubs are amalgamating all over the place. Not sure throwing hurling into the mix of which there is zero knowledge or expertise is going to help."
Yes, culture indeed and it's slow moving change.

Over the last 40 yrs, US knowledge of "Saw-ker" has been a sea change - from totally illiterate to somewhat knowledgeable (especially among the young generation). They follow the EPL and know star players etc.

Some years ago, Beckham's ego was crushed walking the streets of New York and not being recognised. He must have felt on Planet Mars.

Maybe Ireland has become more knowledgeable about the US NFL and baseball over the same timeframe? - Tom Brady is as known in Ireland as David Beckham is here? - you tell me !

omahant (USA) - Posts: 3531 - 26/08/2026 16:48:15    2691431

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Replying To yew_tree:  "It's hard to change culture in a short timeframe. A new hurling club was setup in south Mayo in recent years but the fact is football is number one and always will be. It's culture and it's in the blood. I'm sure if a football delegation went to Kilkenny they wouldn't get much support.

John Meyler on OTB saying hurling should be compulsory for ALL GAA clubs. I'm not sure how statements like that help. From my own area underage football clubs are amalgamating all over the place. Not sure throwing hurling into the mix of which there is zero knowledge or expertise is going to help."
Same in Longford. This compulsory nonsense comes up every few years (often joined by a proposal to fine clubs who don't have hurling teams). Little use that will be to most GAA clubs in Longford, many of whom are in some form of amalgamation at underage football and working hand over fist to keep the coffers ticking over and the lights on with the least clubs (21) of any county in the country. Not to mention that we are a quarter of a century now with just the three adult hurling teams in hurling (Slashers, Clonguish, Wolfe Tones). You can't force a sport on a region or people. Work is being done at grassroots to try and garner interest in schools, and a couple of clubs have taken on starter kits to try and get it going in their clubs. But there are many reasons, including a factual and actual lack of people, to worry about these notions of forcing clubs to play hurling or fining them if they don't.

LongfordgaaAbú (Longford) - Posts: 695 - 26/08/2026 18:15:34    2691445

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Replying To brianb:  "It would seem that the change in the Bas size has had some unintended consequences with less contests for the ball and the game more about finding a player in space within 80m of the goal for a reasonable chance of a score. Any frees from within 100 meters are nearly a gimmie at the highest level.

I think the rule on the size of the Bas should be changed back and properly enforced."
You hit the nail on the head there Brian- enforced. I have never seen or heard of this actually happening. It must be over 20years at this stage since I saw a hurley that was inside the proper dimensions. It might only be a little thing but it makes a huge difference.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2679 - 26/08/2026 18:25:27    2691447

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Replying To omahant:  "Yes, culture indeed and it's slow moving change.

Over the last 40 yrs, US knowledge of "Saw-ker" has been a sea change - from totally illiterate to somewhat knowledgeable (especially among the young generation). They follow the EPL and know star players etc.

Some years ago, Beckham's ego was crushed walking the streets of New York and not being recognised. He must have felt on Planet Mars.

Maybe Ireland has become more knowledgeable about the US NFL and baseball over the same timeframe? - Tom Brady is as known in Ireland as David Beckham is here? - you tell me !"
Slow moving indeed but when the likes of Waterford and Wexford can't compete with the top teams then maybe that's where the problem is. Counties like Kildare, Laois, Antrim, Offaly and the afford mentioned is where the focus should be for now.

The compulsory language is not helpful from Meyler.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 12252 - 26/08/2026 22:55:35    2691456

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Replying To yew_tree:  "It's hard to change culture in a short timeframe. A new hurling club was setup in south Mayo in recent years but the fact is football is number one and always will be. It's culture and it's in the blood. I'm sure if a football delegation went to Kilkenny they wouldn't get much support.

John Meyler on OTB saying hurling should be compulsory for ALL GAA clubs. I'm not sure how statements like that help. From my own area underage football clubs are amalgamating all over the place. Not sure throwing hurling into the mix of which there is zero knowledge or expertise is going to help."
Devil's advocate here, and just in relation to your last paragraph -

Leave aside all considerations of culture and tradition and so forth, and ask yourself what's wrong with somebody holding a key position in the GAA making the suggestion that all GAA clubs should provide both of the main sports of the GAA?

Matter of fact, can any club who deliberately decides not to provide one of the two sports, in an area where that sport isn't otherwise provided by some other club anyway, truly consider itself a GAA club in the first place?

Viking points out about that almost every club in Kilkenny provides football, and for those that don't, any player who wants to play football doesn't have to travel too far to have the opportunity to do it. And often pointed out myself that there's far more football played in Kilkenny than there is hurling in about 18 other counties.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3922 - 26/08/2026 22:55:37    2691457

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Replying To LongfordgaaAbú:  "Same in Longford. This compulsory nonsense comes up every few years (often joined by a proposal to fine clubs who don't have hurling teams). Little use that will be to most GAA clubs in Longford, many of whom are in some form of amalgamation at underage football and working hand over fist to keep the coffers ticking over and the lights on with the least clubs (21) of any county in the country. Not to mention that we are a quarter of a century now with just the three adult hurling teams in hurling (Slashers, Clonguish, Wolfe Tones). You can't force a sport on a region or people. Work is being done at grassroots to try and garner interest in schools, and a couple of clubs have taken on starter kits to try and get it going in their clubs. But there are many reasons, including a factual and actual lack of people, to worry about these notions of forcing clubs to play hurling or fining them if they don't."
Agree no club should be fined for not fielding underage hurling teams. But equally clubs that only field teams in one code, hurling or football , should only get half the money from Croke Park/Provincial Council that clubs that field teams in both codes do.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20561 - 27/08/2026 09:36:48    2691474

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NO to compulsory hurling!!
Let the enthusiasts play it, coach, train etc.
Areas where hurling hasn't existed (since 1884 anyway) have no interest in it and trying to ram it into us isn't going to work.

Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 882 - 27/08/2026 11:16:27    2691494

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Replying To Seanfan:  "NO to compulsory hurling!!
Let the enthusiasts play it, coach, train etc.
Areas where hurling hasn't existed (since 1884 anyway) have no interest in it and trying to ram it into us isn't going to work."
You could have children in north Ros who would love to play but there might not be the adult enthusiasts to coach it. Hurling was allowed to die in the northern half of the county unfortunately.

FullOfPorter (Roscommon) - Posts: 583 - 27/08/2026 11:49:39    2691506

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Replying To yew_tree:  "It's hard to change culture in a short timeframe. A new hurling club was setup in south Mayo in recent years but the fact is football is number one and always will be. It's culture and it's in the blood. I'm sure if a football delegation went to Kilkenny they wouldn't get much support.

John Meyler on OTB saying hurling should be compulsory for ALL GAA clubs. I'm not sure how statements like that help. From my own area underage football clubs are amalgamating all over the place. Not sure throwing hurling into the mix of which there is zero knowledge or expertise is going to help."
"I'm sure if a football delegation went to Kilkenny they wouldn't get much support"

Why would a football delegation want to go to Kilkeny? Football is played at all the GAA clubs in Kilkenny at various age levels, with county Senior, Intermediate and Junior championships.
There seems be a lot of ignorance spouted about football in Kilkenny by people who know nothing about it, just because the Kilkenny county football team doesn't play in the All-Ireland Senior Championship.

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2960 - 27/08/2026 12:08:49    2691515

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Replying To Seanfan:  "NO to compulsory hurling!!
Let the enthusiasts play it, coach, train etc.
Areas where hurling hasn't existed (since 1884 anyway) have no interest in it and trying to ram it into us isn't going to work."
Further proof of the statement I often make about horse, water, and drink whenever there are calls made for more to be done to develop hurling in areas where it currently has little or no presence.

To my mind, hugely unfortunate that such a large proportion of the so-called GAA community has so little interest in one of the two main sports of the GAA, but that's the way things are.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3922 - 27/08/2026 12:09:12    2691516

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Further proof of the statement I often make about horse, water, and drink whenever there are calls made for more to be done to develop hurling in areas where it currently has little or no presence.

To my mind, hugely unfortunate that such a large proportion of the so-called GAA community has so little interest in one of the two main sports of the GAA, but that's the way things are."
There are historic reasons hurling is mainly confined to south of a Galway to Dublin line.
Better land, bigger farms, landlords promoting it....
I recall reading somewhere a game called "commons" (from camán I presume) was once played in Northern half of Ireland and was similar to shinty as in no hands and played in winter.
It died off due to population growth, no spare land, landlords not promoting it and ironically Protestants of Scottish ancestry opposing it.

Handling the ball and driving it long distances was a Munster/South Leinster thing plus obviously South Galway.

By the way how many GAA units promote rounders?

Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 882 - 27/08/2026 13:54:36    2691538

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Replying To Seanfan:  "There are historic reasons hurling is mainly confined to south of a Galway to Dublin line.
Better land, bigger farms, landlords promoting it....
I recall reading somewhere a game called "commons" (from camán I presume) was once played in Northern half of Ireland and was similar to shinty as in no hands and played in winter.
It died off due to population growth, no spare land, landlords not promoting it and ironically Protestants of Scottish ancestry opposing it.

Handling the ball and driving it long distances was a Munster/South Leinster thing plus obviously South Galway.

By the way how many GAA units promote rounders?"
There are only 56 on the gaa rounders.ie website. Think 9 in Wexford. Every National School here in the county fields teams afaik. All my children play it.
As regards hurling it had been forced into the margins around the coast predominantly during British rule, before making a comeback in Tipp and Kilkenny. At one point it was only being played in Wexford, East Cork, South Galway and Antrim in the 18th Century according to one source I read.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20561 - 27/08/2026 15:11:53    2691551

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Replying To Seanfan:  "There are historic reasons hurling is mainly confined to south of a Galway to Dublin line.
Better land, bigger farms, landlords promoting it....
I recall reading somewhere a game called "commons" (from camán I presume) was once played in Northern half of Ireland and was similar to shinty as in no hands and played in winter.
It died off due to population growth, no spare land, landlords not promoting it and ironically Protestants of Scottish ancestry opposing it.

Handling the ball and driving it long distances was a Munster/South Leinster thing plus obviously South Galway.

By the way how many GAA units promote rounders?"
I'm well aware of the history of hurling and the variations of it that were played in different parts of the country. But the circumstances that prevailed in the distant days of the past shouldn't be seen as a handy reason for why things are the way they are today.

Every football club in Roscommon, for example, has a pitch upon which hurling could be played, could buy the equipment necessary for hurling, and can access basic hurling coaching courses that are available to everyone. The fact that your forefathers didn't have the same opportunities shouldn't be a reason for not doing it now. If you took that same view on everything, then you wouldn't have a car, or live in a house with electricity, or be online to read this.

Quick bit of googling tells me the Roscommon Soccer League has developed from just 10 teams when it was founded in the 1970s to more than 30 today. Seems reasonable to assume then that many new clubs were formed in areas where soccer was never played before. They didn't say "but there's no real tradition of soccer here, that sport has only ever been strong in other parts of the country". If new soccer clubs can be formed, why not new hurling clubs?

Not sure of the relevance of your rounders question, but a more pertinent question might be - if there was a move on to expand rounders to more areas, how many units would actively oppose it, in the way they oppose the notion of introducing hurling?

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3922 - 27/08/2026 15:54:14    2691561

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Replying To Seanfan:  "There are historic reasons hurling is mainly confined to south of a Galway to Dublin line.
Better land, bigger farms, landlords promoting it....
I recall reading somewhere a game called "commons" (from camán I presume) was once played in Northern half of Ireland and was similar to shinty as in no hands and played in winter.
It died off due to population growth, no spare land, landlords not promoting it and ironically Protestants of Scottish ancestry opposing it.

Handling the ball and driving it long distances was a Munster/South Leinster thing plus obviously South Galway.

By the way how many GAA units promote rounders?"
You will get to see some of the action on tg4 Seanfan. There's a couple of clubs from both our counties that have made finals.
Limerick involvement aplenty in this year's GAA Rounders Championship https://share.google/v3Aip99Hv0OAl87Sm

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20561 - 27/08/2026 16:04:37    2691563

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Replying To Seanfan:  "There are historic reasons hurling is mainly confined to south of a Galway to Dublin line.
Better land, bigger farms, landlords promoting it....
I recall reading somewhere a game called "commons" (from camán I presume) was once played in Northern half of Ireland and was similar to shinty as in no hands and played in winter.
It died off due to population growth, no spare land, landlords not promoting it and ironically Protestants of Scottish ancestry opposing it.

Handling the ball and driving it long distances was a Munster/South Leinster thing plus obviously South Galway.

By the way how many GAA units promote rounders?"
Used to be a ground hurling competition in Roscommon for primary schools in the 90s, might be wrong but think it was called the Sean Lohan cup.

There was hurling around Boyle at one stage as well. Not sure why we should only restrict hurling to a few counties/regions because of a snap shot in time.

Ros rounders team did well this year, hand ball alive and kicking in a fair few parts of Ros as well

FullOfPorter (Roscommon) - Posts: 583 - 27/08/2026 16:26:36    2691565

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