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Let me get this right. You want Glenealy, who have been in around 17 of the last 20 county finals to amalgamate with other clubs so they can compete with Bray?
Onlywayisup (Wicklow) - Posts: 201 - 07/09/2021 18:06:58 2378603 Link 0 |
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I always found this arrangement to be unfair to the other big towns on the coast. Imagine if a similar situation happened with Bray and Greystones for example, Bray getting any decent hurler from Greystones and Greystones getting any good footballer from Bray. Where is the incentive for clubs to try and field in both codes, look at the success Rathnew and Glenealy have had in their respective codes since this arrangement came into place. I always really admire Kiltegan for the success they've had in both codes for such a small village, yet now they're in a situation where their footballers are hardly able to field teams during the league campaign and they scrape through relegation in championship. Amalgamations should be for small rural clubs, Rathnew is becoming one of the most populous towns in Wicklow but can't field it's own hurling team? Baltinglass and Blessington are simply not hurling towns, there has been little to no interest in the game until recently and I hope that the Western Gaels amalgamation gets more kids interested in it Nobody can say there is no interest in hurling in Rathnew and no interest in football in Glenealy. Victorious87 (Wicklow) - Posts: 601 - 08/09/2021 13:34:09 2378772 Link 0 |
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No that is not what I am suggesting. The point I was trying to make is where you have a number of hurling clubs in an area, one club can drain another club as there may not be sufficient talent in the area. Obviously Glenealy are well equipped to stand alone based on their record but no all clubs in either hurling or football. If this is the case then it may be worth seeing if amalgamation might be a better option.
wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2116 - 08/09/2021 17:33:23 2378849 Link 0 |
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I get what you are saying but in the cases of Glenealy and Rathnew two things are just not going to happen. 1) Glenealy will field a football team under their own. - They definitely don't have enough players fully interested in football to have a squad 20+ adult players. It's a sole hurling club. 2) Though Rathnew have won 15 Senior County Hurling titles, and have intermittently fielded Junior teams, Rathnew will never allow the full distraction of the creation of a Rathnew hurling to deter them in their Senior Football ambitions. Again like Glenealy (in football) they wouldn't have 20+ adult players committed to hurling, though they 'lend' players to St Pats, Newcastle and Glenealy. How many actual Rathnew born and bred lads are there on the Glenealy Senior Hurling team. I'm thinking none. I'm also thinking they have no Ashford men on that team. So really if you look at it between the 3 clubs, Glenealy isn't benefiting from getting hurlers from either Ashford or Rathnew. Ashford certainly are losing out, Glenealy lads used to go there to kick football as they are the one parish (still are) The only club really benefitting is Rathnew who have a glut of Glenealy men playing football for them. Wicklowman (Wicklow) - Posts: 1145 - 08/09/2021 21:03:00 2378894 Link 0 |
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That's exactly the point I was trying to make Wicklowman re Rathnew and Glenealy but you obviously know the teams and their history etc better than I do. I was scratching my head to think of the last player from Rathnew to play senior hurling for Glenealy and had to go back to the 70s or 80s. Not that makes any difference to anyone outside of the clubs involved other than that it must be a bummer trying to get training etc organised when the dual player is playing with two different clubs. And when some of these players can also be involved with county teams.
Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1722 - 09/09/2021 08:28:48 2378958 Link 0 |
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In the early 90s Mark and Trevor Doyle played a bit of Senior Hurling with Glenealy. Plenty play Junior right up to today as long as it doesn't clash with football.
Wicklowman (Wicklow) - Posts: 1145 - 10/09/2021 08:22:52 2379230 Link 0 |
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Yes I understand what you mean Wicklowman. I suppose the question is, should that be allowed to happen? Is the whole point of gaa clubs not essentially to promote the games in their area? I know we all get caught up in the Senior Championships but Rathnew as a town is only getting bigger and bigger and should there not be onus on the club to promote hurling? (I'm not just having a go at Rathnew here, plenty of clubs are guilty of this) I just think from a whole county point of view, the county desperately needs hurling teams. The Western Gaels amalgamation is having a really positive affect and there are now underage hurling teams training in clubs in towns in the West that never had their own hurling teams underage as far as I can recall. I understand you can't force people to play a sport but I don't think it's right to accept clubs actively outsourcing hurlers to other clubs so as to not affect their football teams? Victorious87 (Wicklow) - Posts: 601 - 18/09/2021 20:54:53 2381522 Link 0 |
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Congrats to Western Gaels on winning the Junior A title. They should be a great addition to the Intermediate grade and in time hopefully to the senior ranks. Are they pulling from Kiltegan by any chance? It would be great if they weren't. Another hurling force in West Wicklow can only be good. And what about Knockananna ? That was a good point raised by Victorious87. A village the size of Rathnew with its population growing year on year should at least be starting to promote underage hurling in their club and let that lead where it may. That "football only" attitude is a bit like the way football is regarded by the powers that be in Kilkenny. Rathnew had a long, proud hurling tradition over the years and have many county titles to show for it . Possibly now is the time for them to rekindle that tradition. There must be up to 1000 houses under construction between Rathnew and Ashford, not to mention Wicklow. There will undoubtedly 100's of potential juveniles who Will want to try hurling as a sport. If the GAA Co Board, the clubs or somebody doesn't step in here to harness that potential, other sports will.
Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1722 - 19/09/2021 15:11:05 2381615 Link 0 |
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No it doesn't take players from clubs further south/west than Donard. It is basically Blessington and the smaller clubs in the lakeside area combined with Donard and Dunlavin. I'd imagine anyone from Baltinglass/Stratford etc. would be playing with Kiltegan still? Victorious87 (Wicklow) - Posts: 601 - 19/09/2021 17:06:11 2381655 Link 0 |
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That's an even better achievement than I had thought Victorious87 Having said that Blessington is becoming a large town and really should be able to produce fine hurlers. Hopefully Baltinglass might soon embrace the small ball game although I would imaging that neighbouring Kiltegan might find room for any players from Balto and it's hinterland. Still it is marvellous to see the game taking hold in the greater Blessington / Hollywood region.
Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1722 - 19/09/2021 17:38:05 2381664 Link 0 |
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100% I actually think there could be huge potential to grow the game in Blessington in the coming years. 15 minutes down the road in Naas there is a huge movement going with hurling and plenty of lads travel there for school. Would be great to someone involved in Games Development try to capitalise on that.
Victorious87 (Wicklow) - Posts: 601 - 19/09/2021 19:27:07 2381688 Link 0 |
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Newtownmtkenneddy is another village with massive population growth over the last number of years and with further plans to massively expand the population. I know there is or was a kind of unwritten agreement with Newcastle regarding hurling. Here is another untapped resource hurling wise. Newtown are looking after and always did look after juvenile football pretty well. But there is surely a case for their club to begin fostering underage hurling. If ever there was a case to be made for a hurling development officer / board, one with real powers, it is now. A case should be made to Croke Park for assistance with funding for coaching etc. We are a large population county which has consistently underperformed in both codes for ever it seems. We can be sure of the population getting better, can we be as sure of the GAA stepping up to the plate in order to harvest whatever crops of youngsters will come through for all codes, boys and girls because if we don't, other sports will.
Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1722 - 19/09/2021 20:34:43 2381700 Link 0 |
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Some really interesting points there around pushing on and taking advantage of bigger population centres like Newtown/Blessington etc. Interesting point to note with Naas hurling is they play league hurling in Kilkenny every year with their juveniles, i would hazard that this contributed to their success in recent years - believe they won Minor, 21 and senior grades in 2019. footballlover (Wicklow) - Posts: 98 - 23/09/2021 11:18:38 2382497 Link 0 |
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From following the results in junior hurling league and championship while it's great to see new clubs taking part like knockananna and Western gaels B there does appear to be some very one sided games even for established clubs like Arklow rocks who have taken some very heavy defeats perhaps now is the time for co board to look at establishing a hurling development league for those weaker junior teams like the 3 mentioned above no disrespect to any of them who are doing great work but a development league would encourage more clubs to put in a team who have previously hurled or maybe even not at all before perhaps co board could even look at a monetary grant for a club willing to put in a team just a thought be interested to hear your replies Sinbin (Wicklow) - Posts: 23 - 23/09/2021 15:52:56 2382579 Link 0 |