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Westmeath Hurling thread

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They seemed to think they had a good crop of youngsters over on the Wicklow page. Sounded like some work was being put in but I suppose it's a big step up Jack_Sparrow (Westmeath) - Posts: 1017 - 23/03/2024 17:25:46 2532872 Link
Replying To Claretandblue: "Which were Westmeath's best players? Who scored most?" Hard to say because everyone looked good in this game.. I would say Ryan Williams, Ben McNamee, Darragh Kenny, Padraig Casey, Dylan Corrigan and Cormac McKeogh were ones who particularly caught the eye. Ryan Williams must have scored 7 or 8 points from play. Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 791 - 23/03/2024 17:35:28 2532876 Link
Replying To overdabar: "Amazing Valley. Can u name all the top county hurlers that came from Athlone and maybe top Kilkenny footballers while your at it! Such is life! You may have a word with the selectors." Yeah, let's ignore the fact that one quarter of the county's population lives in Athlone. Two clubs would have pupils in primary and secondary schools in Athlone - southern gaels and fr daltons. Probably a few hurlers in secondary school in moate too Kilkenny criminally don't field a senior football team anymore despite lots of football played down there valley84 (Westmeath) - Posts: 1890 - 23/03/2024 18:08:13 2532888 Link
Offaly only beat meath by 3 points, Kildare had a good win over Laois. How many teams come out of that round Robin system? Bigjoe1 (Westmeath) - Posts: 39 - 23/03/2024 18:38:07 2532893 Link
What's Kilkenny footballers relevance? We field in both, equally treated Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1496 - 23/03/2024 18:44:15 2532899 Link
Replying To Bigjoe1: "Offaly only beat meath by 3 points, Kildare had a good win over Laois. How many teams come out of that round Robin system?" Two i think.We have a week off and then away to Meath who brought Offaly to Ashbourne.According to a Faithful supporter it is a dump with a hill.So we need to prepare for a battle as the two points there will be very important. jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1457 - 23/03/2024 19:22:06 2532906 Link
Replying To valley84: "Yeah, let's ignore the fact that one quarter of the county's population lives in Athlone. Two clubs would have pupils in primary and secondary schools in Athlone - southern gaels and fr daltons. Probably a few hurlers in secondary school in moate too Kilkenny criminally don't field a senior football team anymore despite lots of football played down there" It was tongue in cheek Valley. You are just forever moaning. There seems to be good work going on in Southern gaels. County selectors obviously didnt deem anyone good enough for the panal. As somebody else pointed out how many county footballers come from say Pollard,Collinstown or Delvin say? Very hard to change tradition in an area. On the plus side good to see so many plunketts lads on the team and panal. Mullingar needs a strong hurling team. overdabar (Westmeath) - Posts: 230 - 23/03/2024 21:16:49 2532939 Link
Replying To overdabar: "It was tongue in cheek Valley. You are just forever moaning. There seems to be good work going on in Southern gaels. County selectors obviously didnt deem anyone good enough for the panal. As somebody else pointed out how many county footballers come from say Pollard,Collinstown or Delvin say? Very hard to change tradition in an area. On the plus side good to see so many plunketts lads on the team and panal. Mullingar needs a strong hurling team." There were plenty of hurling teams south of Mullingar in the past. Rosemount, Drumraney, Ardnurcher, Kilbeggan etc. used to produce teams before interest in hurling dried up in that end of the county after the 30's. Drumraney even won a senior championship or 2 in the 20's and Ardnurcher reached a senior final in the 30's. So to say there is no tradition of hurling in the south of the county isn't true. At one point we were all playing cricket before the GAA was founded and all the GAA clubs that we see today in Westmeath had to be started from scratch at some point. In the beginning at least there was no north/south divide between the 2 GAA codes in the county. There's no reason why you can't grow hurling again in some of those southern areas again with the right plan or investment by the county board. Fr. Daltons went out of existence in the late 80's and came back through great underage work in the 2000's. So, it's possible to restart hurling in areas with the right incentives and of course local interest. The targets don't have to be mind blowing. One medium term target should be to make Southern Gaels a stable club, who are at least competitive at Senior B level. Then, perhaps in the long term, aim to set up a 2nd hurling club in the Athlone area. Therefore, the long term goals should be to try and support the development of hurling in 2 areas in the south. Try to create a stable club in Moate/Rosemount/Horseleap area, and a stable club in Maryland/North of Athlone area. Also a hurling club in Kinnegad should be a target. Set reasonable goals and see what can be done. To have a target of say about 20 individual hurling clubs in the county by 2050, that's nothing revolutionary. To placate the football end of the county aim to enforce similar targets for football in the north of the county. It's all about growing the games and improving the odds of developing good players for the county setup. An attitude of ah sure look, it can't be done, won't change anything. RadioactiveTan (UK) - Posts: 28 - 24/03/2024 06:18:26 2532966 Link
Laudable intentions Tan, any practical suggestions as to how it could be done? Who would take the lead in Moate to form a hurling club? Where would they play? Bear in mind integration means huge pressure on existing facilities as Camogie and Lgfa clubs demand equal access to pitches etc. Fr. Daltons deoendent on a few local stalwarts like Denis O' Rourke, Brian Mc, Spike McCormack and newcomer like Sean Smyth, who are these people in Maryland, Moate, Kinnegad,? Rural clubs already struggling in football manpower. You mentioned Kilbeggan. Do Castletown not provide hurling in that area? Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1496 - 24/03/2024 11:01:44 2533001 Link
Good start for the minors anyway. They have a bye next weekend. U20s are out next Saturday Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 791 - 24/03/2024 12:37:28 2533026 Link
Replying To Claretandblue: "Laudable intentions Tan, any practical suggestions as to how it could be done? Who would take the lead in Moate to form a hurling club? Where would they play? Bear in mind integration means huge pressure on existing facilities as Camogie and Lgfa clubs demand equal access to pitches etc. Fr. Daltons deoendent on a few local stalwarts like Denis O' Rourke, Brian Mc, Spike McCormack and newcomer like Sean Smyth, who are these people in Maryland, Moate, Kinnegad,? Rural clubs already struggling in football manpower. You mentioned Kilbeggan. Do Castletown not provide hurling in that area?" Two excellent posts one outlining what needs to be done if we are to be a top 10 Hurling county and the second telling of the practical dificultIes. We are not going to get clubs everywhere but our new Uachtarain is it seems going to put pressure on clubs to have hurling.Davd O Reilly is a young man who can inspire in the Moate/Rosemount area but the biggest inspiration will be the continuing improvement in our underage county teams and that carrying on to our senior teams. Some clubs in the south worry about hurling damaging their football.But we should remember there are players in Ballycomoyle,Killucan,Finea,St Pauls and Delvin who actually prefer football but dont get county opportunities. jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1457 - 24/03/2024 12:47:57 2533028 Link
In theory yes, it's a good idea, more clubs, more kids trying out hurling etc etc etc but hard to see it happening any time soon. By default Raharney and Castletown for example have too big of a pick, that the was its always been unfortunately. Bigjoe1 (Westmeath) - Posts: 39 - 24/03/2024 21:26:43 2533341 Link
Moaning? It'd be great for our club to have new clubs to play at underage and host games and competitions. Same for schools. If growing the game can be done in Mayo or Sligo then it can be done in Westmeath with the right plan and people in place valley84 (Westmeath) - Posts: 1890 - 24/03/2024 21:44:56 2533346 Link
Replying To jobber: "Two excellent posts one outlining what needs to be done if we are to be a top 10 Hurling county and the second telling of the practical dificultIes. We are not going to get clubs everywhere but our new Uachtarain is it seems going to put pressure on clubs to have hurling.Davd O Reilly is a young man who can inspire in the Moate/Rosemount area but the biggest inspiration will be the continuing improvement in our underage county teams and that carrying on to our senior teams. Some clubs in the south worry about hurling damaging their football.But we should remember there are players in Ballycomoyle,Killucan,Finea,St Pauls and Delvin who actually prefer football but dont get county opportunities." If the football clubs around me had hurling teams they would fatally damage a neighbouring hurling club Jack_Sparrow (Westmeath) - Posts: 1017 - 24/03/2024 22:07:31 2533358 Link
Replying To Jack_Sparrow: "If the football clubs around me had hurling teams they would fatally damage a neighbouring hurling club" Are we talking about Tyrellspass/Rochfortbridge/Milltownpass area? jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1457 - 25/03/2024 05:29:36 2533409 Link
Replying To jobber: "Are we talking about Tyrellspass/Rochfortbridge/Milltownpass area?" Don't think another club in Kinnegad or Moate or near Athlone would have any effect on St.Brigid's as they don't draw from these areas.Would certainly reduce Fr.Dalton's or Southern Gaels numbers. Kinnegad would take from Raharney and Kilbeggan from Castletown Geoghegan. Yellow&Green (Westmeath) - Posts: 44 - 25/03/2024 12:24:01 2533521 Link
Replying To Yellow&Green: "Don't think another club in Kinnegad or Moate or near Athlone would have any effect on St.Brigid's as they don't draw from these areas.Would certainly reduce Fr.Dalton's or Southern Gaels numbers. Kinnegad would take from Raharney and Kilbeggan from Castletown Geoghegan." Let's be realistic here. I pointed out weeks ago that Raharney, county champions, had to hold an EGM to try to get an executive this year, they had fewer than 20 at their AGM, how are areas like Kinnegad, Moate, Kilbeggan, Athlone for a 2nd club going to organise, manpower a hurling club? It's pie in the sky stuff. Kilbeggan struggling to keep things going in football, Athlone not exactly producing championship winning sides in football, proposing adding to these areas with another sport?? A sport that requires proper knowledge and coaching, it's not like soccer where basic knowledge would suffice, that's not an insult to soccer. What facilities would they use? Who will coach them? Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1496 - 25/03/2024 16:34:17 2533654 Link
Replying To Claretandblue: "Let's be realistic here. I pointed out weeks ago that Raharney, county champions, had to hold an EGM to try to get an executive this year, they had fewer than 20 at their AGM, how are areas like Kinnegad, Moate, Kilbeggan, Athlone for a 2nd club going to organise, manpower a hurling club? It's pie in the sky stuff. Kilbeggan struggling to keep things going in football, Athlone not exactly producing championship winning sides in football, proposing adding to these areas with another sport?? A sport that requires proper knowledge and coaching, it's not like soccer where basic knowledge would suffice, that's not an insult to soccer. What facilities would they use? Who will coach them?" Another poster rightfully said that if they could add a couple of clubs in the likes of Sligo and Mayo where there's less interest in hurling than here, why couldn't it be done? There's players playing hurling and on county panels who are from Kinnegad, Kilbeggan and Rosemount/Moate. Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 791 - 25/03/2024 17:50:19 2533686 Link
As I mentioned on this forum before look up East Cavan Gaels. Maybe a particular set of circumstances or people have to align but it has been done elsewhere. Jack_Sparrow (Westmeath) - Posts: 1017 - 25/03/2024 20:13:18 2533728 Link
It's easy to say add more hurling clubs and mention Sligo and Mayo. How far did players in non hurling areas have to drive in those counties to get to a club? In Westmeath most areas without hurling are 20 minutes max from a club and could easily play if they wanted to. Gaawestmeath (Westmeath) - Posts: 74 - 26/03/2024 17:37:42 2533950 Link