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Wexford Club Hurling 2025

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Replying To countyman2022:  "Just looking through the updated fixture plan. Any teams that come in the top two in their groups and go straight through to a Q final, they are getting one hurling match in 8 weeks. A game this weekend coming, then no game for 5 weeks. Once top group off again until Q final. So basically, 8 teams in senior and inter get 1 game in 8 weeks. How is that in any means beneficial to Wexford hurling? Can somebody make sense of that please? Its an absolute farce yet again by the co board."
It's a bad structure that's was voted in by a huge number of clubs. The EP weekend off was at the request of many players and the clubs they play for not wanting to be without them and ruining their 2nd teams, and 3rd teams in some cases. The Fleadh weekend off was due to the huge number of volunteers, or schmucks if you prefer, who will be working at the Fleadh, or others who will be socialising, and therefore unable to be working at, or playing in, a round of club games.
The split season was probably a far better job as regards intensity, meaningful games, and quality of hurling, but loads of people were unhappy with that too.
At the end of the day there's not going to be a format that everyone's happy with.
Out of interest what would be your preferred set up and schedule?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16738 - 30/07/2025 11:27:41    2629232

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Yes, but that's as much to do with the Fleadh and Electric Picnic and the need to also play football as it is to do with the hurling structure. For anyone who hasn't seen the fixture plan, here it is:

August 3: Hurling Round 4
August 10: Free weekend (Fleadh)
August 17: Football Round 3
August 24: Football Round 4
August 31: Free weekend (Electric Picnic)
September 7: Hurling Round 5
September 14: Hurling preliminary quarter-finals
September 21: Football Round 5
September 28: Hurling quarter-finals

So, because of the two free weekends and the football in between, every hurling team in the county will have five weekends off after this weekend.

Those that finish third to sixth then have a match the following weekend as well (preliminary quarter-final), followed by another one two weeks later if they happen to win that one.

Those that finish first and second just have three weeks between matches in September."
What good is that to hurling in the county? Imagine clubs in Cork, Lim, KK or Tipp being told that you would have 1 game in 8 weeks when a split season was put in place for club players. How is hurling in the county to improve? We are goosed

countyman2022 (Wexford) - Posts: 872 - 30/07/2025 11:29:38    2629233

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Yes, but that's as much to do with the Fleadh and Electric Picnic and the need to also play football as it is to do with the hurling structure. For anyone who hasn't seen the fixture plan, here it is:

August 3: Hurling Round 4
August 10: Free weekend (Fleadh)
August 17: Football Round 3
August 24: Football Round 4
August 31: Free weekend (Electric Picnic)
September 7: Hurling Round 5
September 14: Hurling preliminary quarter-finals
September 21: Football Round 5
September 28: Hurling quarter-finals

So, because of the two free weekends and the football in between, every hurling team in the county will have five weekends off after this weekend.

Those that finish third to sixth then have a match the following weekend as well (preliminary quarter-final), followed by another one two weeks later if they happen to win that one.

Those that finish first and second just have three weeks between matches in September."
By far the large majority of players will be playing 2 Championship games of Football in those 5 weeks off. So they aren't really having them off. They will also be training twice or 3 times a week, be it hurling, football or most likely some combination of the 2.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16738 - 30/07/2025 11:30:18    2629234

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Yes, but that's as much to do with the Fleadh and Electric Picnic and the need to also play football as it is to do with the hurling structure. For anyone who hasn't seen the fixture plan, here it is:

August 3: Hurling Round 4
August 10: Free weekend (Fleadh)
August 17: Football Round 3
August 24: Football Round 4
August 31: Free weekend (Electric Picnic)
September 7: Hurling Round 5
September 14: Hurling preliminary quarter-finals
September 21: Football Round 5
September 28: Hurling quarter-finals

So, because of the two free weekends and the football in between, every hurling team in the county will have five weekends off after this weekend.

Those that finish third to sixth then have a match the following weekend as well (preliminary quarter-final), followed by another one two weeks later if they happen to win that one.

Those that finish first and second just have three weeks between matches in September."
Thanks for this Pikeman greatly appreciated. Have you the full fixture list dates the whole way to the county finals by any chance? Seems unfair to teams finishing in top two to have such a lay off in the hurling

Afinestick96 (Wexford) - Posts: 686 - 30/07/2025 11:57:55    2629240

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "First, just to point out it wasn't passed at Convention. In fairness, you're not the first to make that mistake. League & Championship structures for the year ahead are instead decided at the regular January meeting of the County Board.

And thing is, it doesn't matter if 95% of people in Wexford don't like the system. So long as 51% of people at that meeting vote for it, it's the system we get.

As previously outlined, two key factors:
- People like Adrian Fenlon being at that meeting to speak for the system, and in fairness, he speaks well. Club delegates who haven't been given a clear mandate to oppose it are generally reluctant to put their hand up in front of him and his Hurling Advisory Committee colleagues to vote against it.
- This year, the whole top table (about 16 or 18 votes) voted en bloc for it. Was surprised at that, because they'd voted en block against it the first time around.

One of them told me afterwards it had been decided at one of their own meetings to do that in order to give the system the best chance possible of a second year before making a more long-term decision on it. Personally, I hope they go back next year to voting against it, because 16 or 18 votes is significant out of what's normally a voting size of 70 to 80."
Semantics. Point is this is that this was something that was introduced by people involved with Wexford Hurling, be they Advisory Committee, Country Board or Clubs - its not as if someone outside the county said you need to do this to make Hurling great in Wexford. Players are blamed for mediocrity but we end up with a country championship like this.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 2033 - 30/07/2025 13:39:29    2629258

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@countyman2022 - I'm in no way suggesting that the long gap is good for hurling. I was just pointing out that it's down to factors other than the current hurling championship structure.

Matter of fact, if you look only at the effects of the structure, it's actually not too bad:
- Teams that qualify directly for quarter-finals will be in action on two weekends during September
- Teams that finish third or below will be in action on three weekends that month

Yes, there's a long break after this weekend until September, but again, that's down to the two free weekends and the tow rounds of football.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3000 - 30/07/2025 14:16:09    2629269

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@afinestick96 - yeah, it goes much the way you'd expect after that. Bear in mind that Round 5 of Intermediate 'A' Football is actually to be played on Thursday August 28, to allow that championship to finish in time for the winners to compete in Leinster.

I left it off the list above so as not to confuse the issue we were talking about then, but it does mean things run differently for that grade afterwards than for the other football grades, and so taking things up from where it makes a difference:

September 21 - Intermediate 'A' Football quarter-finals. Round 5 in the other football grades.
September 28 - Hurling quarter-finals.
October 5 - Intermediate 'A' Football semi-finals. Quarter-finals in the other football grades.
October 12 - Hurling semi-finals.
October 19 - Intermediate 'A' Football Final. Semi-finals in the other football grades.
October 26 - Hurling Finals.
November 2 - The remaining Football Finals.

By the way, they're all Sunday dates, but they all mean "weekend of ....." - so for instance, "September 21" actually means "weekend of Friday September 19 to Sunday September 21".

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3000 - 30/07/2025 14:25:35    2629272

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Replying To zinny:  "Semantics. Point is this is that this was something that was introduced by people involved with Wexford Hurling, be they Advisory Committee, Country Board or Clubs - its not as if someone outside the county said you need to do this to make Hurling great in Wexford. Players are blamed for mediocrity but we end up with a country championship like this."
I disagree that it's semantics. It's the process by which the system was voted in.

If you mean "semantics" that these things happen at a regular County Board meeting rather than Convention, then that's not the case either, as it's actually a very important point.

At Convention, each club has up to five delegates, rather than just one. It means that the votes from the top table this year in favour of the system would be far less significant, if clubs really did start to have a swell of opinion against it.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3000 - 30/07/2025 14:28:28    2629273

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Replying To countyman2022:  "
Replying To Pikeman96:  "Yes, but that's as much to do with the Fleadh and Electric Picnic and the need to also play football as it is to do with the hurling structure. For anyone who hasn't seen the fixture plan, here it is:

August 3: Hurling Round 4
August 10: Free weekend (Fleadh)
August 17: Football Round 3
August 24: Football Round 4
August 31: Free weekend (Electric Picnic)
September 7: Hurling Round 5
September 14: Hurling preliminary quarter-finals
September 21: Football Round 5
September 28: Hurling quarter-finals

So, because of the two free weekends and the football in between, every hurling team in the county will have five weekends off after this weekend.

Those that finish third to sixth then have a match the following weekend as well (preliminary quarter-final), followed by another one two weeks later if they happen to win that one.

Those that finish first and second just have three weeks between matches in September."
What good is that to hurling in the county? Imagine clubs in Cork, Lim, KK or Tipp being told that you would have 1 game in 8 weeks when a split season was put in place for club players. How is hurling in the county to improve? We are goosed"
In 2024 Doon and NaP had 2 3 week gaps between games in the Limerick championship last year, and that was with no Fleadh break. Both made the county final anyway.
In Cork Sars had a 3 week gap and then a 2 week gaps between their 3 group games. They then had to wait a month until their semifinal. Including the Final which they lost they only had 5 Championship games total.
Tipp have 4 groups of 4, top 2 into QFs. Much easier to keep decent gaps, mostly 2 weeks, but 3 weeks between the final group games and the QFs. Only 6 games in total for the finalists, only 4 games for the losing quarter finalists, and the real downside is that the teams finishing 3rd in the 4 groups only got 3 games total. And were finished up for the year in 4 weeks.
Not sure any of these systems is really preferable to ours tbh.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16738 - 30/07/2025 14:31:37    2629275

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1 hurling match in 8 weeks. Let in sink in.

countyman2022 (Wexford) - Posts: 872 - 30/07/2025 14:54:02    2629285

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Replying To countyman2022:  "1 hurling match in 8 weeks. Let in sink in."
Yup.

Pesky football.
Pesky Fleadh.
Pesky Electric Picnic.
And fourth of all, pesky hurling structure, where four teams in each grade have to sit out a round of matches that the other teams in that grade play.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3000 - 30/07/2025 15:34:27    2629297

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Replying To countyman2022:  "1 hurling match in 8 weeks. Let in sink in."
That won't be the case next year

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16738 - 30/07/2025 15:38:47    2629301

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Replying To Viking66:  "
Replying To countyman2022:  "[quote=Pikeman96:  "Yes, but that's as much to do with the Fleadh and Electric Picnic and the need to also play football as it is to do with the hurling structure. For anyone who hasn't seen the fixture plan, here it is:

August 3: Hurling Round 4
August 10: Free weekend (Fleadh)
August 17: Football Round 3
August 24: Football Round 4
August 31: Free weekend (Electric Picnic)
September 7: Hurling Round 5
September 14: Hurling preliminary quarter-finals
September 21: Football Round 5
September 28: Hurling quarter-finals

So, because of the two free weekends and the football in between, every hurling team in the county will have five weekends off after this weekend.

Those that finish third to sixth then have a match the following weekend as well (preliminary quarter-final), followed by another one two weeks later if they happen to win that one.

Those that finish first and second just have three weeks between matches in September."
What good is that to hurling in the county? Imagine clubs in Cork, Lim, KK or Tipp being told that you would have 1 game in 8 weeks when a split season was put in place for club players. How is hurling in the county to improve? We are goosed"
In 2024 Doon and NaP had 2 3 week gaps between games in the Limerick championship last year, and that was with no Fleadh break. Both made the county final anyway.
In Cork Sars had a 3 week gap and then a 2 week gaps between their 3 group games. They then had to wait a month until their semifinal. Including the Final which they lost they only had 5 Championship games total.
Tipp have 4 groups of 4, top 2 into QFs. Much easier to keep decent gaps, mostly 2 weeks, but 3 weeks between the final group games and the QFs. Only 6 games in total for the finalists, only 4 games for the losing quarter finalists, and the real downside is that the teams finishing 3rd in the 4 groups only got 3 games total. And were finished up for the year in 4 weeks.
Not sure any of these systems is really preferable to ours tbh."]So Doon and Na P played twice in 6 weeks. Ideal for hard intense championship matches. WHich they get with their structure. Sars got 2 hard games in 5 weeks. Not 1 game in 8 weeks in our micky mouse structure which you cannot get knocked out of. That one game in the 8 weeks will also be a dead rubber for half those teams also as they will already be guarenteed top 2. How is hurling to improve with that lark, We should be using the Tipp/Clare model.

countyman2022 (Wexford) - Posts: 872 - 30/07/2025 16:17:12    2629315

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@countyman2022 - now you're contradicting yourself when you say how Doon and Na Piarsaigh playing twice in six weeks was ideal. Because that's exactly what all the clubs in Wexford will be doing too, including the ones that manage to skip the preliminary quarter-finals:

This weekend (Week 1): hurling match
Next four weekends (Weeks 2, 3, 4 and 5): no hurling match
The weekend after that (Week 6): hurling match.

There ya go. Two matches in six weeks, just like those Limerick clubs.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3000 - 30/07/2025 17:56:29    2629336

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Replying To countyman2022:  "
Replying To Viking66:  "[quote=countyman2022:  "[quote=Pikeman96:  "Yes, but that's as much to do with the Fleadh and Electric Picnic and the need to also play football as it is to do with the hurling structure. For anyone who hasn't seen the fixture plan, here it is:

August 3: Hurling Round 4
August 10: Free weekend (Fleadh)
August 17: Football Round 3
August 24: Football Round 4
August 31: Free weekend (Electric Picnic)
September 7: Hurling Round 5
September 14: Hurling preliminary quarter-finals
September 21: Football Round 5
September 28: Hurling quarter-finals

So, because of the two free weekends and the football in between, every hurling team in the county will have five weekends off after this weekend.

Those that finish third to sixth then have a match the following weekend as well (preliminary quarter-final), followed by another one two weeks later if they happen to win that one.

Those that finish first and second just have three weeks between matches in September."
What good is that to hurling in the county? Imagine clubs in Cork, Lim, KK or Tipp being told that you would have 1 game in 8 weeks when a split season was put in place for club players. How is hurling in the county to improve? We are goosed"
In 2024 Doon and NaP had 2 3 week gaps between games in the Limerick championship last year, and that was with no Fleadh break. Both made the county final anyway.
In Cork Sars had a 3 week gap and then a 2 week gaps between their 3 group games. They then had to wait a month until their semifinal. Including the Final which they lost they only had 5 Championship games total.
Tipp have 4 groups of 4, top 2 into QFs. Much easier to keep decent gaps, mostly 2 weeks, but 3 weeks between the final group games and the QFs. Only 6 games in total for the finalists, only 4 games for the losing quarter finalists, and the real downside is that the teams finishing 3rd in the 4 groups only got 3 games total. And were finished up for the year in 4 weeks.
Not sure any of these systems is really preferable to ours tbh."]So Doon and Na P played twice in 6 weeks. Ideal for hard intense championship matches. WHich they get with their structure. Sars got 2 hard games in 5 weeks. Not 1 game in 8 weeks in our micky mouse structure which you cannot get knocked out of. That one game in the 8 weeks will also be a dead rubber for half those teams also as they will already be guarenteed top 2. How is hurling to improve with that lark, We should be using the Tipp/Clare model."]I asked our club to propose that model a few years system we have. 6 teams in each group means too many games, alot of them meaningless. And the current system has made that entire section of championship into some sort of second League. Lads like Rory and Lee didn't even bother playing all the games in it.
Our championship is now a one and done for a good few clubs in the county. All the losers of the 3 v 4 games are gone after 1 meaningful game. The lads who make relegation finals or lose quarter finals after winning preliminary QFs only get 2 meaningful games. If you finish top 2 in your group and lose your QF you are one and done also.
Instead of more meaningful games we just have more games, with way less meaningful ones.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16738 - 30/07/2025 18:22:21    2629340

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Countyman- I asked our club to propose that model a few years ago. 4 groups of 4. It got nearly no support. This year Cloughbawn proposed 3 groups of 4. We voted for it after our motion got defeated. It got very little support either. 6 teams in each group means too many games, alot of them meaningless. And the current system has made that entire section of championship into some sort of second League. Lads like Rory and Lee didn't even bother playing all the games in it.
Our championship is now a one and done for a good few clubs in the county. All the losers of the 3 v 4 games are gone after 1 meaningful game. The lads who make relegation finals or lose quarter finals after winning preliminary QFs only get 2 meaningful games. If you finish top 2 in your group and lose your QF you are one and done also.
Instead of more meaningful games we just have more games, with way less meaningful ones.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16738 - 30/07/2025 18:24:57    2629342

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "I disagree that it's semantics. It's the process by which the system was voted in.

If you mean "semantics" that these things happen at a regular County Board meeting rather than Convention, then that's not the case either, as it's actually a very important point.

At Convention, each club has up to five delegates, rather than just one. It means that the votes from the top table this year in favour of the system would be far less significant, if clubs really did start to have a swell of opinion against it."
Was it not a process that saw people who are supposed to be responsible for Hurling in the county put in place this structure and then kept it in place? Yes or No. We are not talking acts of god here on how this happened, proposal and vote.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 2033 - 30/07/2025 18:34:09    2629344

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Replying To zinny:  "Was it not a process that saw people who are supposed to be responsible for Hurling in the county put in place this structure and then kept it in place? Yes or No. We are not talking acts of god here on how this happened, proposal and vote."
Define what you mean by "people who are supposed to be responsible for hurling in the county".

If you mean the Hurling Advisory Committee, then no, they didn't put this in place. They simply suggested it as a way of running the championship. They wouldn't even been entitled to take part in the vote themselves.

It was put in place by the County Board, who voted to adopt their suggestion. And because there's sometimes confusion over the term "County Board", I'll clarify that it means the full committee of one delegate from each club, the top table management positions, and certain others who are entitled to be there (District Chairmen & Secretaries, Referee's representative, Post Primary Schools representative, etc.)

If you mean the County Board are "the people who are supposed to be responsible for hurling in the county", then there's a different answer to your question.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3000 - 30/07/2025 21:01:23    2629368

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "@countyman2022 - now you're contradicting yourself when you say how Doon and Na Piarsaigh playing twice in six weeks was ideal. Because that's exactly what all the clubs in Wexford will be doing too, including the ones that manage to skip the preliminary quarter-finals:

This weekend (Week 1): hurling match
Next four weekends (Weeks 2, 3, 4 and 5): no hurling match
The weekend after that (Week 6): hurling match.

There ya go. Two matches in six weeks, just like those Limerick clubs."
8 clubs between Inter and Senior (main grades for providing inter county players) have 1 game in 8 weeks. 50% of those teams that 1 game will be a dead rubber as already qualified into top 2 before last game. Not really contradicting myself or anyone.

countyman2022 (Wexford) - Posts: 872 - 30/07/2025 23:45:43    2629385

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Replying To countyman2022:  "
Replying To Pikeman96:  "@countyman2022 - now you're contradicting yourself when you say how Doon and Na Piarsaigh playing twice in six weeks was ideal. Because that's exactly what all the clubs in Wexford will be doing too, including the ones that manage to skip the preliminary quarter-finals:

This weekend (Week 1): hurling match
Next four weekends (Weeks 2, 3, 4 and 5): no hurling match
The weekend after that (Week 6): hurling match.

There ya go. Two matches in six weeks, just like those Limerick clubs."
8 clubs between Inter and Senior (main grades for providing inter county players) have 1 game in 8 weeks. 50% of those teams that 1 game will be a dead rubber as already qualified into top 2 before last game. Not really contradicting myself or anyone."
No matter what week you want to start counting on, fact remains that the main reasons for what you're talking about are the two free weekends and the need to play a couple of rounds of football as well.

The only difference the hurling structure makes is that come September, teams that finish in the top two positions have to wait three weeks after their Round 5 match before they play their quarter-final.

The other teams will only have to wait one week after Round 5 before playing a preliminary quarter-final, before then playing a quarter-final as well two weeks later, if they make it.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather be safely through to a quarter-final on September 28 and have three weeks to prepare for it, than face being knocked out of the championship in a preliminary quarter-final on September 14.

And for what it's worth, this year is actually an improvement on last year in that regard. Last year, teams that finished in the top two places had to wait five weeks for their quarter-final. This year, it's just three.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3000 - 31/07/2025 09:34:47    2629409

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