Its obvious some clubs are taking the league seriously and are improving with each outing. Blues, Kilbride, Eire Og, Old Leighlin and Tinryland are all ging well.
Grange and Tullow are going backwards at a rate of knots.....not a good sign for football in East Carlow.
Is it time for an area set up there?
Grange, Clonmore and Tullow maybe..
And while considering it what about OL, Ballinabranna and Leighlinbridge. The latter two are poor in DIv 2 now and going wrong way.
Kildavin - Kilbride - Naomh EOin?

Anyone got ideas on that?

All Star (Carlow) - Posts: 132 - 28/04/2009 13:28:13    270146

The Leighlin parish amalgamation really needs to happen. Leighlinbridge lost two players to Australia this year and it's really hurting them.

ballygowan (Carlow) - Posts: 70 - 29/04/2009 02:05:48    270881

And why tell me would old leighlin or any other team for that matter want to tie themselves to a sinking ship?
amalgamation has to suit all parties not just boost a lagging team, besides the ever expanding leighlinbridge have a large pick of players and will be on the up in the coming years!
Also as posted above old leighlin are looking promising this year, new facilities seem to be paying off.

nineteen44 (Carlow) - Posts: 4 - 30/04/2009 19:42:44    272744

nineteen44
Maybe the other two are struggling at the moment but All Star has raised a good point... should ALL adult players have the opportunity to play SFC - even with an area team?
Would it make the SFC more competitive?
Joe Murphy is obviously doing a good job for Old Leighlin but wouldnt a few more players be of help too??

Benekerry (Cavan) - Posts: 258 - 30/04/2009 21:55:55    272838

Not going to happen lads the three adult clubs in Leighlin parish will never join up at senior level, its all about identity & smaller clubs dont want to lose theirs, anyway the three clubs have been playing together at under age level for years & have won nothing of note so why join up? On a personnel note id rather compete with my own friends & club than have a hollow win with strangers. OL seem to be going well at min & BB will be there or there abouts for intermediate c/ship but leighlin do seem to be struggling badly but with all the new houses they will have a much bigger pick in yrs to come.

carlo (Carlow) - Posts: 277 - 01/05/2009 11:49:46    273120

benekerry all players do have the oppertunity to play in SFC, if they are good enough to get into a team, and that team is good enough to reach senior level! you cant justify amalgamating teams just to export the one, two or three players of that standard in to a successful squad. what about the remaining members? sorry lads ya didnt make the cut! we would end up with 4 or 5 elite squads and a stronger intermediate or junior division! I agree with 'carlo' it will never happen and the true reason behind the success of the GAA is the individual identity of each club/county no matter how small or weak they may be percieved. you support carlow, you sould know that!

nineteen44 (Carlow) - Posts: 4 - 01/05/2009 17:00:52    273441

group teams thats how they do it in kerry lads....
are they geting it wrong???

hairyfoot (Wicklow) - Posts: 98 - 01/05/2009 21:10:33    273605

slight difference in county size there, besides we already have a reasonably strong senior chmpionship here

nineteen44 (Carlow) - Posts: 4 - 02/05/2009 09:27:39    273767

If anyone is going to O' Hanrahans V Eire Og tonight could they post the result up here after,cheers.

fergie (Carlow) - Posts: 1119 - 05/05/2009 11:27:23    275016

'Fergie' match between blues and eire og was a draw.

dual supporter (Carlow) - Posts: 772 - 05/05/2009 22:11:31    275675

O'Hanrahan's 1-11 Eire Og 2-8

A good, fairly contested game at the Deerpark. Both sides without their county men and O'Hanrahan's also missing Philip Nolan. Both sides had frees in injury time to win the match but couldn't convert them in the high wind.

Paul Cashin, Mark Kelly, Christy Bolger and (ahem) Cormac Mullins played well for Eire Og. Saul Heavin (only 17, a real star in the making), David Bermingham, Brian and Alan Quigley, Breffni Hannon and Ray Walker stood out for O'Hanrahan's.

Looks on league form that Rathvilly, O'Hanrahan's, Eire Og and (no county men need apply) Palatine will fight it out this year.

TAFKANO1FAN (Carlow) - Posts: 588 - 05/05/2009 22:18:17    275678

Blues are looking very good so TAFKANO1FAN. Top of the League and holding a strong Eire og side to a draw. Looks like your Championship. May as well collect the Cup now. Pal are gonna stop training...

Benekerry (Cavan) - Posts: 258 - 05/05/2009 22:44:07    275711

Very good game tonight, between 2 very evenly matched teams. As was said 2 posts up both went into it without county players which hampers EO a lot more than Blues of course. And on top of that Philip Nolan wasn't available for blues and Brian Carbery and Alan O'Brien were not available for Eire Og. So left both sides and especially the benches very short. Looked to me like EO only had 3 or 4 subs at most.

Very enjoyable and glad to say a sporting game which seems to be becoming a welcome occurance in the recent meetings between the teams. Both sides have great footballers, despite who was missing.

Cormac Mullins ironically after all the stuff about his transfer was the star man, think he ended up scoring 2-1 or 2-2 out of the 2-8.
Blues have improved a lot from last year too looking at them tonight and that 17 yo looks a real talent! Hadn't heard of him before, but very impressed tonight.

Of course its hard to take much from a league game where both sides are short so many, but what tonight says is that both teams have very good squads. Standard was high, and with co players and others who were missing to come back in, we could very well see this pairing meet again in October in Co final. I'm sure Rathvilly and maybe Pal will still have a say in that!!

The Real 1944 (Carlow) - Posts: 1114 - 05/05/2009 23:50:48    275798

Draw puts the Blues back on top of the League on scoring difference. O Hans have improved a lot from last year. On there League form they will have to be considered Final material. Good to see posters mention it was a clean game.
Where is this fella Saul ?? from?

All Star (Carlow) - Posts: 132 - 06/05/2009 08:36:56    275863

All Star,

From the town, mother now lives in County Laois - great to see a Carlow man not joining the sheep and transferring, he is Blue through and through.

-------------------------------
1944,

I agree with you on all accept the county men thing - Carpenter is a real talisman for the Blues and makes them about 20pc better. John Brennan and Barry English also huge lossses. I take the point that Hayden, Gannon, Curran, Rea, Kavanagh and McCormack are big losses for you also. Anyroad, it's great to see the two clubs from the town providing players to the county team. I am sad that one or two more O'Hanrahan's lads are not in there and also sad that Cashin, Mullins and Bolger have not seen fit to join Luke Dempsey's panel.
That said, it could be worse, we could have none like Palatine.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Benekerry,

Nobody really cares what Palatine do and whether they train or not. Supply some players to the county and then feel free to join the debate. Any club that refuses to support the county team will not have my support should they qualify for the Leinster Club Championship and I am sure many more posters here will agree with that.

TAFKANO1FAN (Carlow) - Posts: 588 - 06/05/2009 14:14:06    276195

Predictions. Pal are a Championship team and theres odders gonna ruffle feathers yet...
Kildavin are havin a bad league but will be dangerous.. neighbours Tinryland are improvin all the time... Old leighlin will be much beter ..... Rangers might be dangerous too...will the Walshes be back wid Fenagh...Kilbride can put it up to anyone

Benekerry (Cavan) - Posts: 258 - 06/05/2009 14:17:40    276201

^^ I am sad too that a couple of our guys didn't go in with county, but can't include Mullins in that as he actually was with county in January. But was then left off the panel for the league, when Luke cut the squad. Big mistake in my opinion as he would be if not starting a great option off the bench.

The Real 1944 (Carlow) - Posts: 1114 - 06/05/2009 14:43:25    276234

TAFKANO1FAN
It isnt your debate to decide who can join in or not. Thats a bit provocative of you; your Che Guevara image must be goin to your head (place where most people have their brain).
Pal will do their talkin on the pitch, same as every other team.

Benekerry (Cavan) - Posts: 258 - 06/05/2009 15:26:52    276294

So Che yure sayin he lives in Laois then....
Didnt he live in Dublin first
Is he not eligible then to play for the Blues .... is that what you mean?

Benekerry (Cavan) - Posts: 258 - 06/05/2009 16:03:04    276340

Who is Che, Benekerry and what has he got to do with it?

He is eligible to play for O'Hanrahan's. The same way the Doran's are eligible to play for Graiguecullen.

Of course, if you cared about Carlow county football you would see it as a positive - but you don't.

Not a "charitable" bone in your body, alas.

TAFKANO1FAN (Carlow) - Posts: 588 - 06/05/2009 17:33:13    276454