Time to stop all the nonesense. durrow win the junior A and more luck to them.ballycommon in to junior B and more luck to them.but surely to god there are lads on them teams that would have loved to be playing in a senior football final like Rhode and clara last sunday.NOW im not saying that if daingean parish teams joined togeather would be in the final every year ,but it does give players a chance of playing football at highest level.good example of that is shamrocks.ok they havent one anything but them players from Rahan and mucklagh play at highest level both football and hurling every year.The same for Killeigh they would benefit greatly if they stopped messing around and put out decent parish team that would help develope players.im sorry but most people aren't going to like that but lets be honest here if we want to improve the standard at inter county teams then we got to start with proper parish teams.i know us in the capital town would love to see players from both durrow and ballinamere coming in to play senior hurling and football ,but lads its up to each player to make his mind up to what standard they would like to test their ability at.Think about it.

BLUEBOB (Offaly) - Posts: 14 - 13/10/2009 23:57:20    453796

It's a basic right for every player to be able to play to the level his ability dictates, not the level of the club he plays for. Parish teams are a necessity in some areas. If they work is one thing?, but they should exist.

Machman (Offaly) - Posts: 10 - 14/10/2009 15:35:08    454330

Yawn, Yawn, come back and tell us how this would work. Disband the clubs and have a Daingean parish junior team, an intermediate and a Daingean parish senior team. How would ya like that?
Otherwise,
When will you fit in the games?
How will you finance these extra teams?
How will training take place?
Who will administer these teams?

There is way too much politics at play to have this done, is easy for Tullamore to say this, but ye couldnt field an Intermediate team for the first round. How would Ballycommon prepare for a junior match when the senior team are playing on a Sat night, and they are fixed for a Sunday, (dont say this wont happen!)

Bluebob, just enjoy yer day in the sun on Sunday!

curious George (Offaly) - Posts: 861 - 14/10/2009 19:16:03    454622

Poor old curious george. The thought of trying to organise a parish team is obviously beyond him. It's fairly typical really; it sounds so difficult therefore we shouldn't even bother. One of the reasons that football in Offaly is in such a mess is the dreadful standard of club football. It's awful and we persist in firing at the wrong target in assigning blame. It's simple really; the multiplicity of junior and intermediate teams in the county has the standard reduced to the lowest it has been in a long time, if ever. The only parish team in east Offaly - to my knowledge - is Gracefield. The rest is a desert as regards the standard of football. Are we not ashamed that once proud parish teams such as Daingean, Edenderry and the Walsh Island are reduced to the pathetic level that prevails in those parishes. And don't even mention the parish of my birth - Killeigh!! Of course, this kind of nonsense is not just confined to East Offaly; look at Tullamore and Ballycumber who are infected by the same malaise. It is morally wrong that young men who are capable of playing at high levels are being denied the opportunity to do so by dyed in the wool, backward, selfish thinking and a laziness that decides that the status quo should persist because it has always been so. It doesn't have to be so. Maybe if characters like curious george would retire and sit on the fence and leave the forward thinkers to take over and spread the the message that it can be done if men and women of like mind dedicated to changing this awful system are left to do it.

Blackadder (Offaly) - Posts: 3 - 22/10/2009 19:53:15    463309

Blackadder i'd like to buy you a pint. Well said. George, go look for your man with the yellow hat and stay with him.. hopefully he's outside offaly somewhere

OffalyDude (Offaly) - Posts: 21 - 22/10/2009 20:31:35    463352

jimmy foy clonmore harps
davy brady ballyfore

no these 2 men very well im sure theyd love to play senior

updreds (Offaly) - Posts: 12 - 22/10/2009 22:19:08    463574

i rest my case.seems curious george is the only one that reckons parish teams cant be done.i'd love for him to explain how rahan and mucklagh are doing it.explain how kilcormac and killoughey do it.if teams like them thought like curious george then what state would them teams be in .curious george talk bout things u actually know about cause u know little bout making progress in offaly.

BLUEBOB (Offaly) - Posts: 14 - 23/10/2009 00:26:59    463750

i agree with george on this. blackadder all your doing is talking,you never answered any of george's questions.
When will you fit in the games?
How will you finance these extra teams?
How will training take place?
Who will administer these teams?

id love for bridgets and clonmore to be playing with us but i cant ever seeing it happen

Rhodejim (Offaly) - Posts: 2888 - 23/10/2009 11:41:54    464020

Thanks OffalyDude, good to see that the place is not completely overrun by the dinosaurs. Leave a black one in Eugenes!! Rhodejim, I'm surprised to see you taking on board the negative vibes being spread about by curious George. The running of parish teams would be exactly the same as teams are at present. Take your own proud parish. Where's the problem with a senior team being run from Rhode, an intermediate team training from Croghan and a junior team in Clonmore; all wearing a parish jersey and administered by one committee and with three trainers and three sets of selectors? What's the big deal? Isn't your minor championship winning team a parish team? Let's not be planting difficulties and scuppering the idea before any kind of sensible discussion. While on the topic of parish teams: congratulations to and three cheers for the brave, farseeing men and women involved in parish teams all over the county and in particular Na Fianna, St. Vincents, and St. Broughans who have shown what can be achieved when people come together in a positive spirit of togetherness and common purpose. May their labours be rewarded.
Incidentally, who are St. Davids? Anyone?

Blackadder (Offaly) - Posts: 3 - 23/10/2009 14:32:33    464252

i'll answer them pretty easy although are they really questions at all? All i see is negativity on both your behalf's

When will you fit in the games? A. Play a Parish league and scrap the existing club league

How will you finance these extra teams? Stupid Question No.1. A. How do the parish teams already finance their Under 21's and Minor?

How will training take place? Stupid Question No 2. A. 2 Nights a week in a big field! Seriously!!

Who will administer these teams? Stupid Question No.3 A. What? Who will what? Tom, Joe, Paddy & Mary. Some question

OffalyDude (Offaly) - Posts: 21 - 23/10/2009 15:06:18    464282

Offaly Dude and cronies,ye are obviously not involved in any level of administration or have no involvement in your club if you see your solutions as the answers to the problems. I aint got my head stuck in the sand on this,just it would need to be done right if its going to be done.

For example, finance,you are not aware of the cost of trainers out there? And the lack of administrators?
Your say my question is stupid on finance, and simple same as underage,well let me tell you Vincents could not pay a 1000e fine imposed on them for disgraceful scenes in a minor semi. (truth is they would not have been able to pay a 500e fine!)

Only solution disband clubs,eg Killeigh, Raheen and Ballinagar and enter 3 amalgamated teams, Senior B, Jun A and B. And win the right to go up Senior,but in mean time are playing a decent level. Same in Broughans,Daingean,and other areas.
Junior A and B panels could be drawn up from these clubs and train together.

Fixtures a Parish League? Thats your answer?

Listen mate here's the scenario, Killeigh parish to play Rhode on Saturday night in Senior, Raheen play Birr the next day in Intermediate championship? Fair on Raheen, No. But County Board could not guarantee that this would not happen in the past.

With clubs disbanded all players are looked after and the amalgamations compete at the highest level possible.


As for administration, tom , mary whoever, well I can tell you its a sad state of affairs in many clubs. Everyone criticises these people, but dont want to get involved. Not stupid mate, but real. But you and your friends here would not know, as ye prob aint involved?

Look lad, approach your club and talk with them, if you dont you can waffle all you like about Parish football. Unless these teams train 3 nights a week together, they wont have hope.
I dont think lobbing in a senior team for the sake of it will be the solution, but hey fire ahead, you have all the answers!
Just let me know who Killeigh get in the Senior draw!

curious George (Offaly) - Posts: 861 - 24/10/2009 14:14:56    465048

And you talk about a Parish team for Edenderry? A big town like that and they are on the verge of relegation? But wait, no, whats that the green brigade from Ballyfore coming to their rescue? How many senior quality footballers are in Ballyfore? Maybe 2. The problems lie deeper my friends.
Also ye are talking about a parish team in Rhode, Are ye even aware that Croghan are Senior too? Blue Bob and the Offaly Dude, go back to yer barstools, thats where it all happens!

By the way, ye hardly made it in to the Junior B final this afternoon, where a blood and guts display from Ballycommon won them the title against Tullamore by a point. Lads this is what the GAA is all about. I saw lads cry in there after the win, (and not at the quality of the play!). A massive boost to the whole area, and would they have achieved this with the Parish team? Maybe, but only if twas done right! Well done to all in Ballycommom, enjoy the celebrations!

curious George (Offaly) - Posts: 861 - 24/10/2009 18:08:15    465206

Eh i'm well involved with my club and parish george. Well involved Seriously your coming out with a load of dribble with your ifs, buts and ands and all your doing is denying lads who would love to have a crack at senior level. Sure we'll stay in Georges world and see how we do year after year.George doesn't want to try something different but comes here day after day to complain about the state Offaly is in. Suppose if a Parish team worked George you'd have little to do.

OffalyDude (Offaly) - Posts: 21 - 24/10/2009 18:37:46    465230

A Parish league George. I'll try say it again a Parish League. Comprende? Or would you like me to draw you a little colourful diagram?

OffalyDude (Offaly) - Posts: 21 - 24/10/2009 19:04:09    465241

And I thought there were tears spilled at all finals. Didn't realise it was just confined to ballycommon lads. I see you mentioned Rhode there too. So thats what your negativity is all about. Afraid Rhode would be too strong as a parish team. Starting to see why your so dead against this now.

pS. Well done Ballycommon. Delighted for them

OffalyDude (Offaly) - Posts: 21 - 24/10/2009 19:08:41    465243

A 2010 Rhode parish team:

L.Fox
D.Murphy S.Casey B.Darby
C.Heavey S.Sullivan E.Byrne
A. McNamee P.Sullivan
N.Darby A.Sullivan D.Egan
K.Casey P.kellaghan N.Mcnamee

Subs Including: R.Malone J.Foy J. kilmurray G.O'Connell M.cassidy ETC


Would they Be stoppable????????

full2forward (Offaly) - Posts: 28 - 24/10/2009 22:07:01    465411

Obviously curious George has decide to leave the weary ranks of the dinosaurs and join in the brigade of forward thinkers who are prepared to discuss and explore solutions to the quagmire that is Offaly club football. At least he is proposing possible answers which is a change from his original dismissive stance. Winning the Junior B? Well done to Ballycommon, but if winning the Junior B is the height of anyones ambition then a serious rethink is needed. I would sooner see the emotional player who cried after the victory wearing a parish jersey and crying because his parish had won a senior championship for the first time since the sixties. The parish is the core unit of the GAA and we have allowed -in this county- this central tenet of the organisation to be sullied. Interesting to note that the only divided parish in the senior hurling championship is Tullamore, although my friendly spies in Kilcormac/Killoughey tell me that the dinosaurs in that parish are beginning to rumble and rattle and talk about going their separate ways. A plague upon them. I am sorry for K/K and for my friends in Mountbolus and Ballyboy and the Blue Ball who had invested so much emotion in a parish victory. Hang in lads and lassies, take heart from Shamrocks who lost three finals and quickly quelled the dinosaurs who had no answer except split and divide. And you, George, you're thinking, and that is the first and probably the most important thing to do.

Blackadder (Offaly) - Posts: 3 - 24/10/2009 23:04:42    465475

offaly dude you say players are being denied to play senior football but if croghan joined rhode at least 12 of their best 16/17 best players would not get a chance to play because they would not get a game.

balboa (Offaly) - Posts: 100 - 25/10/2009 00:27:22    465526

balboa: I said a parish league . doing that would also leave the club championship intact. So that wouldn't take from anyone

OffalyDude (Offaly) - Posts: 21 - 25/10/2009 10:10:18    465608

So thats what your negativity is all about. Afraid Rhode would be too strong as a parish team. Starting to see why your so dead against this now.

Eh no! You are obviously not aware that Croghan are a Senior team then? Best of luck to Rhode, you are making up your own assumptions now lad.

curious George (Offaly) - Posts: 861 - 25/10/2009 16:46:35    465834