Antrim hurlers while very good in Ulster have failed to take the big step forward outside it. Was it lack of serious competition in Ulster that held them back? They have often promised to make the break through in the last 25 years or even more but never quite got there. Apart from one famous appearance in the All Ireland and an odd big scalp they have not progressed. They have had many fine hurlers over the years who might have made it on to more illustrious teams if transfers were possible. What step(s) would it take to enable Antrim to achieve their goal of winning a Liam ?

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 04/08/2010 13:35:51    735553

If anyone in Antrim knew the answer to that question then they would be in quite high demand I would have thought

omaghredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 3656 - 04/08/2010 13:42:26    735573

Antrim can't have any complaints now the are in the Leinster Championship, just like Galway. To go from the Division Two team they are to a team that'll get to the All-Ireland semi-finals will take years.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8758 - 04/08/2010 13:43:12    735575

Cavan Slasher: have you not paid any attention to Hurling over the last couple of years? Antrim have been held back cos the Ulster Champo was not very strong, so the first time they came up against any decent oppostion, they were overwhelmed. Now they are in the Leinster champo and have made some decent progress as they made the A-I q-f's this year, having beaten Dublin on the way.

Tongo (UK) - Posts: 1795 - 04/08/2010 13:46:46    735583

They had an outsatnding championship this year. Beat Carlow and Dublin. Drew with Offaly. And put up a good show against Cork. Probably their best championship in years.

I think other Ulster counties could start worrying more about the state of hurling rather than Antrim.

Puddersthecat (Kilkenny) - Posts: 1692 - 04/08/2010 13:47:39    735587

They are in the Lenister now this past 2 years so it will probally take time. This has been there best year for a while so there is improvement with the switch. But it will take time.

richiej (UK) - Posts: 1430 - 04/08/2010 13:48:51    735590

It's funny though, the Antrim manager credited the Ulster C'ship final for helping them recover from their Leinster loss but it's not good enough to start from there and enter the championship.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8758 - 04/08/2010 13:51:25    735597

Tongo,

I included that in my post !!

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 04/08/2010 14:03:24    735639

In which case, i would say it is fairly obvious what the problem has been. And it will probably be best part of another 10 years, provided they stay in Leinster and the Liam, before they have any chance of challenging for Liam. Cos the gap to the likes of Tipp, Cork and Kilkenny is rather cavernous. They are headed in the right direction though.

Tongo (UK) - Posts: 1795 - 04/08/2010 16:12:36    735874

The Ulster final was nothing more than a turkey shoot this year. In fairness to Down , I suppose they were out of the CR and winning an Ulster means nothing in the overall All-Ireland Championship, so where was their motivation. I disagree the Ulster final was good for us this year, the way Carlow came out of the blocks so quickly against us showed the Down game in no way prepared us for a game at championship pace or intensity, and it took us a good 25 minutes to try and steady against a team that were way ahead of what Down offered that day.

srb (Antrim) - Posts: 344 - 04/08/2010 16:36:32    735906

Promotion to division 1 next year should be the immediate goal if they want to build on this year's excellent championship run. In the past, Antrim have often followed a good championship display with a pathetic league season with the result that they lose momentum and end up back at square one. Participating in the Leinster championship has obviously been a big boost to Antrim. There are a number of Leinster counties that they can realistically expect to beat or at least compete with whereas before they would go straight from an easy Ulster final win to a quarter-final against one of the big guns which often resulted in annihilation. I've long been a big fan of Antrim hurling and would love to see them make a major breakthrough.

Gaillimh_Abu (Galway) - Posts: 1033 - 04/08/2010 16:42:14    735916

Antrim are about as far away from the hurling strongholds as it's possible to get without leaving Ireland so I think we're doing alright to even be as competitive as we are. Also Ulster is and always has been a football province with only lip service paid to hurling. Expecting Antrim to win the Liam McCarthy is a bit like expecting Kilkenny, Tipperary or Waterford to win the Sam Maguire.

M Lyster (Antrim) - Posts: 465 - 04/08/2010 16:54:31    735948

If ANTRIM make it intpo the top TEN in hurling, is the same as an Ulster football team winning Sam six years in a row.

Hurling championship has been going for over 125 years or something.

ULSTER wins against Kilkenny in that time. ONE

Ulster wins against Munster teams in that time: NONE

Ulster wins against Leinster opposition: SIX (I think, and that includes Kildare,Westmeath, and Carlow and Dublin THIS YEAR)

Ulster wins against CONNACHT opposition: ONE

ULSTER teams in all Ireland final: ONE

Appearances in all Ireland Final: TWO

Appearances by teams north of a line drawn between Dublin and Galway: TWO


Now as a wind up thread, this is not very good.

Should have started one about Kerry failing to build on their one title won in 1891. And them in a hurling province.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 04/08/2010 16:56:00    735952

Cavan_Slasher
County: Cavan
Posts: 5377


. What step(s) would it take to enable Antrim to achieve their goal of winning a Liam ?


Cut Wicklow out of Leinster, and swap it with Antrim.

But you need to physically move the two so that Antrim can play against Offaly, Wexford, Dublin, Kilkenny, Laois, Carlow and Westmeath at schools level from age 10.

That might help.

Ulster forgetting about bog ball might help as well.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 04/08/2010 16:58:38    735957

If you want to see the likes of antrim progress then they'll first have to be competitive at schools level, minor and under 21 as dublin have shown you need to be sustained competitive at these levels before the seniors start reaping the benefits.

Antrim minors need to compete in leinster. Hurling must be developed in belfast. I've said for years that the GAA should approach a belfast secondary school with scholarships for players from down, antrim and armagh who are oustanding under 14 hurlers.

KK are the blueprint for excellence. You need to start getting high quality training for the best 40 14 year olds in the county regularly from a young age with guys dropped and brought on as it goes along. Need to give those kids benefits like trips away, competitive games and gear after 10 years of this the fruits will begin to show.

hurlinspuds (Cork) - Posts: 1494 - 04/08/2010 17:09:23    735979

Patrique,

I don't do wind ups. Well not on the G.A.A. board anyway !!

I like the idea you and Hurlingspuds suggest of Antrim competing at minor, U.21 in Leinster, should bring them on and the 40 best young hurlers getting special coaching. These suggestions should help !!

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 04/08/2010 17:46:01    736039

Cavan_Slasher
County: Cavan
Posts: 5378

736039
Patrique,

I don't do wind ups. Well not on the G.A.A. board anyway !!

I like the idea you and Hurlingspuds suggest of Antrim competing at minor, U.21 in Leinster, should bring them on and the 40 best young hurlers getting special coaching. These suggestions should help !!


Back around the late 1970s and early 1980s Brother Joe Ennis had Antrim in Leinster at MINOR grade. Thety are the ONLY county ever to beat Kilkenny at Nowlan Park in that grade.

I have no idea what happened to the experiment in the end as I was playing for Lancashire at the time, living in Manchester.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 04/08/2010 18:49:52    736125

i have thought long and hard over this and moving the underage county teams and school teams would help ,but i would also like to see the senior clubs in antrim and some in dublin have a league competition which could be played in louth minor teams could play in the dublin championship and u21 teams the same , the more hurling teams in antrim and down get will be better for all

hipster (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 04/08/2010 20:49:36    736303

Hipster its the same thing as Tipp football wev 4 all irelands last one is nearly 100 years ago we wont win another its called tradition thats whats wrong!!

thurlesblues (Tipperary) - Posts: 4475 - 04/08/2010 21:10:20    736329

Hipster its the same thing as Tipp football wev 4 all irelands last one is nearly 100 years ago we wont win another its called tradition thats whats wrong!!

thurlesblues (Tipperary) - Posts: 4475 - 04/08/2010 21:15:17    736333