Interesting to hear Mulligans reasons for retiring for a year. Putting a huge amount in and, in return, getting well beaten consistently has disheartened him (understandably). He has decided to take a year out (dont blame him).
I just thought that this wAs interesting because I heard Diarmuid Lyng say something recently that was similar, getting hammered time after time by Kilkenny damaged Wexfords confidence and their motivation. We hear alot that Kilkennys awesomeness (and they are awesome) will encourage other counties to up their game and the whole sport will benefit, but I think that if anything, players from other counties are becoming almost disillusioned.
Limerick have stepped up to the mark these last couple of years, but will it last? They undoubtedly put in a lot of effort these last couple of years, but at the end of it all still had to watch Tipp and Kilkenny battle it out on AIF day, (with the usual outcome). It must be annoying.
This is not an anti Kilkenny post (Ballydalane) but as someone who thinks that the cats DOMINANCE (not the cats themselves, but their DOMINANCE Ballydalane) will not necessarily benefit hurling, but could in fact hurt it, I though it was worth noting.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 18/11/2014 21:33:03    1673206

Why wouldnt Mulligan be disheartened?I hope some day the likes of Leitrim,Longford and Roscommon almagate to form a new,competetive GAA county.Where a person is born,should not determine a whole career.If DJ Carey was born a mile across the border in Carlow,we would probably never of heard of him.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 18/11/2014 21:49:40    1673215

I know I've posted this before, but while Kilkenny are the best team out there, they're not dominating like they did in the late noughties. And Tipp certainly aren't their main rivals. Look at the last 6 years:
2009: Kilkenny narrowly get past Tipp in the AI final
2010: Kilkenny beaten by Tipp in AI
2011: Kilkenny beaten by Dublin in League final
2012: Kilkenny beaten by Galway in Leinster final, held to draw in AI (before going on to win replay)
2013: Knocked out of Leinster by Dublin, knocked out of Championship by Cork
2014: Won the triple crown, but should have been beaten by Limerick in semi, and needed a replay to win AI

Then at underage:
Kilkenny haven't won an U21 AI since 2008. They won the minor this year, but it was their first appearance in a minor AI in over 4 years.

So still the best team? Yes. An unstoppable force that no other teams can compete with? No. Dublin, Galway and Cork have beaten them in the championship in the previous 3 years. In fact, the only team that are truly psyched out by Kilkenny at this stage, it's Tipp. If anyone is going to dominate in the next five years, its not going to be Kilkenny or Tipp, its going to be Clare.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 19/11/2014 16:28:12    1673403

Sure can be disheartening but as I always said, the only way to stop the disheartening expereince is to work as hard as Kilkenny, put the same effort into the game and stop having fear of that black and amber jersey.
This has happened at underage and will soon start to happen at senior level I reckon.
No point getting disheartened, all you can do is keep going and working hard to improve. Eventually, if you work hard enough, your day will come.

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 19/11/2014 16:37:24    1673414

Its all very well saying that the weaker counties just need to work harder but the fact is that many of them are putting in a trojan effort and still have nothing to show for it. Look at Laois hurlers whose performances have improved dramatically since the 10-goal drubbing from Cork a couple of years ago. They gave Galway a good rattle on two occasions but they still lost, and realisticaly that is probably as good as it is going to get for them. It will be very hard for the players to continue putting in a massive effort if the best they have to look forward to is respectable defeats against the big guns. The demands on inter-county players nowadays are insane and if a county has little or no hope of winning at least a provincial title, then it has got be very hard for the players to keep going. I can certainly understand lads in those situations deciding to pack it in.

Gaillimh_Abu (Galway) - Posts: 1033 - 19/11/2014 18:07:09    1673441

I don't think it's too bad in hurling atm actually. You mentioned Lyng and Wexford but they beat the All Ireland champions this year. Everybody in Munster has a chance of winning the provincial championship and have a decent shot at something bigger. Bar maybe Waterford and they might well be starting in to a new "Golden Generation". Dublin have won a League and Leinster in recent enough times. Galway are inconsistent but can put it up to anyone when they click, Laois are very progressive. It's only Offaly really who are going backwards. Kerry, Westmeath and Carlow probably deserve more help in bridging the gap for their efforts.

And everyone below that has something to play for in the Ring, Rackard and Meagher Cups- which probably deserve more coverage.

Football however... Look at poor Leitrim. Even on a local level Roscommon and Galway are disappearing over the horizon, Mayo are already in another galaxy and Kerry, Dublin and Donegal are just terrifying monsters who might one day accidently trundle in to Carrick on Shannon for a qualifier. They can't compete in terms of finance, in terms of the pick of players they have, the coaching talent they can attract. When they won Connacht 20 years ago they had a manager who'd taken a team to an All Ireland Final and I seriously doubt Mayo's expenditure was lightyears ahead of them. Can you imagine James Horan taking Leitrim in a few years time? Can you imagine them matching Mayo and Galway financially? Never mind the AIG and Kerry Group juggernauts. The landscape has changed. Leitrim aren't alone.

roundball (Tipperary) - Posts: 2514 - 19/11/2014 18:32:35    1673446

Completely understand why he's doing it. Chances of winning silverware are slim to none for us. He still has his life to live and opportunities to take time out and travel are limited as you get older. Massive loss for us. He is a genuinely talented footballer. I wish him well and hope he comes back after his break.

coppers.abu (Leitrim) - Posts: 89 - 19/11/2014 18:41:43    1673449

roundball
County: Tipperary
Posts: 2189



Football however... Look at poor Leitrim. Even on a local level Roscommon and Galway are disappearing over the horizon, Mayo are already in another galaxy and Kerry, Dublin and Donegal are just terrifying monsters who might one day accidently trundle in to Carrick on Shannon for a qualifier. They can't compete in terms of finance, in terms of the pick of players they have, the coaching talent they can attract. When they won Connacht 20 years ago they had a manager who'd taken a team to an All Ireland Final and I seriously doubt Mayo's expenditure was lightyears ahead of them. Can you imagine James Horan taking Leitrim in a few years time? Can you imagine them matching Mayo and Galway financially? Never mind the AIG and Kerry Group juggernauts. The landscape has changed. Leitrim aren't alone.

Excellent post.

Leitrim has a chance of winning silverware (in Croke Park to boot). Winning Division 4 of the football league and playing as high as they can. It is seen as a taboo to win the league almost. If we could lift this then Emlyn Mulligan and the likes would feel less disheartened. Leitrim should use the championship to test players for the league, not the other way around.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 19/11/2014 20:40:46    1673496

Bennybunny i was in carrick eight or nine years where Leitrim took Donegal to extra time and Donegal only got to extra time due to a very friendly referee and at the time Leitrim were able to compete with the Dubs in the league, while the have fell behind in recent years the are doing great work at under age level. The gap between the first round of Connacht and the first round qualifier was something like six weeks for Leitrim last year so players go travelling and then the get hammered in the qualifiers due to having a small base to start with, the Gaa should do something to change that. Cruderocket i think you will find Roscommon have a better record in football then a lot of counties in Ireland despite been a small county. Leitrim, Longford and Roscommon have a lower population combined then Wicklow but all three have done better in football then them, not to mention it is 183 km from the bottom of Roscommon to the top of Leitrim. if you want to talk about population the place to start is splitting Dublin.

ros1 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1211 - 19/11/2014 21:55:16    1673523

Ros1

Fair points. Everything you say is true. However,they are individual matches. Another way to look at it, is Leitrim have 2 Connacht senior titles in 130 years. How many do Sligo have? 3 or 2?

They may go close in individual matches but they don't have the resources to it consistently. Worse, the qualifiers that was designed to help counties like Leitrim actually help Kerry (who won two All-Irelands via backdoor) and other stronger counties. When Westmeath beat Dubin in 2004 (one off game), that should have been it but they were back in a quarter final the same year.

There are one off glory years like Fermanangh in 2004 but they are too one-off. Concentrate on winning the league. This is more realistic. Play in the championship but don't worry if you don't win as it is designed in such a way that you won't anyway.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 20/11/2014 08:48:12    1673536

If these sort of players are to be kept playing for the smaller counties the championship needs to be changed.
Leitrim will never win an all ireland and a provincial title is a once in 70-80 year event what is the point? Especially when you might have to wait 6 weeks from one match to another.

A b all Ireland completion would be a competition they could challenge for. Give it a backdoor entry into the all Ireland quarters and you have something to reward the efforts of these players.

As for hurling, its Kilkenny, Cork and Tipp with 5 or 6 more counties hoping for a provincial title every year or an all Ireland once in a generation. It is very hard to keep players from any other county involved on any kind of serious level. Hurling popularity outside its strongholds is a real die hard love of the game.

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1349 - 20/11/2014 09:11:46    1673540

There is a malaise that kicks in when you face into certain loss every year. The same thing is happening in leinster football at the minute with nobody getting near Dublin for so long. It isn't good for the game. While realistically, you cant do a huge amount for Leitrim, unless they joined up with someone, leinster probably needs looking at as it doesn't look like it is going to right itself.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 20/11/2014 09:40:26    1673547

Tomsmith here

As one that posted some years ago that Dublin County should be split it got a poor response.
I feel that Dunlin clubs should also be restricted to the population that it can cover.
Journey men who seek to transfer into Football or Hurling clubs based in Dublin should be discouraged from doing so and indeed such transferee should get counselling to explain to them that the small team at home is equally as important to the GAA as the big clubs in Dublin.

tomsmith (Cavan) - Posts: 4029 - 20/11/2014 10:02:26    1673555

indeed such transferee should get counselling to explain to them that the small team at home is equally as important to the GAA as the big clubs in Dublin.

Like a kind of GAA Samaritans?

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 20/11/2014 10:29:00    1673564

Ros1,maybe you could make your point without childish name calling and intentional typos.I know all about Roscommons pedigree.Back to back All Irelands in the 40s.Brilliant supporters.10000 attended the minor All Ireland defeat of Kerry few years back.All Ireland club champions couple years ago.Maybe you took me up wro ng when i proposed the amalgamation of counties like Leitrim,Longford and Roscommon.Certainly didnt mean to be demeaning in anyway.Ive said it before,eventually i can see just 16 "counties"playing our games.Dublin and Cork would be left alone as were strong enough as it is.The rest of the country would be a mix of amalgamated counties.In order to both pay our players,and to give every player a realistic chance of success.In case any of ye guys think im losing my marbles,it more than likely wont happen in my lifetime.Who knows,maybe never.Might be just fanciful thinking.I am looking to even up the championship.I care about counties like Wicklow,Fermanagh,Carlow and Leitrim.Most people from the strong counties couldnt give a damn about the goings on of those less fortunate.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 20/11/2014 11:27:16    1673595

cuederocket i did not get your name wrong on purpose, it was an honest mistake. Your idea of having 16 teams with Dublin remaining intact is ridiculous when you consider that the 16 smallest counties combined population is the same as Dublin's and Dublins is faster rising then any of those counties. Not to mention the financial side where Dublin would still have there massive advantage and if you were to use your example of Leitrim, Longford and Ros merging you would struggle to get sponsors for example Leitrim's current sponsors are a hotel in Carrick on Shannon, i don't think the would have much interest in sponsoring a team with maybe only 3 or 4 Leitrim players in it. Plus the there would be the distances players would have to travel and this would attract massive expenses for teams not a problem Dublin have i know.

ros1 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1211 - 20/11/2014 15:27:41    1673708

The now defunct Tommy Murphy Cup could be ran off with the winner getting an All-Ireland quarterfinal & the runner up getting a "last 16 spot". Would give more meaning to the Qualifiers...

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 20/11/2014 16:18:18    1673739

ROS1 number of people who live in the city and number of people who play Hurling and Football are two different things. You could get a Gaelic Football team from China - does that mean with 1.2Billion people it should be the best team in the world. There are some people in Dublin who might as well be in China for all they care about the GAA. Yes Dublin has an advantage but lets be a little bit more honest about the numbers.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1956 - 20/11/2014 16:26:07    1673750

Ros1,i understand what your saying.It may never happen.Just something i think could work down the line.A long time down the line.In regards splitting Dublin,i would say theres not a chance.You cant divide a people.I wouldnt expect Cork,or any other to be divided.It would be easier to amalgamate various counties as you still have all your own county,with the benefit and added strenght of another.In regards travel time,you could probably travel 50 miles quicker than we do 10.Im stuck in traffic now in my taxi.It is horrendous to get around at times.Population of Dublin shouldnt be mistaken for participation.Large parts of south Dublin are Rugby sareas solely.The densely pop

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 20/11/2014 16:28:19    1673754

The densely populated inner city,on both sides of the Liffey has provided minimal players to our county teams over the years.Percentage wise,per head of population,the participation rates for playing our games,would be far greater in all other counties.After we won All Ire in 1983,we won 1 more All Ire in 25 years.Were doing well now but we cant afford to be divided as a county.I respect all other counties,my only wish is that someday a man from the so called weaker counties,will have a decent chance of winning an All Ireland.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 20/11/2014 16:34:34    1673758