I think they're dead right to just focus on hurling. If they were divided between football and hurling they'd probably not be great at either.

It's not like they've half a million people and endless resources to assist them.

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 03/11/2015 10:17:56    1803930

My experience of KK footballers is the exact same as counties that have very weak hurling teams (Cavan etc), they have a very small band of extremely passionate football people that are working very very hard to promote the game. They were a pleasure to have in the British JFC this past few years and I am proud to call them our champions. Their improvement from that competition alone was there to be seen, meaningful games do that to teams! They are at their level now and until they outgrow that then they should stay there, the club champions should be playing the British JFC also, but that's just my opinion.

Bald Eagle (None) - Posts: 1009 - 03/11/2015 11:32:02    1803966

Ratoath were at full strength playing Railyard and are serious team when that happens. They were missing several key players when easily defeating Donabate from Dublin. Consensus was that Railyard were more deserving of respect than Donabate as a football team despite the score running away from them, And allowing for the lack of support and encouragement they get in Kilkenny.
Agree with posters Kilkenny funding should be cut unless they comply with the Aims of the GAA. Why fund them otherwise? This is not as a punishment but more to target the incentive in the right direction.

Ashrules (Dublin) - Posts: 601 - 03/11/2015 12:41:02    1803987

johnwhite12 i seem to have touched a nerve with you. You may look down at hurling in the west but 3 of the counties are smaller and a lot less resources then kk yet give there lads the opportunity to play football and hurling for there county. Unlike kk who go out of there way to disregard football. As for your utter rubbish about the club rossie bus it leased and it is in use 12 months of the years by county football, hurling, ladies football, camogie, underage, transfers dublin based players back for training, clubs teams, school teams, community outings etc it actually saved a lot of money for the county as well as been a promotion aid for Gaa in the county. It is driven by voluntary drivers.

ros1 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1211 - 03/11/2015 13:15:37    1804003

The KK seniors play in the British JFC, yet their club SFC winners are expected to play in the Intermediate Club championship, surely regrading them to play in the Junior Club Championship, like their county team grading would be more beneficial? I feel that they should be made to enter their clubs into the British Club JFC (at KKs expense) as this would be more beneficial to them. They are trying to improve, people shouldn't read into one walloping. Not many congratulated them when they won the British JFC!

Bald Eagle (None) - Posts: 1009 - 03/11/2015 13:31:59    1804015

Lads did it maybe occur to anyone of ye that Kilkenny might not want to play football. Not as in can be bothered but simply don't want to. It is a horrible sport to watch compared to hurling so at this stage it would be impossible in Kilkenny to attract young fellas to the sport. Most non gaelic football people would watch rugby over gaelic at this stage. About 80% of the country is majority gaelic football and yet the same 3/4 teams dominate year on year.

People in glass houses.....

mike03 (Limerick) - Posts: 2000 - 03/11/2015 13:48:24    1804020

What difference would it make? Would it really warm the cockles if your heart to have yet another mediocre Gaelic team looking out for moral victories against fellow division 4 stalwarts and turning their noses up at the thought of the Tommy Murphy cup. They don't need football and football doesn't need them. Instead we have the privilege of seeing one of the best teams in world sport on our doorstep (even if we are sick of watching them win). And if theres anyone there who really feels the need to represent kk in football they can send them to a good psychologist with all the dough they save from not fielding a football team

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1055 - 03/11/2015 14:42:09    1804055

It obviously galls some people that Kilkenny treat football the same way as counties like my own treat hurling. If there were a few more counties treating football this way there would at least be a level for them to compete wat & they wouldn't be seen as some sort of pariah by the football custodians who seem to be up in arms. When Cavan pulled their senior hurling team were these same people outraged?

Kilkenny is unusual because there's no "football area" within the county & they just happen to be the most successful hurling county in Ireland. What do you think the kids there growing up want to play? They're also one of the strongest handball counties in the the country too. And yet they've more clubs fielding football teams than Cavan, Fermanagh, Longford & Leitrim combined. Get a grip, naysayers!

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4105 - 03/11/2015 16:00:15    1804103

Keeper7
"And yet they've more clubs fielding football teams than Cavan, Fermanagh, Longford & Leitrim combined".

Keeper, where did you come up with such a statistic? That can't possibly be correct. Surely Cavan alone of the above counties would have more football clubs and playing numbers than Kilkenny.

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 3070 - 03/11/2015 17:43:08    1804155

Was just looking at the Darragh Joyce to AFL story and saw this thread and it struck me what a huge decision that lad has to make. Young players from other counties go out with it in the back of their heads that they can come back and play inter-county because there's some overlap in the skill set and a few years being a pro will stand them in good stead. If you're out of hurling for a few years playing a totally alien sport it would be huge achievement to break back in to the Kilkenny hurling team.

Easy to imagine Colin O'Riordan coming back and playing football for Tipp and having some success if it doesn't work out in Oz, can't seem him playing hurling at that level though.

I feel sorry for Joyce in that regard.

roundball (Tipperary) - Posts: 2514 - 03/11/2015 17:44:54    1804157

Rosi you are only making excuses I was not looking down on Western hurling I asked the question why a man from a province that has no provincial hurling championship was lecturing somebody else about football get your own house in order first I suppose the word presume comes into it. Handball would be our second sport as regards yer bus you seem to take exception to it who puts diesel ,insurance, tyres etc it still has to be payed for.

johnwhite12 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 306 - 03/11/2015 17:49:13    1804160

I think the point thatkeepet7 was making was that Kilkenny have more football teams than Cavan (4), Longford (3) Fermanagh (1) and Leitrim (4) have in hurling...

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 03/11/2015 18:19:49    1804175

Mike 03 I agree with you I know a lot of people would watch rugby than gaelic it is so boring .

johnwhite12 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 306 - 03/11/2015 18:41:27    1804179

bennybunny
County: Cork
Posts: 3029

1804175
I think the point thatkeepet7 was making was that Kilkenny have more football teams than Cavan (4), Longford (3) Fermanagh (1) and Leitrim (4) have in hurling...

Thanks for explaining that Bennybunny, i couldn't really get my head round that stat. btw I think there are only 2 senior hurling clubs in Cavan now.

also you guys might be interested in this particular Thread regarding Cavan hurling from the Cavan page.

http://hoganstand.com/Cavan/MessagePage.aspx?TopicID=95147

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5524 - 03/11/2015 19:00:12    1804187

Mike that is pure nonsense the massive figures for football prove this. There are a lot of people who wouldn't be bothered watching every sport including hurling johnwhite12 there is a connacht championship every year between ros and Mayo, all 5 Connacht teams take part in the hurling championship and any costs for the bus are met by our travel sponsors, plus the get a small income from renting it out to clubs/schools in the county. As keeper 7 has said there are a more football clubs in kk then the are a hurling clubs in a number of counties who all have inter county hurling teams which proves my original point that there is a base there. My own county is very successful in handball as well. Keeper 7 if your club win the championship in Longford you wont have six months to wait until your provincial championship or if you want you can play inter County hurling for Longford. KK should not be forced in to anything the do not want to do so my plan to cut there funding seems the best plan the can still carry on hurling just with less resources unless the give football a bit of attention. Indeed i talked to a couple of kk people who told me kk people were sick of finals and this can be seen by the amount of kk people who did not bother waiting for the teams lap of honour maybe the could start supporting there footballers.

ros1 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1211 - 03/11/2015 19:05:44    1804189

Very simple c ut their funding I would take a guess and say the few quid they get for football gets spent on hurling anyway or most of it

delboydub (Dublin) - Posts: 665 - 03/11/2015 19:15:04    1804192

Correct, Bennybunny. Thanks for bailing me out! I think Cavan only had 2 senior hurling teams who fielded 15-a-side this year (Ballymachugh didn't field).

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4105 - 03/11/2015 19:17:56    1804195

I think if you look at the major initiatives mooted by the GAA, and GPA, in the last few months, you see which code really comes second. Looking at Paraic Duffy's recommendations today (article is on the main page), the focus is on football. Ironically, this probably hurts football more, as changes are made that aren't needed, but its pretty clear that hurling is an afterthought. One of the proposals is reserving the first Sunday in Sept for the football AI, playing the hurling one off in early/mid August. Looks like the top tier hurling counties are going to get a taste of that the Ring/Rackard/Meaghar teams have experienced over the last few years, with their competitions played off earlier and earlier in the summer, to just get them out of the way.

And look at the initiative behind the GPA's football championship proposals, and its assertion that the provincial system no longer worked for football. As I recall, one spokesmen, said the same need wasn't there in hurling. ARE THEY SERIOUS?!?! Hurling is the code where the provincial system never worked, they had to shoehorn Galway and Antrim into Leinster to get any sort of fairness. If there's one sport that obviously needs to get away from the provincial setup, its hurling. Even many top players (incl. Kilkenny lads) said the same this year. But because the higher ups only pay attention to hurling one day a year on AI final day, if they see only one half decent game a year with a full stadium, then that's all that is required.

Sorry if this seems like a bit of a whinge, but its frustrating to see hurling continually demoted and ignored.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 03/11/2015 19:34:16    1804205

delboydub the County that gets big funding from the taxpayer who are they then telling others where they should be funded from.

johnwhite12 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 306 - 03/11/2015 19:35:29    1804207

If there is a Connacht championship why are Galway playing in leinster there intermidiates played in leinster this year they were looking for there under age teams in leinster may be there the one are looking down there nose at Connacht .

johnwhite12 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 306 - 03/11/2015 20:02:45    1804218