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Replying To Whammo86: "I don't think it's kicking us when we are down.
I think you talk a lot of sense.
There's a tradition of Antrim hurling that means hopefully there is some potential there but it's not going to be realised overnight.
I can't see us being anything but second tier for the time being.
We don't have the underage structure. Clubs are doing a good job but the schools game is shocking.
If you look at the Dublin model the clubs are working in tandem with the schools to make sure children are getting a proper exposure to Gaelic games. That isn't the case at all in Antrim for either code.
We also just don't have enough coaches.
I still hate the attitude of some on here though. Give up, that's ridiculous.
Our players are probably just not good enough, that's not a reason to attack their character. Their season was not the disaster you lads made it out to be. Things are looking a whole lot better than what happened last year in the league first London. I also think people just make such rash judgements off the back of 1 game. They beat Carlow twice this year, they were the 2 best teams around their level this year.
If Antrim are in the qualifier group next year I think we will be very competitive." It's been the merrygoround, same old, same old with Antrim hurlers for the past 15 years and the county is not even competing with the also rans never mind being down with them no disrespect to Carlow, Laois or Westmeath. I have stuck with them for so long but now realise it's a lost cause.
A lot of Antrim's problems are within there's no doubt but the Ulster Council doesn't give a monkeys about hurling while Croke Park doesn't give a toss about anything north of Dublin airport. The GAA has lost a generation of kids in Belfast and Antrim who prefer soccer because of the negligence and ignorance of those running the Association.
Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9706 - 11/06/2017 21:48:28
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Replying To CastleBravo: "Carlow beat Dublin in the U21 hurling in 2013, when was the second time?" Sorry it was Laois we beat last year u21.
The point I'm making is that it's not a surprise result that carlow beat antrim based on underage results for the last 5 years.
Carlow will get a better idea where we are when we play Laois in 2 weeks time
carlovia (None) - Posts: 1517 - 11/06/2017 22:09:35
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Replying To Ulsterman: "It's been the merrygoround, same old, same old with Antrim hurlers for the past 15 years and the county is not even competing with the also rans never mind being down with them no disrespect to Carlow, Laois or Westmeath. I have stuck with them for so long but now realise it's a lost cause.
A lot of Antrim's problems are within there's no doubt but the Ulster Council doesn't give a monkeys about hurling while Croke Park doesn't give a toss about anything north of Dublin airport. The GAA has lost a generation of kids in Belfast and Antrim who prefer soccer because of the negligence and ignorance of those running the Association." To lose a final in any sport, in any grade can be disappointing, to say the least, the Christy Ring cup final is no different, if Carlow had been beaten I'd have been gutted, so I can understand how some Antrim posters feel. If you go back to the first game in the CR cup played in NCP which was a very competitive and exciting game of which Antrim won in extra time on a score line of 3-20 to 2-22, you wouldn't get closer than that.
Wasn't this going to be the 4th meeting of the sides in recent times, with Antrim winning 2 and drawing 1 (I think) going into the 4th game. Antrim also got promoted to div.1b. Although I wasn't at the game or see it through no fault of my own I thought Croke Park as a venue was going to have a telling effect on the outcome of the game and I believe to some extent it did, along with that I think Carlow wanted it more, the wide open space suited them more and the little things went their way, I'm only going on postmatch analysis.
Antrim and Carlow hurling is in a reasonably good place, - - - it can only get better.
Commiserations and good luck in the future.
PS - If Antrim had to win the CR final by 0-01on Saturday what state would Antrim hurling be in then.?
supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 2908 - 12/06/2017 00:01:09
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Replying To Glensboy: "Lol, 'inferiority complex'.
We won the league. Sure yesterday was a setback but the lads will dust down and go again.
If you translate the sentiments in your original post to club level. The GAA would be dead. However it is not and never will be, and I know dozens of good people in Antrim GAA, including myself, who love what they do.
But you just carry on criticising and leave the hard, enjoyable work, to the rest of us." Yes as I thought. Missed it completely. Keep it among yourselves in your little kingdom, that's how it's always been so how would you know any different? God forbid you might look at other counties/ other sports on our own doorstep and see how progressive they are.
oso (Antrim) - Posts: 168 - 12/06/2017 08:17:38
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Replying To CastleBravo: "Carlow beat Dublin in the U21 hurling in 2013, when was the second time?" Sorry it was Laois we beat last year u21.
The point I'm making is that it's not a surprise result that carlow beat antrim based on underage results for the last 5 years.
Carlow will get a better idea where we are when we play Laois in 2 weeks time
carlovia (None) - Posts: 1517 - 12/06/2017 08:30:34
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RIP....what!!! getting gifted a championship spot next year regardless at our expense! No RIPs from me to them.
RoyalBadger (Meath) - Posts: 571 - 12/06/2017 09:04:29
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I understand Ulstermans frustrations. We have come from a time when we were able to go onto the field and give it a go against the best counties to a situation where year after year we are looking for the green shoots of recovery only to be continually knocked back.
On one hand we have to realise that as we are standing still or going backward other counties are pushing on so if we are looking back nostalgically we are maybe asking how have we reached a point where the Carlows of this world are beating us comfortably but if you apply the realisation to the work that has been done in these counties in between then it is not that hard to work out.
What we have to and can only do is focus on ourselves. I do believe that Ulster hurling has been massively let down both at Ulster and All Ireland level but do we wait about for someone riding to the rescue or do we try and sort it out ourselves?
Hard to know but definitely in Belfast we have the second largest city on the Island with a massive Nationalist population and massive promotion of Irish culture but come up short on delivering this into the sporting side of the culture. Sure we have not been great at pulling together as a county either but yes we either quit or else we start working even harder to sort it out.
Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 12/06/2017 09:04:29
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Replying To RoyalBadger: "RIP....what!!! getting gifted a championship spot next year regardless at our expense! No RIPs from me to them." Absolutely GAA doing all they can for Antrim. If the shoe was on the other foot I guarantee there would be no relegation from leinster this year and only carlow would go up as CR winners. Having the runners up automatically promoted is farcical.
Royalace (Meath) - Posts: 121 - 12/06/2017 09:47:04
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Firstly congrats to Carlow, they were the hungrier, sharper, fitter and ultimately best team on the day. There was and has been very little between both counties over the last 10 years or so.
Similarly with Laois Kerry, Westmeath and Meath more recently we are capable of beating any of them on any given day but equally we have suffered similar amounts of losses. The team of the 80s and 90s im afraid are long gone and this is the level we are at and have been for quite a while. Theres no point having delusions of grandeur we will yoyo between 1B and 2A in the league and likewise the qualifier group and Christy Ring in championship.
We simply aren't producing enough quality at underage level and haven't had a decent team from the early 2000's which funnily enough provided the spine of the current senior team.
As for whether or not Antrim Hurling is dead or on life support, the rural clubs alone will keep it going. They will always be fine numbers wise as they have the village identity which ensures most kids growing up will pick up a stick.
They also unlike nearly all Belfast clubs with one or 2 exceptions have their current senior players and ex players who will always coach and ensure their teams play to a decent standard, certainly clubwise
Belfast hurling is in dire trouble though and in the next 10/15 years could be reduced to 4/5 clubs which is a shambles given the population levels. There is sadly a worrying lack of interest in the game, even at adult level now, with lower league Belfast hurling teams folding regularly or dropping down to divisional level because they cant field teams mid week when they have to travel outside Belfast. In fact Division 3 and 4 this year had to be restructured because of Belfast clubs pulling out at the last minute. In fact If you also speak to those clubs still playing in these lower leagues they are also struggling to field when it comes to playing away from home.
At juvenile level as naysayer has said there's no coherent strategy to primary school hurling with most kids not able to even hold a stick ffs. Schools aren't interested, due to cost of equipment and lack of interest from teachers. Clubs in the main are paying lip service to schools coaching because they have no-one willing to give up a couple of hours work. The County Board seemingly have no interest or guidance or theyre too busy fire fighting elsewhere. The ulster council response is to send one of their coaches for 5/6 weeks every year as a tick box exercise. The sad reality is you very rarely see kids with hurls in their hands in the street now unlike when we were kids.
Just as an example of the lack of interest, my 10 year old daughter had her sports day last week and came third in her class in the poc fada. She has never played a game, as she has no real interest either, however, the reason she came third in a class of 25/30 kids was the majority of the kids, both boys and girls couldn't hit the ball at all.
Sadly Im quite sure similar stories were and will be replicated across quite a few primary schools in Belfast for sports days.
bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 12/06/2017 12:48:48
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Replying To PaudieSull1: "Nothing sour about it but a bit of reality...........ye criticise Dublin for getting money from to but forget to say a lot if the clubs in Dublin are providing at least partial funding for their games development officers, what are Antrim doing, nothing but expecting Croker to fork out more money to them sure didn't they get 100k already what was that spent on????
Antrim complain about being excluded from hurling top table yet try their best to do the same to every other northern county......there are as many hurling clubs in Antrim as Clare but it's everyone else's fault but antrim's for their demise, maybe it's time for some self reflection" but of course Down don't need self reflection. Antrim are at fault for all their short comings. Between Down hurling posters throwing cheap shots at Antrim and their football posters doing the same with Tyrone, spare us your 'man up' lectures will ye!
SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2386 - 12/06/2017 14:40:28
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Replying To Killarney.87: "Typical GAA begrudgery at its finest. Carlow are a good side and no mention of them or a word of congrats." Exactly this was Carlow's third time playing antrim this year and the first win against them,well done to both teams some great scoring
cityman73 (Limerick) - Posts: 779 - 12/06/2017 17:49:04
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Replying To SaffronDon: "but of course Down don't need self reflection. Antrim are at fault for all their short comings. Between Down hurling posters throwing cheap shots at Antrim and their football posters doing the same with Tyrone, spare us your 'man up' lectures will ye!" Unlike our neighbours Down don't have an inflated sense of self importance .......we know that we are a Christy Ring county and with effectively 11 hurling clubs that will be very difficult to overcome, although fair play Carlow have shown what is possible.......Antrim have over 30 hurling clubs so surely they should be doing better
I take no pleasure in the way Antrim hurling has gone but the constant interviews in the Irish news from Sambo and Woody blaming everyone else but Antrim themselves is wearing thin......yes Antrim need more help from Croker and should get it but maybe the reason they aren't is because central GAA aren't sure how effectively it will be used.......Dublin had a coherent plan, stuck to it and delivered, would Antrim do the same???
PaudieSull1 (Down) - Posts: 738 - 12/06/2017 19:49:14
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Replying To PaudieSull1: "Unlike our neighbours Down don't have an inflated sense of self importance .......we know that we are a Christy Ring county and with effectively 11 hurling clubs that will be very difficult to overcome, although fair play Carlow have shown what is possible.......Antrim have over 30 hurling clubs so surely they should be doing better
I take no pleasure in the way Antrim hurling has gone but the constant interviews in the Irish news from Sambo and Woody blaming everyone else but Antrim themselves is wearing thin......yes Antrim need more help from Croker and should get it but maybe the reason they aren't is because central GAA aren't sure how effectively it will be used.......Dublin had a coherent plan, stuck to it and delivered, would Antrim do the same???" So Antrim have an inflated sense of self importance yet you say we have over 30 hurling clubs and should be doing better? I guess because you are not from Antrim you are allowed to say that without getting called self important and the rest of us natives should just pretend we're doing fine, yeah?
Sambo and Woody work hard to bring Antrim hurling on, they could talk about the hard work they do but some people would call them self important if they did. They are doing what anybody else in their position would do and that's ask for more support from hq, what would you do? say nah we're grand here! if you dont ask you don't get. If Dublin had a coherent plan that was successful then why wouldn't they try to make that work in another part of the country?
SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2386 - 12/06/2017 22:26:03
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Replying To SaffronDon: "So Antrim have an inflated sense of self importance yet you say we have over 30 hurling clubs and should be doing better? I guess because you are not from Antrim you are allowed to say that without getting called self important and the rest of us natives should just pretend we're doing fine, yeah?
Sambo and Woody work hard to bring Antrim hurling on, they could talk about the hard work they do but some people would call them self important if they did. They are doing what anybody else in their position would do and that's ask for more support from hq, what would you do? say nah we're grand here! if you dont ask you don't get. If Dublin had a coherent plan that was successful then why wouldn't they try to make that work in another part of the country?" Dublin's coherent plan was probably not any different to what any other county could come up with except that they could put forward money, and plenty of it which HQ then matched in spades. It would be the equivalent of a government throwing money at wealthy areas because they are able to upkeep all the additional amenities that they get. On this basis the solution is for Antrim and other counties to find more money and they will get more help. Simple isn't it and a great way to promote the games nationally.
Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 13/06/2017 09:46:41
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