The Tain Club League:
Nine developing counties: Longford, Louth, Leitrim, Sligo, Donegal, Tyrone, Cavan, Monaghan and Fermanagh.
With the four Ulster counties also involved: Antrim, Armagh, Derry and Down.

Why are Antrim included? Sure they are in the Leinster Championship and McCarthy Cup.

While it's good for the other counties involved, what about Kerry, Mayo, Roscommon and a number of Leinster counties e.g. Kildare, Wicklow and Meath? What's the plan for these counties?

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7846 - 17/02/2012 09:17:23    1113338

Dissappointed to see that Kildare don't seem to be catered for - need to improve the standard of hurling and the no. of clubs who can compete at a high level. Seems to be only the same clubs in the semis of the champship ever year.

roast (Kildare) - Posts: 143 - 17/02/2012 10:22:58    1113386

Its basically the Ulster League with those counties that are on or close to the border outside Ulster, hence the inclusion of Antrim clubs.

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 17/02/2012 16:52:47    1113780

Presumably it's the weaker Antrim clubs, not the likes of Loughgiel.

There's a Leinster club league that Kildare & Wicklow clubs are free to compete in.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 17/02/2012 18:51:54    1113853

http://ulster.gaa.ie/fixtures-and-results/2012-2/hurling/tain-club-hurling-league/division-1b/

loughgiel are in it but i suspect they may have to pull out..the top 3 antrim teams are still playing in it..cushendall dunloy loughgiel

antrimfella (Down) - Posts: 67 - 17/02/2012 21:12:29    1113926

It could be their 2nd string? Then again, there are 5 divisions in this league so....

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 17/02/2012 21:30:44    1113932

With Tain 13 + McCarthy 14, we get 26 counties, counting Antrim once.
Why create a new partition of the six counties (Mayo, Roscommon, Kerry, Kildare, Wicklow, Meath) ?
Why not add the Tain All Stars and the Sextet All Stars to create a 16 team McCarthy field?
What do you think ?

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2592 - 17/02/2012 21:51:27    1113943

Your right antrim should not have clubs in this set up as they have an established 4 league (with potential for 5) division system. On that note it should have been done in this hurling report that the Down clubs which participate in Antrim should chose to stay or go and not use both.

I have to agree on the kerry mayo problem i dont know what state domestic hurling in kerry is in i know at county level they are flying in terms of development.

I personally think the Tain League covers a far too broad region, i agree with the concept that is all, the time of year it is played etc is just wrong the lack of championship meetings of the clubs involved is practically nil and the clubs dont get enough games nor does it extend to under age which is again a massive problem.

In my eyes the league should have been split into regional terms, ie Derry Donegal Tyrone - fermangh Cavan Monaghan Lietrim - down armagh louth meath - longford roscommon sligo mayo - kildare wicklow carlow - i would propose kerry be put into cork leagues while maintaining their own championship should they wish but all other regions have a championship.

The regional leagues will be twinned with a championship and played over the domestic league period that is summer, all regions to set up a county/regional board with a view to looking at creating divisional juvenile leagues and to prmote hurling by employing hurling dev coaches in regions that dont play the sport.

One final option i would offer these counties is the potential to withdraw their individual intercounty teams and put forward amalgamated teams, the county could still enter a lower tier should they wish with the amalgamated team looking at a higher tier, good example is downs group, they could look at entering liam mc carthy while their county teams still participate in their respective comp. Should two regions wish to come together this should be allowed.

North Side Gael (None) - Posts: 1076 - 18/02/2012 08:35:24    1113958

for most antrim and down (ards) teams its a preseason exercise more than a compeditive league before the antrim league begins

ianog (Down) - Posts: 416 - 18/02/2012 11:52:37    1113993

bumpernut
County: Antrim
Posts: 483

Its basically the Ulster League with those counties that are on or close to the border outside Ulster, hence the inclusion of Antrim clubs.

Here's your answer. Antrim's involvement in Leinster and the SHC is irrelevant as the purpose of the Ulster League was to give clubs from 'weaker' counties more competitive matches. It's morphed into a pre-season competition now and a lot of lads enjoy it more as a result.

By the way, how do you propose to run a club league with teams from Derry, Donegal, Kerry & Wicklow?

Benandonner (Antrim) - Posts: 459 - 18/02/2012 16:57:27    1114147

Precisely ianog which makes a mockery of the whole thing as this is suppose to give clubs from weaker counties a real chance with antrim/ards clubs, how are they able to measure themselves playing against a clubs u21 team, silly.

North Side Gael (None) - Posts: 1076 - 18/02/2012 18:35:37    1114209

All these clubs still have their own leagues & championships so it's an additional number of competitive matches. It mobilises the clubs before the football season gets going properly in these counties.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 18/02/2012 19:28:18    1114240

So then keeper7 do we just sit back and allow football to take preference as county boards dont care, surely this league could be run during the summer with teams participating on a fuller level, it should be done what happens in cavan where two evenings a week are dedicated to hurling, this should happen in every county so that football and hurling dont clash and hurling can be played at the time of year it is best played.

North Side Gael (None) - Posts: 1076 - 18/02/2012 19:38:15    1114245

I presume the Mentor scheme is there to ensure that hurling does get a fair treatment. Being realistic, you can't turn a football county into a dual county overnight.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 18/02/2012 21:10:08    1114292

why a new partition of the six counties (Mayo, Roscommon, Kerry, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow) ?
These are the only counties non-McCarthy, non-Tain - why not add at least Mayo and Roscommon to Tain; the Kerry/ Leinster quartet could form its own league.
What do you think ?

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2592 - 18/02/2012 21:52:26    1114324

not sure anyone would be bothered if the antrim div 1 league sides were excluded when that starts in the better weather it is of a better standard the teams you seem to be referring to play at there own level so if they take it serious fair play what harm then if the antrim div 1 teams use it as a preseason

ianog (Down) - Posts: 416 - 19/02/2012 09:18:26    1114340

Just looking through fixtures and results on Ulster GAA website for this League. In the first three rounds of the League across all Divisions there have been 10 walkovers awarded already, not a good sign for Hurling promotion! If this is to succeed then this League needs to be organised at a decent time of years, when clubs are ready for playing on decent pitches, not squeezed into so called 'winter months' as fulfilling a box ticking exercise for the Ulster Council in their promotion of Hurling.

lasttoknow (Tyrone) - Posts: 99 - 23/02/2012 15:15:02    1116581