National Forum

Wexford Hurling Thread

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Replying To Viking66:  "Ah ok. Waterford won minor in 2013 and u21 in 2016 as well I think."
Ironic when you look back at it that our 2013 Minor and 2016 U21 teams should've been our strongest when you consider the lads who were up to the age back then

And yet the Minors lost by 4 to Laois in a Leinster SF and the U21s might have lost by 7 at home to Dublin in a Leinster QF

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 1371 - 05/06/2026 11:42:47    2678090

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Replying To StoreysTash:  "The progress made by Oylegate and Monageer in recent years is really eye-catching, have they done something different from other clubs here or is it just down to hard work and a top group of players?
That they have overtaken all the (no disrespect) "traditional" clubs in terms of numbers, considering both always were middle of the road clubs, is great to see. Provided its they are doing things better, not others have dropped the ball. Glynn were always good enough at underage and have numbers too.
But whatever Oylegate and Monageer are doing, other clubs should follow. Have they their own GPO's or something?"
They have been working really hard in fairness to them. In an ideal world every club would do the same.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19939 - 05/06/2026 11:46:13    2678091

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "Ironic when you look back at it that our 2013 Minor and 2016 U21 teams should've been our strongest when you consider the lads who were up to the age back then

And yet the Minors lost by 4 to Laois in a Leinster SF and the U21s might have lost by 7 at home to Dublin in a Leinster QF"
Yes. Waterfords team 2013/2016 were like Offalys recent one, exceptional even at u11.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19939 - 05/06/2026 11:48:30    2678093

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Replying To Viking66:  "Thanks Pikeman!"
Have a look at how empty Croke Park was that day. And here's where I hop onto my hobby horse about bandwagons. :)

I remember there was only about 16,000 people there, and was for a double-header. Offaly played Meath in the first game.

Let's be generous and say 10,000 Wexford people. The other three counties wouldn't have had big support, and of course, this was in the days when championship was maybe just one game a year, that brought the annual "day out in Croke Park", and it's well established that a certain type of Wexford hurling "supporter" likes going to Croke Park but nowhere else.

Crowds then swelled as the year went on. And when we reached the All-Ireland Final, people complained about hard it was to get tickets for all the "real" supporters, "who go to every game".

Go figure.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3745 - 05/06/2026 11:51:34    2678095

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Replying To StoreysTash:  "The progress made by Oylegate and Monageer in recent years is really eye-catching, have they done something different from other clubs here or is it just down to hard work and a top group of players?
That they have overtaken all the (no disrespect) "traditional" clubs in terms of numbers, considering both always were middle of the road clubs, is great to see. Provided its they are doing things better, not others have dropped the ball. Glynn were always good enough at underage and have numbers too.
But whatever Oylegate and Monageer are doing, other clubs should follow. Have they their own GPO's or something?"
Same as every other rural area near large town . Influx of families . Ballyhogue too .
I ve coached for years and hurled for a long time too at a reasonable level but I did sometimes feel whilst doing coaching courses that on occasion the tutors made you feel like you dont actually know what you are doing knowing you played and competed at a level thry never did if at all . Everything is by the book and poliitically correct . Can feel at times like this is what you cant do rather than this is what you can do and no improvising .
Everyone is equal everyone gets the chance not about winning or being the best well thats until it is .
Imo this does nt encourage the kids to put the extra work in to push themselves onto the team or next level sure no matter wgat I m entitled to play.
The landscape of coaching has changed I would imagine since you ve been away .

Formertownie (Wexford) - Posts: 613 - 05/06/2026 12:01:13    2678098

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Another funny one is that we've a similar population to Tipp but they have more clubs, probably because they're a bigger county so have more parishes

Viking has said they've a lot more hurlers than us and they've a better hurling culture than us but I do wonder if it's easier to get lads to stick around if they're part of a smaller club?

Like say you're with Gorey and you're part of a second string at underage level, you can just give up and it doesn't really have that much of an impact

But if you're at a smaller club, a player giving up could be the difference between being able to field a team or having to give walkovers/amalgamate, might be more of an incentive to stick around

Might be more of an incentive to coach at a smaller club too because you've such a small pick, you have to make the most out of what you have

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 1371 - 05/06/2026 12:13:59    2678104

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Have a look at how empty Croke Park was that day. And here's where I hop onto my hobby horse about bandwagons. :)

I remember there was only about 16,000 people there, and was for a double-header. Offaly played Meath in the first game.

Let's be generous and say 10,000 Wexford people. The other three counties wouldn't have had big support, and of course, this was in the days when championship was maybe just one game a year, that brought the annual "day out in Croke Park", and it's well established that a certain type of Wexford hurling "supporter" likes going to Croke Park but nowhere else.

Crowds then swelled as the year went on. And when we reached the All-Ireland Final, people complained about hard it was to get tickets for all the "real" supporters, "who go to every game".

Go figure."
Tbf, Croke Park can always make attendances look worse (And I think drives the Leinster-Munster narrative a bit)

Like the Leinster Final might get 35k on average which makes it look fairly empty but 35k is still a decent crowd, the Gaelic Grounds, Semple, and PUC would be 80% full at 35k

Tomorrow might be around 40k, 20k from Galway and 20k from Dublin is a good crowd for a hurling game by their standards

Don't think the 1996 Leinster Final broke 40k unless I'm mistaken?

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 1371 - 05/06/2026 12:48:37    2678115

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "Another funny one is that we've a similar population to Tipp but they have more clubs, probably because they're a bigger county so have more parishes

Viking has said they've a lot more hurlers than us and they've a better hurling culture than us but I do wonder if it's easier to get lads to stick around if they're part of a smaller club?

Like say you're with Gorey and you're part of a second string at underage level, you can just give up and it doesn't really have that much of an impact

But if you're at a smaller club, a player giving up could be the difference between being able to field a team or having to give walkovers/amalgamate, might be more of an incentive to stick around

Might be more of an incentive to coach at a smaller club too because you've such a small pick, you have to make the most out of what you have"
On the bigger club losing players easily, that depends on the club. Dublin has lots of clubs, in both codes, that have very successful 2nd, 3rd and even 4th teams. In Limerick NP, Monaleen and Mungrets 2nd and 3rd teams are decent and well run. In Monaleen and Mungrets case that applies to both codes. Kilmallock and Doon have very strong 2nd teams too. I know Thurles Sarsfields 2nd team is very strong and we all know that Ballygunners is.
I suppose the point is that it comes down to how well a club is run and its ambition. It can be done and is being done successfully by the well organised and ambitious clubs. My own club has struggles with its 2nd team and we should be as strong as Doon or Kilmallock. Imo that's down to a too much focus on senior hurling over a sustained period of time.

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 540 - 05/06/2026 13:06:23    2678125

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