National Forum

Hurling - Merging Counties

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "I will admit I am very much a hurling snob. I am aware it is a minority sport. To me it's just far more culturally unique. The true Gaels are dual counties, but that's just my view.

Any decent athlete can get up to speed fairly quickly in football. I just don't think that's the case in hurling.

There's plenty of cynical stuff in hurling of course, but I would rather watch a poor hurling game than the best football game."
Spot on Doyler, the second and third paragraphs would be my thoughts exactly.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2572 - 08/11/2025 12:14:54    2643490

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Replying To legendzxix:  "Hypothetically 2 combined teams entering the preliminary quarter finals against the 3rd placed teams would be the way to go. Realistically not going to happen. No financial return. Lower tier county players are often straight into club championships. The Kerry hurling final is usually the first weekend of August."
Its nothing to do with money. Those lads would have to train together 3 times a week from November. Not possible.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17412 - 08/11/2025 15:33:39    2643512

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "I will admit I am very much a hurling snob. I am aware it is a minority sport. To me it's just far more culturally unique. The true Gaels are dual counties, but that's just my view.

Any decent athlete can get up to speed fairly quickly in football. I just don't think that's the case in hurling.

There's plenty of cynical stuff in hurling of course, but I would rather watch a poor hurling game than the best football game."
As someone who coaches both at a genuinely dual club Ill say this, the basics of hurling are more difficult to master for beginners. But to be a really top level player of either would take the same hours of endless practice. Hard to explain to a hurling only man how hard it is to kick points off what would be naturally your weaker foot for example.
With my spectators hat on I personally prefer watching a game of Hurling, but it's certainly true that a good game of Football is better than a bad game of Hurling. At the same time Ive seen thousands of games of hurling in my life and not seen too many really bad ones. I would have seen more bad games of Football.
Overall I wouldn't say one was better than the other, but I would say a true GAA county should play and promote both equally. Otherwise you are only a Hurling county, or only a Football county. Kind of only a half county so to speak.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17412 - 08/11/2025 15:49:43    2643516

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "I will admit I am very much a hurling snob. I am aware it is a minority sport. To me it's just far more culturally unique. The true Gaels are dual counties, but that's just my view.

Any decent athlete can get up to speed fairly quickly in football. I just don't think that's the case in hurling.

There's plenty of cynical stuff in hurling of course, but I would rather watch a poor hurling game than the best football game."
As someone who coaches both at a genuinely dual club Ill say this, the basics of hurling are more difficult to master for beginners. But to be a really top level player of either would take the same hours of endless practice. Hard to explain to a hurling only man how hard it is to kick points off what would be naturally your weaker foot for example.
With my spectators hat on I personally prefer watching a game of Hurling, but it's certainly true that a good game of Football is better than a bad game of Hurling. At the same time Ive seen thousands of games of hurling in my life and not seen too many really bad ones. I would have seen more bad games of Football.
Overall I wouldn't say one was better than the other, but I would say a true GAA county should play and promote both equally. Otherwise you are only a Hurling county, or only a Football county. Kind of only a half county so to speak.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17412 - 08/11/2025 15:54:46    2643518

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Replying To Bon:  "Spot on Doyler, the second and third paragraphs would be my thoughts exactly."
True gaels can like one over other but respect both football as improved from where it was come on.
Yes hurling maybe better still football has improved.

What does dual counties mean as true gaels is it only galway cork tipp because they play Liam Mccarthy as well or kerry antrim offaly included in that they play both

For hurling to grow in single code counties it needs get to get some of reluctant football crowd on board as well

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 1074 - 08/11/2025 15:55:40    2643519

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Replying To PoolSturgeon:  "Plaudits at least for bringing the thread back on topic. These kind of discussions seem to always descend into the usual childish stuff: "hurling good; football bad" or "football good, hurling bad". So tiresome."
Well said that doesn't help anyone a lot these people on this thread even summarising this for bot to thrive this ideology one good other is bad is not good and won't help improve hurling in small counties and waot for we probably get slated for saying that but you have to bring too somewhat together not divide them further.

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 1074 - 08/11/2025 15:57:47    2643521

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