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In Mayo anything that might reduce the ability of the football team to win the sam Maguire is not welcome - having good footballer spending their time with a sliotar is viewed the same as soccer - taking away from time that should be spent with a size 5 O Neills. I personally have another view - that all kids should play as many sports as possible and not spend more than 1 training session a week at any one sport up to U16. Then let them decide for themselves - but the love of specialisation in all sports is contrary to that - Hurling purists, football lovers etc, dont share my view. Last time I checked - I am not the Czar of Mayo football so cannot implement my philosophy. Lets live in the real world There are 4 counties where Hurling is prioritised over football (Waterford, Kilkenny, Tipp and Limerick) There are 3 counties Cork, Galway, Clare where there is a very distinct geographical split - football in one area, hurling in another. Then there is Wexford who attempt to do both - more so than anyone else. There are 22 counties who prioritise football over hurling - In Dublin hurling is available to those who don't make the football team and because they have so many players - they have a competitive hurling team - but its still a footbal county Offally has a hand full of hurling strongholds keeping them semi competitive, same as Laois. But both are football counties and not very successful at it either. In any county that doesn't have a huge population - more so for counties without universities and cities with work prospects for younger people - they do not have the resources do excel at more than one sport. Its not at coincidence that Dublins improvement in hurling comes when its league of Ireland clubs are not where they were. Sligo football competes with League of Ireland - the increase in one, is at the detriment of the other. This is the world we live in. The question for Hurling is how does it compete with other field sports to expand. It claims to be the best sport in the world - but that claim is just a claim. It struggles to get support in 2/3rds of the counties on this small island for the past 140 years. Throwing a sliotar and a hurl at a young lad and telling him its the greatest game in the world wont make him love it. Love of a sport comes from learning the skills and playing it, developing a connection with the club you play for - playing in big matches, going to watch your heros in big matches - having access to your heros (in person or on social media). Hurling heros are not accessible - there are no big games for 25 counties to go and see - if your in a hurling pocket in a football county - the neighbouring hurling counties clubs wont come and play against you. Hurling is insular - like the jewish religion - a lot of effort to join it. To spread the gospel of hurling - you have to bring it to those who don't believe yet. Christianity didn't spread by throwing a bible at someone and telling them to read it. It spread because people were sent out to preach it, teach it and show what the benefits were. The Jewish religion doesn't expand because they believe they are the chosen people and everyone should want to join them. Hurling is the same and until it changes it will never grow into areas where there is another sport. There are a lot of "hurling men" who get the hump with any new idea or discussion - but the reality never changes - the so called "fastest field sport in the world" isn't growing. The sports that are growing, are changing their playing rules, increasing opportunities for kids and adults to compete at the highest level, they have hero's who are visible on social media. None of this is happening in hurling. Some posters on here have a lot of reasons why something wont work - not many ideas for how to make the game accessible apart from telling kids to go home and bate a sliotar off a wall. tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1931 - 25/06/2026 15:03:27 2681875 Link 0 |
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The munster council are in charge of the munster hurling championship. That makes them a major stakeholder in this. Probably the largest one.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 610 - 25/06/2026 15:27:32 2681884 Link 0 |
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I actually dont think its madness. I think that if the intercounty season ends on the 3rd sunday in July then its inevitable, in a knockout competition, that the closer you get to that date the less games and teams are left in the competition. Thats just a fact. Unless we scrap the AI and just have a Premier League of hurling that will always be the case. As for growing the game. Thats just not going to happen. We are just too far ahead of the rest for them to ever catch up. They are working away doing their bit and improving incrementally but they will never close the gap. Its the elephant in the room that everyone sees and noone talks about. To my mind, its okay that they cant. It is what it is. As I've said on other posts and threads success is relative. A Meagher, Rackard, Ring or McDonagh medal is just as valuable to the holder as a Mccarthy, Sam or Tailteann medal holder. Its a story created by the media to generate revenue. It has and always will be that way. The tv audiences suggest its no less popular for that. Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 610 - 25/06/2026 15:37:04 2681887 Link 0 |
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The current Munster race for 3 All Ireland spots is bringing big crowds. The Munster Council's concern about increasing that to 4 is clear. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9884 - 25/06/2026 16:50:48 2681908 Link 0 |