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Carlow GAA thread

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Replying To sportsmadcarlow:  "Here here!! I remember talking to a staunch Grange man about 10 years ago and told me that they were really struggling, about 20 adult players and no underage set up. Now they are fielding 2 adult teams, underage set ups flying, (won u14 D2) which is a brilliant achievement for a club that size and are now senior also. Hear they have acquired new ground for 2 more pitches there too and a fully flood lit pitch already done. They were the only team in Carlow to play 9 games in 9 weeks and came up against a remarkable Sallins team. Add in that one of their best players suffers a serious leg injury early in the championship. Our club has played them a lot the last while and you would have to say that they are a great example of a club. Cocks hopefully will go on a similar route to them. Sole football clubs are not a problem and the work that these clubs have put in shows that."
Would Grange be more fit and sharper if they picked up their hulrs? @carps

Carlowrising (Carlow) - Posts: 185 - 01/12/2025 13:25:15    2646633

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Replying To Carlowrising:  "Would Grange be more fit and sharper if they picked up their hulrs? @carps"
Well, The Fighting Cocks have a large amount of dual players and it's done them no harm. They've just reached the Leinster Junior Football final. Off the top of my head, at least seven of them are also hurling with Burren Rangers. Could be more.

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 1017 - 01/12/2025 16:10:46    2646665

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League draws:

Hurlers: H Down, A Wexford, A Antrim, H Clare, A Kildare, H Dublin.

Footballers: A Antrim, H Wicklow, A Tipperary, H Waterford, A Longford, H London, H Leitrim.

Tough for hurlers to have Antrim and Kildare away. The Down match is a must win. So they'll have to be properly wound up from the start.

Meanwhile, the footballers have four winnable home games. Then they would probably need one from three of the away ties. Or two draws.

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 1017 - 03/12/2025 17:15:55    2646936

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Replying To CARPS:  "League draws:

Hurlers: H Down, A Wexford, A Antrim, H Clare, A Kildare, H Dublin.

Footballers: A Antrim, H Wicklow, A Tipperary, H Waterford, A Longford, H London, H Leitrim.

Tough for hurlers to have Antrim and Kildare away. The Down match is a must win. So they'll have to be properly wound up from the start.

Meanwhile, the footballers have four winnable home games. Then they would probably need one from three of the away ties. Or two draws."
Hurlers will lose all games bar Down, footballers I agree winnable home games but very tough away games hard to see them beating the likes of Antrim

FearCeatharlach (Carlow) - Posts: 52 - 03/12/2025 23:08:38    2646969

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Replying To FearCeatharlach:  "Hurlers will lose all games bar Down, footballers I agree winnable home games but very tough away games hard to see them beating the likes of Antrim"
Id give you a good chance against Kildare and Antrim, obviously dependent on how close to full strength the teams choose to go. And still a chance, even if smaller, against any of the other counties if you have most of your main men and other counties are trying out mostly newer lads.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18048 - 04/12/2025 13:29:31    2647030

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It's being reported by LaoisToday that Lee Walker is returning to The Blues from Graiguecullen.
I've heard they've been dropping down the grades in recent years so will he be the spark they need to start bouncing back?
He was excellent this year for Graiguecullen with the exception of the semi-final.

CmonAymonow (Laois) - Posts: 161 - 05/12/2025 10:02:53    2647106

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Replying To CmonAymonow:  "It's being reported by LaoisToday that Lee Walker is returning to The Blues from Graiguecullen.
I've heard they've been dropping down the grades in recent years so will he be the spark they need to start bouncing back?
He was excellent this year for Graiguecullen with the exception of the semi-final."
Arra jaysus he's good enough to drag them up back to junior alone. That won't be a fun match to play against.

CarlowJuniorB (Clare) - Posts: 81 - 05/12/2025 11:40:43    2647119

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Some win for St. Martins tonight. Great advertisement for ditching the split season. Great Gaels play both codes through the season and make it work.

CarlowJuniorB (Clare) - Posts: 81 - 06/12/2025 23:48:36    2647281

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Replying To CarlowJuniorB:  "Some win for St. Martins tonight. Great advertisement for ditching the split season. Great Gaels play both codes through the season and make it work."
Ditching the split season definitely helped our top clubs in Leinster. Whether it helped the general standard of Hurling and Football, especially Football, across all 48 clubs is very debatable though. It probably didnt. It definitely affected our club negatively.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18048 - 07/12/2025 12:31:28    2647297

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Replying To CarlowJuniorB:  "Some win for St. Martins tonight. Great advertisement for ditching the split season. Great Gaels play both codes through the season and make it work."
The dynamics in Wexford are totally different to Carlow.

Look at the football semi-finalists in Wexford, this year: Castletown (dual), Shelmaliers (dual), Gusserane (dual), Kilanerin (dual).

Now moving onto hurling: Rathnure (dual), St Martin's (dual), Ferns (dual), Naomh Eanna (dual).

And time to do the same process for Carlow.

Football: Old Leighlin (football only), Rathvilly (football only), Palatine (football only), Bagenalstown (dual)

Hurling: St Mullins (dual), MLR (dual), Ballinkillen (hurling only), Naomh Eoin (dual)

Also both our intermediate champions are single code clubs: Grange (football only) and Naomh Brid (hurling only). Wexford had two dual clubs as winners: Fethard the hurling and St Martin's the football.

So, you are comparing apples to oranges.

ps. by your logic, Fighting Cocks reaching the Leinster Junior final is a great advertisement for the split season.

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 1017 - 07/12/2025 12:44:31    2647301

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Replying To Viking66:  "Ditching the split season definitely helped our top clubs in Leinster. Whether it helped the general standard of Hurling and Football, especially Football, across all 48 clubs is very debatable though. It probably didnt. It definitely affected our club negatively."
Ditching the split season in Carlow will kill the hurling clubs in Carlow Town, Naomh Brid and Burren Rangers... all of whom have made big strides in recent years. It will also destroy any chance of a hurling revival in the north of the county. And it will affect football in the south. MLR beat Eire Og this year. St Mullins beat O'Hanrahans.

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 1017 - 07/12/2025 13:02:37    2647303

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Replying To CARPS:  "The dynamics in Wexford are totally different to Carlow.

Look at the football semi-finalists in Wexford, this year: Castletown (dual), Shelmaliers (dual), Gusserane (dual), Kilanerin (dual).

Now moving onto hurling: Rathnure (dual), St Martin's (dual), Ferns (dual), Naomh Eanna (dual).

And time to do the same process for Carlow.

Football: Old Leighlin (football only), Rathvilly (football only), Palatine (football only), Bagenalstown (dual)

Hurling: St Mullins (dual), MLR (dual), Ballinkillen (hurling only), Naomh Eoin (dual)

Also both our intermediate champions are single code clubs: Grange (football only) and Naomh Brid (hurling only). Wexford had two dual clubs as winners: Fethard the hurling and St Martin's the football.

So, you are comparing apples to oranges.

ps. by your logic, Fighting Cocks reaching the Leinster Junior final is a great advertisement for the split season."
Rathnure arent dual but your point is still valid

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18048 - 07/12/2025 13:22:45    2647306

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Replying To Viking66:  "Rathnure arent dual but your point is still valid"
are you sure? They definitely played football two years ago, because they were in the Junior B final. And they must have won out the Enniscorthy District to qualify for that?

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 1017 - 07/12/2025 14:43:05    2647319

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Replying To CARPS:  "are you sure? They definitely played football two years ago, because they were in the Junior B final. And they must have won out the Enniscorthy District to qualify for that?"
That's Junior B. Not sure that makes them a dual club in the way that most clubs are down here. They have a very good dual underage player who plays Football for another club for example.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18048 - 07/12/2025 17:09:53    2647350

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Replying To Viking66:  "That's Junior B. Not sure that makes them a dual club in the way that most clubs are down here. They have a very good dual underage player who plays Football for another club for example."
Impressive win for MLR over Davitts today at 20s. I have to say, we were on high after beating Eire Og last week so a bit shell shocked. Granted Eire Og were definitely missing players but I thought we deserved the draw,if not the win. Eire Og had a young minor 16 year old at corner back who was excellent, a definite stand out on their first 15, and another young minor forward who came on as sub, who along with the normal Quinlan genius were the ones that MLR will need to look out for. Eire Og backs are much better than their forwards on last week's display but they will need to be because I have to say MLR, yet again at U20s football look outstanding. We were out battled on all levels today. What a job they have done with that club with both codes at all ages. Eire Og are supposedly the marque carlow club. But are they ? It's a friend's club in there. It's a whos who. Who you know. The rest of us are just trying to survive but MLR is proper community club at both codes. And it shows. And as a non MLR person I congratulate them for their hard work and as it showed today, the results they keep getting at all age levels and codes. It's a great gaa story in our small county and they deserve all the credit they get. A ray of hope for all of us who are not a carlow town club.

DolmenDave (Carlow) - Posts: 51 - 08/12/2025 01:56:31    2647414

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It's terrible that the 20s is just an after thought. Maybe we should all get out and support these young chaps. After all, they are the foundation of the next 10 years of carlow football

DolmenDave (Carlow) - Posts: 51 - 08/12/2025 02:03:30    2647415

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Replying To Viking66:  "That's Junior B. Not sure that makes them a dual club in the way that most clubs are down here. They have a very good dual underage player who plays Football for another club for example."
I spoke to a Wexfordman last night, and he told me that Rathnure resumed playing football (after a long break) when Wexford introduced the split season. Reaching the Junior B final in 2023.

And guess what? As soon as the county board abandoned that wonderful system, they gave it up again.

Which just serves to prove my point. The only way to develop both codes properly is a split season.

It will be a travesty if our county board makes the same mistake as Wexford.

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 1017 - 08/12/2025 07:43:43    2647421

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Replying To DolmenDave:  "Impressive win for MLR over Davitts today at 20s. I have to say, we were on high after beating Eire Og last week so a bit shell shocked. Granted Eire Og were definitely missing players but I thought we deserved the draw,if not the win. Eire Og had a young minor 16 year old at corner back who was excellent, a definite stand out on their first 15, and another young minor forward who came on as sub, who along with the normal Quinlan genius were the ones that MLR will need to look out for. Eire Og backs are much better than their forwards on last week's display but they will need to be because I have to say MLR, yet again at U20s football look outstanding. We were out battled on all levels today. What a job they have done with that club with both codes at all ages. Eire Og are supposedly the marque carlow club. But are they ? It's a friend's club in there. It's a whos who. Who you know. The rest of us are just trying to survive but MLR is proper community club at both codes. And it shows. And as a non MLR person I congratulate them for their hard work and as it showed today, the results they keep getting at all age levels and codes. It's a great gaa story in our small county and they deserve all the credit they get. A ray of hope for all of us who are not a carlow town club."
And why are MLR thriving? Because they are a proper GAA club. Full service.

Old Leighlin, Ballinabranna and Leighlinbridge should copy them and form a dual club.

You'd be competing to win senior football and senior hurling every year. Could perhaps even win a Leinster.

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 1017 - 08/12/2025 11:12:16    2647448

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Replying To CARPS:  "I spoke to a Wexfordman last night, and he told me that Rathnure resumed playing football (after a long break) when Wexford introduced the split season. Reaching the Junior B final in 2023.

And guess what? As soon as the county board abandoned that wonderful system, they gave it up again.

Which just serves to prove my point. The only way to develop both codes properly is a split season.

It will be a travesty if our county board makes the same mistake as Wexford."
To be brutally honest, a lot of dual clubs in Wexford are dual in name only

When Rathnure do put out a football team, it's a long way away from their top priority and it's not as if it really impacts their hurling in any way

Martins' are technically dual but they don't take football seriously either

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 787 - 08/12/2025 12:16:53    2647460

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Replying To CARPS:  "And why are MLR thriving? Because they are a proper GAA club. Full service.

Old Leighlin, Ballinabranna and Leighlinbridge should copy them and form a dual club.

You'd be competing to win senior football and senior hurling every year. Could perhaps even win a Leinster."
How would they compete any better at hurling than they do already as Naomh Brid?

Not sure how it would work if they all came together. Where would their home be? There's four separate club grounds as it is and no one will want to give up on their patch. Keeping four grounds going would be a big overhead.

Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1744 - 08/12/2025 13:44:21    2647480

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