U-16 Regional final yesterday was a cracking game in awful conditions. Two late goals won it for the YIs but there's lots of talent coming through from that south west side. Nearly all dual players too.
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."
Can't take underage success at anything more than face value. MLR continually produce great underage football teams the last while and some great players but hasn't amounted to anything really unfortunately.
Adult level their senior team could challenge but they don't pick up a football really until the hurling is done. The junior c side just exist for lads to kick ball, for a club that's "thriving underage" that should have bleed into the seniors challenging at the top of even pushing for upper end of junior B and lower end of Junior A. But sure look.
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."
Was Davitts v Eire Og not a drawn game?
You're right about MLR, best GAA club in the county by a distance. Hurling will always be no. 1 but they are continuing to produce seriously good footballers too.
Replying To CARPS: "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."
I think it's a stretch to call SM a dual club. They enter football only as an after thought once hurling is not interfered with. They have a Kilkenny like attitude to football. No underage football at all at any age and they don't enter the football league only playing championship football.
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."
I'm inclined to agree. The split season is the best option for Carlow still. Otherwise hurling will die back whereas now it's growing. And I also think on balance it's better that hurling goers first.
Is there actually a proposal to change this though? When is the county convention?
Replying To Onion Breath: "Was Davitts v Eire Og not a drawn game?
You're right about MLR, best GAA club in the county by a distance. Hurling will always be no. 1 but they are continuing to produce seriously good footballers too."
Yes it was Onion. Sorry, got my words mixed up. Meant that it felt like we beat them.