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Wicklow GAA thread

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Replying To StrandedinWW: "Am I right in saying that Blessington are out now. Two games, that's really disappointing on the amount of games being offered, competition seems like an after thought. I think you always get good games at minor and u19. I would suggest u19's played mid- week when the adult league games are taking place, after inter county u20s. Gives more games to these players. Didn't make any games, anyone on show that would stand out." Agree 100%. I think there are just 7 teams in the A grade. So, probably to get through it asap, it was divided to 2 groups, a 3 and 4. Top two into the semis. Surely that could have been run on a round robin with the top 2 playing a final. That way each team would get 6 games, 7 for the top 2. The way it is now, Blesso are out after 2 games. Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1967 - 28/10/2025 11:10:58 2641983 Link
Replying To StrandedinWW: "Am I right in saying that Blessington are out now. Two games, that's really disappointing on the amount of games being offered, competition seems like an after thought. I think you always get good games at minor and u19. I would suggest u19's played mid- week when the adult league games are taking place, after inter county u20s. Gives more games to these players. Didn't make any games, anyone on show that would stand out." Agreed , format and position in the calendar could be looked at. I don't think its serving anyone any favours, the stronger players will end up training 12 months of the year, the weaker players coming out of minor who didn't go right into adult football may have fallen away all ready. So i think mid week during the year makes sense, there was a massive gap between league and championship. Its so late in the year i dont think any of the teams would want lots of games, but yes the 3 most fancied teams on paper in one group seems harsh. Groundskeeper5 (Wicklow) - Posts: 43 - 30/10/2025 08:49:03 2642208 Link
Bray and Coolkenno are currently looking for football managers, and St Pats and Bray are currently looking for hurling managers. It's the time of year for the managerial merry-go-round to get into full swing. What other clubs are looking for managers or are making changes? I have heard possibly Dunlavin, Kiltegan, Tinahely, Blessington, Avondale in football, Greystones and Kilcoole in hurling, but that's just rumours I have heard. OldSchoolRules (Australia) - Posts: 39 - 31/10/2025 11:41:31 2642361 Link
Good luck to all the football clubs representing the county in the various grade in the provincial championship this weekend. Hopefully one or two can progress in a competition that clubs won in the past. Baltinglass versus Athy being televised on TG4 on Sunday - throw-in at 1:30pm. wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2148 - 31/10/2025 16:31:08 2642412 Link
Replying To OldSchoolRules: "Bray and Coolkenno are currently looking for football managers, and St Pats and Bray are currently looking for hurling managers. It's the time of year for the managerial merry-go-round to get into full swing. What other clubs are looking for managers or are making changes? I have heard possibly Dunlavin, Kiltegan, Tinahely, Blessington, Avondale in football, Greystones and Kilcoole in hurling, but that's just rumours I have heard." You can add An Tochair to your list. That one will be interesting. I think the current management might reapply, although they haven't exactly covered themselves in glory the past 2 seasons. In my opinion, a very strong minded manager is needed there. Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1967 - 31/10/2025 17:52:32 2642418 Link
That was a shocking performance in Aughrim today. Athy did what they liked kodak13 (Wicklow) - Posts: 113 - 02/11/2025 14:50:17 2642645 Link
I'll probably get lambasted for this post although there is such a lack of interest I may be ignored. Over the weekend our intermediate and senior football champions were hammered by the Louth and Kildare champions. Well done to Shilleagh-Coolboy who kept the flag flying and restored some pride. From a club and county perspective and I've no association with either club it is seriously worrying how uncompetitive our clubs are in the Leinster club championship. I've followed our club champions in the Leinster club championship for over thirty years and today was the worse performance by a Baltinglass team in my experience. How are clubs in Wicklow developing players? Even clubs such as Baltinglass and Rathnew are miles behind. Both clubs are probably held to a higher standard than the rest due to their proud history but those achievements are thirty and twenty three years respectively - they are long in the past. I'm unsure if Athy are Leinster club champions material as they were up against such poor opposition today. I don't think they'll win the Leinster club championship but it is irrelevant to how poor the Wicklow senior club champions were today. I can't see how the county team can make any sort of progress when clubs are producing performance like this. The standard of club football in Wicklow is declining year on year and before everyone's eyes. Will anything change? I'm not sure. I hope things change as they need to but I'm berefted of any sense of hope after what I saw today. wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2148 - 02/11/2025 15:14:22 2642648 Link
Buried my Dad yesterday. He came up often to see my son play in Kildare. And he would be turning in his grave watching that Athy match today. In fact I think the Kildare Intermediate champions Sallins would have beaten Balto today. RIP Dad. sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2964 - 02/11/2025 15:15:08 2642649 Link
Replying To sponger: "Buried my Dad yesterday. He came up often to see my son play in Kildare. And he would be turning in his grave watching that Athy match today. In fact I think the Kildare Intermediate champions Sallins would have beaten Balto today. RIP Dad." Condolences to you and your family on your father's death. Sorry for your loss and may he rest in peace. I can't disagree with your assessment of the standard of our senior county championship based upon what I saw today and based upon what I've seen over the last decade. Blessington were hammered by Naas when they won the senior championship recently and Naas didn't win the Leinster club championship afterwards. In fact, no Kildare team have won it since Moorefield in 2017. Athy hasn't compete in the Leinster club since 2011. Should Wicklow teams begin competing at underage with teams from Dublin and Kildare who border us and have a stronger club championship? If they competed on a regular basis, they'd understand the standard they need to reach in today's environment and try to bridge the gap to these other counties. wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2148 - 02/11/2025 16:15:39 2642659 Link
Replying To wicklowsupport: "Condolences to you and your family on your father's death. Sorry for your loss and may he rest in peace. I can't disagree with your assessment of the standard of our senior county championship based upon what I saw today and based upon what I've seen over the last decade. Blessington were hammered by Naas when they won the senior championship recently and Naas didn't win the Leinster club championship afterwards. In fact, no Kildare team have won it since Moorefield in 2017. Athy hasn't compete in the Leinster club since 2011. Should Wicklow teams begin competing at underage with teams from Dublin and Kildare who border us and have a stronger club championship? If they competed on a regular basis, they'd understand the standard they need to reach in today's environment and try to bridge the gap to these other counties." Great points there. Would anyone listen ? Nope. sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2964 - 02/11/2025 16:30:29 2642661 Link
Replying To sponger: "Great points there. Would anyone listen ? Nope." Sincere condolences Sponger, to you and your family on the loss of your Dad. May he Rest In Peace.. lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 3059 - 02/11/2025 18:47:57 2642687 Link
Replying To lilywhite1: "Sincere condolences Sponger, to you and your family on the loss of your Dad. May he Rest In Peace.." Thank you PS I think Sallins will win the All Ireland. sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2964 - 02/11/2025 19:12:34 2642693 Link
Replying To sponger: "Thank you PS I think Sallins will win the All Ireland." And Grange for the Junior ? sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2964 - 02/11/2025 19:20:44 2642696 Link
I watched the Balto game today and am glad to say that I wasn't sorry that I didn't travel to Aughrim even though I had earlier bought a ticket. I was at an u19 game in Roundwood and the cold got into my old bones so I settled for C4. I have to say I wasn't surprised. I had been reading a bit about Athy and they had opened eyes in Kildare this year. Our championships have never been weaker for a fair few yrs now. On the other hand, the u19 game was a cracker - or at least the first half was. The second half? Well, AGB didn't show, but it was worth watching some of the Tochair scores alone. These two could meet again and I am not sure if AGB might be better than the final score showed. Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1967 - 02/11/2025 23:36:34 2642737 Link
Replying To sponger: "And Grange for the Junior ?" Sallins are probably the best intermediate team to win Kildare in many years. They are rightly favourites for Leinster based on their form. Progression beyond Leinster is a realistic ambition for them. As you will know sponger, Kildare club teams don't have a good track record beyond leinster, apart from Two Mile House who won the All Ireland junior championship in 2014. As for Grange I think they can at least reach the Leinster final. I saw Grange play in the first round of the group stages against fellow favourites Ballymore which they won by a couple of points. They looked well organised, strong all over the pitch with some lively forwards. lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 3059 - 03/11/2025 14:07:39 2642822 Link
Freethinker , from what you are seeing at the minor/U19 level, do you believe that generation can close the gap in standard from where we are now at senior club level?. I too chose to take advantage of the game yesterday being on TG4 and how it unfolded was pretty much in line with what I expected in that a top Kildare team would be in the region 10+ points better than what our best can offer. Key noticeable difference: • Strength & conditioning of the teams - Athy had big powerful, well conditioned operators that were able to dominate all sectors of the field • Movement, execution & understanding of the plan - Athy were really slick in their execution, players all working off same hymn sheet and with a fluid understanding of each others runs & movement resulting in some well executed scores. Balto on the other hand had a fairly well organized defensive screen at times but were ultimately undone due to the quality of the Athy attack but in their own attack the plan seemed to be try and get it up to the 45 and see if John McGrath or one of the other inside forwards can make themselves available. In summary , we don;t have any senior club team in Wicklow Coached, Conditioned and Executing to a plan at the levels Athy displayed yesterday. Hawkeye2 (Wicklow) - Posts: 179 - 03/11/2025 14:48:53 2642830 Link
Replying To Hawkeye2: "Freethinker , from what you are seeing at the minor/U19 level, do you believe that generation can close the gap in standard from where we are now at senior club level?. I too chose to take advantage of the game yesterday being on TG4 and how it unfolded was pretty much in line with what I expected in that a top Kildare team would be in the region 10+ points better than what our best can offer. Key noticeable difference: • Strength & conditioning of the teams - Athy had big powerful, well conditioned operators that were able to dominate all sectors of the field • Movement, execution & understanding of the plan - Athy were really slick in their execution, players all working off same hymn sheet and with a fluid understanding of each others runs & movement resulting in some well executed scores. Balto on the other hand had a fairly well organized defensive screen at times but were ultimately undone due to the quality of the Athy attack but in their own attack the plan seemed to be try and get it up to the 45 and see if John McGrath or one of the other inside forwards can make themselves available. In summary , we don;t have any senior club team in Wicklow Coached, Conditioned and Executing to a plan at the levels Athy displayed yesterday." I totally agree with you on all points. Athy went about their play like a team who knew their way around. Plenty of quick ball in to forwards who could win it and create chances. They could have had 5/6 goals yesterday. Strength and conditioning and proper coaching in game plans, tactics etc seem to be alien to our clubs at the minute. As a friend of mine says, basic rules havent changed in over 100 yrs. that is, field the ball and get it into the forwards as quickly as possible. This forward and back doesn't really work out. Athy proved that yesterday. As regards your question re the u19s. That's a tough one to call. Probably not too many inter county stars of the future on show. Hope I'm wrong. An Tochair moved the ball with speed and precision and picked off some lovely scores. AGB were more roundabout in their approach. The Roundwood lads were probably slightly smaller on average than the Arklow lads, but were definitely speedier. A fear I would have about the average Wicklow footballer is that, in the main they are too easily knocked off the ball and fielding seems to be a dying art in the county. If you can't win the ball, you are under pressure from the off. Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1967 - 03/11/2025 16:12:14 2642843 Link
Wouldn't it be great if somebody on the County Board would read the contributions on here.... sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2964 - 03/11/2025 19:21:21 2642874 Link
Nobody will know what level Athy are at until they play a decent team. Baltinglass couldn't win any sort of possession yesterday even when they did they had no forwards who could take on their marker and score. Scoring ten points won't win any game against any sort of decent opposition at any level when a team can score two pointers. Players at senior level at both club and county level are not physically imposing. This is probably due to a lack of strength and conditioning. Teams may get away with a lack of physicality at underage games but they won't get away with it at adult level. I'm not sure clubs in Wicklow have adapted how they prepare teams in terms of their strength and conditioning - the evidence suggests they need to go back to the drawing board on this one. The quality of forward play in Wicklow is at an all time low. In the past the county produced quality forwards like Leighton Glynn and Kevin O'Brien, again, this is the past and it is no longer the case. The basic skills of the game are mediocre in the county which is evident in local club championship games. I agree with whoever said that gaelic football is a simple game - you win primary possession, if you can't win primary possession you make sure you win secondary balls. You move the back fast into your forwards who should be good enough to score. How many decent scoring opportunities did Baltinglass kick wide yesterday with a wind behind them? A lot. Baltinglass did none of the basics properly yesterday and weren't at the races. Yesterday may have been John McGrath's last game for the club. He's been a tremendous servant to both club and county if it was his last game. wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2148 - 03/11/2025 20:05:01 2642884 Link
Replying To sponger: "Wouldn't it be great if somebody on the County Board would read the contributions on here...." They probably do. Every so often a guy comes on here ridiculing anything or any poster who is too harsh on the CB Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1967 - 03/11/2025 21:09:11 2642892 Link