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Westmeath Hurling thread

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Replying To Claretandblue: "Pie in the sky stuff. Make practical suggestions as to how this could be done. Workable ones." Nothing pie in the sky about it just good organization,workers optimism and willing committees on the ground.Southern Gaels massively isolated in Athlone are doing just that with excellent results.For the first time ever fielding at every grade and winning Division 2 titles.Now their challenge is to comete at division 1 level.Westmeath has a far better hurling base than Mayo who have gone from 4 to 10 clubs.Let positive people get behind it and anything is possible. jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1457 - 23/02/2024 18:24:42 2527759 Link
Replying To Dheen: "County board could look at creating a plan to increase hurling club numbers from 15 to 25 over a decade or two. Would take absolute trajan work to do it. 10 juvenile clubs across the county in areas like Athlone, Moate, Kilbeggan, Kinnegad and Mullingar." Already a lot of the 15 clubs can't fill underage teams as it is..What sense would it make to add more clubs in to the mix. Support the established clubs, promote and grow them if possible. Crookedwood, Turin, Ringtown, Castlepollard, Lough Lene Gaels,Brownstown can't field there own teams. Cullion/Delvin can't field at minor level. Yellow&Green (Westmeath) - Posts: 44 - 23/02/2024 18:54:10 2527763 Link
Replying To Claretandblue: "Admirable thinking but Raharney couldn't fill the three key positions on their executive this year even after calling an EGM. Clubs struggling to get coaches, what are the chances of getting volunteer coaches into other areas?? We all know what would happen if a coach from a club you mentioned spotted a player with potential in Kinnegad or Kilbeggan!!!" Possibly, I know there's a prominent player lining out for Westmeath schools vs Kilkenny tomorrow from Kilbeggan. Numerous good players from Kinnegad playing for Raharney at underage currently. There's an appetite for it in these towns. Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 792 - 23/02/2024 19:02:06 2527766 Link
Replying To jobber: "Nothing pie in the sky about it just good organization,workers optimism and willing committees on the ground.Southern Gaels massively isolated in Athlone are doing just that with excellent results.For the first time ever fielding at every grade and winning Division 2 titles.Now their challenge is to comete at division 1 level.Westmeath has a far better hurling base than Mayo who have gone from 4 to 10 clubs.Let positive people get behind it and anything is possible." Was talking to a lad from Athlone who was on holiday down here last year. He kicked ball when he was younger but said his son who is 6 is hurling with the Southern Gaels and is mad into it. He said the lads in the club are very enthusiastic and positive. That's exactly the type of lads you need. Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11879 - 23/02/2024 20:00:19 2527773 Link
County board should be looking for funding for full time hurling development officers based in mullingar/kinnegad and athlone/moate/kilbeggan Grow the game 45000 people living in the two big towns and no hurling development plan valley84 (Westmeath) - Posts: 1890 - 23/02/2024 20:34:05 2527776 Link
Replying To Yellow&Green: "Already a lot of the 15 clubs can't fill underage teams as it is..What sense would it make to add more clubs in to the mix. Support the established clubs, promote and grow them if possible. Crookedwood, Turin, Ringtown, Castlepollard, Lough Lene Gaels,Brownstown can't field there own teams. Cullion/Delvin can't field at minor level." Because it's a numbers game. Those clubs are too close together whereas in theory there's other areas of the county with bigger populations but no teams. What supports if given to the named clubs will increase their numbers I'm wondering?… and I say that as someone who has kids playing with one of them. Jack_Sparrow (Westmeath) - Posts: 1017 - 23/02/2024 21:12:34 2527780 Link
Replying To Jack_Sparrow: "Because it's a numbers game. Those clubs are too close together whereas in theory there's other areas of the county with bigger populations but no teams. What supports if given to the named clubs will increase their numbers I'm wondering?… and I say that as someone who has kids playing with one of them." Cullion are practical a town team and struggling for numbers at underage.Certainly no room for another club in the area. Southern Gaels are already pulling from surrounding areas and don't ever have huge numbers. Sticking a club in Moate will only effect Fr.Dalton's or Gael's. Anyone who wants to hurl has a club closeby. Yes we should promote hurling in these area as much as possible but for the benefit of the existing clubs. Yellow&Green (Westmeath) - Posts: 44 - 23/02/2024 22:34:41 2527789 Link
Catch all phrases like organisation, positivity and coaches mean absolutely nothing. No surprise that the posters above couldn't come up with practical suggestions to their ideas, any mention of where these coaches would come from? None. Southern Gaels doing their best with limited helpers but four years ago county board had to promise them home advantage in every underage fixture to help them fulfil fixtures. Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1496 - 23/02/2024 23:42:00 2527795 Link
Replying To Claretandblue: "Catch all phrases like organisation, positivity and coaches mean absolutely nothing. No surprise that the posters above couldn't come up with practical suggestions to their ideas, any mention of where these coaches would come from? None. Southern Gaels doing their best with limited helpers but four years ago county board had to promise them home advantage in every underage fixture to help them fulfil fixtures." The Board need to appoint, and pay, hurling GPOs to go into the schools and clubs in these places and get kids firstly and then parents into the game. And then encourage parents to take up places on foundation courses, and Award 1 and 2 courses. And become coaches. That's what we do down here. I'm one of those parents. I played rugby when I was a child. I'm currently doing the Award 1 course. If you are negative and never try in the first place then you surely won't succeed. Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11879 - 24/02/2024 08:32:14 2527805 Link
Replying To Claretandblue: "Catch all phrases like organisation, positivity and coaches mean absolutely nothing. No surprise that the posters above couldn't come up with practical suggestions to their ideas, any mention of where these coaches would come from? None. Southern Gaels doing their best with limited helpers but four years ago county board had to promise them home advantage in every underage fixture to help them fulfil fixtures." Over the last few years Southern Gaels have definitely increased participation all across the board and have started a camogie team as well. There is good work going on there but they need an assist. Out of Mullingar Oliver Plunketts are Division 1 and competitive with Raharney CTG and Clonkill etc, no reason Southern Gaels can't get there. Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 792 - 24/02/2024 08:33:14 2527807 Link
"Tipp v Westmeath: Shelly Ryan Heffernan Kelly McCormack B McGrath Kennedy N McGrath Quinn Hayes Forde C Stakelum Ormond Seymour Kehoe good to see the 4 seanadóirí back in a team with only one starter from the galway game" There's the Tipp team. Why couldn't you beat it? Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11879 - 24/02/2024 08:38:09 2527808 Link
Replying To Viking66: ""Tipp v Westmeath: Shelly Ryan Heffernan Kelly McCormack B McGrath Kennedy N McGrath Quinn Hayes Forde C Stakelum Ormond Seymour Kehoe good to see the 4 seanadóirí back in a team with only one starter from the galway game" There's the Tipp team. Why couldn't you beat it?" Killian Doyle back on the bench for Westmeath Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 792 - 24/02/2024 10:44:24 2527821 Link
Westmeath 3-13-2-02 Kilkenny, half time in the Leinster combined schools final, some classy stick men on this team. Should hold out for the win barring a capitulation. Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 792 - 24/02/2024 12:33:48 2527836 Link
Replying To Dheen: "Killian Doyle back on the bench for Westmeath" That's good news for ye. Great player! Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11879 - 24/02/2024 13:33:08 2527843 Link
Replying To Dheen: "Westmeath 3-13-2-02 Kilkenny, half time in the Leinster combined schools final, some classy stick men on this team. Should hold out for the win barring a capitulation." Big win in the end!!! Does this Kilkenny team include Kieran's players and is there an all Ireland for this level? preddan (Kildare) - Posts: 737 - 24/02/2024 14:33:32 2527855 Link
Replying To preddan: "Big win in the end!!! Does this Kilkenny team include Kieran's players and is there an all Ireland for this level?" 4-24 to 3-9 Kierans or not thats a Big win jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1457 - 24/02/2024 14:35:53 2527856 Link
Replying To preddan: "Big win in the end!!! Does this Kilkenny team include Kieran's players and is there an all Ireland for this level?" it's minus the Kierans players, but when you consider Offaly schools beat Kierans college alone last year, and there was a big thing made of it, this is a great win today by Westmeath schools and winning by 19 pts. You'd imagine Westmeath would take Kierans college on that basis! Westmeath beat Offaly in the semi final, Kilkenny defeated Laois convincingly in their semi final. Behan, Williams, Geary, Wrafter, Kelly etc all very talented young hurlers for Westmeath . Well done to all involved! Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 792 - 24/02/2024 15:00:29 2527857 Link
Conor Willians was the stand out player today, ably supported by Owen Behan, Dean Kelly from Brigid's, Conor Cleary and Aaron Conaire from Clonkill. Impressive display, makings of a fine minor side in 2026. Kilkenny schools team is made up of the Kilkenny schools minus any Kilkenny school competing in A grade Leinster schools, presume that means Kieran's, Kilkenny CBS and possibly Callan. Not sure if any other school plays at A grade. Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1496 - 24/02/2024 15:53:05 2527864 Link
Replying To Dheen: "it's minus the Kierans players, but when you consider Offaly schools beat Kierans college alone last year, and there was a big thing made of it, this is a great win today by Westmeath schools and winning by 19 pts. You'd imagine Westmeath would take Kierans college on that basis! Westmeath beat Offaly in the semi final, Kilkenny defeated Laois convincingly in their semi final. Behan, Williams, Geary, Wrafter, Kelly etc all very talented young hurlers for Westmeath . Well done to all involved!" Great news for hurling in general! The more competitive counties we can get the better! Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11879 - 24/02/2024 15:57:30 2527866 Link
Replying To Claretandblue: "Conor Willians was the stand out player today, ably supported by Owen Behan, Dean Kelly from Brigid's, Conor Cleary and Aaron Conaire from Clonkill. Impressive display, makings of a fine minor side in 2026. Kilkenny schools team is made up of the Kilkenny schools minus any Kilkenny school competing in A grade Leinster schools, presume that means Kieran's, Kilkenny CBS and possibly Callan. Not sure if any other school plays at A grade." This years minor team and next years are supposed to be strong enough as well, and the age group underneath todays team is as strong as well. There's definitely been a steady improvement across the board and it's a testament to the work going on in some of the clubs. Dheen (Westmeath) - Posts: 792 - 24/02/2024 16:59:19 2527870 Link