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Connacht Hurling Championship Without Galway

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With galway playing in Leinster, the other counties could compete for the Connacht SHC. It would be straight knockout rather than round robin as the these counties also have the ring, rackard and meagher cups to contest. It would mirror the Connacht football championship only without galway and this is a good way to include New York hurling back into competitive games. The Connacht hurling league shows that this can work. The championship could look something like… Quarter-finals New York v Roscommon Leitrim v Mayo Semi-finals Sligo v New York/Roscommon London v Leitrim/Mayo It would be competitive, with three or four teams fancying their chances at success. Counties like Leitrim can test themselves against opposition from higher grades also. Warwickshire and Lancashire, if interested, can compete maybe with London in a British championship and that winner can enter Connacht at the semi-finals. GaA247 (Cork) - Posts: 58 - 29/05/2023 23:13:20 2482761 Link
Ulster could revive their championship aswell with Antrim given a bye to the semi-finals. Down, Derry, Tyrone and Donegal given a bye to the quarter-finals. Armagh, Monaghan, Fermanagh and Cavan start at the preliminary round. GaA247 (Cork) - Posts: 58 - 01/06/2023 18:22:43 2483448 Link
This actually isn't a bag idea. But maybe I'd call it the Connacht Junior Championship or something to reflect the standing of the teams. Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1126 - 01/06/2023 22:41:03 2483472 Link
Replying To Tacaí Liatroma: "This actually isn't a bag idea. But maybe I'd call it the Connacht Junior Championship or something to reflect the standing of the teams." Yeah that's probably a better idea. Hopefully if the standard improves, the junior champions may face Galway in a one off game (probably will never happen tho) GaA247 (Cork) - Posts: 58 - 02/06/2023 17:47:31 2483627 Link
Like the idea. Don't know where it would fit in the schedule but could have an all stars selection from that championship play Galway in an overseas venue heavily populated with West of Ireland diaspora- New York , Boston or Chicago. facethepuckout (Roscommon) - Posts: 216 - 02/06/2023 19:44:23 2483634 Link
A few years ago the Connacht Intermediate championship was played a few times between Roscommon and Mayo. But the winners didn't go into the All-Ireland for some reason. oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1472 - 03/06/2023 09:59:12 2483654 Link
Great idea for the promotion of the Sport in Ulster and Connacht. Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13862 - 03/06/2023 10:14:24 2483660 Link
Replying To facethepuckout: "Like the idea. Don't know where it would fit in the schedule but could have an all stars selection from that championship play Galway in an overseas venue heavily populated with West of Ireland diaspora- New York , Boston or Chicago." These comps could be played in June/July when the tiered comps are finished KnockaineyAbú (Limerick) - Posts: 96 - 03/06/2023 11:11:22 2483683 Link
Replying To KnockaineyAbú: "These comps could be played in June/July when the tiered comps are finished" Counties do have club championships to be getting on with. The Kerry Hurling Final was live on TG4 at the beginning of August last year. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8284 - 03/06/2023 11:43:41 2483688 Link
GAA are not interested in holding competitions outside of top 12 counties in Hurling Football counties in Connacht aren't interested in spending money on these types of competitions as they take funds away from the football teams. The only way lower level hurling competitions will get promoted is if every country had a hurling board, which got equal central funds as the football board and then the top hurling counties tried to build up the game outside of its "heartland". Cork, Kilkenny and Tipp don't even consider Limerick, Galway, Wexford and Clare as proper hurling counties. They were happier when it was just the big 3 winning every year. It would kill them to share funding with a Sligo or Cavan. With that in mind neither a Connacht or Ulster championship would last more than a few years. Mayos hurling heatland is beside the Roscommon hurling area - along the Galway border. You'd be better off letting those clubs (Toreen, Ballyhaunis, Four roads) play hurling I'm Galway and take it from there. tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1197 - 03/06/2023 12:34:37 2483697 Link
I'm not sure here. I would prefer the best players going into a Connacht XV (excluding Galway) and then play other provinces excluding (top tier & Joe McDonagh finalists) in a round robin with top-2 in playing winners of preliminary QF's. It would give the best players in these counties a shot at the Liam McCarthy. London/Britain and even best US players could either form an Exiles XV or go in with Kerry as a Munster Exiles XV if Kerry were interested. You could still run off Joe McDonagh, Christy Ring etc. and individual counties could improve that way whilst giving good individual players a chance to put themselves against the top tier during what is a short playing career. Observer23 (UK) - Posts: 17 - 03/06/2023 12:39:44 2483698 Link
Replying To legendzxix: "Counties do have club championships to be getting on with. The Kerry Hurling Final was live on TG4 at the beginning of August last year." It shouldn't be a big burden for these counties as it would be straight knockout GaA247 (Cork) - Posts: 58 - 03/06/2023 12:41:39 2483700 Link
Replying To Observer23: "I'm not sure here. I would prefer the best players going into a Connacht XV (excluding Galway) and then play other provinces excluding (top tier & Joe McDonagh finalists) in a round robin with top-2 in playing winners of preliminary QF's. It would give the best players in these counties a shot at the Liam McCarthy. London/Britain and even best US players could either form an Exiles XV or go in with Kerry as a Munster Exiles XV if Kerry were interested. You could still run off Joe McDonagh, Christy Ring etc. and individual counties could improve that way whilst giving good individual players a chance to put themselves against the top tier during what is a short playing career." I've always said this. The cork club championship allows every player a path to the senior championship with divisional teams. There are 12 clubs and about 8 divisions You could have 12 counties and 4 provinces for inter county Carlow Clare Wexford Cork Limerick Westmeath Waterford Galway Kilkenny Antrim Tipperary Dublin Leinster Connacht Munster Exiles Ulster Top 2 in each group into all Ireland quarter finals GaA247 (Cork) - Posts: 58 - 03/06/2023 12:50:49 2483703 Link
Replying To GaA247: "I've always said this. The cork club championship allows every player a path to the senior championship with divisional teams. There are 12 clubs and about 8 divisions You could have 12 counties and 4 provinces for inter county Carlow Clare Wexford Cork Limerick Westmeath Waterford Galway Kilkenny Antrim Tipperary Dublin Leinster Connacht Munster Exiles Ulster Top 2 in each group into all Ireland quarter finals" Good concept as well. Only issue is that I think those who see the Munster Championship as being sacrosanct would not vote for it. I think two top tier groups of 6 with one extra team in the Munster championship might have a better chance. Then, bottom of each group in Leinster and Munster to have a relegation play-off. The 6th Munster team for the following year (if it is not Kerry) would be the 5/6th and placed Leinster team, depending if 6th in Leinster won the relegation play off… No non-Munster team would play in Munster for more than a year consecutively. I think it is clear though that a lot agree on here that the weaker counties need some route to competing for the Liam McCarthy over the course of their careers Observer23 (UK) - Posts: 17 - 03/06/2023 14:43:34 2483719 Link
Replying To tirawleybaron: "GAA are not interested in holding competitions outside of top 12 counties in Hurling Football counties in Connacht aren't interested in spending money on these types of competitions as they take funds away from the football teams. The only way lower level hurling competitions will get promoted is if every country had a hurling board, which got equal central funds as the football board and then the top hurling counties tried to build up the game outside of its "heartland". Cork, Kilkenny and Tipp don't even consider Limerick, Galway, Wexford and Clare as proper hurling counties. They were happier when it was just the big 3 winning every year. It would kill them to share funding with a Sligo or Cavan. With that in mind neither a Connacht or Ulster championship would last more than a few years. Mayos hurling heatland is beside the Roscommon hurling area - along the Galway border. You'd be better off letting those clubs (Toreen, Ballyhaunis, Four roads) play hurling I'm Galway and take it from there." Actually the weird thing about Mayos hurling heartland is that it's not beside hurling in Roscommon or Galway. It makes Tooreen and Ballyhaunis success all the more impressive. North East Galway isn't really hurling country and Castlerea, Ballinlough, Loughglynn have none. Oran is the nearest hurling club to Tooreen which is a bit away. Ballygar to Ballinasloe was good hurling country and most of the Roscommon hurling clubs can be found along that line. MachaireConnacht (Roscommon) - Posts: 999 - 03/06/2023 15:05:55 2483728 Link
Replying To Observer23: "I'm not sure here. I would prefer the best players going into a Connacht XV (excluding Galway) and then play other provinces excluding (top tier & Joe McDonagh finalists) in a round robin with top-2 in playing winners of preliminary QF's. It would give the best players in these counties a shot at the Liam McCarthy. London/Britain and even best US players could either form an Exiles XV or go in with Kerry as a Munster Exiles XV if Kerry were interested. You could still run off Joe McDonagh, Christy Ring etc. and individual counties could improve that way whilst giving good individual players a chance to put themselves against the top tier during what is a short playing career." Imo these amalgamated teams at county level are never going to work. Great on paper but just wouldn't work. I've said before the All-Ireland intermediate championship with the likes of Kerry, Kildare etc in it with the top teams intermediate teams would be one of the only things that might work. People will say where would three be time, but the reality is after today most counties at every level are finished for another year. A straight knockout championship isn't going to take up a whole lot of time. oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1472 - 03/06/2023 17:37:20 2483755 Link
Replying To oneoff: "Imo these amalgamated teams at county level are never going to work. Great on paper but just wouldn't work. I've said before the All-Ireland intermediate championship with the likes of Kerry, Kildare etc in it with the top teams intermediate teams would be one of the only things that might work. People will say where would three be time, but the reality is after today most counties at every level are finished for another year. A straight knockout championship isn't going to take up a whole lot of time." Yes, but for a promising young hurler, the prospect of only really ever getting to intermediate final just won't be enough for some. They'll give up aged 22-23 or after uni. You need a pathway for every player to get to the highest level, no matter where they come from, if they are good enough… Let's face it, current formats are not really bringing teams on or new counties into the fold. It is the same old, same old with lip service being paid to the development of weaker counties. Observer23 (UK) - Posts: 17 - 03/06/2023 18:51:17 2483783 Link
Replying To Observer23: "Yes, but for a promising young hurler, the prospect of only really ever getting to intermediate final just won't be enough for some. They'll give up aged 22-23 or after uni. You need a pathway for every player to get to the highest level, no matter where they come from, if they are good enough… Let's face it, current formats are not really bringing teams on or new counties into the fold. It is the same old, same old with lip service being paid to the development of weaker counties." The "Team Ulster" idea has been trown around for years as an example. But how would it work? Where would they train? How often could they train? Play home games? Even pick a management team? Any amalgamation would have these issues. It works well at club level in Kerry and to a lesser extent in Cork before there isn't as many logistics at play. In Cork and Kerry the divisional teams who don't make an effort are well off the place. oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1472 - 03/06/2023 20:09:27 2483806 Link
Replying To oneoff: "The "Team Ulster" idea has been trown around for years as an example. But how would it work? Where would they train? How often could they train? Play home games? Even pick a management team? Any amalgamation would have these issues. It works well at club level in Kerry and to a lesser extent in Cork before there isn't as many logistics at play. In Cork and Kerry the divisional teams who don't make an effort are well off the place." Appreciate there are issues. Not really saying it is an amalgamation. Tyrone would still play in Christy Ring for instance and then best players out of that team would join an Ulster squad, which play 3 round robin games against other teams in same situation and maybe then get a crack at winner of McDonagh finalist /3rd place tier 1 group team if they are in top-2. Team would probably only come together 4-6 weeks, they will train with their counties the rest of the time. Completely get that there are challenges but I think good players in these counties would like to have a go at it, even if it meant driving for 1-2 hours to training for a period. In places like Cork or Galway, players will often have to drive >1hr to make training. No perfect solution here but status quo is not showing enough results either Observer23 (UK) - Posts: 17 - 03/06/2023 20:53:13 2483823 Link
Replying To Observer23: "Appreciate there are issues. Not really saying it is an amalgamation. Tyrone would still play in Christy Ring for instance and then best players out of that team would join an Ulster squad, which play 3 round robin games against other teams in same situation and maybe then get a crack at winner of McDonagh finalist /3rd place tier 1 group team if they are in top-2. Team would probably only come together 4-6 weeks, they will train with their counties the rest of the time. Completely get that there are challenges but I think good players in these counties would like to have a go at it, even if it meant driving for 1-2 hours to training for a period. In places like Cork or Galway, players will often have to drive >1hr to make training. No perfect solution here but status quo is not showing enough results either" Totally agree. There needs to be a path to Liam McCarthy for all players irrespective of their county of birth. liam500 (Wicklow) - Posts: 187 - 03/06/2023 22:54:20 2483846 Link