National Forum

How Do We Take Hurling On From Here

(Oldest Posts First)

There is no doubt yesterday was one of the greatest hurling spectacles in the history of the game. A phenomenal game and credit to all.
But how can the GAA take the game in to counties outside the top handful of counties? I don't for a second believe you can get hurling taken seriously in every county in Ireland (and when I say seriously, I mean by county boards and on equal footing to football) but the biggest travesty in the GAA is that there were children in Uganda who had played more hurling than children in 20 counties in the country.
Jarlath Burns has talked about hurling and extending its reach, but he is from a club with no hurling himself.
Not an easy answer and GAA can gloat about the game yesterday all they want, the lack of hurling in so many counties is a stain on their administration.
I grew up in a county with unfashionable hurling and now live in a county where it is fashionable with limited success but it is not down to a lack of effort on the part of GAA administrators in the county.
Donal Og has long talked fanciful notions about hurling but is there any way the gospel can be spread? The GAA has no new hurling winner in 43 years and likely goes another 43 with no new hurling winner.
I do not have the answer, but no harm to start a discussion.

ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1272 - 22/07/2024 10:14:47    2560514

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Replying To ExiledInWex:  "There is no doubt yesterday was one of the greatest hurling spectacles in the history of the game. A phenomenal game and credit to all.
But how can the GAA take the game in to counties outside the top handful of counties? I don't for a second believe you can get hurling taken seriously in every county in Ireland (and when I say seriously, I mean by county boards and on equal footing to football) but the biggest travesty in the GAA is that there were children in Uganda who had played more hurling than children in 20 counties in the country.
Jarlath Burns has talked about hurling and extending its reach, but he is from a club with no hurling himself.
Not an easy answer and GAA can gloat about the game yesterday all they want, the lack of hurling in so many counties is a stain on their administration.
I grew up in a county with unfashionable hurling and now live in a county where it is fashionable with limited success but it is not down to a lack of effort on the part of GAA administrators in the county.
Donal Og has long talked fanciful notions about hurling but is there any way the gospel can be spread? The GAA has no new hurling winner in 43 years and likely goes another 43 with no new hurling winner.
I do not have the answer, but no harm to start a discussion."
The likes of the all Stars and tsg team of the year don't help.

Silly to only chose from 3 teams and totally dominated by the final.

There was a time the likes of laois got all stars for league games which probably kept them going. Literally no carrots for developing counties. Why even bother?

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3378 - 22/07/2024 11:15:58    2560534

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Replying To ExiledInWex:  "There is no doubt yesterday was one of the greatest hurling spectacles in the history of the game. A phenomenal game and credit to all.
But how can the GAA take the game in to counties outside the top handful of counties? I don't for a second believe you can get hurling taken seriously in every county in Ireland (and when I say seriously, I mean by county boards and on equal footing to football) but the biggest travesty in the GAA is that there were children in Uganda who had played more hurling than children in 20 counties in the country.
Jarlath Burns has talked about hurling and extending its reach, but he is from a club with no hurling himself.
Not an easy answer and GAA can gloat about the game yesterday all they want, the lack of hurling in so many counties is a stain on their administration.
I grew up in a county with unfashionable hurling and now live in a county where it is fashionable with limited success but it is not down to a lack of effort on the part of GAA administrators in the county.
Donal Og has long talked fanciful notions about hurling but is there any way the gospel can be spread? The GAA has no new hurling winner in 43 years and likely goes another 43 with no new hurling winner.
I do not have the answer, but no harm to start a discussion."
I was talking to a lad from Mayo and he told me there's a lot of underage hurling clubs starting there where there was none when he was young. I think that's the answer: start with the young lads and build it. It would take time but so does anything worthwhile.

Trump2020 (Galway) - Posts: 2323 - 22/07/2024 11:27:51    2560538

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Some hurling people dismiss football totally and football dominated clubs who field ladies teams mens and boys teams couldnt easily take on hurling costwise helmets sloathars camans and they wouldnt have any proper coaches in place i think hurling will only prosper in traditonal counties

highdropingball (Donegal) - Posts: 111 - 22/07/2024 11:31:20    2560541

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Replying To Trump2020:  "I was talking to a lad from Mayo and he told me there's a lot of underage hurling clubs starting there where there was none when he was young. I think that's the answer: start with the young lads and build it. It would take time but so does anything worthwhile."
It has to start from the bottom up. If you want an oak tree growing in the garden you can't just cut one down at the side of the road and bring it home.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14821 - 22/07/2024 11:45:40    2560547

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "The likes of the all Stars and tsg team of the year don't help.

Silly to only chose from 3 teams and totally dominated by the final.

There was a time the likes of laois got all stars for league games which probably kept them going. Literally no carrots for developing counties. Why even bother?"
Yeah, lack of all stars is the problem.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2023 - 22/07/2024 11:54:08    2560552

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Replying To ExiledInWex:  "There is no doubt yesterday was one of the greatest hurling spectacles in the history of the game. A phenomenal game and credit to all.
But how can the GAA take the game in to counties outside the top handful of counties? I don't for a second believe you can get hurling taken seriously in every county in Ireland (and when I say seriously, I mean by county boards and on equal footing to football) but the biggest travesty in the GAA is that there were children in Uganda who had played more hurling than children in 20 counties in the country.
Jarlath Burns has talked about hurling and extending its reach, but he is from a club with no hurling himself.
Not an easy answer and GAA can gloat about the game yesterday all they want, the lack of hurling in so many counties is a stain on their administration.
I grew up in a county with unfashionable hurling and now live in a county where it is fashionable with limited success but it is not down to a lack of effort on the part of GAA administrators in the county.
Donal Og has long talked fanciful notions about hurling but is there any way the gospel can be spread? The GAA has no new hurling winner in 43 years and likely goes another 43 with no new hurling winner.
I do not have the answer, but no harm to start a discussion."
First of all approach the game that despite the undoubted spectacle value and the spectacular skills required, it has patently been a failure in its poor distribution. We are not great at this at all, its almost a mirror of our woegeous attempt to revive the Irish language. First of dispel the notion its difficult, or its something inherited, so bin rubbish like exclusionary ideas and notions like 'wristy', 'Traditional counties', 'in our dna' and unhelpful elitist clap trap. The fact is the sport is mostly strongest in the old Norman areas not Gaelic ones so park the mythology none of this has or will work.
First of all with right training resources and facilities you can teach and coach any sport. Tell people its too difficult is not a good sell. It has to be sold as a worthwhile challenge. A lot of counties very much football ones do have a strong hurling base, like Kildare, Meath come to mind. Hurling needs facilites, particularly all weather hurling infrastructure but essentially quality coaching. It is not a level playing field between GAA football and Hurling in most counties. At the end of the day funding etc needs to be ring fenced. Schools/club initatives expanded and a vibrant local club base where standards need to be raised. But its a daunting task facing hurling. The senior county teams while they are amateur they do gobble up county budgets. The sport is heavily reliant on volunteers and healthy clubs. But it needs to be looked at completely differently. Whatever is suggested it will need a big cheque to bank roll it.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4949 - 22/07/2024 12:44:34    2560582

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Replying To arock:  "First of all approach the game that despite the undoubted spectacle value and the spectacular skills required, it has patently been a failure in its poor distribution. We are not great at this at all, its almost a mirror of our woegeous attempt to revive the Irish language. First of dispel the notion its difficult, or its something inherited, so bin rubbish like exclusionary ideas and notions like 'wristy', 'Traditional counties', 'in our dna' and unhelpful elitist clap trap. The fact is the sport is mostly strongest in the old Norman areas not Gaelic ones so park the mythology none of this has or will work.
First of all with right training resources and facilities you can teach and coach any sport. Tell people its too difficult is not a good sell. It has to be sold as a worthwhile challenge. A lot of counties very much football ones do have a strong hurling base, like Kildare, Meath come to mind. Hurling needs facilites, particularly all weather hurling infrastructure but essentially quality coaching. It is not a level playing field between GAA football and Hurling in most counties. At the end of the day funding etc needs to be ring fenced. Schools/club initatives expanded and a vibrant local club base where standards need to be raised. But its a daunting task facing hurling. The senior county teams while they are amateur they do gobble up county budgets. The sport is heavily reliant on volunteers and healthy clubs. But it needs to be looked at completely differently. Whatever is suggested it will need a big cheque to bank roll it."
That's a great post. We have lads at u12 who only started hurling last year who are as good as lads who have been hurling since they were 6.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14821 - 22/07/2024 13:40:56    2560603

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Hurling is alot more technically difficult for children to pick up and for coaches to coach compared to gaelic football. I think investment in coaching in schools is key. I have also seen quite alot of kids try hurling but not stick at it. Is starting kids at 5/6 too young given the technical aspects of hurling, also kids often get belts of hurleys that put's them off. Alot of rural clubs are amalgamating at underage level which would indicate reduced playing numbers.

journeyman (Limerick) - Posts: 141 - 24/07/2024 14:12:21    2561231

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Replying To Claretandblue:  "Yeah, lack of all stars is the problem."
The lack of incentive for good players to stick at it is part of the problem.

Competitive people enjoy recognition.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3378 - 24/07/2024 15:26:13    2561262

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Replying To Viking66:  "It has to start from the bottom up. If you want an oak tree growing in the garden you can't just cut one down at the side of the road and bring it home."
Yes - start with the club game and then see it grow from there.

In Kildare - Naas have had a very strong Club for the past few years but other clubs are starting to catch up. This in turn will ultimately push the whole game on in the county. Its amazing to see the amount of Kids playing in the county now as against even 10 years ago.

I know its a long time back that Offaly made the breakthrough. That started in 2/3 strong clubs driving each other on before results being seen in the county game ultimately culminating in All Ireland success.

brianb (Kildare) - Posts: 391 - 24/07/2024 15:54:25    2561270

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Bring in VAR, embrace technology, and eliminate human (referee) error ! Get past those diehards who refuse to accept change, and use VAR to confirm decisions the same way as Hawkeye eliminated blind umpires!

Ryanteam (Cork) - Posts: 436 - 24/07/2024 23:15:11    2561372

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Replying To Ryanteam:  "Bring in VAR, embrace technology, and eliminate human (referee) error ! Get past those diehards who refuse to accept change, and use VAR to confirm decisions the same way as Hawkeye eliminated blind umpires!"
Would slow down the game way too much if every contentious decision had to be looked at on VAR.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 14821 - 25/07/2024 11:04:51    2561437

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Replying To brianb:  "Yes - start with the club game and then see it grow from there.

In Kildare - Naas have had a very strong Club for the past few years but other clubs are starting to catch up. This in turn will ultimately push the whole game on in the county. Its amazing to see the amount of Kids playing in the county now as against even 10 years ago.

I know its a long time back that Offaly made the breakthrough. That started in 2/3 strong clubs driving each other on before results being seen in the county game ultimately culminating in All Ireland success."
Yeah there definitely is a lot more kids around the place carrying hurleys. Naas GAA are a credit to themselves with how they've built themselves up the way they have. Unfortunately though there are still some Hurling clubs in the county which are in the dark ages and unlikely to change as that incident a few weeks back proves yet again.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2158 - 25/07/2024 13:22:19    2561487

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Primary schools would be the place to start the indoctrination. Surgically remove the smart phones from their lámha if need be and replace with a hurl.

Maroonatic (Galway) - Posts: 1065 - 25/07/2024 13:59:55    2561504

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I see one in every three delegates at Donegal Congress voted to end 'throwball' in hurling, a feature that has spoiled the game of hurling as a spectacle in recent seasons, and largely obsoleted many of hurling's unique stickwork skills from the game altogether.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3952 - 23/02/2025 11:42:48    2592579

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There's a lot of good ideas here but I also think there's a lack of critical mass of clubs in some counties.

Could championships get merged.

Antrim Down
Westmeath, Meath
Donegal, Derry, Tyrone
Connacht counties.

Could you start to get some clubs emerge and strengthen where they are able to offer a stronger standard of competition for their players.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4400 - 23/02/2025 13:11:40    2592586

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Hurling unique skills are something that requires learning like ice hockey from when you start walking. If you are not right and left handed you are not going to to excel at it. In football it is helpful to be right and left footed but not as detrimental. There are some contributory to why it does not grow outside the top counties. The biggest is public interest in the secondary competitions. The GAA do z lot of talking but little action. These secondary competition games should be played before the premier ones at the same grounds. Only give tv rights if both games are showed. Have entry tickets at a reduced cost before the so called big game. When the kids can see their team on the big stage interest will change. I know there are many other considerations but interest is where it has to start. Gaelic football has the same issues but maybe not to the same degree.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2949 - 23/02/2025 13:24:57    2592589

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