Replying To Viking66:  "If a team from div 3 or div 4 makes a Provincial Final they will jump ahead of ourselves and Down also."

Replying To Pikeman96:  "Yup. That's why I said 15th might get in. But the way I understand it right now, 16th definitely won't."

Replying To Stmunnsriver:  "more good news heard martin o conner is back training, now iv no idea what stage he is at but its a good sigh"

Replying To beano:  "I have had a couple of whatsapp recordings sent to me of the live radio commentary and someone spliced that together with the TG4 coverage today too. Its wonderful stuff."

Replying To Formertownie:  "I meant to sam mc guire"

Replying To Viking66:  "Congratulations to Darragh Brooks on making the GAA FTOTW"

Replying To Viking66:  "Would've been great if more had come. Still, the lads who didnt were the ones who missed out.
Think we have had that strip awhile, not sure how long.
It was very disappointing to read in the wake of the win a post online put up by a former Senior Football player complaining that we have 140 lads on the u14 hurling panel and that 30 can't play both.
Firstly there are 48, or maybe now 49, lads on the u14 hurling development squad. The regional idea with 120, not 140, lads was one I pushed for for a few years, as firstly there was demand for it, there were way more lads wanting to try for the u14 hurling development squad than the football one, and secondly the more successful counties at underage have similar numbers at u14, Clare, Cork, Tipp etc. As it was it was only partially adopted, there were 3 training sessions and a couple of short games on Paddy's Day for the 72 lads who arent on the 48. Might be another couple at Easter and in the summer. And ironically it was a man from a hurling club who didnt agree with the idea.
There are currently only 40 on the Football Development Squad at u14 as there werent enough lads deemed good enough by the Football men running the programme. There will be additional lads invited based on club/school form to fill the other 8 places. So where you would get 120 boys to fill a similar programme for Football is a big problem. There werent even 120 lads apply to try out for the u14 Football development squad in total in the firat place.
The idea behind only doing 1 or other from u14 to minor is to maximise contacts in both. When lads were dual from u14 to minor they were missing training sessions and matches where these clashed, which turned out to be quite often with pitch availability etc, which didnt help their personal development in either code, or help other panel members and coaches of either either.
The aim for both the Hurling and Football development squads is to try to produce elite hurlers and footballers for our Senior teams. Its sad when GAA people are trying to stoke divisions in the county, when there are increasingly more elite young sportspeople in the county pursuing soccer and rugby instead.
At the end of the day if young lads dont want to be elite Footballers its up to Football men in the county at grassroots level to try get more young people interested in playing the game. Our club promotes both codes evenly, we would traditionally be a more Football leaning club, but we can't force our young people to prefer one over the other, and interestingly we have lads on the u16, u15 and u14 hurling development squads, but only lads on the u14 Football development squad."