The hierarchy in the GAA are always taking about how they are promoting hurlers in the weaker counties but from talking to hurling people from these counties there is little or nothing happening. here are two small things that could be done to help promote hurling. Joe Canning and other students were off all last summer and doing summer jobs (i could be wrong but I heard that Canning helped his brother who is a carpenter) this is a waste, the country isn't that big so why not give Canning and two or three other Galway hurlers and let them drive to areas of Roscommon, Sligo etc to host a few trainings. They could easily get back for training sessions. Secondly when any strong county plays Antrim in the leauge (the current system would have to be changed) fly them up on a Friday night and host training sessions around the area on the saturday before playing the game on the saturday. Imagine what it would do for hurling in say a small club in ARmagh for Tommy Walsh and Henry Shefflin to take a session with 14/15 year olds. Anyway just a rant, but there is a few simple things that could be done, relatively cheaply that could make a difference.

only_way_is_up (Galway) - Posts: 99 - 02/10/2009 11:07:10    442803

I think one problem is actually the money involved to get these players to a training session. Players are already out of pocket & now asked to take a grants cut after being promised they would be looked after. We all would like to think that players would give up their time to coach kids etc but I would be very suprised if many would agree to do it for free.

Im not too sure if all counties have a development officer but these should really be the people looking to bring in really good coaches & getting on to the county boards to supply the funds.Not that many are going to od this now given the lack of funding.

It is a shame not to see it happening though but im sure county hurlers nowadays are not even training with their clubs as they have so much time training with the county.

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 02/10/2009 13:02:10    442918

agreed.

every child born should be given a hurl on leaving hospital. and im not being funny.

voiceofreason (Mayo) - Posts: 588 - 02/10/2009 13:30:14    442949

There is no support for hurling in most of the weaker counties and that is the problem with it. Also it's one thing getting kids to a training session with Henry Shefflin, it's another gettting them hitting a ball against a wall at home in their spare time, which is where all great players begin

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 02/10/2009 14:57:18    443052

14 Palyers to help Joe might help a weaker county

madasbutter (Mayo) - Posts: 872 - 02/10/2009 15:00:17    443058

madasbutter
County: Mayo
Posts: 142

443058
14 Palyers to help Joe might help a weaker county

True enough :) look what our lord did after three years preaching...imagine what Joe would manage in a summer.............. other poster is correct, all top quality hurlers had a hurl in their hand and hitting a sliothar against wall all day when they were just 4/5. but maybe Shefflin /Canning etc could raise the interest level which might lead to this. They have to try something else or we'll have the same championship in 50 years time, or worse

only_way_is_up (Galway) - Posts: 99 - 02/10/2009 15:14:18    443075

There is no support for hurling in the weaker counties. Counties with established Liam McCarthy teams clearly have an agenda (can't really blame them for it) where they can't accept their own teams getting relegated from the championship or league and don't want to let improving/developing teams enter their championship/ league.

What can they do?
Start being a bit more fair for a start.

JuanVeron (Westmeath) - Posts: 1866 - 02/10/2009 15:16:07    443080

*too many starts there!

JuanVeron (Westmeath) - Posts: 1866 - 02/10/2009 15:23:16    443087

I disagree JuanVeron, Westmeath's hurlers are not up to the standard of Tipperary, Clare, KK, Cork.
They might be up to the standard of Laois or Antrim, but via promotion they get the chance of playing in the top divisions - just a Carlow have taken.

westmeath has 14 clubs playing hurling, they just will never be able to compete against the likes of tipperary with 50 or 60 clubs. Westmeath should stop complaining about not playing in the liam macarthy and take a look at itself.

Its been 40 years since a team from Mullingar won the county hurling championship and there is and has never been a team from Athlone in the senior championship. Thats where half of westmeaths population lives. So to suggest that its those from outside westmeath keeping us down is a lie. 3/4 of Westmeath doesnt give a damn about hurling!

(ps: Im from westmeath)

wingwonder (UK) - Posts: 535 - 02/10/2009 15:40:20    443107

I am still a huge supporter of combining some of the weaker neighbouring counties. Seriously it makes sense surely.
Just so long as it doesn't become too one-side (I.e. too many players from one county). However restrictions shouldn't be put in place because it would do no good.
Like if Carlow only have 2 decent players and Laois have 13 then so be it, but those 2 Carlow players could make all the difference.
They can still have county teams in their respective competitions but the schedule should be organised so the player can play in both comps.
Saying this also it should only happen where it makes sense. For example I don't think combining the likes of Meath and Louth at the moment would do either any good.
Carlow, Laois and Wicklow would be good examples to combine.
Antrim, Derry and Down could be combined to compete in Leinster (now that Antrim are in anyway).
It would be difficult to see the point of combining others. WestMeath could probably provide the backbone of an OK team but who could you add with them. Longford, Cavan, Meath and Kildare potentially. Call it the midlands.
People will argue about logistics but this day and age for god sake it wouldn't be a big deal to find a spot in between on the border for them to train together.
You could have a rest of Con side but I'm not sure that would be a competitive team either.
Wouldn't mind seeing it tried out for a year though. No harm could become of it.
Maybe assign a neutral manager with a group of selectors (maybe 2 from each county).

ColinWex (Wexford) - Posts: 901 - 02/10/2009 15:41:10    443110

Stick a pen knife into every football

dammon (Meath) - Posts: 1291 - 02/10/2009 16:31:24    443167

The GAA employed a full time coach for the Meath, Louth and Kildare areas a couple of years ago but pulled the funding on it last year. By all reports it was working very well but no explanation was given for it's termination.

Connolly (Dublin) - Posts: 138 - 02/10/2009 16:33:58    443172

Colin,

Quick point, now i dont have problems with wexford hurling, however, who were the two teams facing a relegation play off?? And Laois almost beat Limerick, is there delusions of grandeur here??

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 02/10/2009 16:41:26    443189

Yea, I agree with you Wingwonder that We're not near the standard of the big counties, and Carlow, Down have are probably above us in the pecking order of teams that should be allowed in, but to say 3/4 of the county doesn't give a damn about hurling is really excessive, Sure a Mullingar club didn't didn't win the championship in ages, but how many Mullingar men were playing for Clonkill last Sunday when they won?

JuanVeron (Westmeath) - Posts: 1866 - 02/10/2009 17:18:27    443240

ColinWex, the more I think about your idea the more I think it could work. To get kids interested in a sport you have to give them a top class team to support. An example would be munster and leinster rugby ten years ago. You'd find it hard to fill the RDS 10 or fifteen years. A sucessful brand was put in front of people and they followed it. I know its nowhere near the same and you wouldn't have as dramatic results but it could help them more succesful over time. They would probably never allow it, but they don't have a problem with clubs joining in my county or a Fingal playing in the Rckard cup so you never know

only_way_is_up (Galway) - Posts: 99 - 05/10/2009 13:11:00    445331

great post and as it applies to me directly, being a hurler from derry, i would love to see some of the stars from the big counties turning up in derry to take sessions, and as for funding, surely this could easily come from croke park, i mean its not as if they're skint. this would have to be taken seriously by the various county boards also, and the boards may not be so keen. i feel personally at the moment that hurling is just a pain in the backside for the current regime in derry who would sooner see all hurls in the county used as fire wood. there are plenty of people in my own county both playing and non playing who are trying to promote hurling in a big way, and im sure counties of similar standard have got the same amount of dedicated hurling people.

and i use the term regime as intended.

pig.ignorant (Derry) - Posts: 655 - 05/10/2009 16:22:38    445554

The likes of Carlow, Mayo, Donegal etc... are lost causes in my book. It's probably fair to say all stronger counties are of the same mindset as me and that there's no real point promoting hurling in these counties. It'd be like advertising the most expensive products to the poorest nations, they'll just never be able to get there.

Nurofen (Wexford) - Posts: 249 - 05/10/2009 16:35:52    445574

If there are any members of the Kerry team thinking of holidaying in Cavan in the near future i could fix yis up with a few of our fine things !!

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 05/10/2009 16:38:14    445577

Hurling has come on a bit in kildare with a few more football clubs putting teams in. I think in all the weaker counties the hurlers should have their own county boards.
And coaching and games develoopment officers, especially lads who were high rpofile should be appointed to about twenty counties

sandar (Kildare) - Posts: 32 - 05/10/2009 18:57:44    445722

05/10/2009 16:35:52
Nurofen
County: Wexford
Posts: 6

445574 The likes of Carlow, Mayo, Donegal etc... are lost causes in my book. It's probably fair to say all stronger counties are of the same mindset as me and that there's no real point promoting hurling in these counties. It'd be like advertising the most expensive products to the poorest nations, they'll just never be able to get there.
____________________

Hiya Kleenex - disapointed you did'nt respond to my "havent seen half of it thead" - written just for you

ruanua (Donegal) - Posts: 4966 - 05/10/2009 20:14:29    445802