Bring back the Tommy Murphy Cup! Championship used to be a great leveller after the league but it looks like there's a gulf now between Division 1 teams & everyone else. The modern system & style of play adopted by nearly every county has led to mass mediocrity where only the strong get stronger.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4105 - 27/05/2013 16:29:39    1392747

It was never any different..........there have been hammerings since year dot. Not a modern day issue at all.

Solo_Run (Leitrim) - Posts: 227 - 27/05/2013 16:35:52    1392753

How many of these type of threads are started here every summer? Provincial championships are here to stay like it or lump it folks.

It's always interesting to see who can win each provincial title it also gives some of the lesser teams a chance to win something. In August we have the All Ireland series we find out who is the best sides in Ireland is and the cream always rises to the top!!

Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3993 - 27/05/2013 17:25:31    1392817

keeper7
Bring back the Tommy Murphy Cup! Championship used to be a great leveller after the league but it looks like there's a gulf now between Division 1 teams & everyone else. The modern system & style of play adopted by nearly every county has led to mass mediocrity where only the strong get stronger.

You've a point in some respects. I think it should be at the very least brought back for the lowest 8 round 1 and 2 losers based on league rankings. It'd give them a couple of more games over the summer months to bring on a few players.

Regard provincial championships, in the hurling next year, Antrim, Laois, Carlow, Westmeath and London will enter a provincial qualifying group with the top 2 entering the Leinster championship at the quarter-final stage to take on two other counties.

I'm only throwing it out here now, maybe the Munster championship could adopt something similar, have Tipperary, Limerick, Clare and Waterford in a group with the top 2 advancing to take on Kerry and Cork in the semi-finals. It could be one way to give them game time ahead of Kerry and Cork.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9800 - 27/05/2013 17:25:44    1392818

Gaa_lover
County: USA
Posts: 1410

1392817
How many of these type of threads are started here every summer? Provincial championships are here to stay like it or lump it folks.

----
Says who? Russia used to be communist. Leinster Hurling used to be Kilkenny v Wexford. And a while ago this thing called the Internet didnt exist. Things can change.

tyroneed (Tyrone) - Posts: 753 - 27/05/2013 20:19:59    1393013

This thread is a total farce for the vast majority of counties winning the provincial championship is all they dream of. Bar about 6 counties the rest have no chance of winning the AI so really the dream is winning the province. In Leinster every county excluding Dublin would love to win the province, they are one of the top 6 so they look beyond leinster but for the rest of us if you removed the provinves then there would be no reason to enter the championship. This type of thread appears every year and there is just no argument really.

Louth Gael (Louth) - Posts: 1227 - 27/05/2013 20:39:53    1393045

keeper7
County: Longford
Posts: 1191

1392747
Bring back the Tommy Murphy Cup! Championship used to be a great leveller after the league but it looks like there's a gulf now between Division 1 teams & everyone else. The modern system & style of play adopted by nearly every county has led to mass mediocrity where only the strong get stronger.

Donegal are now a div 2 team. so that argument doesn't hold any water.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5524 - 27/05/2013 20:40:03    1393046

You can still have the provinical competitions but as a separate competition that ends there.

tyroneed (Tyrone) - Posts: 753 - 27/05/2013 20:49:13    1393052

Provincial championships still make money for the GAA despite all the discussion. That's what it comes down to. It'll be more like for a county or two to move provinces than for them to disband. Noises coming from the GAA would suggest that's what they'd like to see.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9800 - 27/05/2013 21:09:07    1393078

Western, Northern, Eastern and Southern Divisions of 8 teams each would be fairer.

Only stumbling block there is where London and New York go.

Mayo, Ross, Galway, Sligo, Lietrim, Westmeath, Donegal, London in western - for example - I think that would be a terrific division. Played as knockout or as a league format, doesn't make a difference.

MayoMark (Mayo) - Posts: 332 - 27/05/2013 21:11:30    1393083

provincial championships?are those things still going?wake me up when its knock out will ya lads...

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 27/05/2013 21:16:35    1393091

Or else, as per my above idea, have those "divisions" for every section, have 2 groups per division, seed the draws, you might get something like:

Mayo
Westmeath
Ross
Leitrim

and

Donegal
Galway
Sligo
London

Play each other once, top from each group in "Western Final", 2nd place in the group goes into qualifiers.

3rd and 4th into second tier competition with 16 teams. Open draw, teams finishing 3rd get home advantage v 4th placed team.

Bada bing, bada boom, you have groups with incentive to win every game, with loads of game time for every team.


Never ever ever going to happen but I'm bored and this entertains me!

MayoMark (Mayo) - Posts: 332 - 27/05/2013 21:17:06    1393093

how could football in clare be any good?they dont start the club championship til mid august!!.semi finals and final usually held in muck and wintery conditions.club players never get to play in summer conditions to show how good they might be and break into the county set up.every young lad whos any good is playing rugby or soccer.at least they get games.its an ongoing joke here in clare and the clubs cant oust the militant county board who enforce this insanity year after year.

kavvie (Clare) - Posts: 506 - 27/05/2013 21:24:08    1393101

27/05/2013 20:39:53
Louth Gael
County: Louth
Posts: 1003

1393045
This thread is a total farce for the vast majority of counties winning the provincial championship is all they dream of. Bar about 6 counties the rest have no chance of winning the AI so really the dream is winning the province. In Leinster every county excluding Dublin would love to win the province, they are one of the top 6 so they look beyond leinster but for the rest of us if you removed the provinves then there would be no reason to enter the championship. This type of thread appears every year and there is just no argument really.


Well said. I find it strange the other keen GAA followers don't see it this way? or maybe some followers are too influenced by Sky sports and the premier league nowadays.

The_analyser (Roscommon) - Posts: 4397 - 27/05/2013 21:38:40    1393124

s goldrick,

"Donegal are now a div 2 team. so that argument doesn't hold any water."

It's NEXT YEAR they will be a Division 2 team.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4105 - 28/05/2013 11:04:40    1393304

Really and truly Munster and Connacht I have become non competitive. Ulster, while competitive is a two horse race for the foreseeable future and Leinster is great until you add in Dublin and they decimate all before them.

As one poster eluded to what about 4 regions Western, Southern, Northern, Eastern. 8 teams in each. I think your thought process is good however really its still provincial championships.

But keeping on those lines what about Two Championships - Western Conference and Eastern Conference. 16 teams in each which remain consist year on year. You draw a line from Antrim to Kerry and snake it here and there too make too very competitive sides.

E.g.

Western: Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Donegal, Kerry, Clare, Limerick, Roscommon, Leitrim, Longford, Offaly, Fermanagh, Cavan, Westmeath, Tipperary, Monaghan

Eastern: Dublin, Wicklow, London, Wexford, Laois, Waterford, Cork, Derry, Antrim, Tyrone, Carlow, Louth, Down, Armagh, Meath, Waterford


Structure:

Each Championship has 16 teams, Divided into 4x4 with semi finalists from previous season been seeded into each of the 4 groups. Both Championships remain separate from each and all games within each side remain in venues in that side. So no Western games would be in Croke Park.

The winner of each championship competes in the All-Ireland. I'd also see the Conference finals being major events with Castlebar for example jammed for what would effectively be the AL semi final between lets say Kerry and Donegal, there would also be a trophy for the winner of each region.

I think having two separate sides would even things out, if a single county can only be drawn against 15 other teams, they will began to adapt and teams will get familiar with eachother and it will all level out.

crossfieldball (Galway) - Posts: 650 - 28/05/2013 12:07:36    1393385

28/05/2013 12:07:36
crossfieldball
County: Galway
Posts: 309

1393385
Really and truly Munster and Connacht I have become non competitive.

Have you even watched Connacht the last few years?

Connacht finals 2007-2012

2007 Sligo beat by Galway one point
2008 Galway beat Mayo by one point
2009 Mayo beat Galway by one point
2010 Roscommon beat Sligo by one point
2011 Mayo beat Roscommonn by two point
2012 Mayo beat Sligo by two points

Mayo may walk it this year however over the last 6 years Connacht has been as competitive as any province in Ireland

The_analyser (Roscommon) - Posts: 4397 - 28/05/2013 19:27:25    1393923

I may post this here as well If the connacht counties were been truly honest and took an objective view they would agree it is a farce of a competition the same with Munster say what you want about the Dubs winning Leinster the 7 or 8 years at least Leinster is competitive just look at Laois V Louth the weekend or Wicklow v longford.
IF (please god Kildare manage to overcome Offaly on saturday) one of the Leinster semi final's will be Kildare V Dublin what is the Munster semi final Kerry V waterford??? joke....as much as I would love leitrim to win Connacht in reality Mayo probably have the quarter final place in August booked like I said both competitions are a joke only people that cant seem to grasp that are Gaa HQ and the counties that are involved in them suppose why would the likes of Kerry and mayo etc complain they have it handy.

lilywhitemagic (Kildare) - Posts: 1693 - 28/05/2013 21:16:33    1394019

Lilywhitemagic- you get match ups like that in Leinster because its a far bigger Provence.
You will still see the Dubs hammering everyone bar Kildare/Meath.
You will get the odd shock but they are fewer and fewer.
We are dealing with hurling counties so in actual fact you might argue that
Leinster should be stronger.

westkerry (Kerry) - Posts: 1250 - 28/05/2013 21:40:51    1394038

Connacht is more competitive than Munster you have to go back to 1992 (Clare) since Kerry or Cork didn't win it. Donegal are on the verge of winning three in a row before they arrived it was all Tyrone or Armagh from 1999 - 2010 finally in Leinster Dublin have won 7 of the last 8 titles and they should win it again this year pulling up.

Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3993 - 28/05/2013 21:45:38    1394043