Hurlers 2014

Yes I know there's a hurling thread but no one reads it and think they deserve recognition, even if their own championship is being run off over a few weeks while no one notices so the GAA can prepare itself for the "real" teams. Seems like couple of cracking games against Wicklow, good to come out of it in Aughrim given the sides have switched places in the league. Kerry at home this Sunday and by all accounts the nightmare draw, they seem to be more than a step above the rest this season but will be a good gauge. Win and we'll be in the semi-finals, lose and from what I can work out it'll be a very winnable game against Mayo to get to a quarter-final. Anyone going/care?

They wouldn't have been favourite to come out on top especially in the replay, so fair play to them sounds like a very hard fought victory.
Best of luck for the next round.

The GAA might be served well by looking at how resources spent in Dublin have elevated their competitive status from getting beaten by westmeath not so long ago, to winning the leinster championship last year. I know the support is not really here for it within the county, but counties like Meath Kildare & Wicklow have a big population of migrant commuters and if the game needs growth, this is where they should look to invest.

On that John, from Sunday Business Post the weekend of the hurling league semi-finals. May be of interest considering what you are saying.

Now that it's nearly over, the same arguments can start up again, all missing the point again.

The hurling league will be whittled down to two today but, as tends to be the case at this time of year, some bellowing voices have been pushing for new formats while spinning old worries about the future of the game. The problem is the game they care about involves 12 teams at most whereas 34 compete. US journalist Glenn Greenwald wasn't thinking sport when writing that ''incestuous, homogeneous fiefdoms of self-proclaimed expertise are always rank-closing and mutually self-defending". But he summed up the sort of elitism that seems to exist, hurling season after hurling season.

At the end of last summer, there was the best opportunity in a generation to inspire a generation. The championship dusted itself down from years of predictability with few games to entice and enchant. It laid down a marker for what hurling could be and threw out a challenge to grow so it wasn't just the same counties getting to create and enjoy its majesty. As always, though, it failed that challenge and now we're back to the same concerns about Offaly and Wexford, the same brief and lukewarm interest in sides like Kerry and Laois and Wicklow, the same status quo that protects based on history but never expands based on hard work and results.

Hurling people from major counties get accused of snobbery but while true, it's misunderstood. They aren't snobby towards other sports because frankly they've a right to think theirs is the beautiful game. But they are snobby towards that game. Just look at the reality the actual weaker counties exist in. In recent months alone, we've witnessed different formats within the same league that meant Kerry were denied the chance to enter a new era because Offaly were the best of their era 16 years ago. Where was Cork's extra game to get promotion, such as Kerry? Or Kildare's extra chance to avoid relegation like Dublin? It's not always how you play, but it is always who you are.

For all damage getting relegated might have done to Offaly, the trade-off was Kerry getting what they deserved in 2015 while next year Wicklow and Derry would have gotten to improve skill and speed against Brian Whelahan's side. These counties need that to climb the ladder and while one team would have lost based on losing results, many could have gained based on fairness. Sadly, though, in hurling these matters are gerrymandered and weighted and, even in this Hawkeye era, the goalposts move in favour of the establishment. But the league is only the edge of hurling's hypocrisy.

When the Christy Ring Cup began in 2005, many hurlers thought they were finally getting a fair pull. There was talk of sponsorship for the competition, rumours of many games across the best months, some before major top-tier matches, and even televised finals in Croke Park. But by 2008 the final was initially moved to a Friday because of real matches and, after complaints, ended up in Tullamore.
The dismantling had begun and, since then, TV cameras have been switched off, fewer matches take place and they are all pretty much run off in front of bald terraces by June. One hurler even told this column he wouldn't know it was on if he wasn't playing in it.

The fact these sides aren't good enough isn't an excuse to avoid help. Should junior clubs be ignored in a similar way? Between 2007 and 2012, €6 million was given to Dublin that massively helped their hurlers become elite but now what about others? Counties with fewer resources need more cash to compete; yet, this year, it was announced that Antrim, Carlow, Westmeath and Laois would have to split just €900,000 while everyone else would get to share €100,000 to promote the sport. It was as tokenistic as insulting.

The money given to Dublin was based on a huge urban area but, now it's been serviced, what about other large centres like Portlaoise and Naas where the game would have to stand up to die on its feet? As another lower-level hurler who is a teacher says: ''There should be several coaches in each of these counties going to every school. This could lead into secondary schools and we could initially see combined schools teams. In weaker counties the difference becomes apparent from 15 to 18 because of a lack of quality games. We know that needs to be done but the money hasn't been given to make it happen.

Recently, the GAA has been telling us about the priority of growing its games abroad via its Sky deal, but why isn't hurling in two of their four provinces a priority? It's true some county boards don't help themselves, but the GAA has a responsibility to make them accountable. So do the stronger counties who know the joy of the game and should want to help others experience it.

Instead, though, as we get towards the best teams playing bigger games, we'll hear more about real hurling people in great hurling counties. They are words that bring to mind spending the day of the 2012 Lory Meagher Cup final with Fermanagh, when it hit home that their set-up was full of real hurling people who kept the game alive there. Yet, two years on, there's one club left in the county that has to make three-hour round-trips to play a game. That won't last much longer in Fermanagh or in many such places because even real hurling people get burnt out and once they go, there's no replacement.

No one cares for them, though, because our supposedly national game belongs to just the self-chosen few. And their attitude to those beneath them is: if it's broken, why bother fixing it?

Sept last year when those League arrangements were proposed was the time to make an issue of them............

They were voted on by Central Council. Did Kildare object or make a counter proposal to any of them........

Has any club put any proposals to CB to put forward at Central Council for next year............

Sure the funding needs to be revised but again has anyone proposals............

Its easy to criticise and be right after the event but what had Marty and now John Joe to say on these issues as Kildare reps..............

kelf wrote:

Sept last year when those League  arrangements were proposed was the time to make an issue of them............  

They were voted on by Central Council. Did Kildare object or make a counter proposal to any of  them........      

Has any club put any proposals to CB to put forward at Central Council for next year............

Sure the funding needs to be revised but again has anyone proposals............

Its easy to criticise and be right after the event  but what had Marty and now John Joe to say on these issues as Kildare reps..............

Its easy to criticise because of the lack of fairness shown. Saying you need to propose changes when something is set up with glaring inequality, how about setting it up properly in the first place.

lts even easier to know it all a year after the proposals were published...............................


S

Great result up in Derry by sounds of it. Thought it a little odd we'd to go up there, surely teams coming through front door should be given that advantage, but anyway, overcame that and overcame what must have been a difficult blow in giving Kerry a right game but falling short. Anyone know is the semi-final a draw? Meath or Kerry await, we'd take the former, but as I said at the start think Kerry a step above. A day in Croke Park pulling off of them would be fantastic achievement and opportunity though.

We got Meath Tommy. Usually a close game with them so fingers crossed Croke Park might beckon and another crack at Kerry.

Hurlers have turned their season around magnificently after a poor league - perhaps footballers can do the same.

Well done to the hurlers, good luck against meath.

They are due a win over meath! Always nothing between the two teams. Mind you if the form continues after yesterday they could well be in a great opportunity to win it out. Well done lads and keep it going!!!!

Great win for hurlers today over Meath and now play Kerry next Saturday in Croke Park. After mixed results over the last few years, and a disappointing league campaign, things look to be coming good for them now. Factor in the minor and under 21 success of the last two years or so and hopefully we can go on do something similar to what the likes of Westmeath and Carlow did. Little seeds might oaks and all that.

I remember the 2007 final against Westmeath being played in Croke Park as part of a triple header with the Waterford - Cork replay and a Kilkenny game.

Understand that it's only right the finals of the Meagher, Rackard and Ring cups are played in Croke Park but do they all need to be played on the one day? It's tough going to have so many matches on consecutive weekends.

Would it not have been a bit better to give them a few weeks rest and play them as curtain raisers to Leinster / Munster semi finals instead?

Kildare GAA ‏
Open night for press & Supporters - Tue June 3rd at Kildare GAA Center of Excellence in Hawkfield, from 7.45pm @ChristyRingCup

Very well done to the hurlers and the very best of luck against Kerry on Saturday evening.

Reading the Leinster Leader last night it would appear to have been a very defensive game against Meath last weekend as the final score read :

Kildare 0.00 Meath 0.00

Its a shame theres league games on Saturday evening. Id have went to support them only for it. Doubt im the only one.

This round of games should have been put back till the end of the league or a wednesday night in a few weeks.

I'd say you're in the minorty there kartman. Hardly fair leaving hundreds of club footballers without a game for the weekend.

I see the GAA are charging €25 into the hurling on Saturday, that's not going to encourage too many to make the trip twice in two days.

Taibi wrote:

I'd say you're in the minorty there kartman. Hardly fair leaving hundreds of club footballers without a game for the weekend.

I see the GAA are charging €25 into the hurling on Saturday, that's not going to encourage too many to make the trip twice in two days.

Fair enough. Just think its a shame that there in such a big game and supporters who would have went now cant.

Its a pity its not on sunday in a triple header really.

Best of luck to the lads on Saturday, really looking forward to the game and while I think they are outsiders, I do think they can give Kerry a rattle. Kildare are the only team to really get close to Kerry in the last couple of years at the Christy Ring level and but for a few soft goals in Newbridge a couple of weeks back, Kerry would have struggled. Still, Kerry are hot favorites but that won't deter our lads at all.

Incidentally, Kerry are being quoted at 1/10, a crazy price, to win while Kildare at 6/1 are a good price for a cheap gamble.

Taibi wrote:

Hardly fair leaving hundreds of club footballers without a game for the weekend.

I see the GAA are charging €25 into the hurling on Saturday, that's not going to encourage too many to make the trip twice in two days.

I don't see why its the hurlers who should loose out, Kildare hurlers are playing their All Ireland Final whereas the footballers are playing the first round of their championship.

Also the fact the match on Saturday is at 4 means that it would be impossible to get back for games at 7.30. The footballers are playing at 2 on Sunday which would mean a 7pm throw in would not hinder anyone going to that match and also making it home for a SFL game.

€25 for the two days is ridiculous, both should be €15 / €20 at most.

Best of luck to the hurlers tomorrow. I think most club players wouldn't have a problem if the league matches were pushed out to tues/wed leaving the bank holiday free considering it's an AI final

Best of luck to the hurlers tomorrow.

Best of luck tomorrow lads and if the footballers weren't playing sunday I defo would have went up.

Some first half from Kildare. Slow start, think they were 1-5 to a point down early on, just netted twice before the half though, 2-9 to 1-9 up approaching the break. Great stuff.

15 minutes to go, 4-13 to 2-17 ahead. Great game by sounds of it, fingers crossed for last quarter.

9 minutes to go, 4-16 to 2-19 ahead.

5 minutes to go, 4-17 to 2-19. Don't concede a goal and this will be the highlight of Kildare GAA this year.

4 points in it, Come on Kildare!!