Again that was probably the case with many inter county teams in the past . The whole schools teams , development squads & mergers at underage has sanitised club rivalries in recent times
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In eras when time is tight and there are big player welfare issue divisional teams should be scrapped
Sure canāt the lads with no time or issues just opt out? And let those that want to fire ahead an play? Does it not give some lads from smaller clubs the opportunity to get on the radar of county management rather than plugging away without ever getting seen?
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In modern GAA most players are coming through development squads , secondary schools and Fitzgibbon Cup . That argument doesnāt hold
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Agreed, divisional teams bring nothing to the championship. No support, no atmosphere. County final day with Imokilly in the final is a bleak occasion.
There was barely 5000 at the county final v the Glen a few yrs ago which was the smallest ever attendance at senior final since the late 1800s. Fuck all interest in East Cork outside the families of the players. Going for 4 in 5 and unless Sars/Douglas shoot the lights out against or they play really poor they are a shoe in imo. Some serious talent coming off this yrs minors to bolster them going forward. Dont think the senior club standard is high enough to accomodate a 20 odd club amalgamation.
Would all the best players from those junior and intermediate clubs make themselves available for Imokilly and the other divisions?
Obviously a bit of prestige in winning a county title and it puts you in the shop window for the intercounty set up but surely thereās lads good enough who donāt bother and instead just want to focus on winning a county title with their own club?
Very few who are good enough opt not to play with Imokilly. It would happen alright in other divisions where the spread of players wouldnāt be there some lads wouldnāt bother playing for the division. Iād say about 10 of that Imokilly team have played underage for Cork.
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I played senior championship against Carrigdhoun back in the 90s and they didnāt even remember each otherās names in many cases, it was first round and it was the first time they were together,
They had a nice win though 
Hurling in Cork is massively lopsided towards East Cork. Iād say 7 or 8 of the county champions in the 2010ās were East Cork sides. Carrigtwohill even won one.
Hurling is played largely in focussed pivots in most counties . If you look at it rationally over the last 10 years all senior titles in Limerick have been won by clubs within 10 miles of the city centre ;bar Kilmallock).
No club west of Adare has won since 1980
In the next 10 years barring Doon it is hard to see that change
Waterford is very similar . Hurling in Clare is played in east Clare .
Hurling is played on good land. Football in the bog and on the side of the mountain.
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Hurling + Protestants = good land
Football + sheep on bad land
https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2021/0930/1249945-ricken-allows-name-to-go-forward-for-cork-job/
Iād rather he stayed with the U20ās. Donāt think heās good enough tactically for the senior game.
Not if you could win a senior county
You made this point a few weeks ago as well. Has been a lot of winners from East cork in recent years but the spread of senior clubs is not concentrated in East cork
Hopefully the great JFD gets it
5 or 6 senior clubs and the same again senior a?
E Cork
Premier
Midelton, carrigtwohill maybe Erins Own
Senior A
Killeagh, cloyne, fr o neills
The problem with the Imokilly combination is it is too big. 20 Hurling clubs coming together to form one.
In other divisions like Muskerry or Avondhu you have a few decent intermediate sides plus a plethora of players from smaller junior A sides. Its like any combo at club, schools or even third level, its grand until they start winning too much.
You can gaurantee that if UCC won a few there would be calls for them to be thrown out. UCD were got rid of in Dublin in the mid 2000s. @Aristotle may remember UL in the Limerick SHC, Thomond were obviously.