Might be interesting to see what’s going on in county championships around the country in this thread.
In Wexford we’re at the quarter final stage in both hurling and football with old rivals Oulart-The Ballagh and Rathnure on separate sides of the draw. Oulart should beat surprise packets Monageer-Boolavogue to line up a semi against the team they beat in last year’s final, St Martin’s. The Martins will be tough to beat with Eoin Quigley, Gizzy Lyng and Rory McCarthy in their side but their full back line won’t be able to hold Oulart. On the other side Buffer’s Alley are awaiting the winners of the Rathnure and Cloughbawn quarter final. I think Buffer’s Alley might make it through here with Rathnuire not looking as strong as they were in the past. The Alley have some decent young players and are tough bastards. I’d love an Oulart/Alley final as they’re neighbouring villages and it’d be a potential bloodbath. One of the first finals I attended as a kid was between these 2 in the late 80s or early 90s and it was filthy. I’m sure at one stage the ball went out over the stand and wasn’t replaced for about 20 minutes and the boys played on without one so they could hit each other.
In football last year’s surprise champions Horeswood and a Matty Fordeless Kilanerin are through to the semis. Castledown from north of the county are taking on the Starlights from Enniscorthy today in a quarter final. Castletown should win this one with Diarmuid Kinsella and Colm Morris in their side and have a better all round team. The other quarter final is between Duffry Rovers and Half-Way-House Bunclody (love these weird club names) and these are probably the 2 weakest teams left in it. Again, I’d like to see a local derby in the final here - Kilanerin/Castletown would be a massive battle. Like Oulart and The Alley they hate each other but Horeswood are strong and a lot will depend on the draw for the last 4 and when Forde’s suspension ends.
Another thing to come out of the championship is the lack of new talent coming through. Whoever comes on board as Wexford senior hurling manager will have to extract the absolute maximum out of what’s already there. And what’s there hasn’t delivered in the past few years. That’s why it’s absolutely crucial we get a real motivator, someone who can instill a real burning desire in the players. With Martin O’Neill gone to Villa that leaves Griffin and Dunne to take up the mantle. The comm-itt-ee formed to select the new manager has just had their first meeting. Watch this space…they might recommend someone in January.
The majestic Liam Dunne hurled up a storm for Oulart-The Ballagh as they beat St Martin’s by 3 points in the semi final at the weekend. Since he retired from inter-county hurling in 2003 he’s led Oulart to county titles in 2004 and 2005. In his autobiography he says he retiring from all hurling in 2006 so what better way to finish than with 3-in-a-row. I’m definitely going down to watch the final against Rathnure on Sunday week because legends like him only come aorund once every generation, an inspiration to all who watch this genius at work. Rathnure narrowly beat Buffer’s Alley by 1-17 to 2-12 in the other semi. Again, the worry is the lack of new talent coming through though.
Gaeltacht knocked out Kerry County championship by lowly Mid-Kerry. Laune rangers knocked out by Seamus Moynihan inspired East Kerry. My own Dr. Crokes, with Gooch pulling the strings from centre-forward, beat Milltown-Castlemaine.
Basically, South Kerry ((favourites and holders, with the legend Maurice Fitzgerald still playing) now meet East Kerry in Semi-final))
Dr Crokes (least years defeated finalists and second favourites) are on opposite sides of draw and should meet in final again.
Maybe !'ll get another date to add to my signature!!!
Are the likes of South Kerry and East Kerry divisional teams? Made up of groups of players from junior clubs? I?d be well pissed off if my club was beaten by a motley crew like this.
Yeah, divisional teams. The clubs that make up these teams would be mediocre senior/intermediate/junior with some playing in division 1 of county league, but most playing in division 2 or lower. It makes the county championship more competitive and gives a better standard of matches. There is a club county championship for the club teams alone.
For a club team to get into the championship they have to apply and have shown a good standard of playing. Glenflesk opted out of East Kerry a few years ago and went alone, that was when they had Moynihan at his peak, Crowley and Daly, it didn’t work out for them and they went back to the East Kerry divisional team.
It may not sound or look ideal, but it works out well for the standard of play and gives good players a stage to show off their skills to the Kerry management i.e Declan O’Sullivan, Sean O’Sullivan (his club are divison 5 for example!!!) and Paul Galvin.
Interesting so you can be a senior team in your own right but your best players throw in their lot with the divisional senior side and then they?re still available to try to win the separate county championship for club teams alone? Is that separate competition then not very unprestigous, kind of like a second tier thing, or is it very competitive?
I know in Wexford at the moment it?s club based only but many moons ago players from junior teams in the Wexford town district formed together to win a couple of senior football championships. They could then play separately for their junior clubs in that championship. Similar in Cork a few years back Imokilly won a senior title, they?re a divisional team made up of junior club players from north Cork (I think). It seems a bit odd that there?s two senior championships. Discuss!!!
Very interesting - never knew that about the Kerry Championship. From an initial reading of WoW’s response I was expecting it to be an amalgamation of junior clubs, surprised they allow senior clubs in there but not disagreeing with it. Is there a whole lot of politics and arguing over representation on the regional sides?
The senior teams would be mediocre and not strong enough to win the county championship themselves, i.e St Marys from Caherciveen in South Kerry, they have Maurice and Bryan Sheehan, but thats it really, Caherciveen is a small town. They are currently bottom of division 1 and will be relegated. Declan O’Sullivans club is midtable of division 2.
The Club Championship is competitive but the main competition is the County Championship, so I suppose yes it is seen as secondary to the County Championship. The last club team left in the County Championship will represent the county in the Munster Championship then. Last year was different as the Championship went on until November and the Gaeltacht who were winners of the club championship went on to Munster.
Maybe it is odd, but they are separate competitions and players could win a County Senior Championship and an Intermediate Championship in the same year.
It is confusing, but at the end of the day, players get to play at a higher standard with their divisional teams, and the standard is very high. If they play well, they get picked on the Kerry panel and the quality of the panel improves, which leads to All-Irelands.
Yeah, there is. Being from senior club, we dont have it, but the issue over Captaincy a few years back and again this year with Declan O’Sullivan being dropped and then brought back for the final is perhaps the most obvious sign of politics. Generally the coach/manager is picked from one of the local teams (not necessarily a current local team manager) and then selectors are picked by him or the divisional board from other clubs in that locality. Politics is rife, but South Kerry are going fro 3-in-a-row and East Kerry did it a few years ago, so it works.
Politics, hidden agendas, personal vendettas, illogical stubborn stances on petty issues. Killing the GAA at local level. Everything looks great on county final day but its the rest of the summer/year where the problems lie. Its unreal whats going on at local level re the non playing of games(from u12 through to senior) in most counties.
Unless this changes, the GAA will become an inter county competition only organisation with 2 impressive flag ship tourneys but underneath that there’ll be fook all. The same 2 or 3 clubs will fight for the senior championships in each county every year. Birr- Coolderry, Oulart-Rathnure, Nemo, Mount Sion- Ballygunner, Crokes, Caven Gaels - Mullahorn and so on.
Why the fook are most co finals played in the shite and muck of mid October to November? It makes no sense, none whatsoever. Yet it has happened for years. Things need to change, and change now. Solutions are available but require radical thinking and accpetance of of radical change and dare I say copy some of the fixtures structures employed by soccer. Cold day in hell first though I’m afraid…
South Kerry beat East Kerry in the Quarter-finals on Saturday 1-9 to 0-8. Moynihan apparentlky played a blinder for the losing team. Also heard he broke an opponents collarbone in a totally fair and legal shoulder - What a man!!.
Kerins O’Rahillys beat St.Brendans yesterday in the last quarter final.
The semi final line up reads: Dr Crokes V. Mid Kerry; and South Kerry V. Kerins O’Rahillys.
2 divisional teams and 2 club teams (1 each from Tralee and Killarney - the counties biggest towns)
As for Appendages question about why County finals are being played in the shoite and muck of Mid October to November. i dont know about other counties, but in Kerry the County Championship is postponed until the Kerry Senior Team are knocked out of the All-Ireland Championship, the League continues but Senior county players must get permission to play in matches, and its generally only the subs or players coming back into fitness who are allowed play.
I remember as a young fella going to County finals in late August and early September with the sun beaming down on us. That was during the 11 year famine (The Real Famine) when Cork regularly beat us in Munster though.
The Galway hurling semis were held yesterday. For the 3rd time in 4 years its Portumna V Loughrea in the county final. The All Ireland Champions reached their 4th county final on the trot by beating Craughwell by 6 points and Loughrea beat Mullagh by 7. Only one decent game however, the standard in the Portumna Craughwell game was far superior to what Loughrea and Mullagh produced. Joe Canning ran the show for Portumna with 1-11 out of 2-15. His freetaking, first touch and distribution were of the highest nature. Pure class from the man who turns 18 on Wednesday.
Portumna and Loughrea are now by far the 2 best teams in the county and will square up once again on Sunday week in Pearse Stadium. Portumna will start as favourites but Loughrea will be well fired up as theyve lost the sides previous 2 meetings at this stage over the last 3 years. Should be a good one!
The parish of Mohill pulled off an historic double in Leitrim over the weekend. Eslin won the Junior Championship for third time in four years whereas Mohill won their first senior title in over 30 years. Just in case you wanted to know…
I was checking on that today farmer with a lass in work who you know obviously. She was unsure whether you’d be happy or not with Mohill’s victory in the senior championship. Rival clubs obviously but operating at different levels.
Matty Fordeless KIlanerin were beaten by bitter North Wexford rivals Castledown in the semi at the weekend, 1-09 to 0-10. Forde’s suspension is up in the next week or two so I don’t know if Ireland will pick him for the Internationals. Defending champions, Horeswood, led by Ciaran Deely defeated Duffry Rovers in the other semi - they’ll be slight favourites to retain their title.
Oulart-The Ballagh versus Rathnure on Sunday. Following on from previous posts about lack of talent coming through Rathnure will be heavily reliant on the likes of Paul Codd and the Guiney brothers while Oulart will have 38 year old Dunner and 41 yo Martin Storey playing. Should be a great occasion all the same. There is nothing quite like a Liam Dunne victory oration.
Good shit out of you Rock. You know your stuff. Yeah Mohill and Eslin would be considered rivals. They contested the first Leitrim senior final in the early 1900s. The match began in Carrick and finished in Kilmore, County Roscommon! There have been some notable matches in my memory like the one where Eslin’s Jerome McWeeney broke the shoulder of Mohill’s county star George Dugdale in a horror challenge which even I, as an Eslin man, would not condone. In recent years I have known a lot of the Mohill players personally since I went to school there and I would not begrudge them a Senior championship.
Fair play also to our mutual friend for pointing that out…