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Wexford Hurling Thread

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "Out of interest, when, when you say that "it is actually worse this year", what are you specifically referring to? Coaching situation in general, development squads, primary or secondary schools, coaching in clubs?

And which three people have left leadership roles and what specific roles were they in?"
Niall Williams was Director of Hurling. Ray Harris has been replaced as Head of Coaching and Games, and not sure if Declan Browne has been replaced yet as Director of Athletic Performance. All 3 were good men.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19655 - 18/05/2026 11:55:31    2673815

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "It's not unheard of for people to contact podcast producers and ask if they can come on to speak. And of course, the podcast people are often happy to have guests lining themselves up like that, rather than having to go out to look for them.

Might have happened that way here. Might not."
Im not sure either!

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19655 - 18/05/2026 11:57:51    2673816

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "Out of interest, when, when you say that "it is actually worse this year", what are you specifically referring to? Coaching situation in general, development squads, primary or secondary schools, coaching in clubs?

And which three people have left leadership roles and what specific roles were they in?"
Ray harris and Niall Williams left before xmas and the person in charge of athletic development who`s name I cannot remember. I don`t think any of them were replaced and Bernard Dunne is now the main person repsonsible. I am going on second hand information but I was down for the Dublin game and was part of a conversation with people who would be involved in clubs. The word was coaching cousrses and workshops were either organised with late notice or not at all. Things that were organised were poorly attended- Hurling 365 has gone backwards and the S and C in schools which had been really good has slipped big time with alot of chaps not turning up and not being tracked.

wexfordwin (Wexford) - Posts: 202 - 18/05/2026 11:59:52    2673818

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Replying To Viking66:  "Just out of interest Pikeman do you know Fortune personally?"
Well, I obviously know who he is, and he knows who I am, so I suppose then yes, we know each other personally.

But we wouldn't meet or speak regularly. We're not on either particularly friendly nor unfriendly terms - more a case of nodding acquaintances who might have a quick chat about things in general rather than an in-depth discussion of something in particular.

I do recognise that there may well be a role for him somewhere in an inter-county backroom team, but I do still doubt he'd be a good choice to be the actual senior hurling manager.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3634 - 18/05/2026 12:05:38    2673820

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Replying To 96andproud:  "I was only giving my opinion please don't term me blindsided. He was managing Westmeath for Jesus sake!! He has had more success than many other names being floated here. All have bad results. They all have results that went against them. Maybe it's a big name the players and supporters want. You are now saying his success's is too long ago! Give the man some respect. But you are right to as we need the absolute perfect fit. We will never find it. He was asked to take the Wexford 20s and didn't after Westmeath that I do know. That's why I don't see him taking it. He was with Gorey last year and is this year. No problem if we can't agree as it's only my opinion."
IIRC, there was a bit of a storm in a teacup between Joe and some of our administrators the day we drew in Mullingar, that might've been related to him not taking the U20 job

Suppose time heals all wounds though

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 1256 - 18/05/2026 12:24:41    2673829

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Replying To wexfordwin:  "Ray harris and Niall Williams left before xmas and the person in charge of athletic development who`s name I cannot remember. I don`t think any of them were replaced and Bernard Dunne is now the main person repsonsible. I am going on second hand information but I was down for the Dublin game and was part of a conversation with people who would be involved in clubs. The word was coaching cousrses and workshops were either organised with late notice or not at all. Things that were organised were poorly attended- Hurling 365 has gone backwards and the S and C in schools which had been really good has slipped big time with alot of chaps not turning up and not being tracked."
These are all things that need to be addressed asap wexfordwin

Afinestick96 (Wexford) - Posts: 1074 - 18/05/2026 12:25:24    2673830

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Replying To Yellowhelmet:  "God himself as a new manager would not save this current group of hurlers. Talent just not there at the moment."
One of the first jobs any new manager will have is to try get the best players playing for the county again. Some wont, but some might. Tom Mulally would be an interesting choice that way, as he already managed some of these lads at u21. Including Rory O'Connor, Oisin Foley, Ian Carty and Mikie Dwyer now that hes had the operations and procedures at the end of last year that he really needed to get done 3 years ago.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19655 - 18/05/2026 12:48:54    2673845

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Well, I obviously know who he is, and he knows who I am, so I suppose then yes, we know each other personally.

But we wouldn't meet or speak regularly. We're not on either particularly friendly nor unfriendly terms - more a case of nodding acquaintances who might have a quick chat about things in general rather than an in-depth discussion of something in particular.

I do recognise that there may well be a role for him somewhere in an inter-county backroom team, but I do still doubt he'd be a good choice to be the actual senior hurling manager."
I dont know him at all, but I dont think hes my first choice either. At the same time I wouldn't rule him out just because he doesnt get on with a few lads around our scene, hes got good experience and has been reasonably successful.
Just out of interest are St Annes and Gorey in the same group?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19655 - 18/05/2026 12:52:47    2673849

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "Well, my idea would be to have them at the COE every Saturday morning, would have maybe the U14s at 10, then the U15s at 11:15, and then the U16s at 12:30"
Just harking back to this one -

Even for that to work, with three pitches at COE every Saturday morning, you'd still need 45 to 50 or even more coaches for a total of 18 teams, and 360 young players to decide "I'm not going to play soccer or anything else for all those weeks, and will go hurling instead to give myself a roughly one in three chance of making the final cut for a County Development Squad."

Again, I'd love to think we'd have that level of volunteerism and enthusiasm and commitment, but I very much doubt that we do.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3634 - 18/05/2026 12:56:59    2673851

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Replying To wexfordwin:  "Ray harris and Niall Williams left before xmas and the person in charge of athletic development who`s name I cannot remember. I don`t think any of them were replaced and Bernard Dunne is now the main person repsonsible. I am going on second hand information but I was down for the Dublin game and was part of a conversation with people who would be involved in clubs. The word was coaching cousrses and workshops were either organised with late notice or not at all. Things that were organised were poorly attended- Hurling 365 has gone backwards and the S and C in schools which had been really good has slipped big time with alot of chaps not turning up and not being tracked."
Are fewer schools now doing Hurling 365 or is it that schools are doing it but not as much as they used to?

Were Wexford GAA sending in S&C coaches previously to schools and how many schools was this in place in? Do we've any idea why young lads aren't turning up anymore for the S&C sessions?

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 1256 - 18/05/2026 13:01:20    2673853

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Replying To wexfordwin:  "Ray harris and Niall Williams left before xmas and the person in charge of athletic development who`s name I cannot remember. I don`t think any of them were replaced and Bernard Dunne is now the main person repsonsible. I am going on second hand information but I was down for the Dublin game and was part of a conversation with people who would be involved in clubs. The word was coaching cousrses and workshops were either organised with late notice or not at all. Things that were organised were poorly attended- Hurling 365 has gone backwards and the S and C in schools which had been really good has slipped big time with alot of chaps not turning up and not being tracked."
Even the courses I went on that were well advertised in advance were poorly attended, and it was the same lads going on all of them.
The national schools 3rd and 4th class blitzes started by Ray Harris went ahead last week. The day I went in JJ Doyle was doing all the work out on the pitch by himself, fair play to him.
Hurling 365 was recommended to get a relaunch to promote it in the Kinnerk/Mcgeehan Review. It is an initiative that probably has to be pushed by the local clubs as many national schools dobt really have any gra for GAA. A meeting for National School teachers hosted by Wexford GAA as part of the Strategic Plan was really poorly attended. I did flag this up at the time at the Strategic Plan launch meeting, as there was to be more of an onus put on schools both national and secondary to do more GAA training etc, as Id done a bit of research on our schools situation. I got told in the launch meeting Id get a phonecall about this, but Im still waiting for that call.....
There is an emphasis on cost cutting/getting value for money underpinning the Strategic Plan which I fully understand, but dont fully agree with as we were already spending significantly less than other counties on developing/coaching/bringing through underage talent, but at the same time I think it had some unrealistic expectations about teachers doing things like coaching after school in their own time contained in it, and these might worsen things on the field of play for us rather than making them better.
As regards the underage S and C afaik the lads are supposed to enter what they are doing on their RIPT app, which presumably must then get looked at by Coaching and Games or other staff. Not sure if thats being done, and also not sure who Declan Brownes replacement is, if hes even been replaced yet.
I have a feeling that going forward Wexford GAA are going to have less full-time paid employees especially on the coaching side, and it remains to be seen whether that means our development of underage and Senior players suffers as a result.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19655 - 18/05/2026 13:23:06    2673857

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Just harking back to this one -

Even for that to work, with three pitches at COE every Saturday morning, you'd still need 45 to 50 or even more coaches for a total of 18 teams, and 360 young players to decide "I'm not going to play soccer or anything else for all those weeks, and will go hurling instead to give myself a roughly one in three chance of making the final cut for a County Development Squad."

Again, I'd love to think we'd have that level of volunteerism and enthusiasm and commitment, but I very much doubt that we do."
Was Viking not saying that there were 120 interested in trials either this year or last year for one particular age group? I could be wrong on that count admittedly

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 1256 - 18/05/2026 13:25:35    2673858

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Replying To wexfordwin:  "Ray harris and Niall Williams left before xmas and the person in charge of athletic development who`s name I cannot remember. I don`t think any of them were replaced and Bernard Dunne is now the main person repsonsible. I am going on second hand information but I was down for the Dublin game and was part of a conversation with people who would be involved in clubs. The word was coaching cousrses and workshops were either organised with late notice or not at all. Things that were organised were poorly attended- Hurling 365 has gone backwards and the S and C in schools which had been really good has slipped big time with alot of chaps not turning up and not being tracked."
Even the courses I went on that were well advertised in advance were poorly attended, and it was the same lads going on all of them.
The national schools 3rd and 4th class blitzes started by Ray Harris went ahead last week. The day I went in JJ Doyle was doing all the work out on the pitch by himself, fair play to him.
Hurling 365 was recommended to get a relaunch to promote it in the Kinnerk/Mcgeehan Review. It is an initiative that probably has to be pushed by the local clubs as many national schools dobt really have any gra for GAA. A meeting for National School teachers hosted by Wexford GAA as part of the Strategic Plan was really poorly attended. I did flag this up at the time at the Strategic Plan launch meeting, as there was to be more of an onus put on schools both national and secondary to do more GAA training etc, as Id done a bit of research on our schools situation. I got told in the launch meeting Id get a phonecall about this, but Im still waiting for that call.....
There is an emphasis on cost cutting/getting value for money underpinning the Strategic Plan which I fully understand, but dont fully agree with as we were already spending significantly less than other counties on developing/coaching/bringing through underage talent, but at the same time I think it had some unrealistic expectations about teachers doing things like coaching after school in their own time contained in it, and these might worsen things on the field of play for us rather than making them better.
As regards the underage S and C afaik the lads are supposed to enter what they are doing on their RIPT app, which presumably must then get looked at by Coaching and Games or other staff. Not sure if thats being done, and also not sure who Declan Brownes replacement is, if hes even been replaced yet.
I have a feeling that going forward Wexford GAA are going to have less full-time paid employees especially on the coaching side, and it remains to be seen whether that means our development of underage and Senior players suffers as a result.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19655 - 18/05/2026 13:41:26    2673863

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "Was Viking not saying that there were 120 interested in trials either this year or last year for one particular age group? I could be wrong on that count admittedly"
More than 160 boys went for u14 trials. 48 made the u14 development squad, and a further 72 were added to these to make up 4 regional squads of 30 each. These had training sessions culminating in a Finals Day on Paddy's Day, followed by a boot camp at Easter. Further boot camps are planned for the summer.
More lads have subsequently been added to the 48.
U15 and U16 still have similar set ups to the last few years.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19655 - 18/05/2026 13:45:07    2673864

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "IIRC, there was a bit of a storm in a teacup between Joe and some of our administrators the day we drew in Mullingar, that might've been related to him not taking the U20 job

Suppose time heals all wounds though"
It should do but doesn't always. Sometimes just getting on with it, or getting on with people, for the greater good is the best course of action. But equally getting on with people you might despise isnt so easy either. And having posters on an anonymous forum like me telling you you should get on with that person for the greater good might be pretty annoying also ;-)

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19655 - 18/05/2026 13:48:46    2673865

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Replying To ElGranSenor:  "Are fewer schools now doing Hurling 365 or is it that schools are doing it but not as much as they used to?

Were Wexford GAA sending in S&C coaches previously to schools and how many schools was this in place in? Do we've any idea why young lads aren't turning up anymore for the S&C sessions?"
7 secondary schools host the county gym programmes afaik. Other lads on development squads attending other schools have to go to 1 of these 7 as I understand it, although as the u14 programme is predominantly body weight exercise based its possible to do this at home and enter your results on the app.
The sessions are usually before school at 8am, maybe some parents who have other children in other schools can't get their lads there, or maybe the lads just couldnt be bothered. If the 1st of these is the case carpooling/getting a lift should be possible. If the second of these reasons is the case then that boy should be dropped from the Development Squad.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19655 - 18/05/2026 13:53:58    2673867

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