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Replying To Square_B: "It might not decline in the top counties but it's not going to grow anywhere else and this has now become the accepted position at Croke Park. I completely get it's a harder sport to master but that does not excuse one bit the attidute the GAA has towards it. In Leitrim, we have 1 Games Promotion Officer who spends one day a week in Leitrim and the rest over in Sligo. This is for a county that reached a Lory Meagher Final in the last month. It couldn't grow with an attidute like that." Btw, I'm not suggesting it doesn't have it's issues, I'm merely pointing out that it's a bit absurd to suggest the football rule changes (which I'm thoroughly enjoying), will be the death knell of hurling.
bloodandbandage (Cork) - Posts: 600 - 18/06/2026 17:08:43
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Replying To Square_B: "It might not decline in the top counties but it's not going to grow anywhere else and this has now become the accepted position at Croke Park. I completely get it's a harder sport to master but that does not excuse one bit the attidute the GAA has towards it. In Leitrim, we have 1 Games Promotion Officer who spends one day a week in Leitrim and the rest over in Sligo. This is for a county that reached a Lory Meagher Final in the last month. It couldn't grow with an attidute like that." When you say "the attitude the GAA has towards it", what part of the GAA are you referring to?
Headquarters in Croke Park? Leitrim County Board? The clubs of Leitrim? They could all be referred to as "the GAA".
I'm surprised to learn there's apparently only one GPO for the whole of a county, and apparently only one day a week. But there's the thing - if Leitrim County Board & the clubs of Leitrim wanted more of them, and were willing to pay the usual contributions towards them, there's no obvious reason why there wouldn't be more in place.
Also, how many clubs in Leitrim are thinking "here we are, absolutely bursting ourselves to develop hurling in our club, but we're being hindered by lack of a GPO and County Board won't assist us in getting one, even though we're willing to pay for it" ?
The attitude and effort has to start from within.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3782 - 19/06/2026 09:15:45
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Replying To Pikeman96: "When you say "the attitude the GAA has towards it", what part of the GAA are you referring to?
Headquarters in Croke Park? Leitrim County Board? The clubs of Leitrim? They could all be referred to as "the GAA".
I'm surprised to learn there's apparently only one GPO for the whole of a county, and apparently only one day a week. But there's the thing - if Leitrim County Board & the clubs of Leitrim wanted more of them, and were willing to pay the usual contributions towards them, there's no obvious reason why there wouldn't be more in place.
Also, how many clubs in Leitrim are thinking "here we are, absolutely bursting ourselves to develop hurling in our club, but we're being hindered by lack of a GPO and County Board won't assist us in getting one, even though we're willing to pay for it" ?
The attitude and effort has to start from within." Don't you see how wrong that attitude is.
If there is no hurling coaches - how can hurling start from within.
You cant just wake up one day and decide you love hurling and become a good hurling coach.
My kids are involved in hurling and camogie - I can go into the garden and show them how to properly kick a ball and how to properly shoot a basketball. I cannot hit a sliotar properly myself, so even though I would like them to play it, the skills required to hurl at a high level have to be provided by the club. The club and county don't have enough quality hurling coaches to focus on individual skills to the extend needed to up the standard of players.
You cannot create something from nothing just because you want to.
All of the kids in our area who do hurling or camogie, are also playing 2-3 other sports up to U10/12.
As the other sports demand more time - hurling goes into the backseat - because if you miss a few weeks hurling/camogie you go backwards compared to your peers at an alarming rate. As your skills decline relative to others - the kids just chuck it in.
Also, the game being forced on the kids at U8 is ground hurling - a world away from what you see on TV. So if you are interested and better than other half interested kids - you stuck with playing it around on the ground and cant use the important skills of the game that are hardest to learn. Naturally, the better players will be drawn to football, where you can at least have the ball in your hands and have to plays to take on your man.
In Gaelic football, kids are coached to pick up the ball at U6 and kick it, not dribble it along the ground. But somehow, learning hurling is done by forcing a ground hurling game on them that no one plays. its a lot of time wasted on a skill that is easy to learn and of not much benefit in the long run. In basketball, you teach them to dribble and take on their man. Soccer the same. Gaelic football also - why not in hurling? Kids want to learn but will take short cuts. Hurling up to U9 allows kids get by without learning how to lift and strike the ball. You don't even get a free if tackled while attempting it, thus giving you more encouragement to tap it along the ground in a big ruck.
Hurling needs a new way of doing things to grow and based on what went on yesterday between Cork and Offaly, its not even able to produce 5 decent knock out games per year.
The first part of solving any problem is realising you have one. The vast majority of "Hurling people" don't even realise their is a problem
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1931 - 22/06/2026 11:00:43
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Replying To tirawleybaron: "Don't you see how wrong that attitude is.
If there is no hurling coaches - how can hurling start from within.
You cant just wake up one day and decide you love hurling and become a good hurling coach.
My kids are involved in hurling and camogie - I can go into the garden and show them how to properly kick a ball and how to properly shoot a basketball. I cannot hit a sliotar properly myself, so even though I would like them to play it, the skills required to hurl at a high level have to be provided by the club. The club and county don't have enough quality hurling coaches to focus on individual skills to the extend needed to up the standard of players.
You cannot create something from nothing just because you want to.
All of the kids in our area who do hurling or camogie, are also playing 2-3 other sports up to U10/12.
As the other sports demand more time - hurling goes into the backseat - because if you miss a few weeks hurling/camogie you go backwards compared to your peers at an alarming rate. As your skills decline relative to others - the kids just chuck it in.
Also, the game being forced on the kids at U8 is ground hurling - a world away from what you see on TV. So if you are interested and better than other half interested kids - you stuck with playing it around on the ground and cant use the important skills of the game that are hardest to learn. Naturally, the better players will be drawn to football, where you can at least have the ball in your hands and have to plays to take on your man.
In Gaelic football, kids are coached to pick up the ball at U6 and kick it, not dribble it along the ground. But somehow, learning hurling is done by forcing a ground hurling game on them that no one plays. its a lot of time wasted on a skill that is easy to learn and of not much benefit in the long run. In basketball, you teach them to dribble and take on their man. Soccer the same. Gaelic football also - why not in hurling? Kids want to learn but will take short cuts. Hurling up to U9 allows kids get by without learning how to lift and strike the ball. You don't even get a free if tackled while attempting it, thus giving you more encouragement to tap it along the ground in a big ruck.
Hurling needs a new way of doing things to grow and based on what went on yesterday between Cork and Offaly, its not even able to produce 5 decent knock out games per year.
The first part of solving any problem is realising you have one. The vast majority of "Hurling people" don't even realise their is a problem" You've completely misunderstood the question, and failed to answer it. Let's try again. And let's broaden it a bit, including to take in Mayo as well as Leitrim:
How many clubs in those counties are genuinely going "here we are, bursting ourselves to develop hurling, but the County Board won't assist us in getting a GPO to take things to the next stage" ?
or
"We'd absolutely love to develop hurling in our club, but we don't currently have the know-how to do it. If the County Board and/or Croke Park organised some "coach the coaches" sessions, we'd have people flocking to them to learn the basics of the game and how to coach it, so that we can bring this great game to our younger members. But we're just not getting the opportunities to learn the game, despite how badly we want them." ?
I'd wager not very many. Unfortunate fact of the matter is a great many clubs in a great many clubs have no great interest whatsoever in developing hurling, and even if you offered them all the resources in the world, they wouldn't take you up on the offer. I say yet again - horse, water, drink.
By the way, confining things to ground hurling should stop after U6 level. When children move to the U8 grade, they should be introduced to roll lifting first, followed by jab lifting. You can consider that a coaching tip if you like.
You're welcome.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3782 - 22/06/2026 12:46:50
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Replying To tirawleybaron: "Don't you see how wrong that attitude is.
If there is no hurling coaches - how can hurling start from within.
You cant just wake up one day and decide you love hurling and become a good hurling coach.
My kids are involved in hurling and camogie - I can go into the garden and show them how to properly kick a ball and how to properly shoot a basketball. I cannot hit a sliotar properly myself, so even though I would like them to play it, the skills required to hurl at a high level have to be provided by the club. The club and county don't have enough quality hurling coaches to focus on individual skills to the extend needed to up the standard of players.
You cannot create something from nothing just because you want to.
All of the kids in our area who do hurling or camogie, are also playing 2-3 other sports up to U10/12.
As the other sports demand more time - hurling goes into the backseat - because if you miss a few weeks hurling/camogie you go backwards compared to your peers at an alarming rate. As your skills decline relative to others - the kids just chuck it in.
Also, the game being forced on the kids at U8 is ground hurling - a world away from what you see on TV. So if you are interested and better than other half interested kids - you stuck with playing it around on the ground and cant use the important skills of the game that are hardest to learn. Naturally, the better players will be drawn to football, where you can at least have the ball in your hands and have to plays to take on your man.
In Gaelic football, kids are coached to pick up the ball at U6 and kick it, not dribble it along the ground. But somehow, learning hurling is done by forcing a ground hurling game on them that no one plays. its a lot of time wasted on a skill that is easy to learn and of not much benefit in the long run. In basketball, you teach them to dribble and take on their man. Soccer the same. Gaelic football also - why not in hurling? Kids want to learn but will take short cuts. Hurling up to U9 allows kids get by without learning how to lift and strike the ball. You don't even get a free if tackled while attempting it, thus giving you more encouragement to tap it along the ground in a big ruck.
Hurling needs a new way of doing things to grow and based on what went on yesterday between Cork and Offaly, its not even able to produce 5 decent knock out games per year.
The first part of solving any problem is realising you have one. The vast majority of "Hurling people" don't even realise their is a problem" I agree, it is a chicken and egg situation. You do need hurling coaches to develop the game. However you also need clubs and schools that want to develop the game within their catchment area and a county board willing to support them. One cant function without the other. Funding can be made available to clubs and/or county boards for fulltime hurling coaches. Afaik CP pay half the salary but it can be done. Im sure there is an application process etc but I appreciate that there is a cost. If there is the desire it can be done though. Im not sure there is in many football clubs.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 609 - 22/06/2026 14:11:42
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Replying To tirawleybaron: "Don't you see how wrong that attitude is.
If there is no hurling coaches - how can hurling start from within.
You cant just wake up one day and decide you love hurling and become a good hurling coach.
My kids are involved in hurling and camogie - I can go into the garden and show them how to properly kick a ball and how to properly shoot a basketball. I cannot hit a sliotar properly myself, so even though I would like them to play it, the skills required to hurl at a high level have to be provided by the club. The club and county don't have enough quality hurling coaches to focus on individual skills to the extend needed to up the standard of players.
You cannot create something from nothing just because you want to.
All of the kids in our area who do hurling or camogie, are also playing 2-3 other sports up to U10/12.
As the other sports demand more time - hurling goes into the backseat - because if you miss a few weeks hurling/camogie you go backwards compared to your peers at an alarming rate. As your skills decline relative to others - the kids just chuck it in.
Also, the game being forced on the kids at U8 is ground hurling - a world away from what you see on TV. So if you are interested and better than other half interested kids - you stuck with playing it around on the ground and cant use the important skills of the game that are hardest to learn. Naturally, the better players will be drawn to football, where you can at least have the ball in your hands and have to plays to take on your man.
In Gaelic football, kids are coached to pick up the ball at U6 and kick it, not dribble it along the ground. But somehow, learning hurling is done by forcing a ground hurling game on them that no one plays. its a lot of time wasted on a skill that is easy to learn and of not much benefit in the long run. In basketball, you teach them to dribble and take on their man. Soccer the same. Gaelic football also - why not in hurling? Kids want to learn but will take short cuts. Hurling up to U9 allows kids get by without learning how to lift and strike the ball. You don't even get a free if tackled while attempting it, thus giving you more encouragement to tap it along the ground in a big ruck.
Hurling needs a new way of doing things to grow and based on what went on yesterday between Cork and Offaly, its not even able to produce 5 decent knock out games per year.
The first part of solving any problem is realising you have one. The vast majority of "Hurling people" don't even realise their is a problem" I think every hurling person in the country is aware there is a problem
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20067 - 22/06/2026 15:04:27
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "I agree, it is a chicken and egg situation. You do need hurling coaches to develop the game. However you also need clubs and schools that want to develop the game within their catchment area and a county board willing to support them. One cant function without the other. Funding can be made available to clubs and/or county boards for fulltime hurling coaches. Afaik CP pay half the salary but it can be done. Im sure there is an application process etc but I appreciate that there is a cost. If there is the desire it can be done though. Im not sure there is in many football clubs." Sadly theres probably the exact opposite of desire.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20067 - 22/06/2026 15:20:35
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Replying To Pikeman96: "You've completely misunderstood the question, and failed to answer it. Let's try again. And let's broaden it a bit, including to take in Mayo as well as Leitrim:
How many clubs in those counties are genuinely going "here we are, bursting ourselves to develop hurling, but the County Board won't assist us in getting a GPO to take things to the next stage" ?
or
"We'd absolutely love to develop hurling in our club, but we don't currently have the know-how to do it. If the County Board and/or Croke Park organised some "coach the coaches" sessions, we'd have people flocking to them to learn the basics of the game and how to coach it, so that we can bring this great game to our younger members. But we're just not getting the opportunities to learn the game, despite how badly we want them." ?
I'd wager not very many. Unfortunate fact of the matter is a great many clubs in a great many clubs have no great interest whatsoever in developing hurling, and even if you offered them all the resources in the world, they wouldn't take you up on the offer. I say yet again - horse, water, drink.
By the way, confining things to ground hurling should stop after U6 level. When children move to the U8 grade, they should be introduced to roll lifting first, followed by jab lifting. You can consider that a coaching tip if you like.
You're welcome." Then why is ground hurling compulsory for periods of U8 and U9 go games?
Its hard enough to get them to lift and strike it, without it being prohibited for periods of the game.
Its the same as banning kick passing for half and U8/9 football game - its crazy stuff. A rule invented by some fella who remembers Offaly being very good at ground hurling in the 1990's.
Prohibiting the main skill of the game until U10 is mental. Imagine forcing soccer players to kick the ball in the air and head it - because Ireland were good at that in the 1990's. Preventing them from taking on their opponent.
In a competitive sports environment at U6 to U10 - no one wants to play the sport where you are constantly restricted in showing off what you can do.
I have a coaching tip for you - let the kids play the sport they see on TV.
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1931 - 22/06/2026 15:36:52
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "I agree, it is a chicken and egg situation. You do need hurling coaches to develop the game. However you also need clubs and schools that want to develop the game within their catchment area and a county board willing to support them. One cant function without the other. Funding can be made available to clubs and/or county boards for fulltime hurling coaches. Afaik CP pay half the salary but it can be done. Im sure there is an application process etc but I appreciate that there is a cost. If there is the desire it can be done though. Im not sure there is in many football clubs." That's a more diplomatic way of saying what I was basically saying above :)
Hurling clearly has a number of problems, and despite what the Baron believes, every hurling person recognises that.
At one level, it's how to bridge the gap between the top four or so teams, the next five or six, and then the next five or six after that.
On another level, there are issues with the rules of the game and how it's policed - e.g. the "handpass" / throw pass, and the sort of heavy high hit we saw on David Reidy on Saturday.
But at the level we're talking here - i.e. developing and promoting it in new areas - the fundamental problem is simply that far too many clubs in far too many areas have little or no interest in doing so.
It's easy to find excuses. "We never played hurling ourselves, so we don't know anything about it." But no reason why an adult who's genuinely interested can't learn themselves how to pick up a ball, hit a ball, etc., and how to teach those basic skills to children.
If Viking66 here is who I believe to him to be, then he's living proof of that. Not exactly from a traditional hurling background and I don't know how old he was when he first saw a hurling match or held a hurl. But he's learned the game inside out and is deeply involved in it in all sorts of ways.
No reason somebody else from a non-hurling background in Leitrim or Mayo or anywhere else couldn't do the same if they wanted to.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3782 - 22/06/2026 15:39:21
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Replying To tirawleybaron: "Then why is ground hurling compulsory for periods of U8 and U9 go games?
Its hard enough to get them to lift and strike it, without it being prohibited for periods of the game.
Its the same as banning kick passing for half and U8/9 football game - its crazy stuff. A rule invented by some fella who remembers Offaly being very good at ground hurling in the 1990's.
Prohibiting the main skill of the game until U10 is mental. Imagine forcing soccer players to kick the ball in the air and head it - because Ireland were good at that in the 1990's. Preventing them from taking on their opponent.
In a competitive sports environment at U6 to U10 - no one wants to play the sport where you are constantly restricted in showing off what you can do.
I have a coaching tip for you - let the kids play the sport they see on TV." The Go Games guidelines (not rules) for those ages do indeed say there should be a period of ground hurling for several reasons. However, it follows that lifting and striking the ball from the hand is allowed for the remainder of each game. Your earlier post implied that children in your area are being prevented from doing these things at all at those ages, and aren't even being taught how to do them.
The guidelines are for several reasons. Chief amongst them is to "level the playing field" somewhat, such that games aren't absolutely dominated by just one or two strong players. Also, being able to strike the ball on the ground is still important in certain circumstances in any match, so it's to encourage the children to continue to do so, and not neglect that skill as soon as they learn to pick up the ball and strike from the hand instead.
There are many learning resources out there if you'd like to know more or have similar questions answered.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3782 - 22/06/2026 16:20:50
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Replying To Pikeman96: "That's a more diplomatic way of saying what I was basically saying above :)
Hurling clearly has a number of problems, and despite what the Baron believes, every hurling person recognises that.
At one level, it's how to bridge the gap between the top four or so teams, the next five or six, and then the next five or six after that.
On another level, there are issues with the rules of the game and how it's policed - e.g. the "handpass" / throw pass, and the sort of heavy high hit we saw on David Reidy on Saturday.
But at the level we're talking here - i.e. developing and promoting it in new areas - the fundamental problem is simply that far too many clubs in far too many areas have little or no interest in doing so.
It's easy to find excuses. "We never played hurling ourselves, so we don't know anything about it." But no reason why an adult who's genuinely interested can't learn themselves how to pick up a ball, hit a ball, etc., and how to teach those basic skills to children.
If Viking66 here is who I believe to him to be, then he's living proof of that. Not exactly from a traditional hurling background and I don't know how old he was when he first saw a hurling match or held a hurl. But he's learned the game inside out and is deeply involved in it in all sorts of ways.
No reason somebody else from a non-hurling background in Leitrim or Mayo or anywhere else couldn't do the same if they wanted to." You are 100% right Pikeman. I never got to see a game of hurling until I was 18 and moved to Belfast to go to college at Queens. Since then Ive watched thousands of underage and adult club and intercounty games in well over half the counties in Ireland. Mainly through the motorbikes Ive friends in nearly every county, nearly all had children before me. Some played hurling to a high level, and others have coached or managed to a high level also. One thing they all have in common was any of them that like hurling are really really really into it. Its that kind of game. Its more than a game.
As regards playing the game I only became even slightly technically proficient because a friend who lives up the top of my lane and who manages our u14s who hurled intercounty up to u21 and won an AI Junior medal took the time out to show me while he was showing my eldest son when he took it up when he was old enough.
Now, to put that into the context of a person from a non hurling area of Leitrim or Mayo, if Croke Park paid a few lads to do what my friend did for me for those people from non huring backgrounds in those non hurling areas who wanted to learn the game, and they then did all the courses Ive been on from Foundation through F3 to Award 1s and 2s over a period of 5 or 6 years, then those lads would certainly be proficient to coach others in their own areas.
And in terms of producing your next Tony Kelly or Lee Chin or Gearoid Hegarty or whoever, if children were taught the love of the game and the technical basics, it would be up to them to hone those skills and invent new ways of doing things with a sliotar and hurl in their own back yards or local clubs in their own time, just like all the current seriously talented intercounty lads did when they were younger.
And just to agree with John Mullane about one of his pet sermons, the more intercounty games of hurling that could be on tv later in the year, even keeping the current split season exactly as is, the better, for quite a few different reasons. Apart from inspiring young lads, the very best lads would be those that not only watch alot of games, but also think deeply about what they are watching, and why what is happening on the pitch is happening the way that it is. At an individual player level, and also at a team level. This would make up for them not being able to attend as many good games in the area they live in, and might make up slightly for them not getting the chance to hurl against better teams and players in their own counties. This could then feed into the likes of the tain og leagues .
Then if you had more and more lads like this in every area it would be like rolling a snowball down a mountain in the Alps.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20067 - 22/06/2026 16:34:17
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Replying To Pikeman96: "That's a more diplomatic way of saying what I was basically saying above :)
Hurling clearly has a number of problems, and despite what the Baron believes, every hurling person recognises that.
At one level, it's how to bridge the gap between the top four or so teams, the next five or six, and then the next five or six after that.
On another level, there are issues with the rules of the game and how it's policed - e.g. the "handpass" / throw pass, and the sort of heavy high hit we saw on David Reidy on Saturday.
But at the level we're talking here - i.e. developing and promoting it in new areas - the fundamental problem is simply that far too many clubs in far too many areas have little or no interest in doing so.
It's easy to find excuses. "We never played hurling ourselves, so we don't know anything about it." But no reason why an adult who's genuinely interested can't learn themselves how to pick up a ball, hit a ball, etc., and how to teach those basic skills to children.
If Viking66 here is who I believe to him to be, then he's living proof of that. Not exactly from a traditional hurling background and I don't know how old he was when he first saw a hurling match or held a hurl. But he's learned the game inside out and is deeply involved in it in all sorts of ways.
No reason somebody else from a non-hurling background in Leitrim or Mayo or anywhere else couldn't do the same if they wanted to." They call their clubs GFCs for a reason. I think you would have better success asking the local rugby or soccer club promote hurling than many GFCs. The mantra in GFCs and some dual clubs near me here in Roscommon is that there is no room for dual players. Of course by Dual players they mean hurling. They have no problem with lads playing soccer, rugby or basketball. They work with those sports but against hurling even when its fellow club members. Thats the reality.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 609 - 22/06/2026 17:33:26
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In most Connacht and ulster rural clubs, they are lucky to be able to field teams. Having dual clubs is just not possible in that environment.
The only in roads hurling can make is urban areas - but because of the county system, there are not enough urban areas in Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon, Longford to be able to grow 10 clubs, never mind the 20 Jarlath Burn was raving on about.
The majority of people now live in urban areas plus the easter seaboard - the GAA needs to treat hurling different to football - it needs a model like Rugby - where there are urban clubs pulling in players from the surrounding parishes - and all have the possibility to play at the highest standard.
Hurling in Connacht/Ulster/North Leinster = no heros.
No heros = no interest for kids.
Every kid in Mayo now knows about Kobe - he has played 10 time for his county - 5 on TV.
No kids will ever see a Mayo Hurler playing at a high level - so nothing to aspire to.
There is no reason why Dublin, Antrim, Down, Louth, Meath, Kildare and Wexford shouldn't be targeted to be given resources to get them operating at the level of Clare, Waterford, Galway on a consistent basis.
Add in regional teams based around Sligo, Derry, Mullingar and you have potentially 16 hurling teams that could be challenging for Liam McCarthy if their was a real appetite amongst the hurling fraternity to embrace the possibility.
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1931 - 23/06/2026 11:13:43
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Replying To tirawleybaron: "In most Connacht and ulster rural clubs, they are lucky to be able to field teams. Having dual clubs is just not possible in that environment.
The only in roads hurling can make is urban areas - but because of the county system, there are not enough urban areas in Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon, Longford to be able to grow 10 clubs, never mind the 20 Jarlath Burn was raving on about.
The majority of people now live in urban areas plus the easter seaboard - the GAA needs to treat hurling different to football - it needs a model like Rugby - where there are urban clubs pulling in players from the surrounding parishes - and all have the possibility to play at the highest standard.
Hurling in Connacht/Ulster/North Leinster = no heros.
No heros = no interest for kids.
Every kid in Mayo now knows about Kobe - he has played 10 time for his county - 5 on TV.
No kids will ever see a Mayo Hurler playing at a high level - so nothing to aspire to.
There is no reason why Dublin, Antrim, Down, Louth, Meath, Kildare and Wexford shouldn't be targeted to be given resources to get them operating at the level of Clare, Waterford, Galway on a consistent basis.
Add in regional teams based around Sligo, Derry, Mullingar and you have potentially 16 hurling teams that could be challenging for Liam McCarthy if their was a real appetite amongst the hurling fraternity to embrace the possibility." "In most Connacht and ulster rural clubs, they are lucky to be able to field teams. Having dual clubs is just not possible in that environment"
Straight away there you are assuming you need different players playing Hurling and Football. All our 1st team players are pretty much 1st team in both codes. Like most clubs down here.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20067 - 23/06/2026 12:14:23
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Replying To tirawleybaron: "In most Connacht and ulster rural clubs, they are lucky to be able to field teams. Having dual clubs is just not possible in that environment.
The only in roads hurling can make is urban areas - but because of the county system, there are not enough urban areas in Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon, Longford to be able to grow 10 clubs, never mind the 20 Jarlath Burn was raving on about.
The majority of people now live in urban areas plus the easter seaboard - the GAA needs to treat hurling different to football - it needs a model like Rugby - where there are urban clubs pulling in players from the surrounding parishes - and all have the possibility to play at the highest standard.
Hurling in Connacht/Ulster/North Leinster = no heros.
No heros = no interest for kids.
Every kid in Mayo now knows about Kobe - he has played 10 time for his county - 5 on TV.
No kids will ever see a Mayo Hurler playing at a high level - so nothing to aspire to.
There is no reason why Dublin, Antrim, Down, Louth, Meath, Kildare and Wexford shouldn't be targeted to be given resources to get them operating at the level of Clare, Waterford, Galway on a consistent basis.
Add in regional teams based around Sligo, Derry, Mullingar and you have potentially 16 hurling teams that could be challenging for Liam McCarthy if their was a real appetite amongst the hurling fraternity to embrace the possibility." Wexford are more successful at senior inter county level than Waterford, Clare and Galway. We're also pretty successful commercially at board level.
Having said that we've had a couple of poor years and if somebody in HQ wants to give us money we'll take it.
Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 4581 - 23/06/2026 13:08:18
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Replying To tirawleybaron: "In most Connacht and ulster rural clubs, they are lucky to be able to field teams. Having dual clubs is just not possible in that environment.
The only in roads hurling can make is urban areas - but because of the county system, there are not enough urban areas in Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon, Longford to be able to grow 10 clubs, never mind the 20 Jarlath Burn was raving on about.
The majority of people now live in urban areas plus the easter seaboard - the GAA needs to treat hurling different to football - it needs a model like Rugby - where there are urban clubs pulling in players from the surrounding parishes - and all have the possibility to play at the highest standard.
Hurling in Connacht/Ulster/North Leinster = no heros.
No heros = no interest for kids.
Every kid in Mayo now knows about Kobe - he has played 10 time for his county - 5 on TV.
No kids will ever see a Mayo Hurler playing at a high level - so nothing to aspire to.
There is no reason why Dublin, Antrim, Down, Louth, Meath, Kildare and Wexford shouldn't be targeted to be given resources to get them operating at the level of Clare, Waterford, Galway on a consistent basis.
Add in regional teams based around Sligo, Derry, Mullingar and you have potentially 16 hurling teams that could be challenging for Liam McCarthy if their was a real appetite amongst the hurling fraternity to embrace the possibility." Everything you say there is theoretically correct. However it doesnt stand up to the test of reality.
GFCs in the areas that you refer to in connacht do not want their players hurling. Its just the reality. Some of those players do hurl for nearby clubs but they receive no help or accommodation whatsoever from their GFC. Training and challenge matches are put on to clash and they risk losing their place if they go hurling. Thats the reality for a dual player in Roscommon anyway and im including within dual clubs there but its worse for lads from GFCs.
I also understand the role model point. Thats hurlings reality though in these areas. There are hurling stars in their own right within parishes and clubs and within the game itself in those counties. Its not Kobe fame but its there. Only 35 lads can play for these counties in football at any one time. Its an honour to hurl for that county too. Many lads see it that way. Imo more should have been made of Higgins and his love for Mayo hurling while playing county football at the highest level for all those years.
I think the Wexford lads will be alarmed but Dublin are getting the funding. Afaik Antrim are too. The Meath CB aren't keen on developing hurling and I dont think Louth are either. I dont know about Down.
Derry and Sligo are doing a good job of promoting hurling. They do buck the trend for football counties. WM regularly do well and had a school reached the leinster senior semi final this year.Kildare are doing exactly what you are proposing.
I dont want to paint a picture that everything is rosy or in hand. Regional teams wont work because the CB system is in place and dominates the local scene. The Tain og and Cuchulainn leagues demonstrate that. They have some success but its very limited. The reality most parents dont care enough to drive for 90 minutes for a game. If there is football or soccer training locally they will drop john there instead.
It will require so much goodwill from the football fraternity for Hurling to survive and grow. That goodwill generally isnt there and that's why the game isnt growing. The resources and supports are available.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 609 - 23/06/2026 13:08:24
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@tirawleybaron - in relation to this line you wrote:
In most Connacht and ulster rural clubs, they are lucky to be able to field teams. Having dual clubs is just not possible in that environment.
Ah, come on now. To use an internet phrase that actually annoys me but which seems appropriate here: tell me you know little about it without actually telling me you know little about it. And by the way, you've just provided proof of my earlier statement of "easy to find excuses".
Whether you have 10 children in a given age group, or 50, there's no issue in getting them to use hurls and sliotars for the odd training session instead of throwing a few footballs to them.
There are many rural clubs here in Wexford that struggle for numbers too. But that doesn't stop them providing both hurling and football to their members.
You seem to believe that having a dual club would mean having one panel of say 18 to 20 footballers, and a separate panel of 18 to 20 hurlers at that age?????
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3782 - 23/06/2026 13:30:51
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COrk Limerick final
hlynch12 (Limerick) - Posts: 125 - 23/06/2026 14:05:56
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Replying To Pikeman96: "@tirawleybaron - in relation to this line you wrote:
In most Connacht and ulster rural clubs, they are lucky to be able to field teams. Having dual clubs is just not possible in that environment.
Ah, come on now. To use an internet phrase that actually annoys me but which seems appropriate here: tell me you know little about it without actually telling me you know little about it. And by the way, you've just provided proof of my earlier statement of "easy to find excuses".
Whether you have 10 children in a given age group, or 50, there's no issue in getting them to use hurls and sliotars for the odd training session instead of throwing a few footballs to them.
There are many rural clubs here in Wexford that struggle for numbers too. But that doesn't stop them providing both hurling and football to their members.
You seem to believe that having a dual club would mean having one panel of say 18 to 20 footballers, and a separate panel of 18 to 20 hurlers at that age?????" I live and coach in a county mentioned above and I can tell you what has been said about other counties rings true to my own club.
Football training on the same night as hurling training, . . .lads playing 3rd or 4th team football and not turning up to 1st team hurling.
Underage football teams organising matches behind the backs of the hurling coaches and then we only find out when lads are not turning up.
Our local school has 7 hurlers affiliated to our club, between ages of 10-12 we have to amalgamate with a local club to field at underage. . .a town of about 6,500 people.
We have taken time off work and at our own expense and gone to the schools ourselves . . .and nothing.
A handful of us have tried for 10 years and are just about finished with it, we will see our current teams to minor (2 to 3 more years) and that's it we're done,
There are no upcoming hurling coaches, I saw and advert for the Nursey and hurling wasn't even mentioned!
We've been told that it's a football club, be happy with your lot, in no uncertain terms.
Where hurling is flourishing it is doing well but it is not given a chance in most places, I can't see this ever changing.
Inaroundthehouse (Wicklow) - Posts: 19 - 23/06/2026 14:24:35
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Replying To Pikeman96: "@tirawleybaron - in relation to this line you wrote:
In most Connacht and ulster rural clubs, they are lucky to be able to field teams. Having dual clubs is just not possible in that environment.
Ah, come on now. To use an internet phrase that actually annoys me but which seems appropriate here: tell me you know little about it without actually telling me you know little about it. And by the way, you've just provided proof of my earlier statement of "easy to find excuses".
Whether you have 10 children in a given age group, or 50, there's no issue in getting them to use hurls and sliotars for the odd training session instead of throwing a few footballs to them.
There are many rural clubs here in Wexford that struggle for numbers too. But that doesn't stop them providing both hurling and football to their members.
You seem to believe that having a dual club would mean having one panel of say 18 to 20 footballers, and a separate panel of 18 to 20 hurlers at that age?????" How little you seem to know about actual rural Ireland,
Most of Wexford can be covered in 30min driving - its a county with a lot of urban areas with big numbers of kids - see the GAA demographic study if you don't believe me.
In rural clubs in the midlands, north and west you are looking at 2-3 volunteers to take on any age group in GAA.
of those volunteers - do you actually thing you will be able to get them to coach both hurling and football teams - 4 nights a week + matches from U14 upwards? No one is going to do that.
If you have a magic solution to get volunteer coaches in Wexford - lets hear it - around here its the same few people volunteering for every sport.
To be a hurling coach in rural Mayo - you are likely already coaching football and soccer now in summer, adding hurling is another night on to that. You could possible do 3 up to U10 as its 3 nights combined - go up to U12 - its 6 times a week commitment - go up to U14 and each sport requires 2 nights a week and weekends.
The kids cant turn out that often if they have homework or any non sport hobby.
once coach has to skip training - safeguarding prevents you having a training session with less than 2 coaches.
Wexford has soccer in winter - so not as much demand on volunteers during summer months.
The point is Hurling needs to change its model to grow.
Having a sport that requires a panel of 20 to field a team at all - in an area where there is little or no hurling - it will never grow.
Having a 7 a side version - would increase the chances of fielding a team. Rural, amalgamated clubs can barely get 15 for football - not a hope of ever getting 13/15 for a hurling match.
The GAA needs to think differently about hurling if they want it to grow. A model that works in Kilkenny/Cork/ Limerick wont work in other places.
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1931 - 23/06/2026 16:02:07
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