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Wexford Hurling Thread

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Replying To zinny:  "I agree and I think there are a lot more people than you think and who despite what they say, in the back of their minds they don't understand it and its the fault of the player for not committing. The reality is we are not a traditional hurling county, we love our GAA the same as anyone. However do people grow up in Wexford thinking nothing but hurling or football, I doubt if many do. I wonder if there was a survey on what people in Wexford looked forward to most about summer and the three choices where, Strawberries, going to the beach or the hurling championship - what would they pick? like if you are from Kilkenny what else is there about summer in the county."
Ah I see what you mean. We need to remove the beaches I think:)

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 4236 - 13/02/2026 12:53:45    2656205

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Replying To zinny:  "I agree and I think there are a lot more people than you think and who despite what they say, in the back of their minds they don't understand it and its the fault of the player for not committing. The reality is we are not a traditional hurling county, we love our GAA the same as anyone. However do people grow up in Wexford thinking nothing but hurling or football, I doubt if many do. I wonder if there was a survey on what people in Wexford looked forward to most about summer and the three choices where, Strawberries, going to the beach or the hurling championship - what would they pick? like if you are from Kilkenny what else is there about summer in the county."
Id say to be more accurate there are pockets of the county where hurling is very strong and then there are parts where it isn't. For example Enniscorthy town isnt a strong hurling town compared to some of the rural town lands around it for example Oulart.

To say no one thinks of hurling is as inaccurate as saying Wexford is hurling mad

WEXILE (Wexford) - Posts: 459 - 13/02/2026 14:56:47    2656216

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Replying To Wexfordgaa:  "RIP to Fr odhran furlong. He worked behind the scenes with the Wexford hurlers. He was a gentleman. Knew him a long time."
RIP

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18360 - 13/02/2026 16:11:29    2656231

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Replying To WEXILE:  "Id say to be more accurate there are pockets of the county where hurling is very strong and then there are parts where it isn't. For example Enniscorthy town isnt a strong hurling town compared to some of the rural town lands around it for example Oulart.

To say no one thinks of hurling is as inaccurate as saying Wexford is hurling mad"
We're probably in a similar place to the likes of Waterford (And a place Limerick used to inhabit)

We don't have the culture of Tipperary, Cork, or Kilkenny; hurling is a way of life there and it's almost existential, a lot of people love hurling whereas a lot of people here like hurling but not enough love it

We're at least a tier below those three in terms of culture, maybe another tier again down but it's still a good culture in the grand scheme of things, we have a history that is arguably better than than everyone not named KK, Cork, Tipp, or Limerick

I think we have the potential to have a similar culture to the big three in time but at the moment, that's what it is : potential. Very small crowds so far in the league but if we were to make a Leinster Final or an AISF, you can be sure the guts of 40k people would be making their way up to Croker from Wexford, very few counties can match that level of enthusiasm

Only way we take advantage of the potential for a great culture is by winning and culture is the biggest driver of winning. In the absence of a culture like KK, Tipp, or Cork, we need to put in place "best in class" structures in terms of coaching, primary schools, secondary schools, clubs, Minor squads, U20 squads, and Senior squads

One big thing doesn't need to be changed for us to be successful; instead, it'll have to be many small changes

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 880 - 13/02/2026 16:13:29    2656234

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Replying To StoreysTash:  "The difference in the Munster counties is the profile of the game, the all-encompassing drive to better themselves. GF is from Tipp and the clubs throughout the county drive the game, drive themselves, drive each other.
Not coming out of Munster is met with fury, anger and a "that's unacceptable, we are Tipp, we have to do better" attitude.
Excuses are just not entertained, you win or you lose and why you won or lost is irrelevant. You lost.
The mindset across the county is about doing more hurling, more hurling in schools in particular. Hurlers who are teachers waltz into a job.
Its just tradition and culture. They don't need social media posts because winning is all the promotion you need. The game in Wexford needs promotion but more than anything we need a good minor or u20 team to give the game a lift. We seem to be going backwards at these levels, that is the problem. Its very hard to arrest this decline but we need to find out how to do it ourselves."
How do you propose we find this out? County Board just spent an enormous sum of money on a report the findings of which plenty of us already knew.
If you take out 7 years, 1963-1970, of the entire 100 year history of the Leinster minor Championship we have only won 2 more Leinster minor titles that Meath, and the same number as Laois. We average 1 Leinster minor title every 30 years apart from those 7 years. I still dont get why people like you keep saying we are going backwards. We are where we pretty much always were.
There are green shoots though. We have only ever beaten a Munster county once outside those 7 years at minor, and that was only 2 years ago. We beat them well. And that was in a knockout game.
In the last few years, since covid, we have improved our underage structures, we have introduced new competitions and offered more county level training to more young lads, especially at u12, u13 and u14. The County Board and Coaching and Games have encouraged clubs over the last 2 years to extend their underage seasons, many are going 11 months a year now, like Cork and Tipp clubs have always done. Most are also coaching their underage teams twice a week over the last 2 years also, which didnt happen at most clubs even 4 years ago. More snd more clubs are running more and more underage tournaments also, just like they always have done in Kilkenny, Tipperary and Cork.
Schools are a problem ok, as especially secondary schools are very resistant to what they perceive as outside interference in their affairs. Sadly their on the whole abject performances in Leinster competitions this millennium, with the exception of a few individual teams, doesn't seem to bother them.
We need more positive ideas and action to bring the county forwards. We need more people in the county involved. We need more people in the county to care. We need more people in the county to even show an interest. We need more people with ideas and energy to return to the county. Surely 3 years is long enough to be away?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18360 - 13/02/2026 16:31:23    2656239

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Replying To WEXILE:  "Id say to be more accurate there are pockets of the county where hurling is very strong and then there are parts where it isn't. For example Enniscorthy town isnt a strong hurling town compared to some of the rural town lands around it for example Oulart.

To say no one thinks of hurling is as inaccurate as saying Wexford is hurling mad"
Yes for sure. If we are to be successful we need more GAA in all of the towns. Our successful teams going back to the 19th Century had lads from towns playing on them.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18360 - 13/02/2026 16:36:55    2656242

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Replying To Viking66:  "How do you propose we find this out? County Board just spent an enormous sum of money on a report the findings of which plenty of us already knew.
If you take out 7 years, 1963-1970, of the entire 100 year history of the Leinster minor Championship we have only won 2 more Leinster minor titles that Meath, and the same number as Laois. We average 1 Leinster minor title every 30 years apart from those 7 years. I still dont get why people like you keep saying we are going backwards. We are where we pretty much always were.
There are green shoots though. We have only ever beaten a Munster county once outside those 7 years at minor, and that was only 2 years ago. We beat them well. And that was in a knockout game.
In the last few years, since covid, we have improved our underage structures, we have introduced new competitions and offered more county level training to more young lads, especially at u12, u13 and u14. The County Board and Coaching and Games have encouraged clubs over the last 2 years to extend their underage seasons, many are going 11 months a year now, like Cork and Tipp clubs have always done. Most are also coaching their underage teams twice a week over the last 2 years also, which didnt happen at most clubs even 4 years ago. More snd more clubs are running more and more underage tournaments also, just like they always have done in Kilkenny, Tipperary and Cork.
Schools are a problem ok, as especially secondary schools are very resistant to what they perceive as outside interference in their affairs. Sadly their on the whole abject performances in Leinster competitions this millennium, with the exception of a few individual teams, doesn't seem to bother them.
We need more positive ideas and action to bring the county forwards. We need more people in the county involved. We need more people in the county to care. We need more people in the county to even show an interest. We need more people with ideas and energy to return to the county. Surely 3 years is long enough to be away?"
I don't mean to smart with you Viking, but you say Wexford are where we always were, but alas if you are standing still you are going backwards as they say because other counties aren't staying still.
You say things have improved since Covid, Covid was 5 years ago so those u12s are now minor. Where is the improvement?
Wexford winning 1 knockout game v a Munster county once in 30 years is a disastrous record to be frank, I would say that's a stain rather than a positive. You can win 1 game on any given day, where is the trophy?
I agree clubs are working hard but as I said a few days ago without parents and chaps out hurling day in day out they won't improve enough. And I 100 agree we need more people in Wexford to care and more parents driving things forward. Like, if number 20 on the squad gets better then number 15 needs to get better and number 12 needs to get better. Its a self-driving philosophy.
Schools are a problem but Wexford tried combined colleges for no length before abandoning it. Things take time to build and there are no quick fixes. Everything which has more Wexford chaps hurling at the top level has to be on the table. Wexford can afford all sorts of coaches, etc. We can afford another coach/bus to bring chaps to a higher level of better quality training. If it means paying a coach, what about it every coach in club hurling in Wexford is being paid yet we're being penny wise and pound foolish by not having top coaches involved with development squads while they get paid every night training a junior team.

ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1557 - 14/02/2026 10:12:02    2656297

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Replying To ExiledInWex:  "I don't mean to smart with you Viking, but you say Wexford are where we always were, but alas if you are standing still you are going backwards as they say because other counties aren't staying still.
You say things have improved since Covid, Covid was 5 years ago so those u12s are now minor. Where is the improvement?
Wexford winning 1 knockout game v a Munster county once in 30 years is a disastrous record to be frank, I would say that's a stain rather than a positive. You can win 1 game on any given day, where is the trophy?
I agree clubs are working hard but as I said a few days ago without parents and chaps out hurling day in day out they won't improve enough. And I 100 agree we need more people in Wexford to care and more parents driving things forward. Like, if number 20 on the squad gets better then number 15 needs to get better and number 12 needs to get better. Its a self-driving philosophy.
Schools are a problem but Wexford tried combined colleges for no length before abandoning it. Things take time to build and there are no quick fixes. Everything which has more Wexford chaps hurling at the top level has to be on the table. Wexford can afford all sorts of coaches, etc. We can afford another coach/bus to bring chaps to a higher level of better quality training. If it means paying a coach, what about it every coach in club hurling in Wexford is being paid yet we're being penny wise and pound foolish by not having top coaches involved with development squads while they get paid every night training a junior team."
The phrase" you can bring a horse to water but you can't make him drink" springs to mind.
It would be great if parents were more involved and kids got the hurl out at every opportunity outside scheduled training and if schools got their pupils more interested in hurling.
Unfortunately all of the above is very lacking in our county and there is little hope of it changing in the near future.
The question is, how do you go about getting parents and kids to become more involved?
There are so many other attractions nowadays.
Swimming. Soccer, rugby, athletics, drama, ect 'ect'
It's all very well saying they should get more involved but how do you do that?
If the interest isn't there then there is little chance of it ever getting better.

Magpie2 (Wexford) - Posts: 601 - 14/02/2026 11:57:31    2656310

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Replying To ExiledInWex:  "I don't mean to smart with you Viking, but you say Wexford are where we always were, but alas if you are standing still you are going backwards as they say because other counties aren't staying still.
You say things have improved since Covid, Covid was 5 years ago so those u12s are now minor. Where is the improvement?
Wexford winning 1 knockout game v a Munster county once in 30 years is a disastrous record to be frank, I would say that's a stain rather than a positive. You can win 1 game on any given day, where is the trophy?
I agree clubs are working hard but as I said a few days ago without parents and chaps out hurling day in day out they won't improve enough. And I 100 agree we need more people in Wexford to care and more parents driving things forward. Like, if number 20 on the squad gets better then number 15 needs to get better and number 12 needs to get better. Its a self-driving philosophy.
Schools are a problem but Wexford tried combined colleges for no length before abandoning it. Things take time to build and there are no quick fixes. Everything which has more Wexford chaps hurling at the top level has to be on the table. Wexford can afford all sorts of coaches, etc. We can afford another coach/bus to bring chaps to a higher level of better quality training. If it means paying a coach, what about it every coach in club hurling in Wexford is being paid yet we're being penny wise and pound foolish by not having top coaches involved with development squads while they get paid every night training a junior team."
Exiled, some of that post gives the impression that you are a once around the bowl type. There have been numerous posts about the u12 ASH scheme since it started THREE years ago. The first lads who were on it are only starting out at u15 this year.
Other parts of your post imply you are a hurling genius beyond compare. You state -

"so those u12s are now minor. Where is the improvement?"

Our minors have only played one game so far this year, a challenge game against Tipp that you weren't even at. Can you even name more than a couple of our current minor panel? Yet you know enough about them to write them off already.
You should be County Chairman, Senior and Minor manager all rolled into one, because you would certainly have the time. You wouldn't need to work because you would be earning off the bookies every day.
As regards our minors winning against a Munster team 2 years ago, thats not just the only win in the last 30 years. If you take out the 7 year period between 1963 and 1970 we have never beaten a Munster minor team before in Championship since the 1920s when minor competition began. I agree 100% thats a chronic record, but our recent record, since covid, is still better than most of what went before. So we arent going backwards as alarmists like yourself are implying. I agree 100% we need a successful minor or u20 team, and sooner rather than later, it would be a massive boost to hurling in the county if we won an AI at either grade.
Going back to once around the bowl, there have been plenty of posts about combined schools also. The biggest impediment is the schools themselves, they absolutely don't want it as they have stated several times at County Board meetings. There are other logistical reasons to consider also, we have schools in every part of the county, so where will training be held? Will parents bring the boys, which was an issue the last time, on top of schools matches, development squads, club commitments, soccer commitments etc? Our minors and u20s get together 3 times a week now, long overdue, most soccer clubs train twice a week, schools GAA should be the same though many only train once a week, most of the boys play Football and Hurling at school, not just one code, so when would the combined schools team train? It works in Offaly better as while they are a dual county too they have a far larger percentage of single code clubs, and the schools concerned arent as far apart. Also they don't have as many schools hurling at Senior B, depending who is hurling at A in a given year we might have 3 A and 4 B. And finally far less of their lads play soccer as well.
You keep pushing combined schools, and Im not dead against them myself, so instead of posting up nonsense about funding, post up a November weekly timetable with 2 slots for combined schools training for a parent of a lad who is on our u20 squad, plays Senior Football and Hurling for his school, is still playing for his club possibly at minor or u21 and possibly both football and hurling, and plays soccer for his local soccer club too. To make it easier for you we will assume that lad is an only child and doesn't have other siblings needing brought places too.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18360 - 14/02/2026 12:31:45    2656317

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I think we will have four team in Senior A next year: Peter's, Counsel, Enniscorthy CBS, and the FCJ?

Think that would make fielding a combined colleges team very difficult

Will be hard for the FCJ to keep themselves in A so if they drop out, then you can make the case for a combined colleges team, would likely be reliant on the FCJ, Gorey CS, and Wexford CBS to form most of the team, maybe a few from Creagh as well and then a few here and there from the other schools

Finding coaches might be difficult and the problem is the logistics: these players could be playing adult, they could be playing in underage finals, and they could be playing schools during the week, would have to be careful from a player welfare perspective, maybe only have skills sessions in September and October and then have a few matches and a bit of physicality in November and December? Have to be careful to not run good young players into the ground

Also makes me think whether we would be better off making St Patrick's Park into a 4G (Or maybe even 5G pitch)? Not sure about the cost or feasibility but has lights so you could have training sessions and matches there all through winter no matter how bad the weather was

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 880 - 14/02/2026 13:50:34    2656334

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Viking did you see last years minors? Hammered by Kilkenny.
Did you see last years u20's? Lost to Laois who beat nobody.
Where is the improvement?
The fact is, we're falling further behind and a challenge match v Tipp in Feb is neither here nor there regardless of the result.
BTW if I need life advice about how many years to spend away, you'll be first on my list. Thanks for the off-the-cuff advice.

StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 1960 - 14/02/2026 16:53:18    2656355

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Replying To Magpie2:  "The phrase" you can bring a horse to water but you can't make him drink" springs to mind.
It would be great if parents were more involved and kids got the hurl out at every opportunity outside scheduled training and if schools got their pupils more interested in hurling.
Unfortunately all of the above is very lacking in our county and there is little hope of it changing in the near future.
The question is, how do you go about getting parents and kids to become more involved?
There are so many other attractions nowadays.
Swimming. Soccer, rugby, athletics, drama, ect 'ect'
It's all very well saying they should get more involved but how do you do that?
If the interest isn't there then there is little chance of it ever getting better."
Those are other attractions but they all charge a premium for their service. None of those are the value of the GAA, in soccer circles when I played in Dublin a few years ago players had to get their before the warm up to set up the nets. Parents had to do it at underage. What entitlement do parents have that coaching their children is up to others? They can help if they want to, even if its fetching balls or moving cones as Exiled said before.

StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 1960 - 14/02/2026 16:56:53    2656357

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Oh and by the way, through my GF I know somebody involved with UL GAA and they have already done their recruitment of freshers for Sept 2028. Presenting their setup to now 5th years, talking about possible scholarships and so on.
They are miles ahead of every other college and their results are showing it. I wonder how many Wexford minors have been approached.

StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 1960 - 14/02/2026 17:00:18    2656358

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Replying To StoreysTash:  "Those are other attractions but they all charge a premium for their service. None of those are the value of the GAA, in soccer circles when I played in Dublin a few years ago players had to get their before the warm up to set up the nets. Parents had to do it at underage. What entitlement do parents have that coaching their children is up to others? They can help if they want to, even if its fetching balls or moving cones as Exiled said before."
Yes storystash all the sport/ recreations that I named do charge for their services but it doesn't prevent parents from sending their children to take part.
Soccer in Wexford is very strong with numbers 2nd highest in Ireland.
Money doesn't seem to be a problem.
Rugby is growing in popularity.
More kids taking up the sport.
Again the parents fork out the cash.
Yes the Gaa does a brilliant organisation but kids are not as loyal as they used to be and are looking over their shoulders to see what else is out there.

Magpie2 (Wexford) - Posts: 601 - 14/02/2026 17:48:31    2656372

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Replying To StoreysTash:  "Viking did you see last years minors? Hammered by Kilkenny.
Did you see last years u20's? Lost to Laois who beat nobody.
Where is the improvement?
The fact is, we're falling further behind and a challenge match v Tipp in Feb is neither here nor there regardless of the result.
BTW if I need life advice about how many years to spend away, you'll be first on my list. Thanks for the off-the-cuff advice."
I saw our minors 4 times last year, and watched the rest of their games on clubber, we had some very good players, several of whom are still minor this year, and some of whom didnt play ladt year or played when not 100% due to injury, but our set up on the pitch was terrible. But I was answering a comment about this years minors who time travelled a few years and were able to participate in the u12 ASH programme 2 years ago.
I also saw all our u20 games either live or on clubber. Our set up was pretty good, but we were missing some of our best players for nearly the entire year, and we didnt have many really good players at that age to start with. Happens with all the counties, some years are better than others.
The whole point to the initiatives we have introduced over the last 4-5 years is to try to develop more really good players at each agegroup, so that injuries don't affect as badly, and so we can have a better 15 on the pitch playing for the county more often. Then we might win more games, and win them on a more consistent basis.
The fact is we arent falling further behind, we were never great to start with. And some of us are working really hard to try to get us better, while others of us arent even in the country. Those are the facts.

BTW We are getting pretty vague and negative advice on what we should be doing here about hurling on a pretty much daily basis from you, and for some of us its a large part of our daily lives ;-)

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18360 - 14/02/2026 18:07:34    2656377

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Replying To StoreysTash:  "Oh and by the way, through my GF I know somebody involved with UL GAA and they have already done their recruitment of freshers for Sept 2028. Presenting their setup to now 5th years, talking about possible scholarships and so on.
They are miles ahead of every other college and their results are showing it. I wonder how many Wexford minors have been approached."
If they were it wasn't down to any excellent coaching they received from you.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18360 - 14/02/2026 18:55:30    2656386

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Replying To Viking66:  "If they were it wasn't down to any excellent coaching they received from you."
Oh lads, let's not get personal.

Magpie2 (Wexford) - Posts: 601 - 14/02/2026 20:29:55    2656406

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Looks like there were five Wexford starters on the TU Dublin team that won the Ryan Cup: Derry Mahon, Liam Schokman, Cian Browne, Conor Murphy, and Richie Lawlor

Saw it questioned earlier just how many Wexford hurlers would be given UL scholarships but very few Wexford people go there so not sure it really matters

I know the number of Wexford players playing Fitzgibbon is down compared to maybe 5-10 years ago because SETU Carlow and TU Dublin were playing Ryan Cup this year (Think TU Dublin should be Fitzgibbon next year after today's win) but you'd imagine that if we were to improve the quality of our underage, then given how many Wexford people go to SETU Carlow and TU Dublin, those two colleges would be much more likely to be Fitzgibbon

Think we'd be better off asking how many Wexford players play for DCU, UCD, and SETU Waterford and how those colleges are getting on; back towards the back end of the 2010s, DCU would have had Rory O'Connor, Joe O'Connor, Aaron Maddock, Paudie Foley, Oisín Foley, and Damien Reck starting for them and they were going deep into the competition

ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 880 - 14/02/2026 21:28:22    2656415

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