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What Can Be Done To Save Offaly Hurling

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Replying To Fairplayalways: "Correct to a degree, but not all great club players were fortunate enought to be "got into" the ESB or Bord na Mona, there wouldnt be the number of jobs anyway, when people say they were big employers, we are talking about seanonal with Bord na Mona on the bog to be frank, most with finishing schooling at post primary level and maybe a bit of college, then went onto to fend for themselves employment wise, and it was away from the county, I think outside Offaly people think of former star county players who were working at management level in ESB or Bornd na Mona, and these were only a few and certainly a generation wasnt lost to these type of jobs (you an read between the lines)..other younger people of late 1980s and early 1990's didnt see a summer in the dust "on the bog" with bord na mona, or working in Banagher concrete (rarely mentioned which was an employment for manys the Offaly hurler) as a reason for staying hurling, yes some "stars" went to Bord na Mona and ESB but it wasnt front end work etc...the careers these people who opted their own route with education and college were pursuing were not readily availabe in Offaly or surrounding counties so these people were travelling then which in turn is a factor in remianing hurling with your club etc...If it wasnt Bornd na Mona or ESB then it was Bord of Public works, or Midland health board etc. where the star players got employment, my point being that not everyone was a county star, and fortunate enough to "get" jobs with the bodies formentioned, and citing Bord na Mona and ESB decline is not really a factor in why so many players were lost in Offaly, some not even progressing beyone underage...that card is over played a bit.." No one was handed a job in the MHB, because they were an Offaly hurler or footballer. They had to apply like everyone, and go through the standard process. Two former county hurlers were appointed as Craftsmen in the maintenance department, it's called Estates now. I was employed by the MHB/HSE until retirement, I was not a star player by any means. MicktheMiller (Offaly) - Posts: 421 - 17/02/2021 17:02:40 2331714 Link
Replying To MillerX: "I maintain that Offaly is affected more than any other county by the demise of Bord Na Mona. A lot of Offaly footballers, in particular, in the past were directly employed by either Bord Na Mona or the ESB. But the loss of those industries has a knock on affect on other businesses, like retail, hospitality, construction, motoring etc. Also when the local club holds a fundraiser the same resources are not there to support them, this has been a gradual process, barely noticeable from year to year but when comparisons are made to ten years previously the drop in income is frightening. Stagnation takes place and the drop off becomes inevitable." The football clubs in North and West Offaly employed county players, mostly as fitters/ tradesmen etc. There were some former players, who had senior positions with BNM. The power generation plants are nearly all gone now, the Greens have their own policies. MicktheMiller (Offaly) - Posts: 421 - 17/02/2021 17:07:14 2331715 Link
Replying To MicktheMiller: "No one was handed a job in the MHB, because they were an Offaly hurler or footballer. They had to apply like everyone, and go through the standard process. Two former county hurlers were appointed as Craftsmen in the maintenance department, it's called Estates now. I was employed by the MHB/HSE until retirement, I was not a star player by any means." they had to apply like everyone else (back in them days), but were they interviewed like everyone else, no one knows that for sure only the interviewer and the person applying...abit of coincidence though that these lads get fairly good jobs. Perhaps on merit, someone batted for them in those days, of course it was never to be mentioned though. We will agree to differ on it I think. Fairplayalways (Offaly) - Posts: 1037 - 17/02/2021 20:26:12 2331758 Link
Replying To Fairplayalways: "they had to apply like everyone else (back in them days), but were they interviewed like everyone else, no one knows that for sure only the interviewer and the person applying...abit of coincidence though that these lads get fairly good jobs. Perhaps on merit, someone batted for them in those days, of course it was never to be mentioned though. We will agree to differ on it I think." I still maintain that the closure of the bogs and power stations has a negative affect on the Offaly economy, this is a gradual process. Maybe I should be corrected but your footballers gained more from BnM and ESB and it was not always players but often their parents who were employed by BnM. An example would be the Fitzgerald's who's parents move from the Ballivor works to Offaly, our loss your gain and I don't think either worked with BnM but nevertheless the county gained by the move. This probably happened more than once. Just imagine we are now going to import peat moss into this country now to keep the horticultural industry going. Now this is pure crazy. From a global point of view there is no difference between extracting peat moss in Finland or Ireland. No, we in Ireland are far too compliant and this is a perfect example. MillerX (Meath) - Posts: 1124 - 17/02/2021 23:00:35 2331791 Link
Replying To Fairplayalways: "they had to apply like everyone else (back in them days), but were they interviewed like everyone else, no one knows that for sure only the interviewer and the person applying...abit of coincidence though that these lads get fairly good jobs. Perhaps on merit, someone batted for them in those days, of course it was never to be mentioned though. We will agree to differ on it I think." Yeah, they might have done the interview etc but then and only then did the nod and winking begin! StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 1937 - 18/02/2021 09:45:41 2331814 Link
Replying To StoreysTash: "Yeah, they might have done the interview etc but then and only then did the nod and winking begin!" anyone that thinks that didnt go on is fooling no one...the mandarins work behind the scenes in most counties..we will leave it at that I think. Fairplayalways (Offaly) - Posts: 1037 - 18/02/2021 12:19:15 2331844 Link
Replying To perfect10: "watching laochra gael last night with johnny pilkington made me long for the 90s.not just because wexford were successful,but that offaly were too! while i think hurling is in a good place in wexford,with lots of improvements on going and a road to travel yet,the same cannot be said for offaly. is there anything that can be done for offaly? i thought they would walk the christy ring cup last year,but they didnt. i cant help doubt money spent on michael fennelly is money being spent well.the players just arent there at senior level. we were at a similar low ebb in wexford a good few years ago and while we are not world beaters,we are at least competitive for the most part.former players took over every underage hurling team,coaching improved and it somewhat bore fruit in 2019 with leinster double,albeit throwing away an all ireland arguably. what can be done?are things improving at underage?have the former players said "enough is enough" and got off the couch yet?is offaly just too small to ever be competitive again? the whole hurling world would like offaly back,but is it possible?" Wexford didn't throw away an All-Ireland in 2019. Limerick did. johnocarroll17 (Limerick) - Posts: 408 - 19/02/2021 22:12:06 2332084 Link
Replying To johnocarroll17: "Wexford didn't throw away an All-Ireland in 2019. Limerick did." Agreed we didnt throw away an All Ireland in 2019. We lost a semi final that with better game management we should have won and would have fancied our chances against a Kilkenny team that have only beaten us once in championship hurling since 2015. And that by a point in Nowlan Park in 2018 in a game we should have also won. Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17341 - 20/02/2021 09:05:36 2332104 Link
Replying To johnocarroll17: "Wexford didn't throw away an All-Ireland in 2019. Limerick did." Limerick got a bad call with the 65 at the end, but kilkenny absolutely blitzed ye in the opening 20-25 minutes. Was like watching men against boys. Ye took over then and were the better team, but I wouldn't say ye threw it away. Kilkenny ambushed ye. Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1942 - 20/02/2021 12:12:03 2332114 Link
Replying To johnocarroll17: "Wexford didn't throw away an All-Ireland in 2019. Limerick did." Limerick had a 50% loss ratio in that championship so throwing it away is a bit of a stretch... bostonredsox (Wexford) - Posts: 4368 - 20/02/2021 13:38:24 2332125 Link
For as long as I'm watching the Sunday game or reading papers or forums it's all about the decline of offaly hurling or what can be done to with it? Here's one what can be done with the 20 counties in Ireland besides offaly that aren't playing at the top level?? God it's not all about offaly hurling there just one county out of 20 that are suffering!!! Irishcelt (Wicklow) - Posts: 149 - 20/02/2021 15:29:30 2332135 Link
Replying To Galway9801: "Limerick got a bad call with the 65 at the end, but kilkenny absolutely blitzed ye in the opening 20-25 minutes. Was like watching men against boys. Ye took over then and were the better team, but I wouldn't say ye threw it away. Kilkenny ambushed ye." Kilkenny won fair and square on the day and there is never an ambush where KK are concerned. I am watching them for sixty years and they should never be underestimated. However, we did play into their hands. We had only edged them by a few points, in the dying moments, the previous year, on a day when we scored points from all angles and distances and they were playing a third Sunday in a row and yet our lads were raging favourites. We played a man who was unwell on the day- the previous year he had a similar episode and was taken off after 7 minutes- he was fatally left on for 35 that day. The Mulcahy/Casey combo was not working in the FF Line. Why was Seamie Flanagan, a man who cleaned every defense he met in '18, not brought on to go hammer and tongs with Lawlor. Dowling, the man who brought us back from the dead the previous year against Cork not brought on sooner and when he did come on he should have been put on every scorable free, both near and far, which was not done. Cian Lynch was having a poor game and should been benched- yet we took off Will O'Donoghue, a man who was more than holding his own. I know it is easy to be wise after the event, but those are my thoughts on the matter. Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4528 - 20/02/2021 15:48:14 2332137 Link
Replying To Irishcelt: "For as long as I'm watching the Sunday game or reading papers or forums it's all about the decline of offaly hurling or what can be done to with it? Here's one what can be done with the 20 counties in Ireland besides offaly that aren't playing at the top level?? God it's not all about offaly hurling there just one county out of 20 that are suffering!!!" Very true. But this is a thread titled "What can be done to save Offaly hurling"; ) Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17341 - 20/02/2021 16:02:43 2332139 Link
Replying To Irishcelt: "For as long as I'm watching the Sunday game or reading papers or forums it's all about the decline of offaly hurling or what can be done to with it? Here's one what can be done with the 20 counties in Ireland besides offaly that aren't playing at the top level?? God it's not all about offaly hurling there just one county out of 20 that are suffering!!!" I suppose the fact that Offaly become strong in both codes at the same time games started to be on TV leads some people to think they've always been at the top table. I get the impression also the Offaly county board like people saying that so they'll get funding etc But in reality that funding will just be wasted. oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1651 - 20/02/2021 16:28:09 2332142 Link
Replying To oneoff: "I suppose the fact that Offaly become strong in both codes at the same time games started to be on TV leads some people to think they've always been at the top table. I get the impression also the Offaly county board like people saying that so they'll get funding etc But in reality that funding will just be wasted." Explain why. MicktheMiller (Offaly) - Posts: 421 - 20/02/2021 19:56:36 2332183 Link
Replying To oneoff: "I suppose the fact that Offaly become strong in both codes at the same time games started to be on TV leads some people to think they've always been at the top table. I get the impression also the Offaly county board like people saying that so they'll get funding etc But in reality that funding will just be wasted." Explain why. MicktheMiller (Offaly) - Posts: 421 - 20/02/2021 19:56:49 2332184 Link
Replying To oneoff: "I suppose the fact that Offaly become strong in both codes at the same time games started to be on TV leads some people to think they've always been at the top table. I get the impression also the Offaly county board like people saying that so they'll get funding etc But in reality that funding will just be wasted." Even allowing for the fact they had a golden generation (two actually, in the 80s and 90s),i still think its pretty bad to go from appearing in an all Ireland hurling final to 19 years later losing to down. Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1942 - 20/02/2021 20:39:33 2332198 Link
Replying To MicktheMiller: "Explain why." I think the results over the last 20 odd years would explain that.... oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1651 - 21/02/2021 11:29:18 2332256 Link
Replying To wexico15: "Limerick had a 50% loss ratio in that championship so throwing it away is a bit of a stretch..." And Wexford had a 33% win ratio ....... johnocarroll17 (Limerick) - Posts: 408 - 21/02/2021 20:36:26 2332339 Link
Bord Na Mona? Onion_Sack (Dublin) - Posts: 397 - 21/02/2021 21:13:32 2332348 Link