National Forum

Hurling - Merging Counties

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "I will admit I am very much a hurling snob. I am aware it is a minority sport. To me it's just far more culturally unique. The true Gaels are dual counties, but that's just my view.

Any decent athlete can get up to speed fairly quickly in football. I just don't think that's the case in hurling.

There's plenty of cynical stuff in hurling of course, but I would rather watch a poor hurling game than the best football game."
Spot on Doyler, the second and third paragraphs would be my thoughts exactly.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2573 - 08/11/2025 12:14:54    2643490

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Replying To legendzxix:  "Hypothetically 2 combined teams entering the preliminary quarter finals against the 3rd placed teams would be the way to go. Realistically not going to happen. No financial return. Lower tier county players are often straight into club championships. The Kerry hurling final is usually the first weekend of August."
Its nothing to do with money. Those lads would have to train together 3 times a week from November. Not possible.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17423 - 08/11/2025 15:33:39    2643512

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "I will admit I am very much a hurling snob. I am aware it is a minority sport. To me it's just far more culturally unique. The true Gaels are dual counties, but that's just my view.

Any decent athlete can get up to speed fairly quickly in football. I just don't think that's the case in hurling.

There's plenty of cynical stuff in hurling of course, but I would rather watch a poor hurling game than the best football game."
As someone who coaches both at a genuinely dual club Ill say this, the basics of hurling are more difficult to master for beginners. But to be a really top level player of either would take the same hours of endless practice. Hard to explain to a hurling only man how hard it is to kick points off what would be naturally your weaker foot for example.
With my spectators hat on I personally prefer watching a game of Hurling, but it's certainly true that a good game of Football is better than a bad game of Hurling. At the same time Ive seen thousands of games of hurling in my life and not seen too many really bad ones. I would have seen more bad games of Football.
Overall I wouldn't say one was better than the other, but I would say a true GAA county should play and promote both equally. Otherwise you are only a Hurling county, or only a Football county. Kind of only a half county so to speak.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17423 - 08/11/2025 15:49:43    2643516

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "I will admit I am very much a hurling snob. I am aware it is a minority sport. To me it's just far more culturally unique. The true Gaels are dual counties, but that's just my view.

Any decent athlete can get up to speed fairly quickly in football. I just don't think that's the case in hurling.

There's plenty of cynical stuff in hurling of course, but I would rather watch a poor hurling game than the best football game."
As someone who coaches both at a genuinely dual club Ill say this, the basics of hurling are more difficult to master for beginners. But to be a really top level player of either would take the same hours of endless practice. Hard to explain to a hurling only man how hard it is to kick points off what would be naturally your weaker foot for example.
With my spectators hat on I personally prefer watching a game of Hurling, but it's certainly true that a good game of Football is better than a bad game of Hurling. At the same time Ive seen thousands of games of hurling in my life and not seen too many really bad ones. I would have seen more bad games of Football.
Overall I wouldn't say one was better than the other, but I would say a true GAA county should play and promote both equally. Otherwise you are only a Hurling county, or only a Football county. Kind of only a half county so to speak.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17423 - 08/11/2025 15:54:46    2643518

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Replying To Bon:  "Spot on Doyler, the second and third paragraphs would be my thoughts exactly."
True gaels can like one over other but respect both football as improved from where it was come on.
Yes hurling maybe better still football has improved.

What does dual counties mean as true gaels is it only galway cork tipp because they play Liam Mccarthy as well or kerry antrim offaly included in that they play both

For hurling to grow in single code counties it needs get to get some of reluctant football crowd on board as well

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 1082 - 08/11/2025 15:55:40    2643519

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Replying To PoolSturgeon:  "Plaudits at least for bringing the thread back on topic. These kind of discussions seem to always descend into the usual childish stuff: "hurling good; football bad" or "football good, hurling bad". So tiresome."
Well said that doesn't help anyone a lot these people on this thread even summarising this for bot to thrive this ideology one good other is bad is not good and won't help improve hurling in small counties and waot for we probably get slated for saying that but you have to bring too somewhat together not divide them further.

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 1082 - 08/11/2025 15:57:47    2643521

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Replying To Gaaforlife2023:  "Well said that doesn't help anyone a lot these people on this thread even summarising this for bot to thrive this ideology one good other is bad is not good and won't help improve hurling in small counties and waot for we probably get slated for saying that but you have to bring too somewhat together not divide them further."
if we are really interested in the promotion of Hurling it is imperative that we look at how to merge Hurling areas into sustainable entities.
Say for instance the amalgamation of Meath and Westmeath and Louth. Laois with Carlow etc.
Unfortunately this will never happen. This is because the importance of Provincial and County Boards will always take precedence over what is good for the games. Imagine the furore if Hurling people proposed amalgamation. The Boards would go beserk. The power and influence of the officials would diminish.
Let's retain our power and worry about the game some other time.
We don't really care about the games we need to protect our institutions.

Personally I would love to see the game spread and if that means overcoming the existing Board structures so be it!

SixtiesKid (Galway) - Posts: 372 - 08/11/2025 17:09:09    2643528

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Replying To Gaaforlife2023:  "True gaels can like one over other but respect both football as improved from where it was come on.
Yes hurling maybe better still football has improved.

What does dual counties mean as true gaels is it only galway cork tipp because they play Liam Mccarthy as well or kerry antrim offaly included in that they play both

For hurling to grow in single code counties it needs get to get some of reluctant football crowd on board as well"
Wexford is a dual county in the truest sense. What I mean by that is almost all of our players play both codes.

Football not too strong at the moment but we have senior all Irelands in both and have had periods where we were competing at a high level in both codes.

Personally I think a best of Ulster outside Antrim, best of Connaught outside Galway would be good, but also a logistical nightmare and they'd be at a huge disadvantage.

Would a collective like that be capable of winning tier 2 or 3 even? I don't think so to be honest.

There was a time Derry and down could mix it with Antrim but even still Antrim were a level below Munster and Leinster.

It's a hard game to master if you're not fully in it.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 4017 - 08/11/2025 19:32:47    2643553

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I reckon in the next couple of decades you'll have a semi pro/full pro inter county c'ship with a maximum of ten teams if even that. Maybe you'll have a second division comp made of amateur regional sides and second tier counties

alalalalalum (USA) - Posts: 73 - 09/11/2025 13:11:56    2643616

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Replying To SixtiesKid:  "if we are really interested in the promotion of Hurling it is imperative that we look at how to merge Hurling areas into sustainable entities.
Say for instance the amalgamation of Meath and Westmeath and Louth. Laois with Carlow etc.
Unfortunately this will never happen. This is because the importance of Provincial and County Boards will always take precedence over what is good for the games. Imagine the furore if Hurling people proposed amalgamation. The Boards would go beserk. The power and influence of the officials would diminish.
Let's retain our power and worry about the game some other time.
We don't really care about the games we need to protect our institutions.

Personally I would love to see the game spread and if that means overcoming the existing Board structures so be it!"
Utter nonsense, no Louth player would get within shouting distance of a Westmeath senior county team and we are average at the moment.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2445 - 09/11/2025 13:50:02    2643622

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "Wexford is a dual county in the truest sense. What I mean by that is almost all of our players play both codes.

Football not too strong at the moment but we have senior all Irelands in both and have had periods where we were competing at a high level in both codes.

Personally I think a best of Ulster outside Antrim, best of Connaught outside Galway would be good, but also a logistical nightmare and they'd be at a huge disadvantage.

Would a collective like that be capable of winning tier 2 or 3 even? I don't think so to be honest.

There was a time Derry and down could mix it with Antrim but even still Antrim were a level below Munster and Leinster.

It's a hard game to master if you're not fully in it."
Down and Derry have reached 6 of the last 7 Christy Ring finals by themselves. Derry only lost this years final by 3 points, and the 2023 final by 2. Mayo reached the other one by themselves. They don't need to be in a collective to win a tier 3, they are competitive as it is.
If you are talking tier 3 in the League Down, Derry and Donegal were all in tier 3, or division 2, and Down were Champions, finishing ahead of Kildare, Kerry and Meath.
What counties like Down, Derry, Mayo and Donegal need most is more support for hurling from their respective county boards, and the GAA as a whole should assist them in promoting hurling in the schools and clubs up there.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17423 - 09/11/2025 14:38:11    2643632

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "Wexford is a dual county in the truest sense. What I mean by that is almost all of our players play both codes.

Football not too strong at the moment but we have senior all Irelands in both and have had periods where we were competing at a high level in both codes.

Personally I think a best of Ulster outside Antrim, best of Connaught outside Galway would be good, but also a logistical nightmare and they'd be at a huge disadvantage.

Would a collective like that be capable of winning tier 2 or 3 even? I don't think so to be honest.

There was a time Derry and down could mix it with Antrim but even still Antrim were a level below Munster and Leinster.

It's a hard game to master if you're not fully in it."
Down and Derry have reached 6 of the last 7 Christy Ring finals by themselves. Derry only lost this years final by 3 points, and the 2023 final by 2. Mayo reached the other one by themselves. They don't need to be in a collective to win a tier 3, they are competitive as it is.
If you are talking tier 3 in the League Down, Derry and Donegal were all in tier 3, or division 2, and Down were Champions, finishing ahead of Kildare, Kerry and Meath.
What counties like Down, Derry, Mayo and Donegal need most is more support for hurling from their respective county boards, and the GAA as a whole should assist them in promoting hurling in the schools and clubs up there.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17423 - 09/11/2025 14:38:22    2643633

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Replying To alalalalalum:  "I reckon in the next couple of decades you'll have a semi pro/full pro inter county c'ship with a maximum of ten teams if even that. Maybe you'll have a second division comp made of amateur regional sides and second tier counties"
Nonsense

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17423 - 09/11/2025 14:38:47    2643634

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Replying To Gaaforlife2023:  "True gaels can like one over other but respect both football as improved from where it was come on.
Yes hurling maybe better still football has improved.

What does dual counties mean as true gaels is it only galway cork tipp because they play Liam Mccarthy as well or kerry antrim offaly included in that they play both

For hurling to grow in single code counties it needs get to get some of reluctant football crowd on board as well"
Wexford have 5 All Irelands more than Tipp in football and first county to win a 4 in a row.

Jedobi (Wexford) - Posts: 265 - 09/11/2025 17:38:09    2643687

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Replying To SixtiesKid:  "if we are really interested in the promotion of Hurling it is imperative that we look at how to merge Hurling areas into sustainable entities.
Say for instance the amalgamation of Meath and Westmeath and Louth. Laois with Carlow etc.
Unfortunately this will never happen. This is because the importance of Provincial and County Boards will always take precedence over what is good for the games. Imagine the furore if Hurling people proposed amalgamation. The Boards would go beserk. The power and influence of the officials would diminish.
Let's retain our power and worry about the game some other time.
We don't really care about the games we need to protect our institutions.

Personally I would love to see the game spread and if that means overcoming the existing Board structures so be it!"
Whaaaa!

Merge Carlow with Leix are you nuts? In the stroke of a pen you would finish the game in both counties. Definitely Carlow as no self respecting Carlow man will play as part of any merged county, and most certainly not with Leix.

All the reasons you listed why this won't happen are irrelevant. The power etc is nothing to do with it. That's only a by the way.

Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1691 - 09/11/2025 20:08:12    2643745

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