Corrigan calls for Parish Teams

[SearingDrive]

I remember seeing a St.Broughans/ Eire Og parish team playing in the Senior championship some year not so long ago. They were hammered the same night but they were allowed compete in senior. I don't recall any calls for Clonbullogue, Bracknagh or Walsh Island to disband to make way for the senior parish team. Now Walsh Island are senior it probably couldn't happen but I thought the idea was good at the time.

I would have thought there should be senior parish amalgamations allowed in the SFC. Daingean parish is one obvious candidate. There may be a case for Killeigh/Raheen (are Ballinagar in the same parish??).

Yes, Ballinagar are in Killeigh parish. Killeigh is a little different from Daingean, as the Killeigh end was traditionally the hurling end, while football was number 1 in the Geashill/Raheen side of the parish, they competed as St. Mary's/ Killeigh, and in the late 90's as Killeigh Raheen. Killeigh had a junior football team, as did Ballinagar. Two games 1 parish.
It's different now as Killurin have competed as a separate club since 1985, and in recent years Raheen have put out a junior hurling team.

[The Biff]

Has the concept of "Divisional teams" ever been seriously considered in Offaly, as opposed to Parish teams?

I dont know all the nuts and bolts of the likes of the Kerry Championship, but I am aware that their Divisional teams are made up of players who can also play for their individual clubs in lower level competitions. So rather than asking (say) the four clubs in Daingean parish to make any changes that might affect their own status or ability to provide teams for the number of local players looking to play, we create a Divisional Team that covers these four clubs and the best players can play for that team as well. It's not a different club; the players remain members of their local club. If this Divisional team competes in the Senior Championship and manages to win it, then of course they do not represent the county in the Leinster Club Championship.

Some might claim that there is no room in the calendar for more games. Personally, I think far too much of the summer is wasted with mothballed fixtures while county teams are still competing. Many can come up with excuses against this concept, but if it can work in larger populations like Kerry, Cork, Tipperary (those are ones I know of where Divisional teams operate, I'm sure there are more), then why not Offaly.

[bazza]

It's all well and good talking about these divisional and parish teams until you really begin to see how it could be implemented. I think a factor that a lot of people on this forum forget about is that Offaly is still a hot bed for the dual player. For instance, if Cappincur were to join a divisional team the likes of Ger Treacy would be expected to play senior hurling, intermediate football and senior football with the divisional side. It's not gonna work. It's ok for Declan O'Sullivan down in Kerry who has never picked up a hurl but itjust won't work up here. And i'm not just focusing on Ger Treacy because he's a well known player, lads from killiegh or anywhere else would be expected to play junior in both codes with the club and then senior on a divsional team. It would be a logistical nightmare.

To be honest I don't think the championships are run badly in Offaly. Each club gets a fair chance to gain momentum in the groups and find their best team with a right number of matches. And inevitably the cream rises to the top in the knock-out stages.

One thing I think the county board should focus on is the U-21 championships. They could benefit the development of Offaly hurling and football a lot more than divisional or parish teams. The way its run at the moment is farcical. A team can get knocked out in the middle of February and that's it, good luck! Is that what our 18-21 year olds need? I've seen LS on this before proposing an U-20 championship to be run around this time of the year. I'd disagree with that. There should be U-21 football and hurling groups and have it played right through the summer from April - September. That would give plenty of time for all the games to be played off if the county teams went on a run and certain players weren't available. The U-21 championships need to be given more respect in Offaly.

[Lone Shark]

There should be U-21 football and hurling groups and have it played right through the summer from April - September.

That's nice in theory, but think of the practicalities?

I'll give you two perfect examples - Joey O'Connor and Niall Wynne, St Rynaghs. Played minor football and hurling for the county, as well as minor and senior football and hurling for the club.

Have a look through the calendar and tell me how you could have fitted in a round robin based under 21 championship around lads like that?

[bazza]

Some lads might be forced to play a few matches close together i.e. maybe a minor match on a Monday and an u-21 match on a Thursday. If you look back at the calendar last summer there was at least ten weeks without senior hurling or football championship. And Offaly minors were knocked out very early in both codes so I don't see how they couldn't have fitted in 3 or 4 u-21 matches. We all heard about the numerous challenge matches Dinny Cahill had Rynaghs playing, maybe the lads could have skipped one of those.

And I'll put it to you another way LS, is it right that 19-21 year olds all around Offaly don't get enough matches at an important grade because of 2 county lads? I'd say on average each year there are 1 or 2 dual starters on the county minors. Does that mean we can't play U-21 from May-Sept because those 2 lads might be a upset? How many lads around Offaly in the U-21 bracket went away last summer (and i'm talking about travelling, not emmigrating) because there was no proper games going on? I guarantee if there was a competitive U-21 championship in place those lads would think twice about missing a summer of GAA.

We always hear about how many lads the GAA loses between 19-21, all i'm saying is that efforts should be made to keep these lads involved and 2 dual county minors shouldn't get in the way of that.

[Lone Shark]

Here's the schedule for the two lads - championship matches only, no challenges.

2/10 SH vs Birr
11/9 SH vs Shinrone
2/9 SF vs Edenderry
28/8 SH vs Kilcormac/Killoughey
24/8 MF vs Na Fianna
20/8 SF vs Clara
12/8 SH vs Tullamore
10/8 MF vs Clara
7/8 SF vs Walsh Island
29/7 SH vs Belmont
27/7 MF vs Ferbane/Belmont
24/7 SF vs Shamrocks
27/6 MF vs St Vincents
21/5 OMH vs Westmeath
15/5 SF vs Ballycumber
14/5 OMF vs Kildare
8/5 SH vs Lusmagh
7/5 OMH vs Carlow
30/4 SF vs Gracefield
24/4 SH vs Seir Kieran
23/4 OMH vs Wexford
16/4 OMF vs Wicklow

Now the only time you could fit anything in there was July, when the senior county teams were out. So clubs would have had to play without any senior panellists, including Graham Guilfoyle, Bernard Allen, Anton Sullivan, Tom Spain, Chris McDonald........ and that's before you factor in anybody who might have to repeat exams for college.

For what it's worth, I agree with your sentiment - but there will always be players that have too many commitments. One guy can hold up the whole thing if his club refuses to play, and they will. The only competition you can run during that time is something where players play without their county men - some kind of league. Or alternatively, move the age to 23 but you're ineligible after you've played county senior or under-21 championship, or senior club championship. That I'd agree with. Then play your championship in October.

I know we need games, but you have to come up with practical solutions. This just isn't, not even close.

I've said it several times, this county is facing a choice very soon about whether or not to keep accommodating dual players. Right now we're avoiding it, but it's the elephant in the room.

[llkj]

It's Lone "Rain Man" Shark!

Now for a bonus point, what will Niall Wynne eat for breakfast tomorrow?

[Abercrombie Fitch]

Parish teams all the way. Streamstown and Horseleap are all in Clara parish so we'll join up, contest both Offaly and Westmeath championships, hopefully win them both and play ourselves in the Leinster final. Now that'd be a great game.

Rubbish!

[joe bloggs]

Here's the schedule for the two lads - championship matches only, no challenges.

2/10 SH vs Birr
11/9 SH vs Shinrone
2/9 SF vs Edenderry
28/8 SH vs Kilcormac/Killoughey
24/8 MF vs Na Fianna
20/8 SF vs Clara
12/8 SH vs Tullamore
10/8 MF vs Clara
7/8 SF vs Walsh Island
29/7 SH vs Belmont
27/7 MF vs Ferbane/Belmont
24/7 SF vs Shamrocks
27/6 MF vs St Vincents
21/5 OMH vs Westmeath
15/5 SF vs Ballycumber
14/5 OMF vs Kildare
8/5 SH vs Lusmagh
7/5 OMH vs Carlow
30/4 SF vs Gracefield
24/4 SH vs Seir Kieran
23/4 OMH vs Wexford
16/4 OMF vs Wicklow

Now the only time you could fit anything in there was July, when the senior county teams were out. So clubs would have had to play without any senior panellists, including Graham Guilfoyle, Bernard Allen, Anton Sullivan, Tom Spain, Chris McDonald........ and that's before you factor in anybody who might have to repeat exams for college.

For what it's worth, I agree with your sentiment - but there will always be players that have too many commitments. One guy can hold up the whole thing if his club refuses to play, and they will. The only competition you can run during that time is something where players play without their county men - some kind of league. Or alternatively, move the age to 23 but you're ineligible after you've played county senior or under-21 championship, or senior club championship. That I'd agree with. Then play your championship in October.

I know we need games, but you have to come up with practical solutions. This just isn't, not even close.

I've said it several times, this county is facing a choice very soon about whether or not to keep accommodating dual players. Right now we're avoiding it, but it's the elephant in the room.

You did not even include their minor club hurling games of which there were six, with the first round in july

[bazza]

Still can't agree with you LS. Your list there shows basically a month long period from June-July where no games were played. Could a few games not have been played then? And I still can't see why 2 lads should prevent 200 other players in hurling and football from getting more games. If a few games have to be postponed which I understand would inevitably happen, so be it. What harm if the championships run on a bit longer. It would keep lads training wouldn't it and involved? A few matches over the last few weeks would have given the U-21 county management for next year a right look at next years panel and eliminate the need for trials.

[Lone Shark]

You can't play games in June because of the Leaving Cert. You can't play games in July unless you're willing to play without county seniors, like the five lads listed. So no, games couldn't have been played then, unless you're willing to force teams to play without county men. There's no point saying you can postpone one or two - I'm using Rynaghs as an example here, but the same would apply to a lot of clubs. Lee Colgan of Tubber would have played club minor, senior, football and hurling and county minor football. Eamonn McCabe not far off and Keith Mullally the same. There are loads of examples of teams that wouldn't be ready to even start playing until October.

I've said all along that I'd be happy for a competition of some sort to be fitted in here, but a county under 21 championship is very definitely the wrong type of competition. When I played in London there were loads of cup competitions with different criteria, maybe something needs to be created, specifically for non county, non dual non-minor players.