What are they smoking in Birr?

[Keiap]

Also 1 more thing I've never said ocp pitch is a bad pitch,it's well maintained even with all the traffic on it but 100% it is a slower field to hurl on

[allstar2010]

It's very easy play on both and you would know simple as that..don't spout on about something you have no knowledge on I've played many times on both different times of the year and they are different to play on..you can't tell me that every sod in the country is the same..outsider

Is that you Daithi???

[Keiap]

Not daithi if your so interested in names put your own up

[KeshaWantsTimber]

Tradition is something that is built. It's not in the air, it's not in the water and it's not in the soil. These are all things we imagine. Birr doesn't have any more of a hurling lustre than Tullamore. Some people just imagine that it does. The same tradition can be built in Tullamore if people from North and South Offaly unite and stop bickering over venues. A number of clubs are building a tradition in North Offaly. Shamrocks, Tullamore, Ballinamere, Brosna Gaels were all senior in 2015. Clodiagh Gaels, after much underage success, will probably be a senior club in the next few years. So there could possibly be 5/6 senior clubs in North Offaly. With the diminished populations in some of the villages in South Offaly, these new powers are needed by the county more than ever.

In 1995, Clare won the All-Ireland. At the time Cratloe had no player on the Clare panel but hurling fever gripped the parish. They won intermediate and by the time Clare won the All Ireland in 2013 Cratloe contributed Podge Collins, Conor Ryan and Conor McGrath to the starting 15 and 2 more to the panel. In 95 Sixmilebridge, Josephs Doora-barefield, Clarecastle and Wolfe Tones dominated the team by providing 10 of the starting 15. In 2013 they contributed 0 starters to the All-Ireland team. Inagh, Crusheen, Tulla, Clonlara, Whitegate, Tubber, Cratloe, Ballyea and Newmarket provided starters in 2013 after having none in 95. This shows that any club with the correct application and raw material can produce top class hurlers.

Offaly hurling followers need to stop using divisive language with regards to Offaly hurling's traditional heartlands and realise what can be achieved if more of the county was accepted as 'hurling people'. Making half of the county think they are 2nd class hurling citizens is not a recipe for success in a county with a population of about 70,000 people.

[Bord na Mona man]

Tradition is something that is built. It's not in the air, it's not in the water and it's not in the soil. These are all things we imagine. Birr doesn't have any more of a hurling lustre than Tullamore. Some people just imagine that it does. The same tradition can be built in Tullamore if people from North and South Offaly unite and stop bickering over venues. A number of clubs are building a tradition in North Offaly. Shamrocks, Tullamore, Ballinamere, Brosna Gaels were all senior in 2015. Clodiagh Gaels, after much underage success, will probably be a senior club in the next few years. So there could possibly be 5/6 senior clubs in North Offaly. With the diminished populations in some of the villages in South Offaly, these new powers are needed by the county more than ever.

In 1995, Clare won the All-Ireland. At the time Cratloe had no player on the Clare panel but hurling fever gripped the parish. They won intermediate and by the time Clare won the All Ireland in 2013 Cratloe contributed Podge Collins, Conor Ryan and Conor McGrath to the starting 15 and 2 more to the panel. In 95 Sixmilebridge, Josephs Doora-barefield, Clarecastle and Wolfe Tones dominated the team by providing 10 of the starting 15. In 2013 they contributed 0 starters to the All-Ireland team. Inagh, Crusheen, Tulla, Clonlara, Whitegate, Tubber, Cratloe, Ballyea and Newmarket provided starters in 2013 after having none in 95. This shows that any club with the correct application and raw material can produce top class hurlers.

Offaly hurling followers need to stop using divisive language with regards to Offaly hurling's traditional heartlands and realise what can be achieved if more of the county was accepted as 'hurling people'. Making half of the county think they are 2nd class hurling citizens is not a recipe for success in a county with a population of about 70,000 people.

Great post! Fully agree.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Hoi!

Coming from where you're from, you don't get a say in this. You wouldn't understand hurling. Only hurling peepel understand.

PS, ye're great to keep hurling alive up there in north Offaly.

Great post! Fully agree.

[bracknaghboy]

when you walk in birr that shiver down your neck the feeling in your stomach is unexplainable

The smell of urine from the overflowing toilets as you pass through the turnstile may well explain the feeling in your stomach. However you may want to see a doctor about your neck.

[Bord na Mona man]

Hoi!

Coming from where you're from, you don't get a say in this. You wouldn't understand hurling. Only hurling peepel understand.

PS, ye're great to keep hurling alive up there in north Offaly.

Great post! Fully agree.

North Offaly people having hurling explained to them be like..

[Truth as i see it]

Tradition is something that is built. It's not in the air, it's not in the water and it's not in the soil. These are all things we imagine. Birr doesn't have any more of a hurling lustre than Tullamore. Some people just imagine that it does. The same tradition can be built in Tullamore if people from North and South Offaly unite and stop bickering over venues. A number of clubs are building a tradition in North Offaly. Shamrocks, Tullamore, Ballinamere, Brosna Gaels were all senior in 2015. Clodiagh Gaels, after much underage success, will probably be a senior club in the next few years. So there could possibly be 5/6 senior clubs in North Offaly. With the diminished populations in some of the villages in South Offaly, these new powers are needed by the county more than ever.

In 1995, Clare won the All-Ireland. At the time Cratloe had no player on the Clare panel but hurling fever gripped the parish. They won intermediate and by the time Clare won the All Ireland in 2013 Cratloe contributed Podge Collins, Conor Ryan and Conor McGrath to the starting 15 and 2 more to the panel. In 95 Sixmilebridge, Josephs Doora-barefield, Clarecastle and Wolfe Tones dominated the team by providing 10 of the starting 15. In 2013 they contributed 0 starters to the All-Ireland team. Inagh, Crusheen, Tulla, Clonlara, Whitegate, Tubber, Cratloe, Ballyea and Newmarket provided starters in 2013 after having none in 95. This shows that any club with the correct application and raw material can produce top class hurlers.

Offaly hurling followers need to stop using divisive language with regards to Offaly hurling's traditional heartlands and realise what can be achieved if more of the county was accepted as 'hurling people'. Making half of the county think they are 2nd class hurling citizens is not a recipe for success in a county with a population of about 70,000 people.

Great post! Fully agree.

Also agree with this, see that's the thing, some clubs and counties get so hung up on tradition that when when they fall on lean times and the old reliable's that used to bring them success don't work anymore they will look to any excuse to provide an explanation as to why they have been so poor over that extended period of time. the one thing you can be sure they wont do is own up to their own failings such as a poor standard of coaching at underage or the fact that their philosophy simply is not effective in today's era of hurling, its like taking a winning formula one car from 1995 and entering it into this years Formula one season and expecting it to be competitive, that cake just ain't gonna bake
I also find it hilarious that South Offaly Hurling snobs believe that hurling doesn't exist outside of their imaginary border line of mid to south Offaly, If that was the case how come Tullamore won the county title in 2009?

[manfromdelmonte]

relying on tradition is why the likes of Cork, Wexford and Offaly have fallen back at senior level so much in the last 15 years

[townman]

and how long is it since Waterford, Galway, or Dublin won senior all ireland ???

[KeshaWantsTimber]

The only thing consistent with modern hurling success is hard work, talent and perseverance. Before 2006 Danesfort in Kilkenny hadn't won anything since 1931. They now have the current Hurler of the Year among their ranks. Kilkenny don't rule out players because their clubs don't produce players traditionally. Mullinahone was a football stronghold before John Leahy came along. Only one man from there had ever hurled c'ship for Tipperary previously. They have since won senior county titles and had players like Eoin and Paul Kelly emerge to play for the county. Clubs like these need to emerge in Offaly. Clodiagh Gaels or Ballinamere could be the clubs and Offaly hurling would be much healthier for their presence. A revolution is needed and the old order needs a good shake up.

[Truth as i see it]

The only thing consistent with modern hurling success is hard work, talent and perseverance. Before 2006 Danesfort in Kilkenny hadn't won anything since 1931. They now have the current Hurler of the Year among their ranks. Kilkenny don't rule out players because their clubs don't produce players traditionally. Mullinahone was a football stronghold before John Leahy came along. Only one man from there had ever hurled c'ship for Tipperary previously. They have since won senior county titles and had players like Eoin and Paul Kelly emerge to play for the county. Clubs like these need to emerge in Offaly. Clodiagh Gaels or Ballinamere could be the clubs and Offaly hurling would be much healthier for their presence. A revolution is needed and the old order needs a good shake up.

First of all yep totally agree, only thing that will fix Offaly Gaa is good ol fashioned elbow grease not wallowing in self pity and wishing for the old days to come back and secondly Dublin, Waterford and Galway may not have won an All Ireland recently but they have won way more than we have recently and that was down??? yep you guessed it, hard work, all three have had relatively recent underage success and are in a better position than we are to challenge in Leinster, tradition and a name will not win you silverware unless you put the work in and keep your finger on the pulse of where the modern game is heading

[manfromdelmonte]

and how long is it since Waterford, Galway, or Dublin won senior all ireland ???

Difference is, they are competing well at Minor and U21 on a regular basis.

Wexford have only recently got their act together and have a very impressive coaching system in the county

[KeshaWantsTimber]

If anything, the fact that Wexford, Dublin and Galway haven't won an All-Ireland recently underlines how much work it takes to win one and how far away Offaly are. All 3 have been in minor and U21's AI finals and are routinely beating Offaly at both grades.