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frankthetank wrote:If Offaly qualify from Round Robin and lose Leinster Q-Final there will be a four week gap to their first game in qualifiers. Surely a provision should have been made to play a round of senior championship in that 4 week window. The inter-county players would probably welcome it as a break from training constantly with Offaly and it might freshen things up for some of them.

One thing that clubs and club players have been very annoyed with all across Ireland is when a master fixture list is drawn up, and then it gets thrown out the window when the intercounty team wins or loses a game unexpectedly, leading to cancellations and refixtures. If you do something like this, you have to be sure that if you do get that surprise result, you're going to hold firm - and since that would mean playing a round of club championship 7 days before a potential Leinster SHC semi final, I think we all know that won't work.

Alternatively, you could fix the game and send out a clear message to your players that we think you haven't a hope in hell of reaching the Leinster semi-finals.


And that's before you take into account the county footballers. As a Rynaghs man, I'd be pretty confident you wouldn't be happy with being told to play a championship hurling game without Joey O'Connor, for example.

This has been looked at in great depth - it's simply not possible to fix championship games between April and July in a dual county, and until the GAA intercounty calendar changes hugely, it won't be.

Is there no Junior B hurling championship this year? or does anybody know?

Numbers playing adult hurling in Offaly really seem to be down. No team from North Offaly in Junior A hurling championship- thought County Board were going to look at an amalgamated team at Junior A when Edenderry were not entering.

There is indeed a Junior ‘B’ hurling competition this year SBM. The county board have opted not to include it on their fixtures list. First rounds are on the weekend of 17th April, with the second rounds three weekends later on weekend of 8th May.

The draws for the Junior ‘A’ and Junior ‘B’ are as follows:

Junior ‘A’ championship –
Group 1: Clodiagh Gaels, Belmont, Shinrone, Kinnitty, Shamrocks;
Group 2: Ballinamere, K-K, Gracefield, Tullamore, Crinkill.


Junior ‘B’ competition –
Group 1: Clodiagh Gaels, Clareen, Coolderry, B-K, Drumcullen;
Group 2: ’Rynagh’s, Birr, Kinnitty, Ballinamere;
Group 3: K-K, Lusmagh, Brosna Gaels, C&R.

On a comparison with last year’s draw, Edenderry are gone, as everyone knows, as are Raheen, while Clara are entering just one hurling team. St Rynagh’s are entering a third team this year.

Plain of the Herbs wrote:
Junior ‘B’ competition –
Group 1: Clodiagh Gaels, Clareen, Coolderry, B-K, Drumcullen;
Group 2: ’Rynagh’s, Birr, Kinnitty, Ballinamere;
Group 3: K-K, Lusmagh, Brosna Gaels, C&R.

On a comparison with last year’s draw, Edenderry are gone, as everyone knows, as are Raheen, while Clara are entering just one hurling team. St Rynagh’s are entering a third team this year.

Clareen have a Senior, Intermed and Junior B team?? That's a pretty impressive achievement by that club.

As they junior A is two groups of 5, do you know how many teams make it to next stage? It's hardly 4 from each? I'd be thinking top team into semi and 2nd and 3rd into qf.

Sure do. As they had last year. They really get the most from their human resources. SK won the Junior 'A' championship in 2014 too.

allstar2010 wrote:Clareen have a Senior, Intermed and Junior B team?? That's a pretty impressive achievement by that club.

I don't. Bear in mind the Board's website is non-functioning. For instance, the headline advertises the National Season Ticket which at this stage (with the leagues nearly completed) is useless.

That is separate to the fixtures and results page, which in fairness is good. Most of the draws I posted up have been taken from he tweets of clubs, journalists and other individuals. The only reason I spotted the Master Fixtures List earlier this week was because the St Rynagh's hurling club posted it on their website, as they generally do each year.

allstar2010 wrote:As they junior A is two groups of 5, do you know how many teams make it to next stage? It's hardly 4 from each? I'd be thinking top team into semi and 2nd and 3rd into qf.

Slieve Bloom Man wrote:Numbers playing adult hurling in Offaly really seem to be down. No team from North Offaly in Junior A hurling championship- thought County Board were going to look at an amalgamated team at Junior A when Edenderry were not entering.

Its a shame. Our second most populated urban area (Edenderry) no longer with a team. I'm told its the first time in the clubs history that it has not entered an adult hurling team. Raheen gone also. Gracefield just about had the numbers to field a team this year but there are murmurings that this year will be it for them.

The county board have really dropped the ball on this. Opportunity for children and adults to play GAA of their choice should not be denied to them. I'd hate to live in a area where a sport I played was not available to me in the country I live. Something very wrong with that. What's the under age opportunities in edenderry and surrounding area to play hurling or football?

The Edenderry situation is a disgrace. 7 Clubs were represented on the Edenderry in the past and your telling me that you cant find 3 players from each club? Edenderry itself should be able to field a team but unfortuantely Football is the dominant sport there.

Why cant all the 7 clubs along with Gracefield, Walsh Island, Bracknagh come together and start a North Offaly Team? It might sound ridiculous but would it not benefit lads who want to play Hurling in the Football heartland? Not to long ago Edenderry, Ballyfore, Daingean, Rhode all had their own hurling team!!

I for one would volunteer in any way if such an idea was proposed but a lot of resistance would be met by the old football heads in each club. Look at Brosna Gaels, 4/5 Football clubs that formed a hurling team and went from Junior B - Senior and produced a few county players along the way!

Edenderry Gaa have made no effort to promote hurling in the town over the past number of years . A football dominated committee took over and got their wish to kill hurling in the town . A county final 3 years ago and now no team is an absolute disgrace from the club. A development of 3 pitches , dressing rooms, bar, club house and they put no money or time into hurling at any level. A few years back the hurlers asked to set up a sub committee to look after hurling affairs but it was shot down and told to go back in their box. A past player was doing wonders with underage 3-4 years ago and the club came along and tried to force the "go games " system on him and he left the club . I know of players from the junior A team that want to play hurling and have asked the county board if they can play with another club and nothing has been done. I know hurling wouldn't be as strong as it is the other end but this is not good for hurling in Offaly , less interest = less support , Gracefield gave walk overs last year they scrape a team this year and will more than likely be gone next year . Is it any wonder Offaly are so bad , how can Clareen field 3 teams , 50 + players needed to do this from such a small area , they are a credit to hurling in the county.

Great to see people predicting the death of hurling in Gracefield, never gave a walk over in championship last year and only 1 league game was forfeited due to a number of players away. Had a panel down in Brosna Gaels last week of 22 players with 3 players missing, one of the youngest squads we ever had plus a number of players coming through at U16 level, great to see all these hurlers on the ditches talking rubbish about things they obviously know very little about.

Kings county can you put up all the walk overs gracefield gave last year??I bet you won't

Keiap wrote:Kings county can you put up all the walk overs gracefield gave last year??I bet you won't

God lads I do apologise, I had so much on my mind that it was Edenderry that gave the walk overs last year due to management fall out with the club.Anyone in Edenderry from 13 years up is told if you want to play go to Killiegh . It's dead my end I know that for sure , might make some come back in years , maybe things are different in Gracefield and you have underage going strong which I hope is the case , proud tradition over there as was here . I look forward to watch Gracefield challenge strong in this years Junior A .

Does that mean then that anyone who wants to play hurling and is from Edenderry, Ballyfore, Daingean, Rhode, Clonmore, Croghan cant play Hurling in 2016? Not even with another club?

theoutsider wrote:Does that mean then that anyone who wants to play hurling and is from Edenderry, Ballyfore, Daingean, Rhode, Clonmore, Croghan cant play Hurling in 2016? Not even with another club?

As it stands there is nowhere for hurlers in these areas to play hurling , I know of players from Edenderry who have asked for permission to play with Tullamore and there has been nothing done about it at this point in time . That will be two years in a row for these players playing no hurling which is a disgrace when they are looking to play , its not their fault that the situation in Edenderry is the way it is.

It does, unfortunately.

You can play with another club but you need to apply for permission at the first County Board meeting of the year.

Permissions granted in January are as follows -

Ballinagar: adult hurling with Clodiagh Gaels
Ballycommon: all hurling with Tullamore
Ballyfore: adult hurling with Edenderry
Capppincur: Ger Treacy, Hugh Treacy, Hubert Healion and Barry Mooney Senior hurling with Tullamore
Daingean: adult hurling with Edenderry
Raheen: adult hurling with Clodiagh Gaels
St Brigid's: adult hurling with Edenderry

So, did Ballyfore, Daingean and St Brigid's not know Edenderry weren't fielding an adult hurling team this year?

theoutsider wrote:Does that mean then that anyone who wants to play hurling and is from Edenderry, Ballyfore, Daingean, Rhode, Clonmore, Croghan cant play Hurling in 2016? Not even with another club?