Decision time for West Offaly Lions

[True Red]

Decision time for West Offaly Lions

SIX YEARS in existence, the Ferbane-based West Offaly Lions rugby club will this week hold an egm at which members may well vote to disband and reform across the border in Shannonbridge. The reason? Because they are being frogmarched into the Leinster Branch fold having heretofore happily existed within the umbrella of the Connacht Branch.

Fielding teams from under-8s through to under-18s as well as two adult teams – the firsts won this season’s J2 league – about a year and a half ago the Lions were visited by high-powered Leinster Branch officials. On foot of this, the IRFU decreed they were to be rerouted to Leinster and what’s more Connacht teams were originally told not to play West Offaly teams at the outset of this season.

The embargo was lifted, but the row has driven a wedge inside the club. The majority preference would be to remain where they were first welcomed – ie Connacht – but failing that, they’ll either reluctantly swallow the Leinster pill or start again across the geographical provincial divide.

by Gerry Thornley from the Irish Times

I know she isnt GAA related but does anyone on here have any views on this? Why would a Ferbane based side have opted to play rugby in Connacht in the first place?

[Bord na Mona man]

Decision time for West Offaly Lions

SIX YEARS in existence, the Ferbane-based West Offaly Lions rugby club will this week hold an egm at which members may well vote to disband and reform across the border in Shannonbridge. The reason? Because they are being frogmarched into the Leinster Branch fold having heretofore happily existed within the umbrella of the Connacht Branch.

Fielding teams from under-8s through to under-18s as well as two adult teams – the firsts won this season’s J2 league – about a year and a half ago the Lions were visited by high-powered Leinster Branch officials. On foot of this, the IRFU decreed they were to be rerouted to Leinster and what’s more Connacht teams were originally told not to play West Offaly teams at the outset of this season.

The embargo was lifted, but the row has driven a wedge inside the club. The majority preference would be to remain where they were first welcomed – ie Connacht – but failing that, they’ll either reluctantly swallow the Leinster pill or start again across the geographical provincial divide.

by Gerry Thornley from the Irish Times

I know she isnt GAA related but does anyone on here have any views on this? Why would a Ferbane based side have opted to play rugby in Connacht in the first place?

I believe the geographical rule has existed for a while, but it wasn't enforced until now.
I think the Connacht branch have already accepted the IRFU decision to have them play in Leinster.
WOL should get on with it and move. Birr play in Leinster after all, so its hardly a big logistical issue to make the switch.

But if they feel that strongly about their Connacht identity, then they should re-locate across the river. And change their name to the "East Roscommon Lions"

[TheManFromFerbane]

When rugby started in St. Saran's we got all our support from the Bucs, which was an Athlone-Ballinasloe based club. Because of it's Ballinasloe half the Bucs were affiliated with the Connaught branch, as was the underage teams, simply called Athlone.

As the sport developed in the school all our coaching, equipment etc... came from the Connaught branch and those who wanted went on to play their club rugby with Athlone and those who were able played schools rugby with Connaught.

It was only natural that when the club was setup in the area they wanted to be affiliated with the Connaught branch. The WOL have done really well since their inception and I think they waves they were creating drew attention to themselves.

I can see why people would take the simplistic "They're in Leinster so they should play in Leinster" approach but you have to take into account the history of the whole thing.

[mykneehurts]

Well actually logistically the move to Leinster would be disastrous. The way the Connacht league works is that each team plays all others once. Leinster leagues are run on a home and away basis. If the lions were to move to Leinster it would mean twice as many games and this is where it gets interesting...

Almost all the players on this team play football and hurling and up until now the rugby has been running into the first few league games of the year. Double the amount of games and suddenly we are making lads choose between sports and as far as I remember Gearoid O Grady from Tullamore didn't react too well when forced to make that choice.

Also it should be noted that the Leinster Branch did not really mind the situation until Birr RFC sent a letter to them complaining about the situation. For what reason only they know

[durra1]

Interesting one…

Will this carry to St. Sarans in at School level?

I’d be fairly strict on adherence to provincial boundaries. CCR Roscrea have always played in the Leinster schools rugby and hurling competitions as they are just on the ‘Skenagh side of Roscrea.

I see the point re: Buccs / Connacht branch and the support Ferbane have got from both down through the years but at the end of the day, Offaly is in Leinster.

Could we ever see the GAA Ard Comhairle adopt a strong line on county boundaries?

It enrages me to drive through Moneygall/Dunkerrin and see Tipp flags flying in the Summer – to the point of boycotting every shop in the place.

They should competing in the Offaly Championship and there should be no such ambiguity as exists in the present status quo.

If it meant ceding possession of Carrig and our loyal servant Ger then so be it!

We could stage an Anschluss of Moneygall and Dunkerrin. I think we’d need to reinstate Brendan Ward and his ‘‘fight tooth and nail “ policy as our Dear Leader.

Tony Murphy has got Neville Chamberlain style appeasement written all over him. He was quare watery on Birr-Crinkle-gate.

Once Moneygall/Dunkerrin is re-assimilated into the motherland, we could then acquire more Lebensraum for the Supreme Faithful by annexing Toomeveara.

Surely we’d pick up about another 8 county panelists by then and our ‘small pick’ problem would be solved forever.

[Bord na Mona man]

If under the rules, borders are sacrosanct then there isn't much comeback.
Rangers and Celtic might validly claim its in their best interests to be allowed play in the English Premier League, but it doesn't mean they should be allowed enter. By the same token, Tubber might also claim they'd be better served playing in the Westmeath club championship.

While big rules from above may not be in the interests of everyone's particular need, you either implement them or ignore them. The mistake was probably made on day 1 in allowing a Leinster team participate in Connacht competitions.

[Bord na Mona man]

Interesting one…

Will this carry to St. Sarans in at School level?

I’d be fairly strict on adherence to provincial boundaries. CCR Roscrea have always played in the Leinster schools rugby and hurling competitions as they are just on the ‘Skenagh side of Roscrea.

I see the point re: Buccs / Connacht branch and the support Ferbane have got from both down through the years but at the end of the day, Offaly is in Leinster.

Could we ever see the GAA Ard Comhairle adopt a strong line on county boundaries?

It enrages me to drive through Moneygall/Dunkerrin and see Tipp flags flying in the Summer – to the point of boycotting every shop in the place.

They should competing in the Offaly Championship and there should be no such ambiguity as exists in the present status quo.

If it meant ceding possession of Carrig and our loyal servant Ger then so be it!

We could stage an Anschluss of Moneygall and Dunkerrin. I think we’d need to reinstate Brendan Ward and his ‘‘fight tooth and nail “ policy as our Dear Leader.

Tony Murphy has got Neville Chamberlain style appeasement written all over him. He was quare watery on Birr-Crinkle-gate.

Once Moneygall/Dunkerrin is re-assimilated into the motherland, we could then acquire more Lebensraum for the Supreme Faithful by annexing Toomeveara.

Surely we’d pick up about another 8 county panelists by then and our ‘small pick’ problem would be solved forever.

Agreed, Offaly should get back Moneygall and Dunkerrin, even though they are rubbish at hurling and most of the people down there think they are Tipperary folk.
I'd leave the hatchet men of Toomevara where they are though!

[rossier]

I see the point re: Buccs / Connacht branch and the support Ferbane have got from both down through the years but at the end of the day, Offaly is in Leinster.

Galway is in Connacht and Antrim is in Ulster, should we send them back to their respective provinces as well

[turk]

I believe the geographical rule has existed for a while, but it wasn't enforced until now.
I think the Connacht branch have already accepted the IRFU decision to have them play in Leinster.
WOL should get on with it and move. Birr play in Leinster after all, so its hardly a big logistical issue to make the switch.

But if they feel that strongly about their Connacht identity, then they should re-locate across the river. And change their name to the "East Roscommon Lions"

Shows all you know about it. Educate yourself.

Get on with it indeed

[Bord na Mona man]

I believe the geographical rule has existed for a while, but it wasn't enforced until now.
I think the Connacht branch have already accepted the IRFU decision to have them play in Leinster.
WOL should get on with it and move. Birr play in Leinster after all, so its hardly a big logistical issue to make the switch.

But if they feel that strongly about their Connacht identity, then they should re-locate across the river. And change their name to the "East Roscommon Lions"

Shows all you know about it. Educate yourself.

Get on with it indeed

I bet you wanted Ireland to enter the African Nations Cup after Henry's handball!

[Lone Shark]

Will this carry to St. Sarans in at School level?

I see the point re: Buccs / Connacht branch and the support Ferbane have got from both down through the years but at the end of the day, Offaly is in Leinster.

I'm pretty sure that part of the deal is that Gallen CS, as St Saran's is now known, must come into Leinster as well. This is the biggest risk factor from the rugby perspective in that playing in the Connacht senior cup has been great for the exposure of the sport, while playing in the second tier of schools competition is unlikely to yield the same results. There would be a risk of a drop off in interest there, but that's part of the package.

Well actually logistically the move to Leinster would be disastrous. The way the Connacht league works is that each team plays all others once. Leinster leagues are run on a home and away basis. If the lions were to move to Leinster it would mean twice as many games and this is where it gets interesting...

Almost all the players on this team play football and hurling and up until now the rugby has been running into the first few league games of the year. Double the amount of games and suddenly we are making lads choose between sports and as far as I remember Gearoid O Grady from Tullamore didn't react too well when forced to make that choice.

Also it should be noted that the Leinster Branch did not really mind the situation until Birr RFC sent a letter to them complaining about the situation. For what reason only they know

This very much depends on what level the lads get involved at. Realistically, I'm guessing the club would be about D2 standard in Leinster - which would be a problem since you're playing up until mid april on average. However this is an issue for rugby as well - it's not clear cut with a lot of the lads involved as regards which sport would get their primary attention.

[Doon Massive]

Geography seems to be a weak point in this country when dealing with rugby.
Munster's anthem is a song written by a Leinster man, about a place in Connacht, made famous by a man from Ulster.........

I think the WOL will have to move, it was always a weird one and probably shouldn't have happened in the the first place, but it suited us uncultured rugby heads!
There will be better funding available from Leinster also, so I hear.

[mykneehurts]

I've heard that the Athenry in question is actually in Waterford but not so sure if that's true or not.....

I don't think its a case of better funding. I think the irfu said they were going to withdraw all funding unless the move was made to Leinster.

[Bord na Mona man]

I've heard that the Athenry in question is actually in Waterford but not so sure if that's true or not.....

http://www.mysongbook.de/msb/songs/f/fieldath.html

It's a song about the potato famine in Ireland, it's that simple. I'd gone to Galway and read some Gaelic tracts about how tough life was in those dreadful times. The people were starving and corn had been imported from America to help them but it was Indian corn with a kernel so hard that the mills here in Ireland couldn't grind it. So it lay useless in stores at the docks in Dublin. But nobody trusted the authorities, the Crown, to tell them the truth so hundreds of starving Irish marched on the city to get the grain. Some were arrested and shipped off to Australia in prison ships. I wrote a ballad about it [in 1979], inventing Michael, Mary and a baby - a family torn apart because a husband stole corn to feed his family...all this information came from Galway so I set the song in Athenry, a little Galway village where the potato fields lay empty.

Regardless of where it is set, the singing of it should be outlawed!

[True Red]

http://www.offalyexpress.ie/sport/Decis ... 6315931.jp

See this issue is coming to a head tonight