Corrigan calls for Parish Teams

[In the long grass]

Corrigan is not even a daingean parish man, hes from Ballinagar!

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Corrigan is typical of the lazy style of journalism all to prevalent even in the national media.

I am based in Daingean parish and to be fair the big problem is underage. St Vincents set up is a joke, what have they won over the years, how many finals have they contested. There are not enough people coaching teams for the right reasons. Lots of parents involved, who all think the solution at adult is a parish team to ensure diddums can play senior football. There are serious attitude problems amongst the Vincents set up whic will ensure they continue to remain without silverware over the years.

[Lone Shark]

The above post pretty much sums up why I'd be so wary of this. There are four clubs in Daingean parish, and if all four of them are doing feck all to improve their own situation, on the basis that somewhere down the road a parish team will be created and this will be the panacea for all ills, then they don't deserve anything.

I saw most of the Colemans vs Wheery game at the weekend and bearing in mind that our lads had barely played any games before that point, I wouldn't be getting carried away on the strength of that result. If they beat St Michaels in the next round, then there might be cause for optimism - but right now I don't see any reason why a Daingean parish team would be senior anyway.

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Can I add another point regarding Vincent's, I also heard from a reliable source that not one member ar committee member from Daingean Club attended the AGM. I dont know why thats the case but it is bewildering to me.
I continually listen to parents of good underage players who have gotten on Offaly minor teams say the only way forward is a parish team, but why is that the case? In reference to the McPaddens, if they go on and play with Clonmore, and Paul averages a couple of points a game and drives on his team, why would he not in due course get called in to an Offaly senior panel?
The club scene is not perfect in Daingean parish, and the reality is that guys are not rowing in behind their clubs and showing pride in them. Unfortunately from what In gather economic circumstances will dictate that some clubs end up folding, due to dwindling playing resources.

But let me finish my waffle on this note,

If (and its a big if)....

1) Underage mgt teams were put in place from u12 up with a maximum of one parent, plus canvass some current footballers too get involved (or recently retired), Vincents would see their success rate rise.

2) Turn it on its head, disband the 4 clubs and play under one name, Colemans? whatever...you could still put out 5 teams and give the amount of lads leaving that would be plenty

This would enablethe Senior team to train together all the time without having to worry abput getting back to a junior or intermediate club.

But without this set up , it can never succeed trying to work a Senior team and run 4 seperate clubs would be beyond the area given the shambles that exists at underage.
This is not meant to denegrate any of the work that the committee or coaches ar doing, but it is such a cosy cartel there that no one wants to rock the boat. Or in many cases they dont see anything wrong with the way things are at present which is probaby the sad part.

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

One more point is around the U21 set up, if Colemans were serious about laying down a marker for a Senior team there should be a more coordinated effort to try and win an u21, they could really knucle down and get a panel together early as this is a championship that could well be won with a little better effort and coordination, as many team treat it with the contempt the county boad does!

[Lone Shark]

2) Turn it on its head, disband the 4 clubs and play under one name, Colemans? whatever...you could still put out 5 teams and give the amount of lads leaving that would be plenty

This is the bit that would worry me however - for how long would this last? No other club in Offaly, hurling or football, manages to field more than three teams. How long would five last in Daingean parish? This would end up with a lot less lads playing football I'd imagine.


The points about the under 21 are well made. There are plenty of good minor and under 21 footballers from that area in the last few years and when you look at what's going on all over Offaly, there is no reason why Colemans shouldn't be able to win a title at this grade. The players are used to playing together, they know each other well from playing together up along the line, and for many of their players this is one of the biggest competitions they'll play in all year. I mean realistically, no matter what anyone says, Kilclonfert are not going to win the Intermediate championship - so this is the best chance for a trophy for their young footballers, likewise Ballycommon now that they are Junior A.

[___]

St. Vincents won the minor league this evening, beating Ferbane/Belmont on a scoreline of 1-14 to 1-7. Brilliant team performance by the Daingean parish team. Hopefully they can push on for the championship.

And sure listen, we can all look forward to them playing at the highest level for a while longer, bar the joke that is the u21 championship, and we can all watch them fall from fine footballers to average junior players in a few years. great. I dream of a parish team

A Parish team for St.Vincents would introduce a new powerhouse to Offaly football, with strength breeding from this year's minor team, as well as other success further down the line with the Vincents U14's efforts to make it to the Felie in Cork this year. Time for Rhode and Clara to move over, Vincents could be the new face of Offaly Senior Championship, with as good a pick of talented players as any team around.

[Lone Shark]

St. Vincents won the minor league this evening, beating Ferbane/Belmont on a scoreline of 1-14 to 1-7. Brilliant team performance by the Daingean parish team. Hopefully they can push on for the championship.

And sure listen, we can all look forward to them playing at the highest level for a while longer, bar the joke that is the u21 championship, and we can all watch them fall from fine footballers to average junior players in a few years. great. I dream of a parish team

A Parish team for St.Vincents would introduce a new powerhouse to Offaly football, with strength breeding from this year's minor team, as well as other success further down the line with the Vincents U14's efforts to make it to the Felie in Cork this year. Time for Rhode and Clara to move over, Vincents could be the new face of Offaly Senior Championship, with as good a pick of talented players as any team around.

The blitz that passes for an under 21 football championship in this county is a joke, no question. It should be played in the Autumn as an under 20, that way it could be used as a trial for county panelists for the next year. Lads would be used to playing football having played adult/minor with their clubs all summer, and there wouldn't be as many clashes with other GAA sports.

However while there are some fine young footballers in Daingean parish at the moment certainly, but surely this is jumping the gun a little bit? If the four clubs want to disband and form a parish team that's up to them - even then, I'm not sure I like the idea that they would be parachuted straight into senior. You are talking four clubs without a senior county panelist between them if I'm not mistaken. Secondly, can anyone from inside any of the four clubs say with a moderate degree of conviction that their club would be in favour of such a move? Who gets relegated to make way for them? Do we do the same for Killeigh/Raheen/Ballinagar/Killurin? What about Clonbullogue and Bracknagh - do we foist them on to Walsh Island?

More importantly, can anyone tell me why it would work? Let's say Daingean field a senior parish team in 2012 - right now they have one bad intermediate team, and three junior teams of different standards. Honestly they would struggle to stay senior unless they really put in a lot of work - and what happens if the amalgamated team goes down?

Doon, Ballycumber and Pullough all joined together for a while roughly thirty years ago and the amalgamation was never as successful as any of the three clubs were individually. It's not as simple as saying that there are fifteen good footballers in the parish as a whole = therefore they'd be a good senior team.


A lot of people are talking about parish teams in Offaly as if it will be the panacea for all ills. As somebody coming from a parish that went through a very difficult amalgamation, one that was expected to deliver the sun, moon and stars, let me assure ye that it's not that easy. You need huge will from all sides, and I really don't think there is that at the moment.

[In the long grass]

The blitz that passes for an under 21 football championship in this county is a joke, no question. It should be played in the Autumn as an under 20, that way it could be used as a trial for county panelists for the next year. Lads would be used to playing football having played adult/minor with their clubs all summer, and there wouldn't be as many clashes with other GAA sports.

However while there are some fine young footballers in Daingean parish at the moment certainly, but surely this is jumping the gun a little bit? If the four clubs want to disband and form a parish team that's up to them - even then, I'm not sure I like the idea that they would be parachuted straight into senior. You are talking four clubs without a senior county panelist between them if I'm not mistaken. Secondly, can anyone from inside any of the four clubs say with a moderate degree of conviction that their club would be in favour of such a move? Who gets relegated to make way for them? Do we do the same for Killeigh/Raheen/Ballinagar/Killurin? What about Clonbullogue and Bracknagh - do we foist them on to Walsh Island?

More importantly, can anyone tell me why it would work? Let's say Daingean field a senior parish team in 2012 - right now they have one bad intermediate team, and three junior teams of different standards. Honestly they would struggle to stay senior unless they really put in a lot of work - and what happens if the amalgamated team goes down?

Doon, Ballycumber and Pullough all joined together for a while roughly thirty years ago and the amalgamation was never as successful as any of the three clubs were individually. It's not as simple as saying that there are fifteen good footballers in the parish as a whole = therefore they'd be a good senior team.


A lot of people are talking about parish teams in Offaly as if it will be the panacea for all ills. As somebody coming from a parish that went through a very difficult amalgamation, one that was expected to deliver the sun, moon and stars, let me assure ye that it's not that easy. You need huge will from all sides, and I really don't think there is that at the moment.

My son alone in his 8 years of underage with St. Vincents won one county final, runners up in another, and appeared in 3 semi finals and 1 q/f while also winning one league along the way. That is 6 out of 8 years they competed among the best and made it to the latter stages. To see him now playing junior football knowing he or his team mates might never get a chance to play together again and not compete at the top level where they did so admirably for St. Vincents. It breaks my heart!

Junior football is killing these players who have the ability to play at the top level. So many of Vincents players along the way have represented Offaly at all age groups up to u21. No surprise none ever really made senior panels a they dont have the club base to keep their high standrads and let themseleves slip into the junior mind set.

[Lone Shark]

My son alone in his 8 years of underage with St. Vincents won one county final, runners up in another, and appeared in 3 semi finals and 1 q/f while also winning one league along the way. That is 6 out of 8 years they competed among the best and made it to the latter stages. To see him now playing junior football knowing he or his team mates might never get a chance to play together again and not compete at the top level where they did so admirably for St. Vincents. It breaks my heart!

Junior football is killing these players who have the ability to play at the top level. So many of Vincents players along the way have represented Offaly at all age groups up to u21. No surprise none ever really made senior panels a they dont have the club base to keep their high standrads and let themseleves slip into the junior mind set.

That's all understandable feelings, however it doesn't answer the three main questions:

(1) You are asking four clubs to vote themselves out of existence, four clubs that now field six panels of players between them - you are asking for huge sacrifices from a lot of people, and nobody within any of the clubs seems to be able to say with any degree of conviction whether or not it would likely pass a vote at an AGM?

(2) Amalgamations in Offaly have a patchy track record at best. What makes Daingean parish different, why would it work here?

(3) What would give the amalgamated team the right to just waltz into the senior grade when there is little to indicate that they would be competitive? Perhaps in a few years, but they are a long way from it now.

[Fargo Boyle]

This topic of a Daingean Parish Team is always on this website. Give it a rest for a while. As was pointed out by the previous posts there is not one member of any of these clubs on the county panel or looks to be good enough to be on the panel. I have seen all 4 teams play this year and I dont think that there is more than 1 or 2 that would be of county football standard. I actually believe that the players and club officials do not want a parish team so you have to accept that. And if a decision was made to enter a parish team, it would take at least 2-3 years planning and it would be also unlikely that they would be allowed directly into the senior ranks.

[Phoenix]

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??).

[In the long grass]

This topic of a Daingean Parish Team is always on this website. Give it a rest for a while. As was pointed out by the previous posts there is not one member of any of these clubs on the county panel or looks to be good enough to be on the panel. I have seen all 4 teams play this year and I dont think that there is more than 1 or 2 that would be of county football standard.

And why arent they ''county football standard''??? Because they are playing junior football in the first place. Clueless....

If those players went into a senior club environment after minor level they would continue to progress and then be of ''county football standard'' but insted they fall into junior standards after minor and pick up junior habits, slower pace, less intensity, less quality.....all of which lead to the players not progreessing and not being of ''county football standard''

[Lone Shark]

This topic of a Daingean Parish Team is always on this website. Give it a rest for a while. As was pointed out by the previous posts there is not one member of any of these clubs on the county panel or looks to be good enough to be on the panel. I have seen all 4 teams play this year and I dont think that there is more than 1 or 2 that would be of county football standard.

And why arent they ''county football standard''??? Because they are playing junior football in the first place. Clueless....

If those players went into a senior club environment after minor level they would continue to progress and then be of ''county football standard'' but insted they fall into junior standards after minor and pick up junior habits, slower pace, less intensity, less quality.....all of which lead to the players not progreessing and not being of ''county football standard''

Chicken and egg though. Why aren't they at least playing intermediate football? Surely if there was that much talent there, that each of those clubs has five or six players who would be capable of playing senior championship, then why can't they at least be competitive at intermediate? It's not like their catchment areas are significantly smaller than Croghan, Doon, Pullough, Walsh Island....

Same questions - why should they be entitled to a free pass into senior, why would it work when most amalgamations fail, and is there even one of the four clubs involved where it would pass an AGM to amalgamate?

[Fargo Boyle]

Sorry mate you are completely wrong in your belief. If you put a donkey in a field of stallions it don't make him a race horse. Walsh Island, Pullagh, Tubber, Ballycumber- need I go on. These have very small catchements yet are senior. Sure hell even Rhode have have a small pick and they can field 3 teams and are top dogs in the county. The standard you play at is a reflection of the quality of the players at your disposal.