2014 WALSH Cup

[HurlerOnDitch]

A man would hardly need to go to a game with the indept analysis on this site. I'm just back from the states a few days, I was hoping to get to the game last week versus Galway, is that it for a while now or are there any practice matches a man could get to have a look at the new squad for the year in action?

[Sharp Eye]

Offaly must play all Walsh Cup games in future in South Offaly. Last Sundays game (Offaly v Galway) should have been played in Birr or in Banagher. The Offaly Co Board have failed to provide a "Centre of Excellance" for training county teams. I am sure that O'Connor Park is not currently available to all or any Offaly football/hurling panels for training. The Co Board are at the mercy of South Offaly Clubs for training facilities at this time of the year when all pitches are virtually unplayable. It is time that our "North Offaly" based Co Board returns to South Offaly Walsh Cup Senior Hurling games and all home games in the Leinster Minor & Under 21 Championships.

[ryot]

I am sure that O'Connor Park is not currently available to all or any Offaly football/hurling panels for training.

I would hope that there is a bit more respect for O'C pitch than having heavy winter training on it. Long evenings in April time enough for it to be used unless hurlers need a daylight skills/shooting session before that.

I live in another county where no team will get on county pitch till June.

As for where to play hurling games I'm sure the Chairman being, like myself, from South Offaly would have hurlings best interests in mind when selecting venues. Of course Central & Leinster select the venue for most games.

[Lone Shark]

Offaly must play all Walsh Cup games in future in South Offaly. Last Sundays game (Offaly v Galway) should have been played in Birr or in Banagher. The Offaly Co Board have failed to provide a "Centre of Excellance" for training county teams. I am sure that O'Connor Park is not currently available to all or any Offaly football/hurling panels for training. The Co Board are at the mercy of South Offaly Clubs for training facilities at this time of the year when all pitches are virtually unplayable. It is time that our "North Offaly" based Co Board returns to South Offaly Walsh Cup Senior Hurling games and all home games in the Leinster Minor & Under 21 Championships.

Okay, I haven't been home as much lately but I must have missed the uprising that led to the creation of two entirely different entities within the territory that I once knew as County Offaly. Just so I'm prepared, shall I take it that Doolan's shop and Filling station in the Blue Ball now looks something like this?

[Sharp Eye]

I am sure that O'Connor Park is not currently available to all or any Offaly football/hurling panels for training.

I would hope that there is a bit more respect for O'C pitch than having heavy winter training on it. Long evenings in April time enough for it to be used unless hurlers need a daylight skills/shooting session before that.

I live in another county where no team will get on county pitch till June.

As for where to play hurling games I'm sure the Chairman being, like myself, from South Offaly would have hurlings best interests in mind when selecting venues. Of course Central & Leinster select the venue for most games.

I gather from what you say it is in order to make O'Connor Park unavailable for training and expect clubs to provide their pitches to County Panels at this time of year. If the County Board do not have their own training facilities (eg Hawkfield Kildare) they should thank clubs who sacrifice their pitches in these mucky conditions by giving them Walsh Cup games etc etc

[Lone Shark]

I gather from what you say it is in order to make O'Connor Park unavailable for training and expect clubs to provide their pitches to County Panels at this time of year. If the County Board do not have their own training facilities (eg Hawkfield Kildare) they should thank clubs who sacrifice their pitches in these mucky conditions by giving them Walsh Cup games etc etc

?????? Am I missing something or do they not "thank" them by paying for them? That would be the accepted protocol any more and my understanding was that while pitches are often volunteered for challenge matches and the like because it might bring in a few paying people, if it's training then it's almost certainly paid for. I never checked this up because I've never had cause to do so, but in other counties it's just accepted that if a county team comes to train at a venue, it's between 100 and 200 for the night, depending on whether lights are needed and other facilities etc.

For what it's worth I'd personally be in favour of playing Walsh Cup games in club venues, subject to Leinster council approval (which is not forthcoming, let's be clear here!) and Banagher would have been ideal for the Galway match since you'd have possibly got a few more Galway people in, but any idea that Offaly should be "paying" for training over and above the cash fee is nonsensical.

If it turns out that the clubs in South Offaly are giving up their grounds for no fee then of course I'd rethink, but that would be highly unusual and I'd be stunned to hear it.

[Slieve Bloom Man]

Think Kilkenny's result against Galway today puts last week's performance into perspective. While Offaly performed well last week- Galway were poor and we still managed to lose to them.

[Toxicity234]

Think Kilkenny's result against Galway today puts last week's performance into perspective. While Offaly performed well last week- Galway were poor and we still managed to lose to them.

Kilkenny had a good team out and Galway had a man sent off.

[townman]

Think Kilkenny's result against Galway today puts last week's performance into perspective. While Offaly performed well last week- Galway were poor and we still managed to lose to them.

with a bit of luck we could have won last sunday, kilkenny would have beaten many a team today in freshford had a good side out Shefflin score was it 13 points , anyway Galway are not to simple have good hurlers with underage all irelands and club all irelands, now if we were beaten by westmeath,Carlow,laois, last sunday things wouldn't look to bright.

[SearingDrive]

Offaly must play all Walsh Cup games in future in South Offaly. Last Sundays game (Offaly v Galway) should have been played in Birr or in Banagher. The Offaly Co Board have failed to provide a "Centre of Excellance" for training county teams. I am sure that O'Connor Park is not currently available to all or any Offaly football/hurling panels for training. The Co Board are at the mercy of South Offaly Clubs for training facilities at this time of the year when all pitches are virtually unplayable. It is time that our "North Offaly" based Co Board returns to South Offaly Walsh Cup Senior Hurling games and all home games in the Leinster Minor & Under 21 Championships.

Okay, I haven't been home as much lately but I must have missed the uprising that led to the creation of two entirely different entities within the territory that I once knew as County Offaly. Just so I'm prepared, shall I take it that Doolan's shop and Filling station in the Blue Ball now looks something like this?
I think the Blueball Cross will be transit point! Just a thought, isn't Pat Teehan, former ChairmanOCB, and Jimmy Hogan, Asst. Treasurer, both from South Offaly? Come on folks Offaly isn't Sudan!.

[llkj]

Did you not know that there are now 34 counties in Ireland? The traditional 32, West Cork and now South Offaly.

[bracknaghboy]

You're OK LS I drove through Blueball today and no barriers up yet! However if some of our stars from the past have their way they won't be long before they are erected!
Its a shame but I can see this issue tearing the heart out of hurling in Offaly over the next few years. We should be looking forward to a new era under Sid and the prospect of pulling together the undoubted talent in the county to a field a competitive senior team but I fear this Birr/Tullamore thing is lurking dangerously in the background. Hopefully players and management stay out of it and get on with the job......leave it to the former boys to push their agendas.

[townman]

The boot would be on the other foot if football clubs had to go to Birr to watch football
i'd say alot would travel from Rhode,gracefield,Walsh Island, Edenderry, to watch there clubs.

the only ones who want it in tullamore are the people who are 15 or 20 minutes away, not many would bother their arse going to ST.Brendans park if games are switch back. it looks like the hurling clubs
want it back there so if they vote with their feet, we are in trouble its bad enough the 50 or more that were at the walsh cup games their will be no one only the sterwards at it.

i would agree with the walsh cup games and league games and the county final back in Birr, fair enough
big championship games should be in tullamore, Dublin used Parnell Park, Tipp used Nenagh, even kilkenny used Freshford, Laois used Rathdowney, its a shame to see ST.Brendans getting all the work
done on it for just a few club games a year, i think the hurling clubs should have the final vote on this
not the county board or the people who live near tullamore.

[townman]

You're OK LS I drove through Blueball today and no barriers up yet! However if some of our stars from the past have their way they won't be long before they are erected!
Its a shame but I can see this issue tearing the heart out of hurling in Offaly over the next few years. We should be looking forward to a new era under Sid and the prospect of pulling together the undoubted talent in the county to a field a competitive senior team but I fear this Birr/Tullamore thing is lurking dangerously in the background. Hopefully players and management stay out of it and get on with the job......leave it to the former boys to push their agendas.

i'd say there was many a day bracknaghboy you were glad to drive by the blueball on the way to Birr to look at a hurling game or to follow the McCarthy cup on its way down to the square in birr, i'd also bet the men over the county team and the players would also like to see the hurling back in Birr.

and it won't tear the heart out of offaly hurling because all clubs would like to see it back, maybe a few in Bracknagh or that part of offaly wouldn't like going the extra half hour on their sunday

[bracknaghboy]

the only ones who want it in tullamore are the people who are 15 or 20 minutes away, not many would bother their arse going to ST.Brendans park if games are switch back. it looks like the hurling clubs

Hmmm a bit like the 'supporters' from the hurling clubs that allegedly won't travel the 15 or 20 minutes to Tullamore at the moment

i'd say there was many a day bracknaghboy you were glad to drive by the blueball on the way to Birr to look at a hurling game or to follow the McCarthy cup on its way down to the square in birr, i'd also bet the men over the county team and the players would also like to see the hurling back in Birr.

Won't bother me in the slightest I've always travelled all over to support Offaly teams and will continue to do so. One thing that intrigues me and many others is who are all these 'supporters' that won't travel to Tullamore to support the hurlers? How many of them are there? Say for example the Laois game in 3 weeks time in Tullamore.....how many 'supporters' won't travel to this game because of the venue? Is it 50? Is it 100? Is it 500? Perhaps its 2000? I'm not being smart here, I honestly don't know the figure. Can anybody put a figure on it? We keep hearing their would be more at the games in Birr but nobody will put their neck out and tell us approximately how many more.
From 2001 to 2007 when Offaly were not successful but were playing league games in Birr I can't remember too many games with huge crowds at them?
Anyways lads I'm saying no more on it...lets look forward to the games regardless where they are played (or not played as the case may be).