Junior A Hurling Championship 2023

[Dodge83]

Shamrocks unable to field a team tomorrow. Crinkill get the points

[private joker]

Is that shamrocks out of the championship?

[Dodge83]

Not sure. Hopefully not.

[faithfulfanatic]

Shamrocks unable to field a Junior A team but able to field a Junior B team?

Unsure if there is a specific reason that they may have lads away tomorrow.

But by all accounts, their Junior B team is just as strong as their Junior A outfit, with some lads unwilling to commit to Junior A.

[private joker]

Heard somthing similar. Not right if they can field at b level on the same weekend

[Dodge83]

Like faithfulfanatic said above , maybe some lads are just happy to play junior B but it is a strange one

[Dodge83]

Big win for Ballinamere last night beating Coolderry 6-25 to 2-11

[Dodge83]

Saturdays results

Group 1
Tullamore 1-02 Kilkormac/Killoughey 3-13

Group 2
Clodiagh Gaels 1-15 Ballyskenach/Killavilla 1-14

As things stand in group 1 with 2 games played , Ballinamere &’Crinkill sit on top with 4 points. Kk & Tullamore with 2 points and Shamrocks & Coolderry with 0 points. Still 3 games each to be played
In group 2 Kinnitty & Clodiagh Gaels sit top with 4 points. Brosna Gaels & Ballyskenach/Killavilla with 2 points. Carrig & Riverstown who have pulled out are bottom.
In this group Brosna Gaels have 3 games left. Kinnitty & Clodiagh Gaels have 2 each left

Next round of fixtures
Friday 4th Aug

Group 1
Coolderry vs Kilkormac/Killoughey
Ballinamere vs Shamrock

Group 2
Ballyskenach/Killavilla vs Brosna Gaels

Saturday 5th Aug

Group 1
Crinkill vs Tullamore

Group 2
Kinnitty vs Clodiagh Gaels

[uibhfhaili72]

Saturdays results

Group 1
Tullamore 1-02 Kilkormac/Killoughey 3-13

Group 2
Clodiagh Gaels 1-15 Ballyskenach/Killavilla 1-14

As things stand in group 1 with 2 games played , Ballinamere &’Crinkill sit on top with 4 points. Kk & Tullamore with 2 points and Shamrocks & Coolderry with 0 points. Still 3 games each to be played
In group 2 Kinnitty & Clodiagh Gaels sit top with 4 points. Brosna Gaels & Ballyskenach/Killavilla with 2 points. Carrig & Riverstown who have pulled out are bottom.
In this group Brosna Gaels have 3 games left. Kinnitty & Clodiagh Gaels have 2 each left

Next round of fixtures
Friday 4th Aug

Group 1
Coolderry vs Kilkormac/Killoughey
Ballinamere vs Shamrock

Group 2
Ballyskenach/Killavilla vs Brosna Gaels

Saturday 5th Aug

Group 1
Crinkill vs Tullamore

Group 2
Kinnitty vs Clodiagh Gaels

How many teams come out of the groups in this championship

[frankthetank]

Top 3 in each. Group winners qualify directly for semi finals.

[TerraceTalk]

Shamrocks with 2 different management teams at junior level so I hear, so maybe had an impact on this.
Seems like there is a bit of division in the club at the minute, could be looking at relegation in senior B and junior A now which would be shocking.

[jimbob17]

Nothing new here really. Shamrocks seem to be in perpetual state of dissaray, with any amounts of fall ins, fall outs and infighting. Is there ever a year there isn't a story going on there. Sure its no wonder they can't keep managers. Given the size of the area, population and proximity to Tullamore, are they the most under performing club in the county?

[frankthetank]

Tullamore are the most underperforming club in the county at adult level. Massive population advantage over everyone else. €70,000 per annum given to them by the CB in rent. Haven’t won back to back senior football titles in 100 years. Hurling team at best the 10th best team in the county.

[jimbob17]

To be fair, think people have wrong idea re Tullamore. Yes they have good population but there are number of caveats there.

1. Firstly, there is significant majority of people in Tullamore who have zero interest in watching GAA let alone playing it. Soccer would have strong base in the town and rugby has reasonable foothold too in the town. There are other sports such as athletics and basketball that also take some talent.

2. There is strong population of non national people populating Town who have no interest in GAA.

3. The town is not as big as people make out GAA wise and other clubs surround it where they generally get access to country 'gaa orientated' people who live close to the town but not in it. Drive out to Charleville estate and you are in Shamrocks. Not far to border in killeigh either and Cappincur comes inside the bypass of the town. Durrow and Ballinamere wrap the rest of the town and also form part of Tullamore parish which entitles them to access players actually living in the town - even though they don't really get them.

Certainly not suggesting they are bad off nos wise as they are a big club, but they wouldn't probably have as many 'gaa families' as likes of Ballinamere Durrow or Shamrocks or St Vincents or Na Fianna. Remember that parents have huge impact on what their kids do and player retention when in competition with other sports is the struggle Tullamore have, unlike other clubs.

I'd suggest from underage perspective in relation to football particularly, that Tullamore are over achieving and the likes of St Vincent's, Na Fianna are probably under achieving given their volumes of gaa families in their areas. Can't really compare these at adult level as these amalgamation clubs break up into respective senior B and Inter / junior grade stand alone clubs, but the nos these two amalgamations have at underage level is ridiculous at times, particularly in football.

As for the 70k, I'd say fair play to Tullamore as O'Connor Park was their ground and it allows them to future proof their club going forward. They got very good advice when the deal was done initially and it allows them employ a full time coaching and games promotion officer. They always did and still own O Connor Park and it wasn't their fault the Co board at the time decided to enter 35 year lease agreement and build the stadium without any ownership entitlement at the end of that period. That decision rests solely on Co board of the time and we all saw the other decisions they made. They didnt go sleep walking into it and they could easily have gone and built on green field site at the time and include centre of excellence but chose not to do that for whatever reasons they chose.

Re underperforming club, I'd disagree strongly from outside looking in. The 70k doesnt get them to co senior finals as often as they are getting there and it is local club men that always oversee their senior teams.

They will be very disappointed to only have won one senior in recent years for sure but are they not still at least 1st or 2nd on roll of honour list in football and have been in last 3 or 4 finals and loads of minor and u20 success recently. They won a senior hurling in 09 too and senior B last year and if I recall correctly, played in minor A and U13 A championship finals last year. While they might be no 9 or 10 in hurling, they are a top 2 football team and streets ahead of Shamrocks in both football and Hurling and seem to really have got their stuff together re underage in both codes.

From dual perspective, you'd have to say Tullamore are the top dual club, followed by probably Ferbane Belmont and Ballinamere / Durrow in terms of adult level. Likes of Clodiagh Gaels KK Birr Rynaghs Edenderry Clara etc tend to prioritise one code over another or maybe are just stronger in that code.

[timber]

Certainly some junior teams are very reliant on lads that are working and maybe living up in Dublin/Galway or elsewhere. Games on week days dont always suit especially at junior level when alot of lads would be just playing to make up numbers or very casually involved. Chances are if games are fixed on Thursday or Friday and you are flat out with work, you wont be there. So regardless if you have 3 or 4 teams in the club, if the fixtures schedule doesnt suit, at junior level its not the most important priority for lads and you wont have them. I know some lads who would love to play but fixtures on weekdays are a killer.

Re; Tullamore. Dont worry, they will be dominating senior football very soon and boys on here will be sick of the sight of them winning. They have their house well in order. They are coming.