Club Managements

A forum to air your views on Offaly GAA matters and beyond.
feirmeoir
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Re: Club Managements

Post by feirmeoir »

jimbob17 wrote: Wed Feb 24, 2021 11:52 pm
frankthetank wrote: Wed Feb 24, 2021 7:13 pm Well they got a full back page spread about their "arrival" from Kevin Corrigan this year. Did they beat Kilcormac / Killoughey or St Rynagh's to merit this? Or even Birr or Coolderry?

No, they drew with Shinrone.

And went on to finish bottom of their group and probably would have got relegated if there was a relegation final.

Fleeting underage success does not guarantee adult success. Just ask Clodiagh Gaels.
In fairness, I think the context is really that they have come from Junior hurling and Inter football to win junior inter and senior B competitions to now being fairly competitive at senior A level with small levels of resources - initially at least - over last 10 years. If every club did the level of work Ballinamere Durrow have done at underage, Offaly GAA would be thriving and I am not from Ballinamere. They have totally come from nowhere to be a strong senior football team and decent senior hurling team. If Tullamore did half that work at various levels, they would be wiping the boards with success at underage level - ditto Birr in hurling.

I think KK are another club in hurling that really have their house in order and are consistently doing the right things.
The way Ballinamere Durrow underage was explained to me was that a lot of children from Tullamore went to both Durrow and Ballinamere schools and started playing GAA with Durrow Ballinamere underage clubs and remained playing there, are the murphys from Tullamore, one of them played with Offaly hurlers does anyone know>

jimbob17
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Re: Club Managements

Post by jimbob17 »

feirmeoir wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 2:25 pm
jimbob17 wrote: Wed Feb 24, 2021 11:52 pm
frankthetank wrote: Wed Feb 24, 2021 7:13 pm Well they got a full back page spread about their "arrival" from Kevin Corrigan this year. Did they beat Kilcormac / Killoughey or St Rynagh's to merit this? Or even Birr or Coolderry?

No, they drew with Shinrone.

And went on to finish bottom of their group and probably would have got relegated if there was a relegation final.

Fleeting underage success does not guarantee adult success. Just ask Clodiagh Gaels.
In fairness, I think the context is really that they have come from Junior hurling and Inter football to win junior inter and senior B competitions to now being fairly competitive at senior A level with small levels of resources - initially at least - over last 10 years. If every club did the level of work Ballinamere Durrow have done at underage, Offaly GAA would be thriving and I am not from Ballinamere. They have totally come from nowhere to be a strong senior football team and decent senior hurling team. If Tullamore did half that work at various levels, they would be wiping the boards with success at underage level - ditto Birr in hurling.

I think KK are another club in hurling that really have their house in order and are consistently doing the right things.
The way Ballinamere Durrow underage was explained to me was that a lot of children from Tullamore went to both Durrow and Ballinamere schools and started playing GAA with Durrow Ballinamere underage clubs and remained playing there, are the murphys from Tullamore, one of them played with Offaly hurlers does anyone know>
I wouldnt be certain about that assertion. A lot of houses were built in the area in the boom years such was the nature of its location - a country area adjacent to Tullamore. While there may be a few that live or lived in Tullamore, I'd say that would certainly not be the norm and a few who did play from Tullamore would have very often have had a parent or connection to either Durrow or Ballinamere. You must remember that Tullamore have been senior hurling and football for a long time while both Ballinamere and Durrow were competing in Junior and Intermediate levels so it was never a case of going out there to play high level GAA. Like I said, some may have gone to school in either due to a connection in either place. As far as I am aware, the Murphys are from out the country side - either Ballinamere or Durrow and not from Tullamore but stand to be corrected on that.
jimbob

Offalyman21
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Re: Club Managements

Post by Offalyman21 »

feirmeoir wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 2:25 pm
jimbob17 wrote: Wed Feb 24, 2021 11:52 pm
frankthetank wrote: Wed Feb 24, 2021 7:13 pm Well they got a full back page spread about their "arrival" from Kevin Corrigan this year. Did they beat Kilcormac / Killoughey or St Rynagh's to merit this? Or even Birr or Coolderry?

No, they drew with Shinrone.

And went on to finish bottom of their group and probably would have got relegated if there was a relegation final.

Fleeting underage success does not guarantee adult success. Just ask Clodiagh Gaels.
In fairness, I think the context is really that they have come from Junior hurling and Inter football to win junior inter and senior B competitions to now being fairly competitive at senior A level with small levels of resources - initially at least - over last 10 years. If every club did the level of work Ballinamere Durrow have done at underage, Offaly GAA would be thriving and I am not from Ballinamere. They have totally come from nowhere to be a strong senior football team and decent senior hurling team. If Tullamore did half that work at various levels, they would be wiping the boards with success at underage level - ditto Birr in hurling.

I think KK are another club in hurling that really have their house in order and are consistently doing the right things.
The way Ballinamere Durrow underage was explained to me was that a lot of children from Tullamore went to both Durrow and Ballinamere schools and started playing GAA with Durrow Ballinamere underage clubs and remained playing there, are the murphys from Tullamore, one of them played with Offaly hurlers does anyone know>
The fact that people are trying to say anyone from tullamore had something to do with Ballinamere Durrows underage success shows that they have no idea about Offaly Gaa. They built from the ground up and anyone that started playing with them at underage went back to tullamore by the time they were in secondary school. The Murphy’s lived in Tullamore when they were younger and moved out to Ballinamere well before they were of age to play hurling or football so please people get your facts right and stop with the jealousy 👍🏼

Buttons
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Re: Club Managements

Post by Buttons »

There were a few durrow lads that played for tullamore as well, one set of brothers come to mind that contributed a lot to Tullamore despite their home address.

Years ago durrow and ballinamere were at nothing and if you had ambitions of playing for Offaly these clubs wouldn’t help your case, now being more successful and friends being with you with the right training there is no reason to transfer.

jimbob17
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Re: Club Managements

Post by jimbob17 »

I think the joining together at underage was a game changer for Bal Durrow. From previously having small numbers in both clubs, lots of houses got built and good numbers of children were there on the back of the noughties boom. This, allied with the fact that they really got their underage in order and did it really well, meant that there was a group of well organised teams coming out of it and this is where we are today with those that have come through this development process now emerging at senior level in their early twenties.

I can only see them (Ballinamere in hurling and Durrow in football) getting stronger as their underage has not been neglected as their Inter success and Senior level improvement continues. The fact that they still have good numbers given their location (and with underage being well looked after) will ensure that they get a continuous proportion of players onto county development squads and continue to get good calibre of players through to senior level.

While they are technically different entities at senior level still, albeit with same players, I think it is only a matter of time before they fully join as one club. Though many traditionalists in both areas may be against it, I think the senior players who have come through the system will get that done in time.

There are a lot of good GAA people from outside the area now living there and I think that they have been clever in bringing outsiders living locally into the club to help who may not have had that connection previously. While their location on outskirts of the town means that this is likely to happen more often than other clubs, I have seen the likes of Ml Duignan, Jim Troy and Declan Meehan (all of whom have All Irelands) on the sideline with their teams and these are just 'headline names'. There are a hell of a lot more keenly interested GAA people that people would not know but would have played and won at Senior and Inter levels with other adult clubs (often outside Offaly) that have been hooked in to coach their teams. This outlooking perspective is refreshing in the GAA where some clubs with good numbers can be a bit parochial in their thinking. While I accept their location is a plus for them, I think if other clubs within the vicinity of larger towns (and within towns) were clever and as open as Bal Durrow are, then they would benefit a hell of a lot more than their often narrow focus where a small minority run everything in their clubs.
jimbob

Henry1
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Re: Club Managements

Post by Henry1 »

Seems from reading some of these posts that only for the people who blew into Ballinamere they would be at nothing..🙄

jimbob17
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Re: Club Managements

Post by jimbob17 »

Think you are totally missing the point in fairness. Never was it suggested in any way. Obviously most are native Ballinamere people and are playing huge roles within the club but you can't ignore the fact they have hooked in people living in the area in a way that lots of clubs do not. Another not mentioned is former Offaly hurler Pat Cleary (from Shinrone) who has also done lots of coaching work also in the Ballinamere Durrow underage club.

If Tullamore for example were to be as proactive in hooking similar minded people in Tullamore into their club, then they would be a lot better off for it. Lots of clubs are run by a small minority. Ever hear the term about many hands making light work? Are the likes of St Vincents, Na Fianna, Shamrocks and any amount of other clubs really tapping into people who could add something that are not originally from the area? And if they were strategically doing this, would they be better off for it?
jimbob

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Lone Shark
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Re: Club Managements

Post by Lone Shark »

Both Ballinamere and Durrow have made huge strides in recent years, and it's great to see. It's a well-populated area, more than sufficient to play both sports at a very high level, and while they have a lot of natural advantages, they've used them well - not every club does, or would.

I would stop short of saying that other clubs have something to learn in terms of tapping into people moving into the parish though. When it comes to adults, blow-ins either present themselves to a club, or they don't. Most of us on here are devoted GAA people, and we understand how the organisation works - through the effort of volunteers at a club level. If anyone moved to a new area, chances are you'd get involved.

Ballinamere wouldn't have had to make any effort to get the likes of Pat Cleary, Jim Troy and Michael Duignan to help out in the club. These are dedicated GAA men, All-Ireland winners, and of course they were going to weigh in wherever they went. It would have been no different had they moved to Mucklagh or Killurin.

Where clubs do have to make an effort with "blow-ins" is with families. Where the parents aren't devoted GAA people, and they aren't particularly pushed about what activities their children are involved in. That's where clubs need to be able to pitch the strengths of the GAA, to make it an enjoyable experience for youngsters that maybe don't grow up in houses where the Sunday Game is the automatic choice over whatever soccer is on Sky. I'm a while living outside the county myself, but from what I can tell by the numbers, I don't think that any of Ballinamere/Durrow, Vincents, Shamrocks or Na Fianna have dropped the ball in this regard.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

kingscounty
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Re: Club Managements

Post by kingscounty »

frankthetank wrote: Thu Feb 11, 2021 6:03 pm Didn't think bringing in a manager from Rhode would sit too well in Edenderry?

Declan Cummins is Edenderry manager, a Rhode man. Interesting to see how they fair this year, were very close to beaten Rhode under the kildare man last year!

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