FAO: Johnny Flaherty

[Offalys Future]

Feile Hurling Results 2008

20/06/08 Tullamore Tullamore 1-2 Bray Emmets, Wicklow 2-9

21/06/08 Tullamore Tullamore 2-1 Celbridge 6-7

20/06/08 Shinrone Shinrone 0-1 Lucan Sarsfields, Dublin 3-6


21/06/08 Shinrone Shinrone 1-2 Trim 3-3

20/06/08 Birr Birr 2-2 Kilmacud Crokes, Dublin 2-14

21/06/08 Banagher St Rynaghs 0-2 Patrickswell 2-11


20/06/08 Clareen Seir Kieran 0-3 Dunloy, Antrim 4-3

21/06/08 Clonaslee Shamrock’s 1-0 St Mullin’s 5-3

22/06/08 O’Moore Park
(Final) Kinnitty (Offaly) 1-3 Harps Gaels (Laois) 5-6


21/06/08 Carrig Drumcullen 0-0 Ballinascreen 4-11

20/06/08 Rath Drumcullen 0-1 Padraig Pearses, Roscommon 5-14

20/06/08 Clara Clara 0-3 Clane, Kildare 3-7


21/06/08 Killeigh Na Fianna 10-5 Clara 0-0

20/06/08 Brosna Gaels 0-2 Setanta, Donegal 2-8

20/06/08 Edenderry Edenderry 1-0 London 3-6


21/06/08 Mountmellick
(Semi Final) Ballinamere/Durrow 1-3 St Paul’s 3-5

[royalblue]

This is not Johnny Flaherty's fault its up to the clubs to try and improve teams and players and then if these players are good enough they will be called into County Squads,It's only Johnny Fhaherty fault.

Also i would'nt read much into to FEILE results Offalys team are very small in stature this year compared to other years also clubs like Drumcullen are finding hard to get numbers,

Last year Rynaghs got th the Christy Ring Semi final and had a fair size team but this year lost all games they were very small in size and this makes a difference at u14 level.

[Offalys Future]

This is not Johnny Flaherty's fault its up to the clubs to try and improve teams and players and then if these players are good enough they will be called into County Squads,It's only Johnny Fhaherty fault.

I never said it was his fault i was just highlighting the results across the board. And Johnny Flaherty should be very interested in them. If the clubs arent capable of doing the correct training and improving the players then the county board should get involved.

Also i would'nt read much into to FEILE results Offalys team are very small in stature this year compared to other years also clubs like Drumcullen are finding hard to get numbers,

That is one of the most stupid statements i have ever read in my life and its that mentality that is destroying Offaly hurling. Jesus Chriest will you get real.

It has become very clear to me in the last month how little is been done not only at county level for underage hurlers but at club level also. Offaly underage hurling is in such a bad state now that i dont think it will ever come back. Not with the muppets that are running the county board at present thats for sure.

[royalblue]

just to let you know i am not stupid Offalys future i am probably more Educated than you and on lots more money than you i am finished with this site

[DD]

just to let you know i am not stupid Offalys future i am probably more Educated than you and on lots more money than you i am finished with this site

Good jasus! Will ya cop yourself on..

[athlumneyboy]

i think i know Royal Blue from some of his previous posts reckon he is a rynaghs man and is a sound chap i trained team with him Offalys future shouldnt have called him stupid or what ever he said he shouldnt have reacted like that

[DD]

Feile Hurling Results 2008

20/06/08 Tullamore Tullamore 1-2 Bray Emmets, Wicklow 2-9

21/06/08 Tullamore Tullamore 2-1 Celbridge 6-7

20/06/08 Shinrone Shinrone 0-1 Lucan Sarsfields, Dublin 3-6


21/06/08 Shinrone Shinrone 1-2 Trim 3-3

20/06/08 Birr Birr 2-2 Kilmacud Crokes, Dublin 2-14

21/06/08 Banagher St Rynaghs 0-2 Patrickswell 2-11


20/06/08 Clareen Seir Kieran 0-3 Dunloy, Antrim 4-3

21/06/08 Clonaslee Shamrock’s 1-0 St Mullin’s 5-3

22/06/08 O’Moore Park
(Final) Kinnitty (Offaly) 1-3 Harps Gaels (Laois) 5-6


21/06/08 Carrig Drumcullen 0-0 Ballinascreen 4-11

20/06/08 Rath Drumcullen 0-1 Padraig Pearses, Roscommon 5-14

20/06/08 Clara Clara 0-3 Clane, Kildare 3-7


21/06/08 Killeigh Na Fianna 10-5 Clara 0-0

20/06/08 Brosna Gaels 0-2 Setanta, Donegal 2-8

20/06/08 Edenderry Edenderry 1-0 London 3-6


21/06/08 Mountmellick
(Semi Final) Ballinamere/Durrow 1-3 St Paul’s 3-5

OF you're right, we're not coaching young lads at all - it's still the same methods of old where the cream is let rise to top naturally and nothing got to do with developing the weaker players to get better and the good players to excel.
The fundamentals that are being missed in Offaly are being drilled into kids even in the non traditional hurling areas. These clubs and counties are beginning to see the success at the likes of Feile and at the rate we are going it is only about 5 years away that we will lagging Carlow, Kildare & Westmeath consistently at minor level unless we try to get our house in order.

[athlumneyboy]

i agree DD the lack of proper coaching in clubs is a disgrace we are lacking behind in all aspects of the game from phyiscality to skill level.

A proper coaching programme should be adopted by the County board let them spend a few bob i was hurling officer between 2000 and 2003 we got to two Minor Finals a lot of coaching was being done then despite several county boards members wanting to put money into Senior teams.

If we dont invest heavily in Coaching ie bring in likes of Brian Whelehan, Hubert Rigney Joe Canning etc to clubs on a saturday morning to work with both playters and coaches we wont get any where Offaly hurling is in decline big time as soon we wont be able to compete with Christy ring Counties

[Square Cab]

Guys I dont know about the rest of ye but this post has been a real eye opener for me and fair play to OF for doing so. Jesus, it looks like we cant even compete at underage anymore. When we're getting hammered by Roscommon teams its time to wake up!!. As ye all know, the key to success at senior level is teaching the basic skills of the game to kids at a very early age. The reason Rhode have had such success at senior level over the last number of years is simple: Rhode N.S, Croghan N.S and Ballybryan N.S were breeding grounds for quality footballers. Why? Because Gerry Reidy, Gerry Hickey and Stephen Darby were (and in two cases still are) the principles. Footballing men through and through who imparted their knowledge of the game to kids every day. Is this not happening at any level?? How are these results so bad??? I cant believe this post hasnt generated more comment, we're in trouble guys if these results are anything to go by.

[manfromdelmonte]

if the county board cannot get their act together it is up to clubs themselves to get their act together.

there are clubs up in Roscommon who are EMPLOYING part time coaches to do coaching in their feeder primary schools.

these coaches are organising mini leagues etc during the spring and winter and other stuff so the volunteers in the clubs can get on with training and running teams once the fine weather hits

stop paying senior club managers. put the money into underage

[the bare biffo]

The role of the school is so important. Whatever any club coach does, he is only going to spend 2 or 3 hrs a week with kids and there is only so much can be achieved.
If you have a football or hurling man or woman in the school the exposure of the kids to GAA multiplies many times over. Not only in terms of actual coaching on the field but for want of a better word, the indoctrination of the kids. Imagine having Stephen Darby in the class room listening to him telling yarns about 1982 to the kids.

When I was in national school we had no organised sport and no GAA teacher in the school, in fact I ended up playing u-12 rugby because the only sporting teacher in the school was a rugby man from Kerry.
Then in first year in secondary we had Tony O'Keeffe for English. He was playing with Austin Stacks, had a few runs with Kerry and of course is a brother of Ger and cousin of John. He was looking after the school teams, and inevitably every class included football chat with Stacks being in the munster championship playing against Nemo rangers it was great stuff.

This year I started helping out with U-10's & U-12's in the local club. The 10's are wide eyed hang on every word and are mad to learn, they listen and try to do their best. In contrast a lot of th 12's have had too long been left to their own devices, just kicking around with no direction. It is very hard even at that young age to change bad habbits.

So if it's not being done in the schools it's an uphill struggle.

[manfromdelmonte]

exactly

and if you don't have a teacher who is into sport then the club need to fill the void

[Silken Thomas]

Are they selective results?

I don't see many Offaly victories there

[lovelyhurling]

I remember when i was 15 i hadnt hurled in 4 years, i was told by a friend that brian whelehan was coming to give a training session to the hurling team... i went to the training session as he was my hero and ever since i have never left the hurl out of my hand..Maybe some of these legends in the county should be paid to visit schools and give a talk and a training session encouraging youngsters to take up hurling and practice. Its like that lad down in wexford that wants hurling to be a subject in school.

[Lone Shark]

Right now before anyone starts setting up counter straw man arguments, I would like to stress that this is not me saying all is well - however while as always I have no doubt that Offaly's Future has the best interests of hurling in the county at heart, it does not make any sense to base a reaction on what are a hand picked selection of the results rather than the whole picture. Here is the whole picture (leaving out games against other Offaly teams):

Div 1 - Birr

Birr 2-2 Kilmacud Crokes, Dublin 2-14
Birr 1-3 James Stephens 1-7
Birr 5-11 Roscrea 0-2

Okay, the Kilmacud result was not good, but a four point loss to the eventual winners and a hammering of one of the two best teams in Tipperary are downright decent results. This was a good, if not spectacular performance.

Div 1 - Rynaghs

St Rynagh’s 1-3 Clarenbridge, Galway 2-5
St Rynaghs 0-2 Patrickswell 2-11

This is a fall from grace this year after last year no question. Not good, though again last year's performance proves that this was probably just a weaker vintage - it's not like the coaching in the club went from good to bad in a year.

Div 1 - Kilcormac/Killoughey

Kilcormac /Killoughey 1-5 Patrickswell, Limerick 4-7
Kilcormac /Killoughey 0-2 Clarenbridge 0-5

For a club who probably won't reach an under 14 final in Offaly this year, these were respectable defeats. You couldn't say they did well, but you couldn't say they were way off the pace either, and you have to remember again - this is up against the Galway and Limerick champions. Birr would probably have beaten either of these opponents - does that mean Galway and Limerick are even worse off than we are?

Div 2 - Tullamore

Tullamore 1-2 Bray Emmets, Wicklow 2-9
Tullamore 2-1 Celbridge 6-7

Didn't do particularly well, fair enough.

Div 2 - Ferbane/Belmont

Ferbane / Belmont 2-6 Celbridge, Kildare 2-6
Ferbane / Belmont 0-5 Bray Emmets 1-7

One good draw against a decent team and one poor defeat when they failed to score barely anything with the huge wind in the first half. Didn't get humiliated against county champions from elsewhere - hard to say that's a failure.

Div 2 - Coolderry

Coolderry 2-5 Trim, Meath 2-2
Coolderry 1-3 Lucan Sarsfield 3-6

Again, decent without being spectacular.

Div 2 - Shinrone

Shinrone 0-1 Lucan Sarsfields, Dublin 3-6
Shinrone 1-2 Trim 3-3

Not hectic, granted. They seem to have fallen off a lot from last year, though again this is a club which is more than pulling it's weight at underage inrecent years so an off year can possibly be excused, much like Rynaghs.

Div 3 - Seir Kieran

Seir Kieran 0-3 Dunloy, Antrim 4-3
Seir Kieran 2-2 Navan O’Mahony’s 2-1

One reasonably heavy defeat and one win against a team that probably has as many U-14 players as there are members in all of Seir Kieran club. No shame here at all.

Div 3 - Kinnitty

Kinnity 1-9 Navan O’Mahony’s, Meath 1-7
Kinnity 1-5 Dunloy 0-3
Kinnitty 2-9 Naomh Eamann 2-6
Kinnitty (Offaly) 1-3 Harps Gaels (Laois) 5-6

Reached a division 3 final - an excellent féile for them.

Div 3 - Shamrocks

Shamrock’s 1-3 Ballinteer St John’s, Dublin 2-7
Shamrock’s 1-0 St Mullin’s 5-3
Tinnahinch 9-8 Shamrock’s 0-0

Not good - one respectable defeat, two hammerings - I'll accept this is not good enough.

Div 4 - CRC Gaels

CRC Gaels 2-3 Ballinascreen, Derry 2-3 (lost to them on shootout)
CRC Gaels 2-2 Padraig Pearses 2-0

Again, no shame here. A very small Offaly club getting decent results against two county champions - no shame here whatsoever.

Div 4 - Drumcullen

Drumcullen 0-1 Padraig Pearses, Roscommon 5-14
Drumcullen 0-0 Ballinascreen 4-11

Okay numbers might not be great but if you even have fifteen at all then you should be able to work with them to be a bit better than this. Another club that will have to take a look at themselves, granted.

Div 4 - Clara

Clara 0-3 Clane, Kildare 3-7
Clara 0-1 Keady 8-10

Not great results, but Clane and Keady would be two out and out hurling clubs. This was a tough draw for Clara in fairness.

Div 4 - Na Fianna

Na Fianna 2-0 Keady, Armagh 5-8
Na Fianna 0-1 Clane 7-5

As above

Div 5 - Brosna Gaels

Brosna Gaels 0-2 Setanta, Donegal 2-8
Brosna Gaels 0-1 Belmullet 0-1
Brosna Gaels 1-5 St Oliver Plunkett’s 2-6

Not hectic but you're talking about a team who would be one of the weakest in Offaly at this stage. It's at this point where it's fairly unrealistic for home clubs to be very competitive.

Div 6 - Edenderry

Edenderry 1-0 London 3-6
Edenderry 0-2 Warwickshire 0-3

As above, but not great all the same.

Div 6 - Ballinamere/Durrow

Ballinamere/Durrow 5-6 Warwickshire 0-3
Ballinamere/Durrow 1-4 London 1-0
Ballinamere/Durrow 1-3 St Paul’s 3-5

I would have thought that B/D would maybe have been div 5 rather than 6, but this was reasonably decent without being spectacular.

My overall point is that when factoring in that this was a case of playing Féile winners from all over Ireland, it's unfair to expect midranking Offaly teams to compete that well. Hurling "tradition" is all very well but at fourteen years of age it's all about the basics and any county with the right enthusiasm and expertise can do that, so while a winner of one of the divisions would have been nice, I genuinely don't think that things were that bad as a whole. All clubs need to keep working hard and it's clear that some need to work harder than others, but you couldn't say that it's all rotten to the core based on the whole picture.