Glensleafer – Great to hear insight from Antrim. If you’re Loughgiel, commiserations at the weekend, If your Dunloy, congrats …
Re: Your comments on rugby – here’s a little anecdote for you …
I remember being in Ballygalget Co Down a few years back and slipped into the local GAA grounds to watch the local u-16 side hurl against a touring side.
Got talking to the father of the local centre forward who was the standout youngster on the home side in terms of physique / athleticism but hadn’t much in the way of natural hurling touch.
Anyway, Pops started to tell me that Jnr had trials with Glentoran youths and was invited onto their Milk Cup squad a fortnight from then. Pops then went on to say that Jnr had made up his own mind to focus on hurling because to be amongst ‘his own’ and because it was his ‘culture’ etc.
Didn’t see Jnr dribble the sliotar to make a call on his soccer skills but I can say with a reasonable certainly that he lacked the hurling skillset to mark him out as one to watch ahead of the 2021 Championship.
I personally think it will take about two generations before this mentality is weeded out of NI when people being to see sport for what it is. I accept what went before is something we don’t have to deal with in OY and elsewhere.
Can’t guess what your issue from rugby stems from but I can see your an ardent ash plant man.
Rugby would hardly be a threat to up and coming stickmen in the Glens or West Belfast? Correct me if otherwise please.
I’m guessing it might be because it’s the sport that “they” play or it’s the old Karl Marx argument that it’s the sport of the moneyed classes.
It might be worth your while coming down to Tallaght, Dingle, Castleisland, Golden, Gort, Tuam, Inverin, Carrick-on-Shannon , Ballyhaunis, Birr and Donegal town to see that normal people play, watch and enjoy rugby. If you don’t believe me, PM me and I’ll bring you to a club game next time your down.
Moreover, you will see a strong and a healthy cross-over in rugby and GAA in many parishes up and down the country. Monivea in Galway would be a firm example of that. Ja Fallon is currently seeing out a golden autumn for Tuam RFC.
Trevor Ringland, the former Irish international has a good organisation up there that encourages cross community attendance of sports called One Small Step. You can see the work its doing across NI here :
http://www.onesmallstepcampaign.org/media/
You should reach out to them to get some Ballymena RFC elders up to the Glens for a game or maybe head down to Eaton Park some Saturday afternoon yourself – although they are doing fairly shite at the moment.
One of the best stories to come out of last year’s Club AIF was DUP Mayor of Ballymoney, Cllr Ian Stevenson attending and supporting Loughgiel.
I’m not one for political stunts and essentiality I’m applauding someone for doing something normal but when you consider what folk in his party have done to sour cross community relations in the past, it was in my view a big step.