Un Cambio Es Bueno

[Offalys Future]

Fortunately this isn’t, contrary to what some people seem to think, the forum where Offaly GAA business actually takes place.

It is however very welcome news that Dermot Healy has taken up an ambassadorial role in devising and implementing a hurling coaching programme for all Offaly clubs (which seems to be just a part of his scope of work).

A committee, under Dermot's stewardship, has been formed and is currently putting together a plan for Offaly hurling. The findings will be presented at an open forum in Dooly’s Hotel on the 10th of September this year.

The opportunity is there for every individual, every club and the county board itself to get involved in and support this plan/review to ensure that it doesn’t end up on the shelf like previous attempts.

Given Dermot Healy’s track record one cannot but live in hope. Uibh Fhailí abú.

This certainly is a small step in the right direction.

Who is on the committee that is putting together a plan for Offaly hurling? Surely there should be option to allow an Offaly supporter the chance to submit ideas via a questionnaire etc. The GAA did this for their strategic plans and it worked well.

[jimbob17]

I think this is fantastic.....finally something positive being done / addressed....

Would have a small little reservation though......in my opinion this wont work to its full capacity UNLESS Offaly coaches etc are engaged in the whole process and decision making process...... Coaches need to feel fully part of this and not feel as if they are "told what to do" as knowing some out there, they will follow the opposite of what is recommended just to do it the "OFFALY WAY" with auld shtyle tactics and methods like they did it in the good aul days......

While this may seem cynical and unhelpful, there are still a lot of these type of characters involved in coaching right thro Offaly hurling and this ethos is what is holding us back.....These coaches need either to be educated in the modern game or replaced with better versions.....In a voluntary organisation where power and status in clubs is often more important than who best fits a coaching job, we must recognise that any new proposals are only as good and will be only as successful as the people that are charged to implement them......

[Plain of the Herbs]

Piece about Diarmuid Healy's committee in the local paper this week.

This nugget caught my eye - "Coaching officer, Pat Cleary said that one of the benefits of the committee is that it is comprised of people from the traditional hurling strongholds in the south of the county."

What a relief that there are no infidels from that neighbouring county the far side of the Five Alley to poke their noses in.

(that's sarcasm on my part, by the way, before someone starts jumping up and down.) I really want to believe Cleary was being sarcastic but I have my doubts.
http://www.midlandtribune.ie/articles/s ... committee/

[Truesupporter]

Plain of Herbs,
I was so disappointed this morning when I read that article in the Tribune, and in particular the Coaching Officer's comments but not surprised in any way. It is a large part of the problem that some people from south Offaly believe that they, and ONLY they can play hurling. God help those of us from the dreaded North that we may dare to play hurling!! (never mind being successful!)
I would hate to think what we would do if we had a large county. This committee is doing a job for the WHOLE county, not just a pocket of it. I would be very annoyed to think that the only way to be on this committee is if you live in the south of Offaly. There are plenty of wise hurling people in the whole county and they should be included. Apart from the people who were named on the Tribune as being on the committee, are there any other members? Interesting to see that the meeting on September 10th is in Birr. I think I can see what way this is going......!!
The most disappointing aspect of the Coaching Officer's remarks are that he is living in North Offaly and involved in Ballinamere club,who are current Leinster Club Hurling champions!

Apartheid is alive and well in Offaly in 2014 it seems.

[Lone Shark]

Sadly, that wasn't the only deeply depressing comment from Mr Cleary. This caught my eye:

Mr Cleary felt that county players should be more available to clubs. He stated that he felt Offaly minor footballers received a heavy beating from Dublin because players weren't more available to their clubs.

When we consider that Offaly started the match against Dublin without a potential starting centre back due to the same player getting injured in an adult league division 3 game, I'm guessing Paschal and the management team mightn't agree with this.

I'm not saying that this isn't an issue, or that there isn't one off issues like we saw for the KK vs Rynaghs football game, but clubs get quite decent access to their players in Offaly relative to other counties and whatever the reasons are for our poor performances, this isn't one of them. I guarantee you that none of the Dublin minor footballers were playing lower division adult hurling league during the first half of the year.

[jimbob17]

Read it too and just smacks of exactly the shortsightedness that exists in the county. Couldnt believe it.....Just confirms the ignorance and apartheid that is already there that everyone in north offaly hurling feels.....With people like him involved who cannot see beyond his nose, no wonder we are where we are.....The underage hurling development squads have been an absolute disaster in certain quarters for the last few years when under this mans control as coaching officer in comparison to Alan Mulhall's relative success in the football development squad co-ordination......

[babsandbond]

What a disgrace of an article and I'm from birr.As long he's one of the head coaches where in the name are we going.I don't think there is anybody in the county even to sort out a decent structure at underage for us we might have to go further a field and if there is them clowns on the county board would probably not appoint them..."If you hurled in the 80s or 90s come on in and sort the mess..you don't need coaching papers...just ex hurlers"!

[Offalys Future]

These comments are at absolute disgrace, but to me not surprising at all.

Dermot Healy apart the wrong people are on this committee. Where is the coaching and development officers? Where is the post primary liaison officer? Where is the current club coaches? Where are the school coaches?
Why is there 3 representatives from one club and two from another on a committee of 7 people.
Why is it necessary for a business man to chair the meetings?

This is just madness. Transform Offaly hurling my arse. County Board are out of their dept.

How can a submission be sent? This is a half arsed joke of a plan that will ultimately fail. A very sad day for Offaly hurling if this is what they call reform.

[Plain of the Herbs]

This is worse - "Mr Padraig Boland stated that Offaly has one of the lowest take ups on coach education in Leinster. He complained that very few go on to attend level 1 and 2 coaching courses. 'We need to be raising the bar,' he said."

So there are damn-all coaches in the county anyway. Forget the Foundation level. I've done a Foundation level course in football with a club in Dublin (for the craic, like) and while I wouldn't say it was a complete waste of time, you don't need to actually know anything (and I mean anything!) about football to be attend the course and be awarded the qualification.
http://www.midlandtribune.ie/articles/s ... committee/

[kingscounty]

Same old same old , past players been used again and again , ah sure maybe the boys have a few sons we could put them on to an Offaly team sure them boys auld lads hurled with Offaly. Just wondering will the €45k grant be used here? If I was a young lad from Gracefield, Edenderry , killeigh , raheens , etc I wouldn't be to encouraged to play hurling when you read crap like this. Anyone know what qualifications these guys have apart from playing on an Offaly team? Are they strength and conditioning experts , do they have coaching courses experience, are they up with the times as to how the game is moved on and played today , (maybe we should be still ground hurling ) that old gem will be used I'm sure. It's simple the game needs to be developed in schools and clubs in the whole county thus you get a larger pool of players to pick from. Edenderry are always in the shake up for junior A , Gracefield improving after junior b last year, Killeigh playing in division 2 of league and have good minor teams, if anything promote hurling better in these areas get the county as a whole interested and you have more sponsorship opportunities and more kids taken up the game.

[babsandbond]

What I found so funny about it all was boland stated that we have a habit of doing our dirty washing in offaly in the public eye..He then went on to slate the offaly players(in public).Hes out of his depth and should step down sooner rather than later..I think the players do have alot to answear for but to say sheedy or Cody couldn't manage them is incorrect because these players have only played under very ordinary managers and still hung around.ex hurlers sorting out offalys problems again...oh good god please open your eyes cb

[townman]

don't mind Padraig Boland his the worse chairman since his sidekick Tommy Bryne was chairman and he is still there, silly remarks by Pat Cleary this is the same Pat Cleary who i sat beside in tullamore and left an offaly match at half time to watch a rugby match glad to see Dermot Healy getting on board again offaly need a few more with a hurling brain to turn this around not the crowd of muppets on the CB.

[Truesupporter]

Townman,

It is very easy to castigate all of the County Board and blame all and sundry on it.

However, I will remind you that one member of the County board is Andy Gallagher, the ONLY Offalyman to date to have managed Offaly to an All Ireland senior hurling title in 1981 and he is from North Offaly. He had the vision to get Diarmuid on board as coach, and was instrumental in getting the open draw in Leinster, both of which helped bring the success of 1980 and 1981. He has never been given the credit for what he did. Offaly hurling was in the doldrums when he took over as manager in 1976 and with hard work from a lot of people it was turned around. This can be done again. I would advise you to read Enda Mc Evoys book about Fr. Tommy Maher to get the correct story of Offalys breakthrough in the 80's and give credit where it is due

[Toxicity234]

http://hoganstand.com/Offaly/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=221122

Jesus. Disappointment comment from the County Board chairman. Blaming the players. the only thing in the county that we can't change is the players,
Pissing them off is only shooting yourself in the foot.
But not surprising that this Chairman is more interested in protecting his own statue than improving the things that can be improved in the county.

Blaming the players instead of working with then is very disappointing. saying that Coady couldn't management then just should how stupid this chairman is.
It does nothing to build the confidence of Offaly people.
Its so negative it shocking that any county board chairman could make a comment like that.

If the man had any respect for the County he resign after that comment.

The more i think about it the more upset and anger i get.

It like a chairman going into a company and tell all his employee that their shit after they had give up 4 night a week to work for free.

If i was a hurler in Offaly i would hurl for that Bollox after that comment.

[townman]

Townman,

It is very easy to castigate all of the County Board and blame all and sundry on it.

However, I will remind you that one member of the County board is Andy Gallagher, the ONLY Offalyman to date to have managed Offaly to an All Ireland senior hurling title in 1981 and he is from North Offaly. He had the vision to get Diarmuid on board as coach, and was instrumental in getting the open draw in Leinster, both of which helped bring the success of 1980 and 1981. He has never been given the credit for what he did. Offaly hurling was in the doldrums when he took over as manager in 1976 and with hard work from a lot of people it was turned around. This can be done again. I would advise you to read Enda Mc Evoys book about Fr. Tommy Maher to get the correct story of Offalys breakthrough in the 80's and give credit where it is due

yes i know what he done but as you said that was 1980 the game and alot more has move on since, aren't we saying offaly hurling is living in the past long enough, Andy rules with an iron fist in offaly and has a say in lots of things like bring hurling out of Birr to pay for his pride and joy that is O'Connor park. its time for a change its not working the way it is run now, what happen 39 years ago is no good for today, its a fresh young view people to keep up with the times not people who live in the past like the CB we have.