Just a comment on the Clodiagh Gaels situation. Killeigh parish traditionally had a football side, based on the Geashill and Cloneygowan areas, with Ballinagar playing in the JFC.llkj wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 3:50 am I spent 20 mins looking at this year's adult hurling championship in Offaly as I am always curious about participation levels in the sport.
Here is the summary.
Couple of Interesting points:
- There are 21 hurling clubs with 45 teams across all divisions in total (I am not counting Clareen's 3rd team as they didn't fulfill any fixtures).
- KK have 4 teams entered in Senior, Senior B, Junior, Junior B. This is the most per any one club.
- 6 clubs entered just 1 team. Mainly these are junior and junior B clubs, with Clara operating at Senior B being the highest ranking of the mono team clubs - their goal should be a second team at Junior B level asap.
- The 10 senior clubs entered 28 of the teams .Of those clubs, the second teams operate at at Senior B or Intermediate level, apart from balinamere (Junior) and Drumcullen - whose 2nd team operate at Junior B level, which is a huge gap - especially when trying to arrange a 15 v 15 game at training. For instance Drumcullen's 2nd team would be competing against Kks fourth team.
- Rynaghs, CoolDerry, Birr, Belmont, Shnirone, Ballinamere, Tullamore - all have 3 teams that played champtonship this year.
- Clodagh Gaels, kinnitty, Drumcullen, Clareen, Lusmagh, Carrig, Shamrocks, - all have 2 teams playing championship.
Of the recently amalgamated clubs Clodagh Gaels now only have 2 teams. Considering that Raheen, Killeigh, Killurin all used to at least have 1 team each, it is disappointing, as they playing numbers should be there.
BallyS / Killavilla only having one team is probably due to a lower numbers base there, but still a huge fallback from 15 years ago when both clubs were senior in their own right.
Great to see Edenderry and Gracefield with teams. Would love to see more clubs make an attempt to get a team going again - Daingean parish, Rhode parish.
I am not sure if 45 teams is about average or not. I would love to compare it to 10, 20, 30 years ago to see how it stacks up, but I wouldn't know where to get such data without having access to old programs.
Players from all sides could play SF with the parish team, and continue playing junior football, with their local club. This no longer applies.
The Killeigh and Killurin side of the parish, were known as the hurling side, but also played in the junior football championship. They played as Killeigh, and occasionally one or two players from the football area, were included. In 1985, Killurin affiliated as a separate team, they were promoted to Intermediate at one stage, while Killeigh eventually dropped back to junior hurling, Raheen entered a team in the JHC at one stage. That meant 3 hurling teams in the parish.
That situation helped nobody, but when Na Fianna at underage won a MInor A hurling title in 2015, moves began to form one parish team, and as the continuing availability of players was becoming an issue, Clodiagh Gaels began life in 2016 as the combined hurling team drawing from all parts, including Raheen. Contacts had been made over time prior to the successful amalgamation, but came to nothing until the decision to unite as one team in 2016.
I strongly believe that having Clodiagh Gaels as a parish team is far better than reverting to the fragmented situation which applied up to 2016. Other parishes in Offaly have a number of local clubs, but no single parish team.
Sorry for going on at length, but it was important to sketch the background.