Kilkenny GAA Thread

Thanks, finally worked it out...

Is it time for a fourth club in Kilkenny city to bring players standards up.

The biggest issue with this is attracting members and players, personally I think it would be a very hard thing to do. That's not to say it shouldn't be done however.

A couple of questions though:

1. Where would it's grounds and support base draw from?
2. What schools can be used as a feeder or base for the club?

Just some information for you, of the three existing city clubs O'Loughlins have the largest population approx 11.5K, followed by the Village with about 11.2k with the Boro bringing up the rear with just over 8k people. These are big numbers compared to a lot of the smaller rural clubs but a few beat the Boro. However as big as these populations are obviously not everyone in these areas will play GAA or keep it up. The other thing to note is with an equal population Portlaoise only has one club in the whole town so while the situation in Kilkenny is not ideal it's far superior to a situation like that. Most of the schools in the city are in either the Boro or the Village.

I do have a proposal however, If you look at the neighboring clubs to those in the city, one stands out as in dire need of help with playing numbers. The clubs that boarder the city teams are St Martins, Clara, Danesfort, GBC and Threecastles. If Threecastles was brought into the city in terms of "no Parish rule" then this could greatly enhance Threecastles ability to attract players. They are close to the city, they have existing facilities and loose their good players to St Lactains as they often struggle to field a team. Yeah this teams would be starting at the bottom but it has pitch and dressing rooms already and could with some hard work from those involved entice lads who aren't making the city Senior or Junior teams out the road and this could have a huge benefit to Threecastles and the players involved.

It would only work if the Boro (or another club with a big pick at a given age group) bought into the idea themselves and see some benefit to them as a club. The mention earlier of Cork doing this with their development squads may point the way: you can develop more players to a higher standard for the longer term by having 30-40 lads at Roinn A instead of 20. The sacrifice is you probably don't win as many trophies underage.

Your Threecastles idea is a good one, and think it would also work to expand it at underage level. As a kid who was useless myself, the Boro was far too big a club and people like me were left by the wayside, there just wasn't the interest in trying to keep us involved to be honest. If the option was there to go down the road to Threecastles you'd have to think a lot of kids and their parents would take it, where they would be taken in and given attention. I don't think the Boro/village/O Loughlins would go for it but the fact is they wouldn't be losing anything other than players they don't really want anyway (unless things have changed radically since I was a kid). But unlike the split panel thing, the county board wouldn't need them to agree with it.

The Boro might have the smallest population but because the biggest and most popular primary school in Kilkenny is in the parish, the club pulls players from all over Town and beyond. Buckley grew up in the Village but attended Canices.

Their underage teams are littered with lads from John’s and to a lesser extent Pats. Their top prospect at U15 lives in Thomastown.

None of the City clubs have any interest in developing players. Bottom line is wins. They know they’ll turn over players at a higher rate than rural clubs but there’ll always be up and coming players to fill the gap.

Why should they be brought into the city it would make a laugh out of the Freshford under age , they should be part of St lachtains but due to difficult people on both sides they broke up. They tried about 10 years ago to get the two sides back together but no success due to staunch people.

I wouldn't disagree and I understand there are resolute people on both sides but the fact still remains that Threecastles exists (just) and this would be a way of giving it a leg up. Perhaps Freshford people would just like to see it fail completely and absorb it but Threecastles does have a long and storied history with proud people involved. It would take serious effort and mediation for both sides to come together happily. Anyway it's just an idea on a forum there isn't a hope in hell of it happening so I wouldn't be too worried.

Tell that to the current Boro panels we have a plethora of small players from senior right down the age groups, their often some of the better players too.

I respect both ends of that parish great people would do anything for you, the community spirit would be better in Threecastles but as regards unification long ways off.

My guess this weekend is victories for Ballyhale, OLG, Boro, Tullaroan, Clara and James Stephens

Tend to agree, Boro and OLG struggling for form big time this year. New managements seem to be struggling to get the best out of them. Rower might put it up to OLG aswell??

When Graigue Ballycallan hit over an equaliser with 8 minutes to go and a stiffish breeze behind them, it looked as if there could be a shock but 2 goals by the Shamrocks sealed victory. Hit a lot of wides. Colin Fennelly not in the game much but ended up with 2 goals and a point. Eoin and Brian Cody did well, Darren Mullen came on as a substitute, Adrian Mullen not togged out. If they repeat this performance, GB will be safe

OLG had a comprehensive win over the Rower, I think that 6 of their forwards got at least 3 scores, it was a good team performance. The Rower look to be in trouble, turned over a good few short puckouts. OLG were definitely more impressive than the Shamrocks today but you would think that the latter have another gear in them

B final was poor. Joe Fitz played full forward for Dunnamaggin despite not being able to walk. Borderline reckless playing him in my opinion from looking at him trying to move but obviously he must've been cleared to play by someone. Anthony Ireland Wall brilliant in the last 10 mins for Danesfort.

A final was very good. Boro looked like pulling away a couple of times but loads of dog in Tullogher who kept pulling it back and it was a very exciting finish. Harry Shine appeared to be having an ongoing argument with a Tullogher mentor on the sideline the whole game whatever was going on. Bar frees he was pretty anonymous and it was a chap called Matthew Kelleher who was doing the damage with some lovely scores. Boro strength in depth told in the end. They're bringing on lads of the same quality as their starters whereas Tullogher are bringing on U15s.

Not to keep beating the same drum but that result should be a huge kick in the arse for the county board and the competiton structure. Tullogher only barely won U15 B two years ago and here they are just losing out in an A final to the Boro. And yet only 6 teams in A.

I just heard bits and pieces of the minor because I went to the rower match.It was ticket only entry to the minor matches because this is the way its going to be next year when league matches return and probably for the later stages of the club and I think this caused a bit of trouble especially for older folks.The boro probably the better team but glennon who was outstanding probably missed a few frees who would of got another day.Fair play to tullogher I hope they can build on this but we seen with moincoin a few years ago they probably need to get out of junior and keep progressing tand keep lads interested.

A big crowd in thomastown yesterday but the rower have gone back alot.O loughlins were much better and deegan much better than the last day in attack.Eoin o shea has filled out a good bit and was strong in attack.owen wall and conor kelly were both very lively.

I attended. Tullogher were very unlucky. In the circumstances everything had tto got right and the ffew wides cost them. Also their younger players showed a bit of naievety. They finished with 3 15 YOs and an U14. They have decent U13s and play the B final today. If managed well they'll be up there with any rural clubs Golden Generation in the next decade. Comparing another club to Moon coin is Moot as Mcoin have abt 50 Jun hurlers at the minute which explains their lack of progress.