Kilkenny And Gaelic Football

Never thought I'd be talking kilkenny football. As it happens, I got to play against kilkenny in senior football back in the ninetys. One of the kilkenny players that day went on to become a well known senior hurler , football obviously didn't do him any harm. When I hear people saying, what's the point or we'll only get big beatings, it has me asking why does anyone play football or hurling . I'm sure there's plenty of guys and girls who'd love to be part of a football setup, the training,the challenge, the fitness and how bloody great it is for their heads to go out playing. Is kilkenny that different to others I'm sure someone else will be able to answer

Nothing will be fixed overnight but there are clear steps being taken now and I'd bet those lads felt great wearing their county jersey.

Soccer probably is the second sport in the county and that is a blessing for those soccer clubs because they are reaping the rewards of talented lads that are basically shunned away from GAA in their teenage years as a consequence of not promoting Football and lads not interested/good enough at Hurling. In reality, clubs are missing out subs/registrations/funding because they can't offer girls and lads a competitive season.

Whatever the reason to introduce an U15 team again, I hope it's for the right reasons and we will see next year if there is a change at club level to promote the game a bit more.

The way our county board treats Gaelic football is a disgrace. Box ticking exercise is all it is to get money from croke park that is then spent on other things. Look at the under 15 team they started a few weeks ago. Who starts trials in October for a county team. Will play one match to get funding.

ladies football,

Fermanagh 10-12 - Kilkenny 0-5

what the absolute f*ck

The problem with most of those counties is the size of them (excluding Louth) and how far away the hurling clubs are away from each other.

Kilkenny have no such problems in terms of the size of the county and neighboring counties. Also, I read in 2022 there were 45 clubs in Kilkenny and 35 of them could field an adult team - what happened? Down to 26 adult teams in one year? Hastily pasted together football teams to get funding to put into hurling... surely not... 🙄

The 2nd part is correct. The first part is not. Not when counties see it as easier or financially more rewarding to cut or misuse a code.

Your last sentence baffles me. There's been nothing but criticism of these football counties seeking to strangle hurling in the national media for a long time. It's everywhere.

The 'Managed Decline' of hurling by the GAA is a callous ambition (the42.ie)

Five counties threatened with removal from Allianz Hurling League expected to retain places (irishexaminer.com)

It's been discussed on every gaa pod.

It’s just one article. There were dozens. I’m not doing your research for you. Segments on the Sunday game. Loads of pods discussed it.

There were countless articles and pods where hurling people from those counties outlined their struggle. Directly pointing the finger at their county boards. So I don’t understand that second paragraph at all.

This will be my final post on it.

There are clubs in Kilkenny playing two games in the championship? Yes? Or no? The county team plays twice, if they get to a final. What are you not getting? You're on a roundabout of your own making and you won't get off!

Ned Quinn came out with that spiel in 2013, oh other counties don't get abuse like we do for not playing hurling. Meanwhile they were sending out minor teams that were getting beaten by 70 or 30 points. Delegates wanted to stop fielding a team. But Ned said all we need is a team to compete. Why? A matter of pride says Ned. No, dear Ned. It's a matter of funding. They don't care what happens the players and they certainly don't help them. That's why they're down in the juniors - to keep out of the way of bad publicity. Now, back in 2013, someone supplied the football board with 67 players who were interested in playing... but when approached... no one seemed interested... wonder where they got the names from... See for yourself... (Dear Ned even makes the football issue about hurling. it's affecting our hurling image... unreal.)

THE reputation of Kilkenny is being “tarnished” by the bad publicity football is attracting, it has been claimed, writes John Knox.

And unless the county turns things around sharply, Kilkenny’s involvement or otherwise in the British junior championship this summer could turn out to be really embarrassing.

Even before the Kilkenny minor footballers were walloped by 34 points by Kildare in the Leinster championship last week, County Board officials voiced concerns about the game, the negative publicity it was drawing and the lack of commitment to it.

“It is embarrassing,” insisted County Board chairman, Ned Quinn. “I am embarrassed. Our reputation is being tarnished, especially in the face of our achievements in hurling.”

The chairman was speaking during a discussion at the monthly meeting of the County Board during which Football Board chairman, Tom ‘Cloney’ Brennan revealed that the county was in danger of not having a team for the British championship which commences in June.

Diabolical

“The response from clubs is diabolical,” Mr Brennan told the meeting after coming from a training session at which a mere six players turned up.

“We are about eight weeks away from the start of the championship, but we have no team,” he added.

Mr Brennan said that the team manager, Christy Walsh (Bennettsbridge), a former Kerry and Munster hurler and footballer, and selectors Pat Mulrooney (Clara), Malachy Hogan (Kilmoganny), Eugene Dunphy (Mooncoin) anf Frank O’Meara (Muckalee) were ready to walk away from a situation that seemed hopeless.

“What are we to do if we can’t field a team,” Mr Brennan asked. “There will be a lot of red faces if that happens.”

The Noresiders opted out of the National League this season after a series of heavy beatings during the last campagin and subsequently in the Leinster under-21 championship.

GAA President Liam O’Neill took a personal interest in Kilkenny’s plight and helped accommodate them in the less demanding British championship involving regional teams in England and Scotland so that they wouldn’t have to opt out of the game altogether at inter-county level.

However, the county is now struggling to assemble a squad after weeks of effort to encourage clubs to get players to make themselves available.

Abandon the idea

“Maybe we should abandon the whole thing,” Mr Brennan said when he challenged club delegates to make an extra effort to get players to have a change of heart. “No one wants to wear the black and amber when it comes to football, apparently.”

Mr Quinn informed the meeting that the football team management had deliberately chosen Monday as a training night so it wouldn’t interfere with club training. Still the players were not turning up.

“We have to produce the players for the panel,” he insisted.

Tom O’Reilly, secretary of the Football Board, said they received the names of 67 players at the start who, it was suggested, might be interested in joining the panel. The figures didn’t stack up when the players were approached.

“There is training going on in clubs tonight and we can’t get the players,” he said. “Everything is in place. We can’t do any more. It is up to the club now to get behind us or we will end up with egg on our face.

“Go back to your clubs and tell the players to come in to training,” he urged.

One delegate wondered what could be done if players just didn’t want to join the squad.

Tommy Bawle (Dicksboro) said that the secretaries and chairmen of the County and Football Boards might make a personal approach to 24 players to get them to form a squad.

“All we need is a team to compete,” Mr Quinn said. “We are in a serious situation.”

Former county football manager, Dick Mullins (Erin’s Own) wondered would clubs have a chance of heart later seeing that June was free of major club hurling games.

“The players can play with their clubs until May 19 and then they could help football,” he suggested in reference to a break in the local leagues while the county teams prepares for the Leinster championship.

He was told that wouldn’t work because flights and accommodate had to be booked, and there was the added complication of having passports sorted.

“It will be very, very serious if we don’t get a team,” Ned Quinn insisted. “I hate to see our name being slated because of football. Other counties don’t have hurling teams, but they don’t get walloped for that like we do over football.”

Fair enough. This is where I got the info from: 'Fogarty knew that he would encounter some questions based on his home county.

How could someone push two codes when Kilkenny don’t play football?

He has the answer to that. There are 44 clubs in Kilkenny and 35 field an adult football team.'

Will GAA build on Martin Fogarty’s crusade to fix hurling’s crisis? (irishexaminer.com)