Kilkenny GAA Thread

Not surprising to see heavy pitches given the rainfall over the week, racing had to be cancelled in Thurles only last Thursday.

Didn't see the Tipp game yesterday so didn't see the scoreboard but one of the things in Phil Hogan's report in how to maximise income from Nowlan Park is to digitalise it by bringing in digital advertising hoarding etc.. wouldn't be surprised if this will include changes to scoreboard.

I'll try to be fair and say DoC occasionally makes a good point but when it comes to the Cork Co. Board his views are always prejudiced. In my opinion it's a brilliant stadium and a credit to Cork. It will eventually get paid off and they are big enough a county to manage it. It's in the wrong place for visiting supporters as it's a bloody nightmare for parking though. But they have plenty of other sports to offer it to. 17 years ago he was complaining about having to piss on the floor in the dressing room. Now they're pissing in crystal urinals. You can't win.

Now he wants the fabled Centre of Excellence - the very model which is being seriously questioned in England in relation to soccer btw - but in fairness who would refuse one if they had one. And it's a broad term which can mean a lot of things. And Limerick seamed to steel a march on everyone with their approach. Or maybe they just had a freakish bunch. I'm not aware that they have some purpose built secret missile silo in a volcano where average chaps are experimented on with lasers to turn them into 6ft 5 AI driven robo hurlers. I think it's as much that they have UL there and the best in sports science and facilities with decades of experience. Not so easy to replicate if you don't have that. I'm not arguing against having something - but it needs to make sense.

Btw aren't Cork winning everything at underage now?

I'd be more concerned with the chancers and bullshit merchants and hangers on bleeding money out of both the ladies and the mens games at club and county level. It's completely unchecked and abused. Underage fees used to pay an outside manager and all that. backroom teams like American football. THAT gets my goat.

With all the talk on here recently of development centres of excellence, would we not be better off developing the game in the south of the county? Once you travel past ballyhale, you would struggle to find a club that has produced a senior county hurler in decades. With only a small number of clubs in the county we need to get the most from everywhere. Can the county board not concentrate on this area to help develop these clubs to produce players capable of starting for our senior team.

I said I'd give an update after last night's county board meeting on different things but probably not a whole lot to expand on. The February county board meeting is usually the busiest and longest so as I say not a massive amount of updates but there are a few. On the fund raising side of things there is a corporate breakfast with Mary McAleese as the guest speaker and a sit down discussion with Derek Lyng, Richie Hogan and Grace Walsh, 30 full tables sold so far and still hoping to get more in. A good few new advertising hoarding gone up in and around Nowlan Park and they're expecting more in the coming weeks, a new deal with Clubber expected to be announced soon for 2024 also. Another thing apparently ready to be launched is a new Kilkenny Gaa App which will be launched in the next few weeks.

Thanks for positive update. Keep it coming. Things are on the up as was witnessed around Cork last Saturday with minors, under 20s and seniors in action. A great buzz.

From what I know most of the work is being done by the officers of the boards and appointments onto various committee's. I think Phil Hogan is still working in the background and has been very involved in getting people into the business breakfast morning. I think a company in Dublin has come in and given a hand with the digital marketing side, I believe Hogan has agreed for them them to work free of charge for 3/5 years and then will agree to a payment price going forward but if they can bring in as much income as they say they can it will be well worth it.

You could hear the passion and pride Fennelly has for Kilkenny hurling in the interview, he seems a very motivated individual.

Best of luck to him and I’ve no doubt we will see the fruits of his & the other coaches work down the line.

Just a question relating to the changes to the age groups to U18. Ive heard conflicting reports of U18 players allowed to play adult hurling but not for the clubs 1st team. Is this correct or can any U18 player up to the age this year play for the clubs 1st team?

Offally at home sunday and our last league match at home for the year.We will be expected to get the win and bring us up to 5 points in the table. If we get anything from either of the last 2 matches it should put us in the top division next year. It is important for the development of players to be playing against the better teams plus the crowds will come when its better opposition.

It was a very valuable win in cork the last day. The match is probably forgotten about now but we mixed the good with the bad plus cork started very poorly.No team will dominate for 70 minutes but it has to be a concern how we cant manage games better when on top although we did do well to see that game out. Im thinking of the previous week we should of seen that out . It has happened alot over the last few years.

There doesnt seem to be anything new jumping out this season so far although it is early and conditions have being challenging. Corcoran is being tried at 6. Richie reid was in a boot the last day. We could do with someone putting their hand up for this postion. Some of the puckouts have being woeful.its inexcusable that these arent being worked on. Mikey carey will be a big help around midfield.

It will be intresting to see what he does with deegan who will probably return this weekend or next. I think he would bring more to the attack and i hope he is given a few games there. Jordon molloy is unlucky he picked up a hand injury that will rule him out for a while. Liam blanchfield picked up a hamstring a few weeks ago and he is another who could do with plenty of hurling. Tom phelan will miss most of the league. Stephen donnelly is another who could do with league time but he is injured.

I wouldnt mind seeing david fogarty getting a run in a few matches. Shane murphy was very good the last day and will also get a few more runs. Conor heary has being working hard but we will need him to be troubling the scoreboard if he is to make the team later in the year. Luke hogan came out of no where the last day. Ian byrne will probably get a run. He was coming on for ul. He has bulked up a good bit. Management will have to try unearth a few fowards so they will have to stay trying lads. So far its the same fowards who are hurling well. Its absolutely crucial we find a few fowards.

Offally are improving and have a good spine.They probably should of bet wexford.Kiely at 6 is a big unit. Realistically this is a match kk should be winning but they will also have to be tuned in. You would hope a few lads might get a run.

Team of the year!! we barely had any players in the semi final.

Jesus one time we used to dominate Fitzgibbon especially in UCD And Waterford IT but I feel now there is a lot of ethnic cleansing by colleges playing all there own local players stared by Davy Fitz with the Limerick colleges.

Eh that's not the wording I'd use.

Wouldn’t say we ever dominated the Fitz college teams maybe around 04-2010 there was a lot of players with wit ucd etc from Kilkenny but that was 14 15 plus years ago there’s been a steady decline in kk players on Fitz teams the last 10 years for sure which follows the trend of our underage record being poor over that period of time also

The finalists were: Mary I 3 Clare, 5 Tipp, 3 Limerick, 2 Waterford, 1 Galway, 1 Cork. The 3 subs were Galway, Tipp, Clare. 

UL 6 Limerick, 2 Galway, 3 Clare, 1 Cork, 1 Offaly, 1 Tipp, 1 Waterford. 

The subs were 3 Clare, 1 Limerick, 1 Kilkenny