Kilkenny GAA Thread

Yes, I agree.

I agree completely, Kilkenny clubs and county badly need a facility that you have mentioned. A location around Kell's or Stoneyford would be a suitable location. Club matches can be played there when the weather is not suitable and the county teams have a base. At the moment it is impossible to maximise county training with changes in location, pitches unplayable and trying to cater for more or less 3 professional set ups(senior, u20 and minor) must be a logistical nightmare

On the facilities we have in Kilkenny I would go as far as saying we are about the worst in the country. Our facilities are way off most counties.

In the whole of Kilkenny we dont have what is called a "centre of excellence".

We have Dunmore and if anyone comes along saying it is a top class facility then they need their head examined. We have nothing.

How many clubs even have floodlights that can host a hurling match? Mooncoin, Muckalee, Piltowns back pitch, Dicksboro and a couple more but its pathetic. We are Kilkenny ffs.

We have lost out in the fact that we dont have a University campus in Kilkenny. SETU Waterford and Carlow have excellent facilities but we need to look further. Our nearest neighbours Wexford, Carlow, Waterford and Laois all have facilities that their inter county teams use that puts us back in the dark ages when comparing facilities. Good facilities wont guarantee all ireland winners but they would certainly help with player wefare/support etc.

At some stage we need to have a focal point and again dont anyone bring up Dunmore into this conversation as its a farce for a facility. Get a group of investors on board and state grant aid (every other county is at it) and develop something that will be the focal point for the next 30 years and something we would be proud of.

1) 1 full size grass pitch under lights with a stand capable of seating 3000-5000.

2) 1 full size 4G (astro pitch) under lights

3) 2 full size pitches adjacent to the above for training etc

4) Dressing/meeting rooms that can cater for 4-6 teams at any one time

5) Purpose built gym to cater for all inter county setups

Take a look at what JP has done with the Rathkeale setup in Limerick and see how an intercounty team can benefit from investment. I know thare arent too many JPs around but the KK county board should get off their arses and start being serious about this.

I thought the underage squads were split over 3 regions for logistical purposes. This would make sense, rather than dragging chaps from one end of the county to another for training.

I thoroughly agree about our lack of facilities but did Phil not present a plan a short time ago. It'll take a few years, not weeks!

Many of the Leinster counties, and others, with centres of excellence don't seem to have much payback in terms of success. The absence of a centre of excellence didn't hinder Kilkenny up to now. But, yes, to state once more - we do need to catch up with regards to facilities. I'll pin my hopes on Phil, not necessarily on the county board.

Re underage squads, dragging chaps from one end of the county to another (or out of the county on many occassions) for training is precisely what happens. Squads are not split based on their location, they are divided based on grading.

Even the local pitches have no stands, it’s not as if we have a summer two of the three city clubs are land locked and cannot expand. A few years back everyone thought the village were mad moving out to the Kells Road venue even the village lads thought so, it doesn’t seem so mad now does it as I said above a bit of vision is all is required. I’m so glad there is so much unity on this topic. The ordinary county board members must also be in favour of these ideas and is up to them to stand up and be counted. Just on another note Waterford GAA seems to be in a bit of trouble financially? They also lacked vision by not going in with WIT at the time even Walsh park was half arsed it should have been double the existing capacity or forget about it.

Anyone hear any updates on Juvenile Co.Board committee. Last I heard the Senior CCC had to step in to try and help sort out the mess they created regarding grading. Original draft seemed fair but the 2nd draft was a complete mess hence involvement of Senior CCC. I've lost all faith in that committee hopefully next year the clubs come together and vote them all out.

From what I hear, Phil is a very proud Kilkenny and hurling man. He approached the county board with ideas which included raising funds towards the betterment of Kilkenny hurling. I can't imagine him raising millions, handing it over to the Board, disappearing and allowing the board to continue to hoard the money. Furthermore weren't we informed by a poster here of the investment plans attached to Phil's fund raising.

Me too, I've lost all faith in them to do perform their roles properly. Favouring their own clubs when it comes to grading and not allowing any questions. Not good enough.

Probably tells you what Shefflin thinks of the young lads coming through in Galway if he's going back to Glynn. If he can recapture his 2017/2018 form he will be an asset to them but that's a long time to go without playing intercounty hurling!

With regards to ourselves and the trip to Ennis on Sunday, what kind of team are we likely to go with? Will he go with similar to the last 2 days or will he give a few more of the newer lads a run. A lot of lads on that panel who have got very little game time and if they don't play this weekend or next, are more than likely not going to see any game time this year.

The facilities we all crave for ought to be on the way following Phil Hogan's intervention. A small bit of patience is required. We won 36 senior titles without the benefit of a centre of excellence. Limerick's success was achieved without Rathkeale which was only developed recently.

GAA people throughout the country are dumbfounded when they're told of the facilities Ballyhale Shamrocks have at their disposal. It's only now that their development plans kicked off. How telling it would be if the Shamrocks were to drop back just when their new facilities come on board. The Village had a lot more success before they moved to their now expensive grounds.

Would Buckley park be any good or would it be to small, its sitting there doing nothing.

There you go, on the Shamrocks! I'm hopeful that Phil will knock the County Board into modern times. Be patient, we've been waiting a long time, let's give it bit more time.

I can't disagree.

Totally agree.