Corrigan calls for Parish Teams
Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 1:08 pm
For the Good Of Offaly Football, Clubs Need To Look Seriously At Forming Parish Teams
Thursday, 10 February 2011
Taken from the Midland Tribune
RHODE may have went very close in their recent Leinster Club Senior Football Championship final defeat by Kilmacud Crokes but despite that, there is no escaping the belief that the standard of club football in Offaly is slipping dramatically.
Last year, the general fare of club games, particularly in the league stages of the championship, rarely rose above the mediocre. There have been some outstanding games but these have been few and far between. Moments of genuine quality and excitement have been provided by individual brilliance rather than the excellence of a team unit.
With Offaly struggling at senior intercounty level, it is all too easy to paint a bleak picture and to be a prophet of doom - There is some light at the end of the tunnel for Offaly football and the emergence of some young players of real quality gives hope for the future.
In recent years, Offaly appear to have turned a corner: They have reached four Leinster Minor Football Championship finals and while defeat was their lot in all of these, they have at least begun to compete at this level.
Interestingly, Offaly's improvement at minor level has not been reflected in the U-21 grade and there is a need to make an impact in this competition.
Yet there is hope for the future, particularly with the quality of player that Offaly has produced in the past decade. Since Niall McNamee made his senior intercounty debut as a fresh faced seventeen year old in 2003, Offaly entered a bit of a barren spell but in the past three years, things have improved.
Niall McNamee may be the jewel in the Offaly crown but another Rhode man, Anton Sullivan is continuing to emerge as a county player of real potential. Walsh Island's Brian Connor should be a midfield power house for Offaly for the next decade plus and last Sunday another player to set the pulse racing emerged onto the scene, Tubber's Bernard Allen. Allen may still have it all to prove and we will watch his performances for Offaly in the Leinster U-21 Football Championship with particular interest (He really needs to do it at his own level first) but he is a very exciting prospect.
Interestingly, most of Offaly's best prospects are emerging in midfield or attack and developing quality defenders has to be a priority for a county that was always noted for the efficiency and toughness of its defenders.
Noel Graham and Paul McPadden are two other players that look equipped to play a lot of county senior football. Cappincur's, Graham is a powerful young man with a strong engine while McPadden, at the centre of a tug of war between Clonmore Harps and Rhode, is a very skilful and fast young forward.
Size is an issue with some of Offaly's brightest attacking prospects and Allen and McPadden are not big men. Defensively, Cian Donoghue, Joe O'Connor and Conor Lowry from last year's minor team have the potential to play at the highest level but they still have plenty of developing to do before they are drafted into a senior panel. Other young players with potential include Tullamore's John Moloney and Michael Brazil and Shamrocks' Nigel Dunne.
Offaly are producing good footballers and let no one be any doubt about that but there are major challenges ahead.
The standard of the club Senior Football Championship is one hell of a problem. It is just very poor and the situation that has emerged in the past couple of years where Rhode and Clara have been way out ahead of everyone is a very unhealthy one. Indeed it is down right worrying as Tullamore look to be the only club capable of getting up there to really challenge them at the moment.
Shamrocks remain a strong side but they have slipped and may slip further and while the likes of Ballycumber and Erin Rovers have done well in recent years, they are not good enough to win a championship.
The harsh reality is that this year, only three clubs, Rhode, Clara and Tullamore, will go to the post with a real chance of winning a championship, and there are doubts about Tullamore's prospects. Of course, a surprise can happen but that is unlikely and in any event, it would provide further grounds for concern about the standard of club football.
It is just an unhealthy situation and the time has arrived for clubs to have a serious look at the situation. Of course, clubs will be reluctant to give up their own identity and join forces with others but there is a broader picture that is way more important than any local interests. It is all about getting Offaly football back up the ladder and the club championship scene in Offaly is not conducive to that at the moment: And let no one be under any illusions about that.
Lets have a look at the clubs in the Senior Football Championship at the moment, starting with the parish at the top, Rhode. St Brigid's, relegated last year but favourites to bounce back and Clonmore Harps, the junior football champions last year are in that parish and imagine how powerful Rhode would be if they had the pick of the whole parish.
St Brigid's have quite a bit to offer to improve Rhode and the Casey brothers, Ken and Sean and David Egan would certainly make their team. Cian Donoghue would strengthen their defence and the increased competition for places would really drive everyone else on. It could be the spark that would transform Rhode from a team capable of challenging for the Leinster club championship to one capable of winning the All-Ireland.
Transfers from two Clonmore Harps players, James and Paul McPadden was approved at an Offaly GAA Management Committee meeting last week and has to be rubber stamped by a full County Board meeting while last year's junior footballer of the year, James Foy would challenge for a place in the Rhode attack.
At the moment, there is no hint that an amalgamation is on the cards but imagine if it did happen: It would certainly force every other parish to look at themselves as a parish outfit from Rhode would be unbeatable in the championship as it stands.
Edenderry would benefit from the two or three players that Ballyfore would provide, Walsh Island could certainly do with players from Bracknagh and Clonbullogue as their current team has too many weak links to win a championship.
Tullamore have a potent outfit on their own but they would be a lot stronger with the pick of players from Durrow: The Geraghty brothers, Brian and Niall would definitely nail down places and Paul Kinnarney would challenge strongly.
Imagine if the three clubs in Leamonaghan parish - Ballycumber, Erin Rovers and Doon - came together: Doon is among the front runners for the intermediate championship while Ballycumber and Erin Rovers have both done well in the senior championship. The three together would provide a very potent outfit.
Doon's James Coughlan, Trevor Phelan and Niall Kelly would all challenge strongly for places, among others while the bulk of the players would come from Ballycumber and Erin Rovers. Alan Flanagan,
Nigel Grennan, Richrd Dunne, Colm Quinn, Rory Guinan and Fergal Daly are among Ballycumber's best players while Erin Rovers have good players in Richard Fox, Jeffrey Cuskelly, Declan Kelly, Jason Devery, Alan Lynam and Barry Buckley. The three clubs combined would definitely provide a much more potent outfit, one that could possibly win a championship.
Then there are the parishes in the football end of the county that are not providing senior football at all. It is a travesty to note that there is no senior football team in Daingean (Ballycommon, Cappincur, Daingean and Kilclonfert) and Killeigh (Ballinagar, Raheen, Killeigh and Killurin) parishes and even if Kilclonfert or Raheen won the Intermediate Football Championship next year, they would not contend for the Dowling Cup.
No one in those parishes can stand over that situation and there is an onus on everyone involved to have a serious look at it.
Such drastic moves as clubs coming together will not happen over night but it is worth throwing it out there and giving people food for thought. And don't forget that Offaly football would improve if it were to happen.
For the record, the clubs in next year's Senior Football Championship are:
Group A - Rhode, Tullamore, Ferbane, Tubber, Edenderry and Erin Rovers;
Group B - Clara, Shamrocks, Walsh Island, Ballycumber, St Rynagh's and Gracefield.
Of these, only Ferbane, Shamrocks, St Rynagh's, Clara and Tubber (Which straddles both Offaly and Westmeath sides of the border) provide parish teams.
Grand In Theory But Smaller Clubs Suffer With New Minor Rule
THE thinking behind the new Offaly GAA rule that means minor players can only compete in their own grade until the group stages of the minor leagues are competed is grand in theory but it is proving to be a nightmare for some smaller clubs.
The rule means that minor players cannot play adult league during the group stages of the minor league. We understand the reasons for it and the need to protect minor players from too much football: They have a lot on their plate with schools and club football and exams but it is the smaller clubs who are suffering.
A couple of clubs, at least, broke the rule when the first round of the Adult Football Leagues took place last weekend. In one case, they would have had to concede a walkover if they didn't use minor players and that is a situation no one wants.
It is not nice or right to have clubs breaking rules but in this case we have to have sympathy for the predicament some clubs found themselves in.
The bigger clubs have an ample pick but a small junior or intermediate only club could find themselves stretched to the maximum by this rule: A club with three or four minor players good enough to be on their first team, a player or two not available because of county commitments and a few more unavailable because of injury or other reasons could find themselves unable to field a team in some games. And if that happens, it is a really sad situation.
The rule is well intentioned but is it political correctness gone mad? The MBTW is not sure but there is one certainty and that is that minor players are well able for plenty of games. Many are also dabbling in soccer and rugby and to stop them playing adult football is questionable. Maybe they do need to be wrapped in cotton wool and they need that protection in rules but we are not convinced.
All view points are welcome to kevin@tullamoretribune.ie.
Thursday, 10 February 2011
Taken from the Midland Tribune
RHODE may have went very close in their recent Leinster Club Senior Football Championship final defeat by Kilmacud Crokes but despite that, there is no escaping the belief that the standard of club football in Offaly is slipping dramatically.
Last year, the general fare of club games, particularly in the league stages of the championship, rarely rose above the mediocre. There have been some outstanding games but these have been few and far between. Moments of genuine quality and excitement have been provided by individual brilliance rather than the excellence of a team unit.
With Offaly struggling at senior intercounty level, it is all too easy to paint a bleak picture and to be a prophet of doom - There is some light at the end of the tunnel for Offaly football and the emergence of some young players of real quality gives hope for the future.
In recent years, Offaly appear to have turned a corner: They have reached four Leinster Minor Football Championship finals and while defeat was their lot in all of these, they have at least begun to compete at this level.
Interestingly, Offaly's improvement at minor level has not been reflected in the U-21 grade and there is a need to make an impact in this competition.
Yet there is hope for the future, particularly with the quality of player that Offaly has produced in the past decade. Since Niall McNamee made his senior intercounty debut as a fresh faced seventeen year old in 2003, Offaly entered a bit of a barren spell but in the past three years, things have improved.
Niall McNamee may be the jewel in the Offaly crown but another Rhode man, Anton Sullivan is continuing to emerge as a county player of real potential. Walsh Island's Brian Connor should be a midfield power house for Offaly for the next decade plus and last Sunday another player to set the pulse racing emerged onto the scene, Tubber's Bernard Allen. Allen may still have it all to prove and we will watch his performances for Offaly in the Leinster U-21 Football Championship with particular interest (He really needs to do it at his own level first) but he is a very exciting prospect.
Interestingly, most of Offaly's best prospects are emerging in midfield or attack and developing quality defenders has to be a priority for a county that was always noted for the efficiency and toughness of its defenders.
Noel Graham and Paul McPadden are two other players that look equipped to play a lot of county senior football. Cappincur's, Graham is a powerful young man with a strong engine while McPadden, at the centre of a tug of war between Clonmore Harps and Rhode, is a very skilful and fast young forward.
Size is an issue with some of Offaly's brightest attacking prospects and Allen and McPadden are not big men. Defensively, Cian Donoghue, Joe O'Connor and Conor Lowry from last year's minor team have the potential to play at the highest level but they still have plenty of developing to do before they are drafted into a senior panel. Other young players with potential include Tullamore's John Moloney and Michael Brazil and Shamrocks' Nigel Dunne.
Offaly are producing good footballers and let no one be any doubt about that but there are major challenges ahead.
The standard of the club Senior Football Championship is one hell of a problem. It is just very poor and the situation that has emerged in the past couple of years where Rhode and Clara have been way out ahead of everyone is a very unhealthy one. Indeed it is down right worrying as Tullamore look to be the only club capable of getting up there to really challenge them at the moment.
Shamrocks remain a strong side but they have slipped and may slip further and while the likes of Ballycumber and Erin Rovers have done well in recent years, they are not good enough to win a championship.
The harsh reality is that this year, only three clubs, Rhode, Clara and Tullamore, will go to the post with a real chance of winning a championship, and there are doubts about Tullamore's prospects. Of course, a surprise can happen but that is unlikely and in any event, it would provide further grounds for concern about the standard of club football.
It is just an unhealthy situation and the time has arrived for clubs to have a serious look at the situation. Of course, clubs will be reluctant to give up their own identity and join forces with others but there is a broader picture that is way more important than any local interests. It is all about getting Offaly football back up the ladder and the club championship scene in Offaly is not conducive to that at the moment: And let no one be under any illusions about that.
Lets have a look at the clubs in the Senior Football Championship at the moment, starting with the parish at the top, Rhode. St Brigid's, relegated last year but favourites to bounce back and Clonmore Harps, the junior football champions last year are in that parish and imagine how powerful Rhode would be if they had the pick of the whole parish.
St Brigid's have quite a bit to offer to improve Rhode and the Casey brothers, Ken and Sean and David Egan would certainly make their team. Cian Donoghue would strengthen their defence and the increased competition for places would really drive everyone else on. It could be the spark that would transform Rhode from a team capable of challenging for the Leinster club championship to one capable of winning the All-Ireland.
Transfers from two Clonmore Harps players, James and Paul McPadden was approved at an Offaly GAA Management Committee meeting last week and has to be rubber stamped by a full County Board meeting while last year's junior footballer of the year, James Foy would challenge for a place in the Rhode attack.
At the moment, there is no hint that an amalgamation is on the cards but imagine if it did happen: It would certainly force every other parish to look at themselves as a parish outfit from Rhode would be unbeatable in the championship as it stands.
Edenderry would benefit from the two or three players that Ballyfore would provide, Walsh Island could certainly do with players from Bracknagh and Clonbullogue as their current team has too many weak links to win a championship.
Tullamore have a potent outfit on their own but they would be a lot stronger with the pick of players from Durrow: The Geraghty brothers, Brian and Niall would definitely nail down places and Paul Kinnarney would challenge strongly.
Imagine if the three clubs in Leamonaghan parish - Ballycumber, Erin Rovers and Doon - came together: Doon is among the front runners for the intermediate championship while Ballycumber and Erin Rovers have both done well in the senior championship. The three together would provide a very potent outfit.
Doon's James Coughlan, Trevor Phelan and Niall Kelly would all challenge strongly for places, among others while the bulk of the players would come from Ballycumber and Erin Rovers. Alan Flanagan,
Nigel Grennan, Richrd Dunne, Colm Quinn, Rory Guinan and Fergal Daly are among Ballycumber's best players while Erin Rovers have good players in Richard Fox, Jeffrey Cuskelly, Declan Kelly, Jason Devery, Alan Lynam and Barry Buckley. The three clubs combined would definitely provide a much more potent outfit, one that could possibly win a championship.
Then there are the parishes in the football end of the county that are not providing senior football at all. It is a travesty to note that there is no senior football team in Daingean (Ballycommon, Cappincur, Daingean and Kilclonfert) and Killeigh (Ballinagar, Raheen, Killeigh and Killurin) parishes and even if Kilclonfert or Raheen won the Intermediate Football Championship next year, they would not contend for the Dowling Cup.
No one in those parishes can stand over that situation and there is an onus on everyone involved to have a serious look at it.
Such drastic moves as clubs coming together will not happen over night but it is worth throwing it out there and giving people food for thought. And don't forget that Offaly football would improve if it were to happen.
For the record, the clubs in next year's Senior Football Championship are:
Group A - Rhode, Tullamore, Ferbane, Tubber, Edenderry and Erin Rovers;
Group B - Clara, Shamrocks, Walsh Island, Ballycumber, St Rynagh's and Gracefield.
Of these, only Ferbane, Shamrocks, St Rynagh's, Clara and Tubber (Which straddles both Offaly and Westmeath sides of the border) provide parish teams.
Grand In Theory But Smaller Clubs Suffer With New Minor Rule
THE thinking behind the new Offaly GAA rule that means minor players can only compete in their own grade until the group stages of the minor leagues are competed is grand in theory but it is proving to be a nightmare for some smaller clubs.
The rule means that minor players cannot play adult league during the group stages of the minor league. We understand the reasons for it and the need to protect minor players from too much football: They have a lot on their plate with schools and club football and exams but it is the smaller clubs who are suffering.
A couple of clubs, at least, broke the rule when the first round of the Adult Football Leagues took place last weekend. In one case, they would have had to concede a walkover if they didn't use minor players and that is a situation no one wants.
It is not nice or right to have clubs breaking rules but in this case we have to have sympathy for the predicament some clubs found themselves in.
The bigger clubs have an ample pick but a small junior or intermediate only club could find themselves stretched to the maximum by this rule: A club with three or four minor players good enough to be on their first team, a player or two not available because of county commitments and a few more unavailable because of injury or other reasons could find themselves unable to field a team in some games. And if that happens, it is a really sad situation.
The rule is well intentioned but is it political correctness gone mad? The MBTW is not sure but there is one certainty and that is that minor players are well able for plenty of games. Many are also dabbling in soccer and rugby and to stop them playing adult football is questionable. Maybe they do need to be wrapped in cotton wool and they need that protection in rules but we are not convinced.
All view points are welcome to kevin@tullamoretribune.ie.
