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REf Interesting point

I believe your theory is completely wrong.

Creggan (Int / Junior club) have 2 players on the current panel. They won a Junior all Ireland, and the team they beat had two players on the Waterford team that won the National league (one played in Midfield).

So if Waterford can win national titles with "Junior" players, how can it be seen as a weakness for Antrim to have junior players?

Totally agree with Help Out . I myself am award 1 level coach and haven't been asked to help out at my own club. I feel that I could improve players(either at my own club or elsewhere) but would be frowned upon if I helped out at another club

Sean Duffin, there are many courses available on, O'Donnells are looking for new young whistlers into the club and I think it would be an absolute pleasure for you to be one of them

is there any handball county teams or am I just being bizarre? My son is keen play himself and is looking to get with some other players who share similar interests and abilities?

Points well made by Paul Mullan. Let us try to get players at all clubs the chance to be exposed to better coaching/ / training . Equal opportunity for everyone. Need to be more emphasis on this to raise overall standard. Would be great for good coaches in strong clubs to help out elsewhere rather than sit out when they are not in management positions in their own club.

I was wondering if there are any young whistler coures coming up soon as I am really interested in becoming a referee for my club and also county. hopefully one day i will be able to referee big matches such as junior b championship finals. thanks for all the support from my club Tir na Nog and my county for helping me persue my dream of becoming an offical referee. UPA SAFFS AONTROIM ABU!!!

is there anymore trails for the minor hurling panel?

Re. Observer/Interesting point:
Suggesting all hurlers loyally playing for their club in the lower leagues are somewhat less talented than a division 1 hurler is frankly ridiculous IMO. Nicky English immediately springs to mind considering our “glory years” were so strongly referenced. It’s a view sadly often pedalled by the “elitists” within this county.
The attributes of courage, skill, athleticism, and knowledge are not bestowed only on the players from particular clubs. There might just be the odd wee rough diamond who readily accepted his invitation to join the panel and is fully prepared to be a “good soldier” and do whatever is asked of him and often more considering his inferiority complex. Given a small bit of guidance then maybe those players can reach their full potential, this being underpinned by the fact that they want to be there. If good enough, he stays. If pushed out by a better player then no argument.
Let’s just applaud Sundays display by our players and get behind them and Kevin Ryan for the rest of the campaign.
GRMA.

Firstly well done to the panel of players ON Sunday you served up a host of emotions it was brilliant to come away from Ballycastle feeling good about what was achieved.
Two Observations from Sunday’s Game that would bring us to the next level if sorted out:
Ob 1. Antrim have only one man who can consistently catch a high ball (other than the boy between the posts), he was deployed in the three-quarter line but named at full back, we need our County players to work on getting up and challenge with the hand rather than the hurl (the game of hurling has moved on and we need to move with it). Coaches in Clubs should be teaching the skill of catching so it becomes natural, look at Kilkenny.
Ob 2. We need to be more fluid or creative ‘making space’ Laois had twenty minutes in the first half where they showed Antrim how to move around and they are only copying the likes of Tipp and KK who have perfected it. Giving the opponent five to 10 yards space on the puc out is dangerous? In comparison we were static on the puc out.
What we done really well was hooking, blocking and winning the dirty ball which are required as a result of not being able to win primary possession in the first place, these are all secondary skills, the primary skill is to win the ball first time i.e. ‘catch the ball’ PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE GET UP WITH THE HAND AND WATCH IT INTO YOUR HAND LADS.

Where have all thr critics gone? Scan over some other guestbooks pertaining to Antrim hurling- loads of pages; loads of posts and generally piles of criticism. Their post rate from Sunday is rather curtailed! But it is easier to criticise and give negative opinions - what a waste of their brainpower. Try to see the positive in hurling and in life in general. You cannot always be a winner and won't always be right in my opinion? Well done Antrim.

not the right site to complain about but really dissappointed that ulster gaa website couldnt even write anything regarding antrims great win over laois at weekend, also havent seen much on this site either tut tut!!

Can an ref send u off after the game has ended

Well done yesterday - up and at it for the next game. Great timing. One piece of advice - don't leave it just as late- not good on the ticker.

Well done to saffrons today maybe people can get behind team now instead of slating the men who have worked hard for last 6 months

Some interesting points made by observer. When the county Hurling team was going well in the 1980's and 1990's the majority of the team were players were from Ballycastle ( who reached all ireland club final 1980), Loughuile ( who won all club all ireland 1983), Cushendall ( narrowly beaten in club semi finals on a number of occasions), Rossa ( beaten finalists in club all Ireland 1989), Dunloy ( beaten all Ireland club finalists on 4 occasions). These clubs were all obviously strong, even by national standards. Senior clubs like St John's, Sarsfields (1980's), St Paul's(1980's),always had a player or two involved. From time to time intermediate club players like Olcan Mc Fetridge of Armoy , the Graham's of Cushendun, the McDonnell's of Glenariffe, would have been involved, but generally speaking the County team was backbones by proven senior club players.
The county team at present has a much more diverse range of player in the panel. We have quite a few intermediate and junior club players.
It may well be a fair point to relate the drop in standard of our county team to the increase in panelists from weaker clubs, and generally weaker players. That said, the door has probably been left wide open for senior club players who are well capable of county hurling, but for their own reasons have decline the offer. We need to maybe look at why this is, if indeed it proves to be the case. It would be great to see our very best players represent the county senior hurling team, I think it would improve our chances of being competitive greatly.