Derry hurling on the brink
“Hurling fanatic in a football town, he’s only a blow-in but he’s standing his ground, Listen to him talking, he is on a roll, there was fourteen others and myself in goal….. the small ball is your only man, pull it on the ground, get it in your hand, the small ball is your only man.” – The Saw Doctors
WHAT a difference a year can make. Twelve months ago Tom McLean led Derry to the Christy Ring Final, albeit they were comprehensively beat. Nobody could have predicted how the Oak Leaf hurlers have fallen since.
A well-documented collapse and a series of defeats plummeted Derry to the relegation trap door and after several chances to escape, a defeat at the hands of Mayo spelt the final straw.
Rather than put it up to Antrim in the Ulster championship, Derry’s challenge fizzled out without as much as a whimper. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Tom McLean’s side was supposed to build on last year.
Injuries, retirements and losing games in the final quarter all combined to leave Derry hurling in a dark place. Gone are the days of playing division one hurling, winning Ulster titles – all a distant memory.
Something has to change. A mindset, a more committed stance and more respect shown to the greatest field game of them all.
The County Derry Post made contact with Ballinascreen clubman Kevin Kelly, the Hurling Development Officer for Ulster GAA.
Kelly’s background in hurling and his role with the Ulster Council gives him a great insight into the inner-workings of the game, from grassroots to the elite level.
“In 2000-2001 Derry done back to back Ulster Championships made up of some brilliant hurlers coming to the end of their inter-county careers and lads who had come through after winning the Ulster U21 in 1997.
“These were certainly a special bunch, who you could really look up to as a young lad, who even played in Division 1 of NHL for two seasons also. But there never seemed to be any drive to get back to that level.”
The GAA introduced the Christy Ring in 2005, with the remit of accommodating the weaker counties outside of the Liam McCarthy race, but as Kelly explains, Derry didn’t full embrace the competition.
“The Derry players still found the Ulster Championship a bigger achievement. It was played before the Ring Cup and when defeated in Ulster, the numbers dropped off and thus, Derry got relegated from Christy Ring in 2005.”
Nicky Rackard success in 2006 and back to back U21 titles (2007 and 2008) saw Derry hurling back up to the second tier again. Rather than using it as a springboard for development, the county didn’t push on.
“Getting these players through to play, and more importantly stick at senior county for even the whole season has proved difficult,” added Kelly.
Ten years on, Derry find themselves back where they started but when you scratch beneath the surface, there are a mountain of different factors that are stunting the development of the ‘small ball’ game.
“I get to see a lot of Christy Ring games, and especially Derry matches. Last year after getting to the final and especially the game against Down in the semi-final, you could not but be impressed with Derry.”
As part of the plan for hurling development and with Kerry not being a top tier hurling county, the Kingdom was able to call on the services of up to five ‘ringers’ from outside the county. Derry’s geographical location doesn’t present the same luxury.
“This was on top of players of the calibre of Shane Nolan, the final was always going to be tough, add into the mix we lost Paddy 'Blight' (McCloskey) after about five minutes to a knee injury,” added Kelly.
DUAL PLAYERS
“In the perfect world if Derry had the pick of any of the current club players in the county, they would win the Christy Ring Cup, and would give the round robin series in Leinster a good run. Unfortunately the world isn't perfect.”
That’s the difficult part. The level of preparation expected of footballers at county level is almost like a second job – it leaves very little time left for much else. Imagine Mark Craig, Brendan Rogers and Chrissy McKaigue tearing it up in the NHL - a totally different proposition.
“Look at the current Derry football panel; there are at least 8-12 brilliant hurlers who could walk straight onto the current hurling team and that's no disrespect to the current hurlers.
“Even they would love to see these men lifting the caman for Derry also. But those men are already committed to county football, club football and when they can - club hurling.”
After surveying the clubscene last season Kelly met with Derry manager Tom McLean with his findings.
“I gave him two team-sheets. One of players who I think were mainly club hurlers only and another of players who are county/club footballers. I think there were 35 names on them and some clinking players, add that to the current 26-28 players he had and you’re around the 50 mark.”
Before you can run, you have to be able to walk and Kelly identifies the first port of call on the voyage back to the top. There are many items on the agenda but mentality sits top of the pile.
“Commitment, buy-in, and long term commitment - not just for six months. This even goes as far as U21, minor and academy squads. Clubs should be proud to see their players representing them for their county and players should be proud to pull on that jersey.
In the last two seasons the Mickeys (Moran, Glover and McShane) have been presented with the dual issue at club level and the other ‘c’ word (compromise) has been central to the smooth running of both sides of the football/hurling partnership.
Kelly sees this as a requirement at county level – something needs to change.
“We need to find out why players can't commit and try to come to some sort of a compromise, which gets the best players playing.
“Derry need to have around the 40 mark at training, as on any given night you could have 8-10 out injured or working. This would be possible if the U21 squad was also working with the seniors.”
Kelly also references Kerry’s involvement in the All-Ireland B championships, something the Kingdom has used to build the pool of players.
“The U21s and Minors should be entered into the All-Ireland B every year, along with the possibility of competing at A level through winning the Ulster Championship.”
KERRY All-Ireland U21 B – 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013. All-Ireland Minor B – 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015.
Kelly would love to see the ‘men of 2000/2001’ back involved, they were men to look up to winning back to back Ulster senior titles. “The county needs leaders and these are the men I for one would look up to.”
It might not be as easy as that, as Kelly elaborates.
“This brings its own problems as most of these men are already taking one or two teams within their own club environment. If they step away from that, who will follow up?”
CLUB STRUCTURES
Clubs are under pressure in terms of coaching personnel and as Kelly alludes to, the fixtures are selling the hurlers short.
“The club season needs a major revamp also, as currently it prohibits players from committing to the county, at all levels. Take for example the senior club league this year, its nothing short of a joke.
“There are nine teams in it, seven Derry and also Eire Óg (Carrickmore) and Burt, leaving you eight games and the breakdown of them games is a disgrace,” added Kelly.
“For example we started with a game at the end of March, we had one two weeks later and then no game for five weeks.
“The third game also happened to be three days before Derry played in the relegation game against Wicklow. The next game was originally set for that same day as the Derry match.”
“The next game is four weeks later, four days before Derry were due to play in a relegation game from the Ulster Championship.”
After the demoralisation against Antrim, Derry didn’t field last weekend against Down and are now doomed to the Ulster Shield competition next year.
DERRY SHL 2016 Round 1 – 3rd April Round 2 – 15th April Round 3 – 18th May Round 4 – 21st May Round 5 – 22nd June Round 6 – 27th June Round 7 – 1st July Round 8 – 27th July
Then there are three games (Rounds 5, 6 and 7) in eight days, before the final league game three weeks after that on July 27, which clashes with the Ulster U21 Final, if Derry were to make it.
With this type of scenario, clubs are moving to the Antrim senior and underage leagues. At minor level Kevin Lynch’s this year and Slaughtneil last season have benefited from additional games.
Over the weekend the County Derry Post also contacted CCC member Stephen Barker. We asked him about what the Derry fixtures body could do to help the lack of games.
“It’s very difficult, our top hurling clubs are also our top football clubs. Also we don’t have enough clubs to have two leagues and familiarity breeds contempt in terms of playing each other,” explained Barker
“How many times in the year do Kevin Lynch’s want to play Slaughtneil and Swatragh for example.” Barker admits to not coming from a hurling background but the genuine tone of his voice tells enough about his attitude and he ‘wants to help the guys out’ to get a better system. Still a player himself, he is only too aware of the commitment required.
“Take the Christy Ring this year over seven weeks, then the Nicky Rackard play-off, then another play-off. That must have been ten or eleven weeks. How do you try and fit club games in around that?” pondered Barker.
“How do they function during the Christy Ring and the Nicky Rackard Cups? It’s just a tight calendar. Then the Ulster Council put on the Ulster Championship.
“Lose and you play in a shield the following week, win and you don’t play for three weeks.”
Kelly’s point regarding fixtures is a valid one. Barker’s obstacles are also creating an organisational problem.
Barker’s proposal last year was to provide the clubs with a subsidiary competition – but club’s didn’t back it.
“It was a 13 a side competition during the Christy Ring for whoever wanted to enter it. Initially all the clubs were up for it but when we sent it out (invitations), only one club entered.
“There is no longer a reserve hurling league in Derry so boys aren’t getting any hurling. It’s a worse situation than reserve football.”
Barker is one of the ‘good guys’ and currently in post, striving to make a difference. The Moneymore man calls on clubs to get together. People with their finger on the pulse who know the shortcomings.
“We are providing fixtures but they are all over the place, really clubs just get on with it themselves and that’s not right either.
“There is an awful lot wrong but Derry needs a proper hurling review committee. The Ruairi Converys, and the Kevin Hinpheys, county hurlers who also have a bit of sense about them and boys that are just club hurlers who could come in there.
“I’m talking about proper people with proper opinions. Sit down and look at it and even work with the CCC.”
When we spoke to Kelly he hinted at the clash between club football and county hurling. Now that’s worth a review. Where the county board are fixing Minor/U16 football matches for the day previous to academy hurling matches.
It is going to be a tough nut to crack. It’s time for compromise, it’s time for a bit of give and take.
We can only look at what is happening in Tipperary football circles. The victory over Cork in the Munster football championship raised a few eyebrows – but it wasn’t a total shock.
The Premier county have got their football house in order, All-Ireland minor champions 2011 and pushing Tyrone all the way in the U21 decider are examples of their upward trend.
RESOURCES v GEOGRAPHY
Fixtures is one issue. What about resources? Kelly explains, “I've seen that the county board are more than willing to back the senior manager, with what they require.
“If that means getting coaches up from down South etc but they do need to take responsibility with regards the club fixtures and lack of them.”
Westmeath and Carlow are examples of counties where the hurling stock has risen, and the close proximity to Kilkenny and Offaly serves well for challenge games.
“Ulster teams are always going to be out on a limb as its three or four hours minimum to get a very high level county game, but with the new National Centre in Abbotstown, Derry could plan a number of high level games if required.”
Waterford’s recent improvement is a correlation to an improvement in fortunes at school level. In Derry, the county has benefited from experience gained in schools competitions. The minor footballers have worked in tandem with all the school managers, including Paul Hughes as St Patrick’s Maghera went all the way to the Hogan Cup Final.
Hurling is different. “Within the county you are only really talking about St Pat’s (Maghera), the other colleges and schools participate at the lower grades which are basically blitzes. St Pat’s have a good pick of the stronger clubs who are all in a maximum 25mile radius of each other.
“Derry did try an amalgamation team in the Mageean Cup a few years ago, but it only lasted a year, again lack of buy-in.”
“At club level, from Féiles to Ulster Minor, Derry clubs can mix it with the best, but again when you look at for example U14s who can get up to 20 games a year to U16 and minors with maybe six league games, the issue is obvious.”
Derry’s academy squad record over the past six to eight years has been a poor reflection on the talent at this grade, sometimes even failing to field at this level; it ‘doesn’t make sense.’
At senior, as previous indicated, clubs struggle to get their ‘best teams’ out during the season but championship is a different story.
“We have a very competitive championship, and you can only admire the likes of Slaughtneil over this past three years, on how to play club championship.
“They should have won an Ulster in 2014, and last year were very close also. If they had of won last year, I have no doubt they would’ve been in the All-Ireland Final.”
Kelly also suggested that some of the Derry teams could participate at Ulster Intermediate level. “Maybe get a run in it. It might seem obvious, but unfortunately you cannot become a top hurler, hurling club, or county without playing regular hurling.”
A few years ago Kelly embarked on a fact finding mission. “I met with nearly all of the major hurling counties, a few counties around the same level as Derry and obviously each Ulster county to see what was being done in each regarding academy squads. A few people said I was wasting my time, as there is no point in comparing what Derry does compared to say Kilkenny or Tipperary.
“I can see their argument, but surely you should be seeing what the top does and then see if it could be adapted to suit us. Not much point in re-inventing the wheel.”
Kelly’s findings were simple - the club/county relationship is at the heart of their development.
“Those counties enjoying the most success, are working hand in hand with their clubs, and plan county sessions to have the least disruption.
“For example, in Galway all county underage teams train on a Saturday every week - no club games. In Kilkenny the squads are regionalised and Wednesday evenings are set aside for them - and only them. Their U14, U15, U16 and U17s squads are all out in the one evening.
A simple structure but suited to a county with a sole interest in one code. But we can’t keep burying our head in the sand. It’s time to give respect to those involved in playing and promoting hurling. It all comes under the one GAA umbrella.
Stephen Barker has proposed a review of hurling. Kevin Kelly is the seconder – but the Ballinascreen man doesn’t want too much talking.
“Set a few targets to achieve, get to work on them and review them often. As Brian Cody said when he took over Kilkenny in 1998 all he wanted to do was ‘be the link between the county, the clubs and the players, to get them moving in the same direction,’ the rest, well we all know what happened.
Ten years on from Derry’s last relegation from the Christy Ring Cup, hurling is at a crossroads. It’s time for all the stakeholders to sit down and give their opinions. The future of hurling in the county depends on it.