Cash and numbers alone can’t keep hurling going..just look at the Dubs, Jarlath
NEW GAA president Jarlath Burns rebooted the conversation on developing hurling last weekend as he took office.
Despite coming from a football background in Armagh, he hopes to set in motion a framework whereby hurling clubs will sprout up in the vast swathes of the country where the game has never had a meaningful presence.
Of course, it’ll be a slow burner, though it’s a positive that he’s addressed it straight from the off as he sets out on his three-year reign.
But my belief has always been the money and numbers alone will not generate more hurlers. Which brings me to Dublin.
Because while spreading hurling in areas where it is weak is noble and necessary, it’s important that it doesn’t slip in areas where it really ought to be strong.
Dublin has the biggest population by far, the most money and the best facilities. And, while I’m not going to write off their year when we’re barely into March, a county that is that well resourced should not be taking an 18point beating in Croke Park.
Anthony Daly got a tune out of Dublin over a decade ago; they won League and Leinster titles and were very unlucky not to reach an All-ireland final. But over the last 10 years they’ve been a lot more miss than hit and haven’t kicked on at all.
They have a big performance in them every year, but is that really where the Dubs should be at?
I know their footballers command the limelight in the capital but it had evened out a bit with the success the hurlers enjoyed. That’s waning fast.
They have so many resources at their disposal that other counties are crying out for, yet they can’t really compete for a provincial title – they’ve only been in one Leinster final in the last 10 years – when surely they should be on the same level as Kilkenny and Galway at least.
And as well as being humiliated by an understrength
Limerick team last Saturday, Tipperary made light work of them in Parnell Park a few weeks ago and Clare destroyed them in last year’s All-ireland quarter-final. In fairness, heavy beatings were characteristic of Daly’s reign too at times, but at least they had plenty of good days to offset those. Now they don’t.
It’s too easy to pin it on Micheal Donoghue (inset) as manager; it runs far deeper than that. Dublin may not be a traditional hurling county per se, but nobody can say that they’re not drastically underachieving. Maybe
Donoghue has some aces to play later on in the year, but getting beatings like that at any stage of the season cannot be a good sign.
You may remember Wexford being fleeced at home to Clare last year and things never came right for them afterwards as they only just avoided relegation to the Joe Mcdonagh Cup.
So while growing the game is vital, consolidation is important too.
Money, numbers and facilities help but they don’t guarantee success or a stream of top class hurlers on their own, as evidenced by Dublin.
They were really close to something big at one stage, now it looks as though they may have squandered the boom.