What's gone wrong with Limerick Hurling?

Amazotheamazing

Another season over, another season of underachievement from Limerick, when will the tales of woe end for the Shannonsiders? How many years will it be until they beat a top-level team again, or are they in permanent decline?

Even the 1980's and 1990's Limerick were able to reach All-Ireland finals, even if they weren't able to win them, but the slide since the late 1990's has been remarkable for all the wrong reasons.

Infact, it's got so bad that Limerick City, once a hurling stronghold has been designated a hurling blackspot in need of special attention by some GAA committee or other.

So what's gone wrong?

thirdmantackle

Rugby

lack of development years ago has led to that ****e taking over much of munster, especially in Limerick

DUB

it cant just be rugby, limerick has always been a rugby stronghold, true the hype about munster this year was someting else but the vast majority of munster rugby fans are fairweather fans, just like the dublin summertime bandwagon.

thirdmantackle

yeah, but the good athletes are being lost to rugby

Kojak

thirdmantackle wrote:

yeah, but the good athletes are being lost to rugby

I dont think its just rugby that is the problem in Limerick. I think that the county doesn't know whether it should follow the footballers or the hurlers, alot like Wexford who don't know if they are a hurling county or a football one.

For the last few years as the footballer's fortunes got better (i.e. getting to the Munster final) their hurlers' fortunes plummeted (i.e not beating a top 9 team until offaly this Summer, who themselves are in decline). In counties like Limerick where there isn't a clear divide of where hurling and football "live" (As opposed to Cork or Galway) it will always put extra demand on players. Everyone knows that hurling is a far more skillful game than football and thus it requires a lot more time and effort to develop these skills. If lads around 18, say, are playing football, hulring, rugby and maybe soccer it leaves them exhausted/little time to develop the skills of hurling.

IMO, too many commitments in Limerick is what is having an impact on what should be a team challenging for the All-Ireland, given their 3 U-21's in a row.

Amazotheamazing

I don't think rugby is the whole reason, though it might be in 10 years given the influence the current winning team has on kids growing up now. Rugby has always been strong in the city, but hurling schools like CBS Sexton street have completely faded from the game, despite not having strong rugby teams to compensate (for example).

Perhaps it is the dual players, but even then each team would have a core of players committed to only onle code.

DUB

The dual players all playing football last year was a problem, no doubt about it, but they're all back hurling and had a reasonable year apart from the wierd performace v clare when the management seemed to lose the run of themselves. Those three u21 titles means there are the hurlers there to compete at underage and running Cork to a point in the quarter final would suggest all is not that wrong with the structures and Limerick hurling in general, they're just not quite up to the standard of a very good Cork outfit. Not many are. Just because Munster rugby has been successful dosent mean everyone is going to throw down their hurleys forever, not everyone who is suited to rugby would be a good hurler and vice versa. Just look at the expansion of the GAA into traditional rugby areas of Dublin.

Erin Go Brath

Was impressed with Limericks performance against Cork which just came up a bit shy, but showed a lot of fighting spirit. They restored my faith after the Clare debacle. They need more consistency however, and to show a bit more guts in the final minutes of games to win these close encounters which they often seem to be involved in. If they can address these issues, I'm sure they can reach another all-ireland in the next 2-3 years.

DUB

I know it's 'only the league' but they had a good league run and really put it up to Kilkenny for a good chunk of the final. They're not that far off being a real force.

Funny the way a counties fortunes wane in any way and it's seen as a crisis.

If soccer was judged the same there'd be "soccer is dying in Ireland" headlines all over the place after that awful result the other night. They'd blame everything from Dublin good run in the championship to Munster rugby. Teams come and go in all sports, standards in counties rise and fall, Kilkenny and Cork will be strong more often then most due to the paying numbers they have.

noel123ie

I think its oncorrect to blame other sports.

Here in cork we have

Soccer -Cork City
Hurling - need I say anything?
Football -In All ireland semis
Rugby- a no of players playing for Munster and a large club structure

If you can get the mix right its achievable

Noel

Up the rebels!

DUB

Cork may have a good spread of sports but ye're far more successful when it comes to the GAA then soccer, not sure about rugby.

Erin Go Brath

Limerick City has always been a rugby stronghold, but its getting even more popular. Thomond Park is doubling in size for example. Also there are rugby clubs being setup in parts of the County in places where theres never been rugby clubs before as Paul O Connell, Peter Stringer etc become the main idols of young kids. This has to be to the detriment of the ancient game.
Cork, Kerry and Tipp are huge GAA strongholds and arent likely to be affected as much. Ban that foreign game quick before its too late!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DUB

No surprise they're expanding Thomond Park, before the ERc came along how many matches did Munster play a year? ... not very many ... The IRFU is losing 3 million a year keeping the professional game going, This during a period of relative Irish success, god help them if the bubble bursts. There are still only 17,000 adult rugby players in Ireland so chances are we'll not be staying at the top too long. Are clubs in Limerick finding it hard to recruit to their juvenile sections?

thirdmantackle

Here in cork we have

Soccer -Cork City
Hurling - need I say anything?
Football -In All ireland semis
Rugby- a no of players playing for Munster and a large club structure

and why wouldn't ye, being the biggest county in Ireland??

Limerick and other counties needs to up their standards. Cork have brought a level of professionalism to hurling that has never been seen before. Nothing is left to chance with them

DUB

remember during the 90s, when the cork hurlers went through a bad number of years by their standards, it was all, soccer has taken over cork city etc. etc. funnily enough you dont hear much of that anymore.

Amazotheamazing

DUB wrote:

No surprise they're expanding Thomond Park, before the ERc came along how many matches did Munster play a year? ... not very many ... The IRFU is losing 3 million a year keeping the professional game going, This during a period of relative Irish success, god help them if the bubble bursts. There are still only 17,000 adult rugby players in Ireland so chances are we'll not be staying at the top too long. Are clubs in Limerick finding it hard to recruit to their juvenile sections?

No, it's more popular than ever.

thirdmantackle

kids will play anything if given the chance

they make their sporting decisions at 12 - 14 years of age which main sport they want to keep on, mainly based on past experiences and what their friends do

DUB

Amazotheamazing wrote:

No, it's more popular than ever.

Well if that's the case then you can't put it down to rugby. It must be structures, coaching, management etc.

Erin Go Brath

DUB wrote:

Well if that's the case then you can't put it down to rugby. It must be structures, coaching, management etc.

It's also down to team unity. For example in the Limerick v Clare game earlier in the season. A few players were played out of position and Limerick were a complete shambles on the day. The worst I've ever seen them. One of the players subbed just kicked his helmet around in disgust when he was replaced. The goalie didnt come out for the second half. The rumour I heard was because he just didnt want to play behind that full back line who were complete pants on the day. Just shows if your not together as a team. You'll win nothing!!!!!!!!!!!

DUB

Very true EGB. Limerick were a shambles that day, the worst set-up team ever. Just look at this Cork team at the moment, their unity and professionalism is second to none and thats why they're going for a three in a row. helped by the fact they've some useful hurlers in there to! Also their conditioning must be something else, i don't think i ever remember a team with so few injuries over three years, it can't just be luck can it? Whatever about the hurling unless you can match their professionalism, unity and drive you can forget about beating them.