Vocational Schools

lala88

Cork won i think there 9th Munster Vocational Schools title yesterday with a big win over Kerry. I for one am shocked at the decline in Vocational Schools football in Kerry once they were the main team at both intercounty and school level.
Anyway what do people think of this championship? Do young lads have enough things to be playing in as it is? Also why is there a Vocational Schools intercounty championship does anyone know?

bruschi

the colleges championship (Harty/Croke/Hogan etc) would be seen as more important. Kerry still have top schools in that, Brendans Killarney having been in 2 finals recently as well as Tralee, and Caherciveen winning it. Dont know why Vocational has county representation, I suppose due to smaller numbers and weaker competition.

As for opinions on it, I woulnt be paying much attentiono to it, or who wins it, but its good for players to get exposure at that level and good to see schools getting a chance to play at county level. some of these lads wouldnt get the chance otherwise.

thewildcat

its not doing kerry football any harm by not winning it anyway, chances are
kerry will win sam in 2012 or be in the final anyway.

homerjay2005

or maybe all the good footballers are going to colleges in kerry and not to the techs?

the competition has ben on its last legs for years. a few schools in kerry have transitions from techs to colleges also in recent years.

doc_17

Vocational Schools intercounty football is ending up in Ulster after this year...Donegal won the All-Ireland last year

keane2097

The Tech in Tralee were historically strong in this competition - my old man and his brothers won an All Ireland with them in the late 70s/early 80s I'm fairly sure - but these days it's not seen as a viable option as a school to attend for most academically minded people as it's moved more towards woodwork/metalwork and subjects along those lines.

Essentially the decline in Kerry's Vocational Schools' performance has more to do with the decline of the schools than with a decline in football if that's what the OP is getting at.

lala88

keane2097 wrote: »

The Tech in Tralee were historically strong in this competition - my old man and his brothers won an All Ireland with them in the late 70s/early 80s I'm fairly sure - but these days it's not seen as a viable option as a school to attend for most academically minded people as it's moved more towards woodwork/metalwork and subjects along those lines.

Essentially the decline in Kerry's Vocational Schools' performance has more to do with the decline of the schools than with a decline in football if that's what the OP is getting at.

Yes the decline in the Tralee Tec is shocking in the late 80's early 90's they were one of the top schools in Ireland and were the back bone of the intercounty Vocational Schools success at the time. At that time too there were actually very strong at hurling and won a Munster Championship in 1990 or 91. In fact Causeway wouldn't play them in a challenge game at the time because they were stronger then them and tuaght they might lose.

The fact that Colaiste Na Sceilge and now Rathmore have moved into the colleges championship and Causeway are now more hurling hasn't helped matters at intercounty level.

Its a shame the standered has gone so low when you think of some of the great Kerry players whos first All Irelands where with the Kerry Vocational Schools the likes of Tom Sullivan, Paul Galvin etc.

Alot of the Tyrone team of the last 10 years also had a lot o success at Vocational Schools level

K-9

doc_17 wrote: »

Vocational Schools intercounty football is ending up in Ulster after this year...Donegal won the All-Ireland last year

Seems to be a West Ulster thing, can't remember Down, Armagh or Antrim winning provincial titles in it.