It’s a weekend off for the county’s footballers but the hurlers were in action today, as they faced Kerry in Round 3 of the National Hurling League’s Division 2A. A chastening afternoon down south it proved to be as well, with Kerry running out 3-18 to 0-9 winners in Tralee.
The hurlers’ great spring campaign last year saw them crowned NHL Division 2B champions. That super form wasn’t, though, carried into the Christy Ring Cup, where three losses from three outings meant they ended up getting relegated to Rackard Cup level for this year.
This year in Division 2A was always going to prove a major test for the hurlers. They began well, however, with a draw at home to Meath, following which their Round 2 match against London had to be called off the other week due to snowbound conditions over in Ruislip.
The going was hard for them today too, but this was due to the quality of the opposition the lads faced at Austin Stack Park. Kerry may be the poor relations in Munster hurling terms but they’re in a different league quality-wise compared to our lads.
The problem today was that they were in the same League from an NHL perspective. The 18-point margin of victory the home side enjoyed this afternoon demonstrates quite starkly the gulf between them.
Next up for the hurlers this day week is another tough test, as they entertain Antrim at Ballina. Throw-in next Sunday at James Stephens Park is 1pm.
I would have thought your headline is very disrespectful towards those hurlers who I am sure were all trying their best today
Mayo hurling will always struggle while they are depending on two clubs to make a serious contribution. Nowadays those two clubs are Tooreen, the ever present in my lifetime and Ballyhaunis, which, I think sprang from Tooreen. In the past Castlebar, Westport, Ballina and, for a while, Belmullet were in the mix. But in a county without a hurling tradition it seems football will always have primacy and hurling will fight an uphill battle. Tooreen and Aughamore seem to have a way of working together without anybody losing out. Or would Aughamore footballers prosper more if there were no Tooreen?
I suspect that in most clubs hurling depends on people from hurling counties living in the area to promote the game. Without support these people eventually exhaust their energy and there is nobody to carry on. Another issue is pitch maintenance. Maintaining a pitch so that hurlers can perform at their best and enjoy their game is a different job to maintaining one for football. Is it any coincidence that traditional hurling areas are areas of naturally better, drier land? Unless more effective support structures are put in place hurling in counties like Mayo will always struggle despite the half baked planss emanating from Croke Park.
Congrats to Tooreen/Aughamore and Ballyhaunis for keeping Mayo so high on the hurling map.
Tony Stakelum,
A score of 3 = 19 to 0 = 9 is a hiding no matter how you look at it and is no disgrace. Pretending otherwise is pointless exercise. To either ignore it or try to dress it up in fancyful language would be more disrespectful. Before you can do anything about a problem you have to recognise the problem.
I’d have to agree with Tony that the headline is slightly disrespectful. One should remember this is division 2a, next level up is 1b, Galway and Dublin. They’re also missing their 2 best players in Keith and Fergal Boland. Agree too with Andy that until there are more clubs are senior level they will struggle. A lot of good work at underage isn’t transferring to senior level. Westport is a prime example, winning loads of underage titles but can’t field a senior team. Mike connelly wants more value for money spent on hurling, until he solves the problem of getting more senior clubs he won’t value for money!
Not trying to hide anything just in my opinion i thought it was disrespectful.
Not sure why anyone is finding that headline disrespectful.
A hockeying means getting beat by a large margin doesn’t it? Which we did, so can’t see why it’s “disrespectful”.
There’s been similar headlines when the footballers have been well beaten. It’s just stating facts. This isn’t Pravda..
Your right its not Pravda thats why we are both able to express our opinions.
Have to agree , initially when I saw headline I thought it was a bit harsh … Like it or not Mayo is not a traditional hurling county with only a few clubs .. Your the boss WJ but suppose the score line can’t be argued with.
Apologies for changing subject, but is there a preview podcast in it for Dublin this week Willie Joe?
Sligo got hockeyed in a challenge game I’m hearing , 5 -27 to 0-6. Worrying times for the yeats men .
By all accounts the challenge game vs Sligo was men against boys. From what I heard Mayo had Slingermann, Drake, Crowe, Boyle, Seamus O Shea, Gibbons, Loftus all on show.
There’s no preview podcast for Saturday’s game, Paddyfromthewest – this is only the League! We’ll have the usual after-the-game one out on Sunday.
I take your point, Tony and others, re the headline, which wasn’t meant to be disrespectful but I guess merely reflective of the scoreline. There was also a play on the word in light of the ball-and-stick element to hockey. Sometimes, I concede, it pays if you try not to come across overly clever in these things!
I’m with JP on the David Brady tweet. If there’s anything worse than social media it’s a social media spat and that’s only topped by a discussion about the spat.
I’ll have a piece on the Dublin game up later on, that should help re-set the focus.
I was at that game in cooloney yesterday i agree it was boys against men, does anyone know Who was no.6 for mayo yesterday, very impressive?
@2winjystonce I think number 6 could be Cathal Horan not 100 per cent on it though
Good work 2win… any report on others who played, newbies in particular?
Yes I think it could be, same lad that was u20 last year? Very strong and quick. How come he hasn’t been given a chance in the league yet does anybody know?