It could be opened with either How or Why, but, the body of what will follow thereafter will be the same regardless of what is used.
As a means of getting this perambulation under way, let us begin thus, how is it that certain GAA clubs manage to get so far in front of the rest. Not only in their own county, but, with a certain percentage, ahead of clubs throughout the country.
Both on and off the field. Yes, you’ve heard some of the examples in this space for a long time over the years. Ballygunnar and Ballmacarbry in Waterford, Kilcoo in Down, Loughmore/Castleiney of Tipperary, Kilmacud Crokes in Dublin, Kildare’s Naas and – for a very long time at least – a Cora Staunton-inspired Carnacon flying the flag of Ladies Football on behalf of Mayo.
Now, analysis of how the aforementioned serially successful entities are as such on the field is one thing, but what about clubs and their infrastructure off the pitch.
The more club matches from around the country that are taken in via the wonder that is Clubber TV, the more it amazes the amount of club grounds around the country – often in very rural places that can’t have huge populations – whose grounds have small stands and/or terraced areas. Which, maybe, plays a part in the huge attendances at club matches one tends to see.
Not all that long ago, the opportunity arose to take in the league (group) stage Kilkenny SHC encounter between Ballyhale Shamrocks and Bennetsbridge. Played on a Wednesday evening, throw in for the match was put back 15 minutes due to the volume of spectators streaming into the venue.
Even more notable than that, though, was the recent meeting of Loughmore/Castleiney and JK Brackens at Moyne/Templetuohy. Firstly owing to the awesome manner in which the serial Tipperary double winners (the former) go about their business. Similar to that which other multiply successful clubs listed above also utilise.
However, what caught this observers eye even more so was the sight of a considerably sized, modern incarnation of a stand, which, as it happened, was packed to capacity. As was the one in Gowran, Co Kilkenny on Sunday evening last for the coming together of Clara and defending kingpins in the land of the Cats, Thomastown.
You see, the thing is, all of the above got me thinking. To the best of my knowledge, Castletown and Donaghmore/Ashbourne are the only two GAA club grounds in Meath with covered stands. While Simonstown Gaels – long acknowledged as one of the most progressive clubs in the county – have had an impressive terraced area for the better part of two decades. The question, though, is two-fold.
Firstly, how come clubs in bigger places in Meath – yes, Dunboyne very much among them – are not able to get their houses in order and put what should be their houses in order and, you’d imagine, string a run of county championships together. That said, there’s a very distinct possibility that Dunshaughlin (Men and Ladies Football), Ratoath (Hurling) and Na Fianna (Camogie) will add to their collective repeating of their own histories. But, if you think about it, Dunshaughlin’s hat-trick of titles in 2000, ’01 and ’02 was the first time anybody in the county had put titles back to back since Skryne in 1992’93 or, in terms of a longer spell of dominance, Dunshaughlin’s triumvirate at the beginning of the century was the longest streak since Navan O’Mahonys put four together in 1987, ’88, ’89 and 1990. And, if memory serves me rightly, the famous hoops also collected the Jubilee Cup (SHC) during one of the aforementioned periods.
But here’s the thing which has often perplexed me, even as a neutral, so I can only guess how it must be for those from the bigger towns in Meath who haven’t seen the on field benefits one would expect to accrue from the population explosion throughout the county as has been the case in other parts thereof.
Perhaps it would take folks with plenty of letters behind their names to figure out the whys and why nots of of such being the case.
Leave a Reply