The Lee Divides

[KolaKubes]

Is it just me or is there a pretty stark division in the county marked by the Lee regarding football and hurling? Ok, fair enough, it's clutching at straws to be splitting the city into North and South but, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Ronan Curran the sole representative of the south bank and beyond in the 16 players who were involved yesterday and wouldn't you get the inverse situation with the footballers to a large extent. It seems strange considering that both sports are played throughout East Cork and most of the city, even if hurling is numero uno.

[nawfullanger]

Originally Posted by KolaKubes

Is it just me or is there a pretty stark division in the county marked by the Lee regarding football and hurling? Ok, fair enough, it's clutching at straws to be splitting the city into North and South but, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Ronan Curran the sole representative of the south bank and beyond in the 16 players who were involved yesterday and wouldn't you get the inverse situation with the footballers to a large extent. It seems strange considering that both sports are played throughout East Cork and most of the city, even if hurling is numero uno.

17 players actually took to the pitch
though yuo could argue about kieran murphy (sars)

[KolaKubes]

Originally Posted by nawfullanger

17 players actually took to the pitch
though yuo could argue about kieran murphy (sars)

Oops, you're right, forgot about McMarthy being taken off. That makes 16 out of 17 from north of the Lee so.

[Lamps]

Originally Posted by KolaKubes

Is it just me or is there a pretty stark division in the county marked by the Lee regarding football and hurling? Ok, fair enough, it's clutching at straws to be splitting the city into North and South but, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Ronan Curran the sole representative of the south bank and beyond in the 16 players who were involved yesterday and wouldn't you get the inverse situation with the footballers to a large extent. It seems strange considering that both sports are played throughout East Cork and most of the city, even if hurling is numero uno.

cork gaa 101
lesson 2,
hurling east cork, football west cork.
city, 4 big hurling clubs.
city, 2 big football clubs(1 very big)

[KolaKubes]

Originally Posted by Lamps

cork gaa 101
lesson 2,
hurling east cork, football west cork.
city, 4 big hurling clubs.
city, 2 big football clubs(1 very big)

No shit?

Here's my point, we always played football and hurling at home in East Cork and throughout most of North Cork as well. Going on how thoroughly shite the Cork footballers are, I'm suggesting that one of the problems football has is it's inability or unwillingness to tap into a rich vein of footballing talent in the rest of the county. It will always be the poor relative in Cork (and rightly so) but I've never believed that the West Cork bias in the pick was entirely on merit. My own sister played football in Cork and, I can tell you, having to traipse down to the back of beyonds to make allowances for the West Cork crowd led to a fair attrition rate. Add in the clannish element in the West Cork camp and it's not surprising that they dominate the inter-county team to such a degree at all levels.

[Joeyjoejoe]

Anyone in east cork who is intercounty standard at both codes will go for hurling. Sully is the only one i remember recently from a real hurling club that tried his hand with the footballers. There may not be any east cork lads on the footballers but there are no west cork people on the hurlers. Anyone in the know, would say that, leaving out some lads on the hurling panel, the best footballers in cork were on the panel this year.

On the whole divide thing, i dont think the lee divides the county as a whole at all. Cork is so big there is more than just 2 big divides. You have beara and west cork, major football teritory. Muskerry, prob more football than hurling, but has major hurling clubs like Aggahbullouge and Grenagh (Tom Kenny). Then theres the city, which is kind of mixed, though with more hurling, especielly on the north side. The suburbs ( Dougles, Collig, furter out) are really dual clubs. Duhhollow is prob half and half, they dont really make much of an impression on either really. And the whole east of the county is the opposite of the further west. The lee might have something to do with it in the city, but not in the county.

[Joeyjoejoe]

By the may lamps, who do you reckon the other big football club in the city is besides nemo, barrs i presume? If so, they still take Hurling over football.

[Drewhound]

Originally Posted by Joeyjoejoe

Duhhollow is prob half and half, they dont really make much of an impression on either really. .

Sorry Joey, But it has to be said Duhallow is almost totally football, I think there's 3 maybe 4 JuniorA hurling clubs, who generally dont put up much of a fight in the county championship, even though it is a footballing stronghold it has not produced a half decent intercounty footballer since Danny Culloty, never mind contributing to the hurling, although there is a young lad, from Kanturk i think, playing for the under 21's who's not half bad from what I saw of him as a minor.

[Lamps]

Originally Posted by Joeyjoejoe

By the may lamps, who do you reckon the other big football club in the city is besides nemo, barrs i presume? If so, they still take Hurling over football.

the barrs indeed. probably the only true traditional dual club in the city they may have had more success in hurling but they've won plenty of counties and all ireland in football and produced the likes of (not hurlers)davey barry, mick slocum, paddy hayes, john keirns etc

[KolaKubes]

Originally Posted by Lamps

the barrs indeed. probably the only true traditional dual club in the city they may have had more success in hurling but they've won plenty of counties and all ireland in football and produced the likes of (not hurlers)davey barry, mick slocum, paddy hayes, john keirns etc

That's the failing in things though isn't it, that so few clubs are serious about playing AND emphasising both sports. I played GAA in East Cork and, while it's a hurling stronghold, there was no clear distinction in how seriously the two codes were taken, in our club(s) at least. There's plenty of lads I can think of who were better at football than hurling and surely big population areas north of the Lee should be producing at least a handful of footballers?

Maybe it's only through committing to one code or the other than you can really excel (demands on dual players and the like) but that's where the county board should be having a serious look at how many games some players are asked to play.

I still think the dominance of the football scene by Nemo and the West Cork boys is a self-perpetuating hegemony. Hurling, historically, had a similar situation with city clubs like the Barrs and the Glen dominant and I think it's benefitted from the emergence of new strongholds like Newtown, Castlelyons and Bride Rovers.