Ardglass are netting a good haul of hurlers
Young players from Ardglass pictured at a recent regional hurling/camogie blitz.
By John Harrington
In the fishing village of Ardglass, County Down, they know a good catch when they see one.
Last year they cast a net to see would the children of their area have an interest in playing hurling and camogie, and they’ve landed a handsome haul.
One of the 45 new hurling units established in 2024 and 2025, Ardglass are off to a very encouraging start with good numbers now playing at U-6, U8, and U10 level.
Ardglass GAA club coaching officer, Paul O’Shea, is hugely enthused by how well the project has gotten off the ground.
“A few of us from Ardglass had started going to the Social Slashers hurling sessions and when the HDC then offered new clubs a hurling starter pack we said to ourselves, 'well, if we don't do it now we'll never do it',” he told GAA.ie
“We got a good bit of equipment from that which allowed us to get it going in the club. We had great support from Danny Toner who is Ulster GAA's Regional Hurling Development Officer and Fergal Rogers who is Down GAA's Hurling Participation Officer.
“They've both been to the two schools in the parish doing eight-week blocks of coaching. Fergal was at St. Nicholas' Primary School and Danny was down in St. Mary's, Dunsford at the other end of the parish.
“We've had great support and the reaction has been really positive. We're getting consistent numbers at training and we're taking part in regular blitzes run by the Down County Board and also Ulster GAA.
“They're on every fortnight and we pick up the odd wee game here and there with some of our neighbouring clubs.
“Our U6 group are a really mad-keen cohort especially. We're heading to Ballycran tomorrow night to play a wee blitz with them.
“We were with the Mourne hurling club last Saturday so we're getting about. The kids are really enjoying it and we're also getting a great buy-in from parents in the club. We have a few parents coaching now who never played the game themselves and they're mad-keen too.”
Young Ardglass players in action at a recent hurling/camogie blitz.
There’s very little tradition of hurling in Ardglass apart from a short outburst of the game in the 1970s, but O’Shea is optimistic it can grow vigorously in Down beyond the well-established strong-hold of the Ards peninsula.
“You'd hear people saying, 'ach, you have to be born with a hurl in your hand' or 'you'll be in trouble when you come up against the traditional clubs'”, he says.
“But Saul, East Belfast, Bryansford. and Mourne Hurling have all started recently so we're going to be playing against them and it's not like you're just going to be going to the Ards and taking a hiding.
“And our U6 team is competing well with the three Ards clubs anyway. We've been to Portaferry twice and we're going to Ballycran on Friday night for the first time.
“We've also come up against the Belfast super-clubs Bredagh and Carryduff who have gotten hurling going and have big numbers, but whenever we've played them we've been competitive.
“People have this fear of not having the hurling knowledge, but the kids have no fear. Once they have a few basic skills, then away they'll go.
“It's just great to give them the opportunity to play our national sport from a young age, which is an opportunity so many of us didn't get.
“I played hurling for a short while when I was in first and second year of secondary school but didn't get to play hurling again until I was 44 and went to the Social Slashers.
“We want to give as many children as possible the opportunity to experience hurling and camogie.”
Ardglass were one of 45 new hurling units to successfully apply for a hurling starter pack consisting of hurleys, helmets, sliotars, and additional training equipment.
O’Shea is keen to allay the fears of some Gaelic football only clubs who worry that if they introduce hurling at underage level it will have a negative impact on their development of young footballers.
“Some people worry that hurling could be a detriment to the football end of the club, but I've only found it to be nothing but positive for our club,” says O’Shea.
“They're coming to the club an extra night a week and the way it works in Down is that there's two weekends a month for football blitzes and two weekends a month for hurling blitzes.
“So, instead of us running around trying to organise an extra game of football the kids are now playing four weekends a month every month.
“The kids are coming down to the club more so they're becoming more attached to the club because they're now playing two sports.
“The parents are also spending more time around the club and they're also getting more attached to it from seeing their kids develop in both games and seeing what positives they get from both games.
“Hopefully more and more clubs will get hurling going. Burren have started at U6s and U8s as well and I know of at least two clubs that are interested but haven't made the leap yet.
“I would encourage clubs to go for it because the support is there at county board, provincial, and national level. The Down hurling committee have been nothing but positive towards us, as have the clubs in Down who already play hurling.
“The coaching officers Danny and Fergal have been brilliant in terms of coach education and are always willing to help us drive it forward.”
