Roscommon GAA Kellogg’s Cúl Camps hurling initiative
Roscommon's Mícheál Hussey following the Nickey Rackard Cup Final win over Mayo at Croke Park. Photo by Stephen Marken/Sportsfile
By Cian O'Connell
Hurling sessions were included in Roscommon GAA’s Kellogg’s Cúl Camps this summer.
Roscommon GAA Head of Games Development Pádraic Mitchell was delighted with the response from clubs throughout the county to the initiative.
Mícheál Hussey, a key player in Roscommon’s Nickey Rackard Cup triumph, attended camps. “He went to a different camp, every single day,” Mitchell explains.
“We'd five camps a week, one week we'd four. He went to a different camp every day, and gave every child at a camp an opportunity to hold a hurl, to swing a hurl, to play a little bit. We'd just under 2,500 kids, 2,471 we had at camps, all of them tasted a bit of hurling.”
It proved to be a real success in the camps. “We proposed it during the Connacht GAA Hurling Development Plan,” Mitchell explains. “There is a three-year plan to develop hurling in Connacht, we proposed it as part of that plan, and it was adopted. As we'd proposed it, we set the ball in motion. Mícheal did it, he is a primary teacher. It came out of the Connacht Hurling Development Plan.”
The feedback from clubs was positive. “It was perfect, he was absolutely fantastic,” Mitchell responds. “The kids loved him; he promoted hurling in a really positive way with a lot of kids that would never have hurled. You'd have kids in north and mid Roscommon, they'd not hold a hurl, ordinarily. They'd a great time.
“We'd clubs asking could he come back for another day. One of the weeks we were in St Michael's, in north Roscommon, as far away from the hurling landscape in the county as you'd get, and he went back for a second day, such was the feedback and response that he got from the kids and club. That was hugely positive.”
Providing hurling hubs in Boyle and Tulsk is the next mission Mitchell hopes to accomplish. “In the three-year development plan, we've two hubs we're trying to develop,” he explains.
“One of them will be in Boyle, where several attempts to get hurling up and running have been made. We're going to support them even further, to try to get that going. We've another hub, in the Tulsk region, which we hope to have going in the next few month.
“Our full-time hurling GDC has been in those schools for a year. So, all around Strokestown, Tulsk, and the mid Roscommon area to the point where some of those schools actually competed in Cumann na mBunscoil hurling, which is unheard of really.
Roscommon GAA Head of Games Development Pádraic Mitchell.
“This winter we're going to start a hub in the Tulsk area, they've agreed we will base ourselves there. It will be part of four new clubs across Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim working together over the winter, giving kids the opportunity to swing a hurl, open to a lot wider catchment area than just the club itself.”
Other developments include the implementation of dual code nursery education, which is delivered individually to each club. An emphasis is also being placed on increased coach education opportunities for hurling.
Following a successful U15 project, Roscommon players will be involved in the combined Connacht panel which the province hope to have available in two age groups.
Táin Óg Leagues featuring teams from Roscommon, Mayo, Leitrim and Sligo have given additional games. So, Mitchell is optimistic about the future.
Ensuring schools in the area receive significant coaching is part of the process. “It was to drive to support for when we open up a hub, to get the groundwork done,” Mitchell says.
“We only have six hurling clubs in the county. I think you've only four that will participate at minor. Athleague, Tremane, and Oran have combined to produce underage teams. It is tough on our already established hurling clubs, never mind us, on trying to spread hurling. So, we've to make sure we don't lose sight of our traditional hurling clubs either.”
Mitchell acknowledged the important roles of coaches, who are trying to develop the game in Roscommon. “We've a GDC, Prionsias Killion, and Michael Hussey, who does part-time school coaching for us, he is excellent and is really popular in the schools,” Mitchell says.
“He is promoting hurling in a really positive way in schools. That has drummed up support for a hub. When we set up the hub, we've already been in the schools, and once we alert the kids that the hub is there, I'm sure there will be traction.
“We're going to start with nursery and Go Games. We will see how it goes, if there is support and interest we'd offer up to U12, it may just be U6, U8, and U10 to begin with. We will see it how it goes, but it is for a wider catchment area, not specifically a club.
“We do know the work our GDC in schools is definitely paying off and we think we will see that transfer to the hub when it gets up and running in the winter.”
