In the last number of weeks county team managers have opted to take their teams overseas for training weekends.

Dublin I understand went to Glasgow and used Celtics training facilities after an invitation from Neill Lennon.
Davy Fitzgerald according to a number of papers is taking the Waterford team across the water to use Reading's training facilities.
Davy Fitzgerald citing the reason that it was cheaper to bring the team abroad than to stay in Ireland.
Both of these trips I would imagine are costly exercises.
My question is this.

Clubs the length and breadth of the country are losing players through emigration in search of work.
Intercounty managers see that many members of their panel are unemployed and are as in Conor Counihans case a number of weeks back on local and National radio stations pleading with local employers to help give employment to his footballers.

Should county teams not be encouraged to stay in Ireland by the GAA, regardless of costs, to help provide jobs in the locality and help keep some of these GAA stars in the country and too keep people employed in the country as a whole.

As a matter of interest, how would staying in say Carton House as opposed to going to London for a weekend help provide jobs and help reduce the level of unemployment on a county squad??

Politics and sport, sport and politics hmmmm. I buy Irish regularly because some indutry and services provide a worthwhile quality product like our food industry. But I don't like to pay lip service to an industry that constantly rips off their customers in terms of cost, abuse their staff in terms of pay and entitlements i.e. the catering/restaurant/pub/hotels businness of this country.

Have any clubs began to plan pre-season Training Weekends? I'd be interested to hear where you are planning on going and what you intend to do.

Break For Ball had a good first year, with very positive feedback from all the teams who used us.
Here's a link to some of the testimonials: http://www.breakforball.com/testimonials/

Donegal Town was a popular location, so we've added Downings Bay, as well as some other budget options such as the Ti Culainn centre
in South Armagh, to our list of options.

We had Kilcoo from Co. Down away during July, before they went on to win their first Down Senior Championship in over 70 years. We did an interesting
interview with their manager Jim McCorry about their weekend away, and the benefits to be gained from these type of breaks. It's worth a read:

http://www.breakforball.com/news/details/?id=27


Any of you facebookers interested in following us and becoming a fan, we'd love to have you : http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Break-for-Ball/164317708421?ref=nf

ALSO HERE IS ANOTHER LINK http://eflyers.mmcsolutions.biz/create/preview/index.asp?mesid=186


PRICES SEEM CHEAP ENOUGH,ALOT CHEAPER THAN LONDON ANYWAY!!!

all well and good but this still doesnt support your original statement that county teams should preserve such holiday funds in an attempt to reduce unemployment in this country. Im sorry but i just fail to see the logic in this.

Davy Fitz said it was cheaper to go to the UK for this weekend than do something similar in Ireland - herein lies the prob. As stonecold has said it is the hospitality sectors amongst others that are ruining it for themselves.

Anyway if you were a player and had a choice between La Manga or Bundoran - which would you you choose?

Bundoran on the 12th of July!!!

Walsheman is setting one up in Donadea....

I fully agree with Fionn on this. In a time when we are the worst ever economic state in our history as a republic, everyone, everywhere should do as much as possible to support Irish. Fionn's not advocating a ban on foreign holidays. There's an obvious link between unemployment and emigration.. emigration is impacting GAA clubs all over the country...the GAA as an organisation is built on clubs. They proclaim (rightly) to be important in preserving language, culture and heritage. They should be doing their bit as well as everyone else. If there's facilities available in Ireland we should be using them.

Don't agree with that peile. These same Hotels and facilities that would be used, fleeced everybody for years without a second thought and now that the gravy train has stopped for them we have to keep giving them money.

You go where the value is and if that value is abroad then that's what you do. When there is value in Ireland then Ireland will be the place to use.

I think once the money is funded by supporters clubs / sponsors or players own fundraising then I see no problem with these trips abroad as per the case of the Waterford team.

If this option was the most cost effective for them then fair play to them I say. (although I'd have my doubts on that one)

Waterford were quoted €20000 for 40 members here in Ireland and they got a quote for €12000 in London I know which one i would be doing.