Butler: Cavan right to scrap hurling team

Former National Director of Hurling Paudie Butler believes Cavan have made the right decision in not fielding a senior hurling team for the immediate future.

The Breffni men were absent from the 2011 Ulster Championship and Lory Meagher Cup competitions. Instead, they will be concentrating on their underage development for the time being, with the hope of fielding Under-21 and senior sides 'in a few years' time'.

Speaking at the Cavan Hurling Coaching Conference at Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturday, Butler said the structures are now being put in place to improve the future of hurling in the Breffni County.

"This is a big good news story. The County Board have appointed a full-time hurling officer and the Ulster Council have a full-time officer here, so you have more support in Cavan now than you ever had," he said.

"Because it is coming from the County Board it means so much to the hurling people, now that they are on-side."

A total of 34 people from nine clubs were present for the conference, which was also attended by Munster hurling official Pat Culhane; Limerick's Ger Downes, Ulster Camogie coaching officer Ger Gribbin. It was run by Cavan hurling officer Eoin Morrissey and Cavan/Fermanagh Ulster Council officer Paul Divilly.

Butler also admits that the Cavan senior hurling team was becoming a team of non-natives and that this culture needed to be addressed.

"A hurling team playing for Cavan, and very few Cavan players had to be faced up to," he added.

"We want the next generation of Cavan players to be from Cavan and not to be depending on outside people!

"With the skills programme now developing hopefully we will have an Under-16 team and then a minor team and gradually build back up to a different level.

"We can't complain any more, the County Board have put the money in and the astro-turf pitch is there. Any facility you want is available, so for me it's a very positive story.

"All fears of scrapping the senior team were irrational. The County Board have proven that they were serious by putting in a full-time officer, and Ulster Council also proving they were serious with a full-time officer.

"We often want to go back to the past, but was the past as good as it looked when you look back forensically? There's a new generation of children, they have the right to hurl and we can ensure that they have that right."

Looking elsewhere Butler believes there are other counties who could adopt Cavan's approach by scrapping their senior team and focusing on underage development instead.

"You have to build your structure and the foundation is the key. You need to build up the primary school structure and get hurling going in the schools where there are hurling clubs and build it up from there.

"With the 3G pitch in Cavan, the winter time is the summer time now. You have perfect conditions. The ball is running and bouncing.

"There's no muck or dirt and no negative aspects, so every county now needs to look at their underage structure to ensure that there is a growth area down low.

"You need to increase your numbers playing at Under-12 level and gradually it will come from there.

"There is no fear for anybody in Cavan, because camogie is so strong here and hurling could equally replicate that and we could have 15 hurling clubs here in five years' time."