Club hurling officer Frank O’Connor reports on the recent Development Day that took place in Chorweiler in October 2024. This event was organised with the help of Gaelic Games Europe. Big thank yous to Shauna Coen, GGE Camogie Officer, Anna Marie O’Rourke, GGE Coaching Officer, and the GGE generally, for the financial support—it was all much appreciated.
On Saturday, October 26th, Cologne Celtics welcomed Adrian Clancy to our pitch in Chorweiler, just north of Cologne, for a day’s intensive training. Organised by the GGE, the event’s logic was to get a high-profile hurling and camogie coach to not only train the players there on the day but also encourage and educate all the coaches and potential coaches present in order to further develop the GAA across Europe.
Adrian was a whirlwind of enthusiasm, eager to learn about how GAA operates in Europe and how we manage the different challenges specific to hurling on the continent, such as mixing experienced and completely inexperienced players and keeping players motivated with the intermittent playing schedule.
The day began with Adrian focusing on the fundamentals: first touch and striking. He took us through various drills, moderating their intensity and demonstrating ones which can be implemented and adjusted for different numbers depending on training turnout, which is a problem for most European clubs. He took us through some of the ‘darker arts’ of defending, as well as the classics of body positioning, focusing on opponents’ ball-carrying hand and exerting controlled aggression. After a well-earned break, we returned to the pitch for a session focusing on forward play, looking at player movement, striking techniques and communication. The day culminated in a match between two exhausted sets of players, where some of the skills we learned were noticeably used!
Aside from the immensely useful new drills which we will incorporate into our sessions as we prepare for the 2025 season, Adrian also offered ideas and reflections on bigger issues related to club development. Issues of our club’s ethos, as well as setting and maintaining a culture within the club, which in our case necessitates balancing the inclusivity of all players regardless of experience and ensuring an aspirational culture where all players are encouraged to strive to improve themselves as players.
The day once again confirmed the importance of maintaining active relationships between European hurling clubs and hurling at home. Combined with our recent trip to Monagea GAA in west Limerick, we have really gleaned a lot of tips and experience over the last month, which will no doubt be of use again in 2025.
We were extremely happy to also host Soeren from our old friends and rivals Hamburg, Gianni, who is pioneering hurling south of the Alps in Rome, and Ronja and Kelly from Munich camogie for the day. It was a pleasure training and playing alongside rather than against them for once, and the day also provided a chance for us to share our own experiences and the challenges we face in our clubs.
Adrian was a hugely motivational figure all through the day, answering endless questions patiently and taking care to interact individually with everyone present. Not to mention a display of name recall that shamed our own trainers, who were still struggling with them after years of training together. We can only recommend that any other teams in Europe take the chance to train with him, if possible, again in the future. We hope he enjoyed his brief trip to Cologne and would love to host him again sometime soon.
Finally, a big thanks to all the staff, especially Oku, at the Bezirkssportanlage Chorweiler for allowing us access to their great facilities.
Text by Frank O’Connor, Club Hurling Officer.
Big thanks to Kat and Jasper for the photos from the day.
Cologne Celtics 