Sympathy mixed with criticism.
Kilkenny GAA has had some memorable days and successes but as well all know, there’s a huge difference between their hurlers and footballers.
Today’s result between the Cats and Wexford at Nowlan Park has painfully highlighted this because football in Kilkenny has endured one of the most depressing days in its history.
Despite the scoreline below, Kilkenny did manage to score a point but it was the smallest consolation that you could ever find.
The Cats lost by a whopping 72 points.
Ref finally blows full time in Nowlan Pk Leinster minor football championship Wexford 17-20 Kilkenny 0-0
— Wexford GAA (@OfficialWexGAA) April 16, 2016
The result was so emphatic that the scoreboard at Nowlan Park couldn’t even keep up. They don’t have the capacity to use electronic double-digits.
Wex 17.20 to 1 point for KK. Scoreboard in Nowlan Park couldn't handle all our goals @OfficialWexGAA @JOEdotie pic.twitter.com/a66zGyDtdt
— Ciara McCormack (@ciaramc21) April 16, 2016
Naturally there was an extremely divided view of the match on Twitter. Of course, certain people felt like gloating about the emphatic scoreline but the overriding feelings were as follows;
1) Sympathy for the Kilkenny players.
Have to feel sorry for those poor Kilkenny kids after a game like that 😕😕 https://t.co/w5Vnxyuu7Z
— ✨Jennifer Miller✨ (@jenm90) April 16, 2016
Kilkenny minors- @eoinmurphy73 that's hardly fair on any young lad?
— Billy O'Loughlin (@billyoloughlin) April 16, 2016
@SportsJOE_GAA Kilkenny Goalie must be wrecked after all them kickouts, all jokes aside though, disgrace putting young lads through that
— Stephen Mc Ginn (@StephenMcGinn2) April 16, 2016
2) The finger pointed towards the Kilkenny board and the perceived apathy towards football in the county.
Kilkenny minor footballers 🙈
Young lads basically abandoned by their county board— Aidan O'Rourke (@AidanORourke) April 16, 2016
https://twitter.com/nollaigheavey/status/721359595290148864
Scandalous. No youngster should be subjected to beating like that. Kilkenny county board need to look at themselves https://t.co/JwvuqcfY6q
— Mark Gallagher (@bailemg) April 16, 2016
@gaaleinster @ElectricIreland @OfficialWexGAA @KilkennyCLG Well done Wexford, but GAA people in Kilkenny should be ashamed. Ridiculous.
— Aidan Gleeson (@RagsmanGlee) April 16, 2016
@cormacpro Kilkenny will never be pulled up on this. They same way they are "allowed" to not have a football team in Senior championship.
— Killian Whelan (@Killian_Whelan) April 16, 2016
3) The feeling that Wexford will have gained absolutely nothing from this match also.
@shanegav Not particularly fair on Wexford either who go into a q/f very very under-prepared. Same every year, just tokenism from Kilkenny
— Enda Finn (@KildareFinny) April 16, 2016
https://twitter.com/paulicelt1/status/721365386223099905
4) Hope springs eternal.
Important to realise the Kilkenny minor footballers play the losers of Carlow and Laois in the back-door. They may well be back yet.
— BL (@BillLahart) April 16, 2016
