Five counties threatened with removal from Allianz Hurling League expected to retain places
EXPECTED TO REMAIN: Conor McShea of Fermanagh in action against Paddy Lynam, left, and Keelan Cox of Longford. Photo by Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
The five counties threatened with removal from the Allianz Hurling League are expected to remain in the competition after Leitrim last night became the last of them to confirm they would reject the proposal.
Although Leitrim along with Cavan, Fermanagh, Longford and Louth were consulted by the Central Competitions Control Committee on the idea to take them out of the Allianz Hurling League from 2025 and redirect funding towards club, all five have now expressed their opposition to it.
understands the motion will not be successful at Central Council on December 2 and the counties in question will continue to play in both league and lower tier championship.
However, it is believed all five counties will be instructed to devise strategic plans for the development of hurling within their boundaries and augment the number of clubs in each.
Leitrim manager Olcan Conway criticised his county treasurer Martin McCartin who earlier this week said spending €215,000 on the senior hurling team was “astronomical”.
Conway wrote: “The GAA's motto is 'Where we all belong'; it hasn't felt like we all belong in the past couple of weeks if you're a Leitrim hurler. We can be cut loose; cut adrift. We're expendable. I've held my counsel for long enough.
“This is the third attempt to get rid of the Leitrim hurling team or remove us from the league in a year. Two attempts were made to do so at county board level which never made it further than the executive. Now, attempt number three comes at national level.
“I want to be respectful but, given what has been said by our county board treasurer in the media at the weekend, I have to put some context out there. Some players who have given their absolute best for Leitrim have also had their character and ability called into question in the wording of the CCCC proposal. They deserve better.
“I have known for some time that our county board treasurer has been one of the biggest supporters of the CCCC proposal. He laid out his case at the weekend.
“The estimated set of accounts I was shown a number of weeks ago showed costs of €203,000 based upon both the senior hurling team and the U17 hurling team. We immediately offered to fundraise to help with these costs but were told not to. When we looked into it further, the net cost of hurling was just over €70,000 to the County Board.
“Leitrim supporters will be well aware of the 50 Mile Challenge that was undertaken and the sale of Leitrim Supporters Club Tickets. The funds raised were split between Senior, U20 and U17 inter-county football teams and the Senior and U17 hurling teams.
"Of the money raised, the 2 hurling teams combined only received 1.6%. The senior hurling team was allocated just 0.8%. The remaining 98.4% was distributed to three other inter-county teams.”
Meanwhile, the county panels and the majority of clubs in all five counties have called on the CCCC to withdraw the proposal. In a statement released by the Gaelic Players Association, they along with the 12 Liam MacCarthy Cup county captains have backed the move.
It reads: “It has become clear that the consultation referred to in the proposal was not conducted with the right people or with the correct information being discussed.
“This is clearly the case given that four of the five county boards involved are now publicly on the record calling for the proposal to be rejected. The players and management in Leitrim also want to see it rejected.
“Given that is the case, we believe it is in the best interests of everyone that the proposal be withdrawn. It is clearly divisive and while that may not have been the intention, it does nothing for the development of hurling.
“If the CCCC does not see fit to withdraw the proposal, we call on all County Boards to ensure their Central Council delegates vote it down and help us instead to grow the game we all love.
“What the proposal has sparked is a conversation about the health of the game north of the much talked about Galway to Dublin line.
“We believe an opportunity has now emerged to really tackle the issue. Therefore we, the undersigned, have all committed to engaging with county boards, the provincial councils, the GAA’s CCCC and Central Council and anyone else who is interested in the health of hurling, to develop a plan to grow hurling within our counties and in other areas across Ireland where it is struggling. We will work with anyone and everyone constructively to secure the future of the game. That is our commitment.”
The press release is signed by the Fermanagh panel, manager Joe Baldwin and their clubs Lisbellaw St Patrick’s, Erne Gaels Belleek and Lisnaskea Emmetts; the Cavan squad, managers Ollie Bellew and Tomás Mannion and Mullahoran St Joseph’s HC, Cootehill Celtic and East Cavan Gaels; Leitrim’s panel, manager Conway and the Carrick Hurling Club; Louth’s squad and clubs Knockbridge HC, Naomh Moninne HC and St Fechin’s and Longford’s manager Adrian Moran, his squad and clubs Longford Slashers HC, Wolfe Tones and Clonguish Gaels.
All 12 2023 Liam MacCarthy Cup team captains have put their names to it too: Eoghan Campbell (Antrim), Lee Chin (Wexford), Eoin Cody (Kilkenny), Seán O’Donoghue (Cork), Noel McGrath (Tipperary), Eoghan O’Donnell (Dublin), Dáíthí Burke (Galway), Tony Kelly (Clare), Paul Doyle (Carlow), Jamie Barron & Stephen Bennett (Waterford joint-captains) and Declan Hannon (Limerick).
