LEINSTER COUNCIL CEO Michael Delaney has called on the GAA to consider reducing the inter-county season and questioned the future of the All-Ireland qualifier series. The remarks are made in his annual report to next Monday’s provincial convention.
He addresses at one point the costs of maintaining a county team, a concern that was also raised by GAA director general Páraic Duffy in an interview with this newspaper last month.
“I accept that county teams must be prepared properly, treated properly and turned out in an appropriate fashion,” according to Delaney. “This costs money and there are no shortcuts.
“This brings me to an old hobbyhorse of mine. In my opinion the only solution is to reduce inter-county activity. For many years I have questioned the value of junior and intermediate inter-county championships, special competitions, shield competitions and even the under-21 grade.
“To this mix I would now add my reservations about the value of the (All-Ireland) qualifier competitions and the provision of separate league competitions for those counties involved in the Nicky Rackard and Lory Meagher Cup competitions.
“I honestly think we must seriously examine our inter-county competitions schedule. While competitions are there counties will enter them, irrespective of the cost. We must address the ways and means of preventing these counties from heading for the realms of insolvency.”
As part of any rationalisation he proposes a review of the secondary provincial competitions.
“Once again the inclusion of third-level colleges in our competitions was the source of much comment and controversy. Counties cited the closed season (November/December) and the introduction of experimental rules as reasons why they should have first call on their players for these competitions.
“Similarly they were opposed to the idea of adding players to their panels for O’Byrne, Walsh and Kehoe Cup and then having to discard them for the National Leagues.
“The fact that some Colleges could field up to two teams at different stages of the competitions did little to refute the arguments of stressed out county board officers and team managements.
“Now is the time, when the arguments and real situations are fresh in the minds, to carry out a serious review of these competitions.”
He also expresses concern at the scale of movement of players between one county and another.
“Nowadays, however, this trickle has become a torrent. It’s happening within counties but because of local by-laws and or strong leadership it can be curtailed. Most worrying though is the trafficking of promising players from clubs in one county to clubs in another county. This is becoming rampant in Leinster and must be a cause of great concern among county officials.
He also referred to the controversy surrounding the Laois-Kildare O’Byrne Cup match in January in which seven players were shown red cards and criticised teams and managers for a failure to take responsibility for indiscipline.
“I don’t want to labour this case as it has already received adequate notoriety. However, instead of blaming the referee, the CCC, the Leinster Hearings Committee, the Leinster Council etc wouldn’t it have been a pleasant change if the two team managers and their county boards had come out in the aftermath of the game and apologised for the indiscipline of their players?”
