The interprovincial hurling final will take place in Boston on November 6th as the GAA enter a third year of trying to revive the flagging competition formerly known as the Railway Cup.
Taking the hurling final to Rome two years ago was a novelty but last year's football decider in Paris proved, the GAA freely admitted, disastrous in terms of attendance.
The switch to the McAnespies club in Boston, at a cost of over €100,000, should attract a sizeable interest in a city with a huge Irish-American population. Still, considering a large portion of the media will be in Australia and also the cost of travelling, coverage will be at an all-time low.
The sub-committee attempting to revamp the competition includes chairman Noel Walsh and GAA president Seán Kelly, who both argued this was the only feasible occasion to squeeze the interpros into an already crowded calendar.
The current sponsor, Martin Donnelly, pledged to stay involved for another three years but the clash of the football semi-finals with the International Rules series in Australia ensures 26 of the country's elite players will be unavailable. Several others will follow suit because of the Ulster club championship quarter-finals on November 6th.
"Unfortunately in football it clashes with the International Rules series but there is nothing we can do about it as waiting for them to come back clashes with club championships," said Kelly.
"Work will continue to be done until we get it right," said Donnelly at yesterday's launch. "Maybe the dates aren't right but it was on its last legs when we came on board and it has been revived to a degree. We haven't got it right yet but I would appeal to all clubs involved in hosting the semi-finals to promote them as best as possible."
To avoid the poor attendances of recent years - particularly last October's hurling semi-final at Croke Park when the best players from Leinster and Munster played in front of the gardaí and stewards before the Ireland v Australia second Test - smaller venues will be used.
INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: Hurling semi-finals: October 23rd: Connacht v Leinster, Loughrea; Ulster v Munster, Casement Park. Final: November 6th: Boston. Football semi-finals: October 29th: Leinster v Connacht, Parnell Park; October 30th: Ulster v Munster, Crossmaglen. Final: November 13th: venue TBC.
THE MANAGERS: Football: Connacht: John O'Mahony; Leinster: Val Andrews; Munster: Ger O'Keeffe; Ulster: Brian McEniff. Hurling: Connacht: Conor Hayes; Leinster: John Conran; Munster: Joe O'Leary; Ulster: John Crossey.
