Galway minor
manager
Jeffrey Lynskey
has called for an overhaul of the championship structure.
Lynskey, who was yesterday in Croke Park to launch the hurling-shinty international rules series this year in his capacity as Ireland manager, acknowledged that the Leinster Council had their own reasons for refusing to allow Galway underage teams follow their seniors into the province but proposed a different championship format.
‘Provincial structure’
“Ah look I understand it totally. Any provincial structure has their own counties to look after and I suppose it’s up to us in Galway to put a proposal together that’s going to get everyone’s approval and that’s going to strengthen them, not weaken them.
"The third option we're looking at regarding the preliminary losers of Munster and Leinster going into a group with ourselves and Antrim, that option would satisfy that demand.
“I’m crying out for a change in the structure of the competition. I’d love an open draw but that won’t happen. The other option would be to get the preliminary losers in Leinster and Munster and put them in a group with ourselves and Antrim.
“Antrim were fairly close to Dublin a few weeks ago but they didn’t get a second chance, sure how are you going to develop hurling in Antrim unless you get games?”
He also referred to the lack of home matches for Galway teams in the championship, as the county’s admission to the Leinster championship six years ago didn’t involve their being allowed home draws.
“Munster and Leinster in particular seem to have a big piece of the cake whereas in Galway and Antrim we haven’t got it,” he added. “In Galway in the last 125, 130 years of the GAA, there’s never been a competitive minor match, in Galway, in Athenry, think about it. In senior level hurling, there’s been two.
Battling replay
“So there’s been more competitive games played in London and New York than there has been in Galway.”
Lynskey’s team reached this year’s All-Ireland final against Tipperary after a battling replay victory against Kilkenny last weekend. It will be the first time in 10 years that the county’s minor and seniors will both be at Croke Park on All-Ireland hurling final day.
The Ireland hurling-shinty team will play Scotland as the curtain-raiser for the International Rules football Test match between Ireland and Australia on November 21st at Croke Park.
