Tackling the Kilkenny monopoly: Gavin Cummiskeytalks to Liam O'Neill who says bringing in an outsider is not the answer

The state of hurling comes back under the microscope in the wake of Sunday's lopsided Leinster final, but provincial council chairman Liam O'Neill was keen to avoid a knee-jerk reaction to Wexford's 15-point defeat that saw Brian Cody's Kilkenny claim the eighth provincial title of his nine-year tenure.

However, neither are the council standing still with invitations going out for hurling representatives from each county to attend a forum that will aim to reach a consensus on how to improve the standard via restructuring.

The forum will take place later this month and may open the door for a Special Congress later this year.

"I already said in my programme notes I want the Leinster counties to sit down and discuss the strategic review recommendations for hurling whereby nationally we target six counties outside the top tier and work with them, finance them, resource them with a view that one would reach an All-Ireland final within 10 years," said O'Neill.

"We want to put a gun to Ard Comhairle heads and say, 'lads, the recommendations were accepted, but never acted upon'. We're ready to act, but we want the backing of Central Council. When that starts we can start debating where we go in the future and where Galway, Antrim and Down go in the general scheme of things."

O'Neill is against Galway entering the Leinster championship as he believes it would turn the Kilkenny monopoly into a duopolistic market whereby two traditional powers, as opposed to one, carve up the profits.

"If I wanted to create a headline for the morning or quick fix to this situation I could just say parachute Galway in as that would mean a competitive Leinster final.

"But before that is done let's see if Leinster hurling is ready to accept Galway. I'm not sure it is. We still need to complete our regeneration process. We're not ready to cope with them, never mind compete with them."

He said Galway's entry into Leinster would be damaging to underage development in the province, which no longer finds itself in the vice-like grip Kilkenny hold at senior level.

"If Galway were in Munster they would win most minor and under-21 titles. I will accept any debate on hurling so long as it also includes Antrim and Down.

"What's the point in bringing in Galway from the cold and freezing out Antrim and Down? The only county Galway have something in common with in Leinster is Kilkenny.

"Anyway, Galway were offered this by Nickey (Brennan, GAA president during his time as Leinster chairman) a number of years ago and they said no.

"It was suggested Galway should be forced to go into Leinster. I'm not sure that's the way to go about it. We have to do this in a planned manner."

Wexford have lost six of the last seven Leinster finals to Kilkenny with only a dramatic late goal from Michael Jacob in the 2004 semi-final denying Kilkenny a clean sweep this decade. Wexford subsequently beat Offaly in the final.

Sunday was the greatest margin of defeat, eclipsing the 13- point loss in 2001 and the relatively competitive showings of 2005 (three points) and 2006 (eight points). Kilkenny's average winning margin is now 8.4 points in finals during the last decade.

"There are two huge things happening here," added O'Neill. "The demise of Wexford and Offaly has coincided with the strongest Kilkenny team we've had in decades.

"The demographics have hit Offaly more than anything else. They ran out of steam and are no longer the force they were. Not many could have predicted the staggered demise of Wexford."

The present underage situation lends credence to the assertion that Kilkenny's domineering position is not necessarily binding.

Dublin won their second minor title in three years on Sunday when they overcame Kilkenny 2-14 to 1-10, having already beaten Wexford en route.

The capital's under-21 hurlers will also contest this year's provincial final against Offaly, after they beat Kilkenny in the semi-final. The winners face Antrim and so will be tipped to contest the All-Ireland final.

"Since I became chairman we have set out our stall to improve juvenile hurling . . . putting the structures in at ground level to sustain growth. We and the association have invested huge money in Dublin over the last number of years. That's paying off now. Slowly.

"We've just had the best minor championship for years but nobody wants to hear about this. Nobody wants to hear about the plan we put in place two years ago for the regeneration of Leinster hurling because it doesn't affect the senior championship but the organisers of the championship can't be held responsible for the games that are played in it. Some games turn out well. Some don't."

Wexford county board secretary Mick Kinsella noted the absence of Kilkenny from the underage finals would prompt a huge backlash within the county.

"Kilkenny not making the minor and under-21 finals will nearly prompt a tribunal down there that will in turn see them redouble their efforts," said Kinsella.