GAA reject Galway request for final rethink

ALLIANZ NHL FINAL:GALWAY'S HOPES of convincing the GAA to reconsider the throw-in time for the Allianz National Hurling League final on May 2nd have been dashed – and the game will definitely go ahead at 7pm in Thurles on the Sunday of the Bank Holiday weekend.

The Galway hurling board had lodged a formal objection over the timing of the game, claiming it was too late in the evening, and called instead for either an earlier throw-in time or for the game to be fixed for the Bank Holiday Monday.

Galway will meet Cork in the Division One final (with the Division Two final being played at 5pm, also in Thurles) and extra-time will be played in both games if necessary.

In their response yesterday, the GAA stated that the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) had considered all their options when determining the fixtures, and that under GAA rule, they are not obliged to revisit any such fixture on the basis of an objection from one team (Cork were content with the fixture).

One of the CCCC’s main motivations for agreeing on the 7pm start was to avoid a clash with Munster’s Heineken Cup semi-final with Biarritz in San Sebastian, which has a 3.15pm start (Irish time) on the same afternoon.

The Galway hurling board chairman Joe Byrne stated on Tuesday he had no problem with trying to avoid a clash with the rugby, but that there were still better alternatives.

Yesterday however, the GAA effectively dismissed the chances of the CCCC revisiting the fixture: “The fixture-makers always have the difficult task of trying to keep everybody happy,” Feargal McGill, the GAA’s operations manager, told The Irish Times.

“There is always a problem trying to find a middle ground. And finding that middle ground not just in relation to the teams involved, but in relation to club fixtures and other events, such as the rugby, in this case.

“The CCCC have made their decision, and while Galway may have objected, informally or otherwise, and are entitled to express that, there is no rule to say the objection has to be acted on. It’s a matter for the CCCC to decide if they want to react, and I imagine in this case they won’t be revisiting it, for all the reasons outlined.

“As far as I’m aware they have no plans to do so. Galway are entitled to express their dissatisfaction. But the bottom line is that in my 10 years in Croke Park, I don’t remember any fixture that was met with universal approval.”

McGill also pointed out while the Bank Holiday Monday was considered, it was never going to be their preferred date: “If you look back at our records over the last few years, most of the big games held on a Bank Holiday Monday have involved the Dublin footballers in Croke Park.

Otherwise, apart from that, the traffic considerations around a Bank Holiday are such that people just don’t want to be on the road that day unless they have to.

“Also there was some precedent in fixing hurling finals for the Bank Holiday Monday as the Kilkenny-Tipperary hurling final a few years back was poorly attended. So unless it’s by necessity, the only major games we put on a Bank Holiday, by choice, involve the Dublin footballers at Croke Park.

“The Saturday evening Thurles experience has been pretty positive over the last number of years, in terms of playing big qualifier matches there. And the Sunday shouldn’t be any different as the following day is a holiday too.”

Galway based their objection solely on what they felt was the unattractiveness of the throw-in time, especially for parents who want to bring children to the game.

Yesterday their hurling board chairman reiterated that stance, and also pointed out that given Clare were in the Division Two final – which has a 5pm start – there was already going to be some clash with the rugby.

“I can understand clearly that we want to avoid a clash with the rugby game, and we’re very supportive of our friends in Munster,” said Byrne. “Our only concern is that we were really caught on the hop when we heard the game was scheduled for 7pm on the Sunday evening.

“We just feel it’s an inappropriate time to stage what is the second most important fixture on the GAA calendar. The drive from Galway to Thurles is not a motorway, and we’d hoped to make a big effort to get parents and children to the games this year.

“We were not trying to be controversial here. We were genuinely asking the authorities will they consider an alternative. If the objective is to avoid a clash with the rugby, our neighbours in Clare are also very strong Munster supporters, and they won’t be able to watch the rugby anyway.

“But if the first game was say noon and the second at 1.30pm then at least everyone, patrons and players included, would be given the opportunity to see the rugby game.

“I just think there is a far better chance people will get up at 10am to go to the game than get up out of their seats at five in the evening, having watched Munster beat Biarritz, and heading down to Thurles knowing it will be the following day before they get back.

“All we were trying to do was to raise the profile of the National Hurling League final, and at the same time respect the fact that we all want to see the Heineken Cup game.”