McCarthy defends Croke Park as venue for football qualifiers

Not everyone it seems was or is enamoured by the GAA’s decision to bring three of the four counties involved in this Saturday’s All-Ireland football qualifiers all the way across the River Shannon to play in Croke Park, Roscommon first up against Clare, followed by the meeting of Mayo and Kildare.

GAA president Larry McCarthy was pressed on the matter on Thursday afternoon, at the All-Ireland hurling series launch in Tipperary, and while expressing some understanding of the costs involved, he defended the decision in emphatic terms.

“I’m delighted that Clare are coming to Croke Park,” said McCarthy. “That’s one of the teams west of the Shannon. Mayo have been there quite a lot so I suspect that some of the commentary may be emanating from there, I’m not sure. Mayo bring such a crowd. Is there a neutral ground between Newbridge and Castlebar that would fit Mayo and Kildare?”

Asked about the cost-factor McCarthy said: “Yeah, it will obviously [be a consideration] and has been in the past couple of months. [But] I think players want to play in Croke Park and we’re giving them that opportunity.”

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McCarthy also expressed his opinion on the current championship structures and timing. The close run-up between league and championship, particularly in hurling, has raised some concern, only for now at least he sees no changing.

“Teams have been selective about what they do with the league and that didn’t start yesterday and that didn’t start with Limerick so that’s not going to change.

“I’m not the boss. Central Council make that decision on that but we have to let this year go through and look at it. We’re going to have a different year next year, we have to let that go through and see what that’s going to bring. Maybe after that, but I wouldn’t foresee a change for next year.

“Let it run [it] and let’s see what the implications of it are. You can’t make decisions midstream. Let it run out and then we’ll look at it as we said we would and we’ll have to do it again for next year because we’re going to have a different competition structure.”

The Kerry County Board last week expressed their concerns about the costs involved in travelling to McDonagh Cup fixtures, their final against Antrim staged in Croke Park last weekend.

McCarthy responded: “I suspect the Kerry treasurer and a number of treasurers of teams who have to overnight in Dublin will be calling us and saying, ‘There’s a certain allocation for this particular event . . .’ The cost of living is a concern for everybody but if teams overnighting in Dublin is an outrageous cost, we will have to see what we can do.”

One positive aspect to the fixing of venues, McCarthy pointed out, has been the regionalising of the Tailteann Cup, which ensured counties didn’t have to travel far; his adopted county New York being the exception.

“It was very, very enjoyable to see them. New York are also looking forward now to the junior All-Ireland. So they’ll come over, there’s Warwickshire, London, Kilkenny and themselves playing and they’ll be back for that. That’s probably their level to a certain extent.

“They were rather naive last weekend I think [losing in the Tailteann Cup to Offaly] and they’ll admit that themselves and they’re disappointed. They were also playing on grass for the first time in a long, long time. The friendly confines of the Bronx, they were gone, like the artificial surface. In fairness I met them on Saturday night and they were quite disappointed. Still it was a great occasion for them.”

McCarthy also noted that local derbies were a boon of the Tailteann Cup draw.

“We ended up with Sligo and Leitrim in the quarters, which was a great event. We had Cavan playing Fermanagh, which was a local one. We were to a certain extent looking to replicate the provincials.

“Think of the cost of sending Waterford to Fermanagh and what sort of a gate that might have got. Whereas if Cavan went to Fermanagh it was a better draw and a better event, I would argue. I was in Tullamore last Saturday and there was a great atmosphere around the place and a very good crowd.

“They gave us what we were looking for. I’m delighted it has taken off and long may it continue.”