GAA proposal to lock five counties out of hurling league may not make it to voting stage

A vote to remove five counties from the National Hurling League might not go ahead next month, with four of those affected having now strongly declared their opposition to the proposal.

Louth, Fermanagh, Longford and Cavan have all expressed their intentions to vote against the proposal on December 2nd, while Leitrim have a management committee meeting scheduled for Thursday night, after which their position should become clear.

In advance of that meeting, Leitrim hurling manager Olcan Conway has released a strong statement in which he is critical of the board and labels the proposal as “just a cost-cutting exercise dressed up as something else”.

The core of the motion is that, from 2025 onwards, counties with fewer than five club teams would be locked out of the league and instead only be permitted to play in the Lory Meagher Cup, reducing the length of their season from six to three months.

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Croke Park officials estimate a combined total of €900,000 is spent preparing and running those five intercounty hurling teams, with the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) wanting instead to filter that money towards underage coaching and club development.

[ ‘Shock and ‘disgust’ at proposal that would exclude five counties from the National Hurling League ]

The proposal was tabled by the CCCC after consultation with the counties, who it is understood had initially supported the proposition. But given the public backlash, coupled with players and managers from their teams speaking out strongly against the move, it seems the mood music has changed.

Without the support of the five counties, the proposal would be unlikely to get any significant backing from other county delegates – meaning the motion appears condemned to fail.

As of now, GAA officials say the proposal remains on the clár for the December 2nd meeting of Central Council but there is an increasing likelihood it will yet either be withdrawn in advance or defeated on the day.

Louth and Fermanagh both held meetings this week to formulate their positions.

Louth GAA stated: “All in attendance were united in calling for the proposals to be rejected and urge all counties to support us, and the other affected counties, in voting against this at the Ard Chomhairle meeting on 2nd December.

“We do, however, call for a serious discussion on hurling and its development within the smaller counties to take place in an open and transparent manner.”

Fermanagh also called on counties to support them in rejecting the motion.

Fermanagh GAA stated: “We do not concur that we were appropriately consulted on a proposal of this magnitude to remove Fermanagh from the Allianz Hurling League prior to them being presented at the Ard Chomhairle meeting.

“To deny our hurlers the opportunity to represent their county on fewer occasions than other counties would be a travesty and detrimental to the development of hurling in Fermanagh.”

[ Proposal to omit weak hurling counties from league a seriously retrograde step ]

Longford GAA confirmed they “will vote against this proposal at the Central Council meeting”, while Cavan were the first of the quintet of counties to take a public stance.

“We’re voting against this proposal as we want to support our senior hurlers and management team and the great efforts they have made,” Cavan PRO Susan Brady told Northern Sound radio.

With public sentiment very much against the move, it is difficult to see where the proposal can at this stage gain a foothold to win a vote at Central Council.

Conway has questioned the motivation behind the move.

“The GAA’s motto is ‘where we all belong’; it hasn’t felt like we all belong in the past couple of weeks if you’re a Leitrim hurler,” said the Leitrim manager.

“We can be cut loose; cut adrift. We’re expendable. I’ve held my counsel for long enough. This is the third attempt to get rid of the Leitrim hurling team or remove us from the league in a year. Two attempts were made to do so at county board level which never made it further than the executive. Now, attempt number three comes at national level.”