Despite fans’ apathy players keep faith in interprovincial series

Any team that boasts six stand-out players from All-Ireland hurling champions Clare, five All Stars in total, and is managed by former Tipperary All-Ireland winning manager Liam Sheedy demands attention – although the competition itself remains seriously ill-attended and on life support.

Still it refuses to die – and the Munster team for Sunday’s Interprovincial Series hurling semi-final against Connacht suggests one reason why: Croke Park may not know exactly how to promote it, the attendances remain stubbornly low, but the players still want to play. As long as that remains there is always hope of a return to the glory days.

What is certain is that Sheedy has selected a 25-man Munster panel for Sunday’s game in Ballinasloe that is nothing less than full strength. Some players have cried off due to injury, but everyone else who was asked made themselves available - including 2013 All Stars Anthony Nash and Patrick Horgan from Cork, Richie McCarthy from Limerick, and Brendan Bugler and Patrick Donnellan from Clare.

Sheedy will be joined on the sidelines by selectors Stephen Frampton from Waterford and Clare’s Jamesie O’Connor, intent on defending the title won last year. Limerick are justifiably the best represented, with seven players in total. The actual starting line-up will be agreed on Sunday.

Committed
"Well we weren't made aware of any player not making themselves available, unless they were injured," says Munster Council PRO Ger Ryan "So everyone on the panel has committed to Sunday, even if some of them may well be playing a game between now and Sunday . . .

“It would certainly suggest that all the best players do want to play, and I know from my previous time with Tipperary all the players were very interested in playing in it as well. The competition may not get the support in terms of attendances, but I think the players clearly do support it. It’s a good spread and balance from across the counties as well, and the three guys in charge have shown a very big commitment as well.”

Although revived last year, there was no Interprovincial Series in either 2010 or 2011: instead it went to a Central Council vote at the end of 2012 and it ended up being convincingly supported.

It was also agreed to seek some novel venue for the 2014 finals, with Dallas originally suggested, as part of a wider GAA festival, but the numbers there didn’t add up, and that idea was shelved.

Martin Donnelly remains on board as sponsor, although there are some doubts about the legitimacy of Sunday week’s football semi-finals after the Limerick footballers called for some level of Munster boycott due to the seeded nature of this year’s championship draw. Limerick, Clare, Tipperary and Waterford all boycotted the McGrath Cup for that reason. Former Cork selector Ger O’Sullivan will again manage Munster, along with Kerry’s Ger O’Keeffe.

Meanwhile, Leinster face Ulster in the other hurling semi-final in Parnell Park: the venues for both finals yet to be decided, with places such as Rome, Paris, New York, London and Abu Dhabi all staging them in recent years.

MUNSTER (SH panel v Connacht): P Browne, T Condon, R McCarthy, W McNamara, G Mulcahy, G O'Mahony, J Ryan (Limerick), B Bugler, J Conlon, P Donnellan, P Kelly, D O'Donovan, C Ryan (Clare), MCahill, BMaher, P Maher, N McGrath (Tipperary), N Connors, M Walsh, S Molumphy, S Walsh (Waterford), P Horgan, D Kearney, LMcLoughlin, A Nash (Cork).