Karol Mannion bemoans having to play home fixtures away

St Brigid's Karol Mannion has expressed unhappiness at the 2011 Connacht Council ruling that prevents clubs from playing championship fixtures at their own grounds. The prohibition arose from unruly scenes at the Connacht final five years ago between Brigid's and Corofin in the former's home venue of Kiltoom.

The clubs meet meet again in this year’s decider next Sunday and although the Brigid’s venue is a recognised county ground, it cannot be used by the club.

Asked at Monday’s AIB provincial finals launch whether it was frustrating for his team, who have to play outside of their county in Carrick-on-Shannon because Roscommon’s Hyde Park is undergoing refurbishment, Mannion replied:

“It is slightly I suppose. Without trying to sound annoyed about it, when the rule was brought in, it only impacted three clubs in Connacht: ourselves, Ballina and Seán O’Heslins in Ballinamore. We were the only team contesting Connacht titles at the time so it felt like – that a club team can’t play at their own ground – that it was brought in for us.

“We had won two Connacht titles at that stage, we had beaten Corofin in Kiltoom and the rule was brought in the following year. So at the time, yeah, it felt like it was annoying because it felt like it was a rule just for us. Since then, we’ve just got on with it.

“We played Ballina in Ballina in ‘07, it was the way it was. That was the rule. We just went down there and played them and got on with it.

“I’d like to play in Roscommon, it’s just a pity that Dr Hyde Park is out of commission. It’s just where we are now. We’ve played in Carrick against Leitrim club Aughawillan.

“Frankie (Dolan, manager) might have made that decision that when that venue is because if we won we’d be back there in a final with Corofin. We wouldn’t have had the option if we had played Castlebar.”