Leinster’s championship games could be moved to provincial grounds

Whatever about the enduring merits or indeed need for a provincial championship Leinster Council chairman Martin Skelly is open to the idea of broadening their base of venues, at least in the early rounds.

What won’t be happening, Skelly is adamant about, is any further breaking down of provincial boundaries: while Galway, Antrim and London are now perfectly welcome in their hurling championship, Leinster is unlikely to open any more doors, either in or out, especially when it comes to the suggestion that his own native Longford might be better off playing in Connacht.

“We’re very, very proud of our competitions,” says Skelly. “We’ve always been welcoming of the three teams in the Leinster hurling championship (Galway, Antrim, London), and Cavan also participated in our Leinster junior championship. But one or two counties are being talked about as being pushed out in to other provinces, and I would see that as a retrograde step. And I think would belittle the counties asked to shift, just because they are in the periphery of maybe Connacht, or Munster.

“The bottom line is, if you’re from Leinster, you stay in the competition. I understand the inadequacies of maybe a 12-team competition in Leinster, as opposed to maybe a five-team competition in Connacht, or six-team competition in Munster.

“People are always trying to develop competitions, but there is another sphere, with the All-Ireland qualifiers, after the provincial championships. And the provincial championships are special. You wouldn’t be asking someone from Westmeath to play in the Meath championship, if they were looking for extra numbers, or vice versa.

“And people are talking about sending Longford to Connacht, without asking the people of Longford. Is anyone talking about moving Kilkenny to Munster hurling, to even off numbers. Do you ask Donegal to leave Ulster football?”

Leinster have agreed fresh arrangements to use Croke Park for their provincial semi-finals and finals, but Skelly is now looking at bringing more games to provincial or even smaller, county grounds.

“Obviously the bigger games will always be played in Croke Park. The provincial venue is not ideal for games where we’d be expecting more than 20,000, and that’s where we need to utilise Croke Park. It’s still a great honour for players to play in Croke Park.

“So it’s a case of mix, and manage. What I’d like is more first and second round games played on a home-away basis, and counties should ensure they have a ground capable of staging a Leinster championship match. Then, the reward for making a semi-final, is to play in Croke Park.

“But the crowds that follow Dublin it’s very difficult to justify playing the games at a provincial venue. It happened some years ago, in Longford, when 16,000 turned up to watch them play Dublin.

“But normally it’s 20,000-plus at all Dublin games. But I would definitely like to see more home-away arrangements, and particularly hurling. Wexford-Offaly, or Offaly Kilkenny, for example.”