Tyrone v Armagh set for Clones

THE ENTICING Ulster football championship opening tie between Tyrone and Armagh has been fixed for Clones, despite a strong push from Tyrone manager Mickey Harte, among others, for the match to be played at Croke Park on May 31st.

The Tyrone County Board will be compensated by the Ulster Council after they relinquished home advantage after the 18,500-capacity Healy Park in Omagh was deemed inadequate to meet the demand of such a fixture.

St Tiernach’s Park in Clones is the traditional venue for the Ulster football final and can hold 33,000. There will be 10,000 seated family tickets made available.

“I always said it was their call,” said outgoing GAA president Nickey Brennan of the Ulster Council decision not to avail of Croke Park. “They have decided they don’t want to use Croke Park. Ulster are going to have to answer for that. It’s fairly obvious they would fit more into Croke Park.

“They have made the decision and now they have to get on with it. They have to deal with the implications, if any, of that decision. Croke Park is a venue that Ulster games have been played in before to very good effect. The same would have applied on this occasion but that’s just the way it is.”

Meanwhile, current All Star and young hurler of the year Joe Canning was named the Vodafone hurler of the month for March yesterday in recognition of his contribution in helping Portumna to the All-Ireland club championship.

Ciarán McDonald became Tipperary’s first football monthly winner – Declan Browne won two All Stars – after the full back’s performances as John Evans’ team recently gained promotion to Division Two for next season.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Brennan reacted to the €9 million shaved off the sports budget on Tuesday.

“There are three issues at stake,” said Brennan. “The players’ grants I don’t know about. That is something for the Government to make a call on.

“There is the sports capital funding overall, which is currently in suspended mode. Anyone that has had money approved up to last year is probably okay but there will be no new capital sports funding.

“The third issue is the general funding to the association where we would have been receiving €3.95 million, we were always expecting a reduction in that and that is probably going to be the case but it is important that we don’t suffer too much of a reduction. We would be very confident having discussed that with the minister on a number of occasions that we will not suffer a reduction below what we were anticipating in the current circumstances.”