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John Fogarty: Will hurling grasp its chance to increase footprint?

This Saturday, Central Council signs off on the outline of the master fixtures list for 2027.

Laois players celebrate after the Joe McDonagh Cup final win over Carlow last summer. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Tue, 29 Sep, 2026 - 07:31

John Fogarty is the Irish Examiner’s GAA correspondent, with unique insights into the action on the pitch and in the Gaelic games’ corridors of power.

Ahead of a football-dominant county’s appearance in a recent lower-tier hurling final, a player asked the liaison officer if extra playing gear would be afforded to the team for making the decider.

That was the norm for the county’s footballers. The player had previously been in receipt of same as part of a panel that reached an under-age All-Ireland football final. The response he was given wasn’t just a no. A remark about the competition’s name was designed to be derogatory too.

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