Lower tier counties let down by lack of TV coverage

THE Christy Ring, Nicky Rackard and Meagher Cups were played in Croke Park on Saturday. It was a good occasion with high scoring games and a rare opportunity for many of those players to play at GAA headquarters.

But it’s not quite what was agreed when these competitions were introduced. The agreement then was that both the Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard cups would be played before an All-Ireland semi-final and televised live. This happened for the first couple of years but there has been a lot of chopping and changing in the arrangements since.

Playing in such a stadium, before TV cameras gave new motivation and optimism to the second and third tier counties. It has played a big part in raising the profile of the game in these areas and captured the imaginations of young hurlers in such counties.