Time again for Special pilgrimage
Special Congress has taken on the mantle of pilgrimages in recent times – the year wouldn’t be complete without one. Saturday is all about trying to fix the relegation farce that ensued when Laois rose to the occasion and ensured their own survival in the Liam MacCarthy Cup for 2010, condemning some other county to the drop as per the decision of annual Congress earlier this year in Cork.
But that couldn’t be allowed happen so we all head off to the City West to alter the decision of Congress so that no team is relegated.
The motion before us is in the name of Ard Comhairle and will go through with little if any controversy. Delegations are confined to two representatives per county plus the Ard Comhairle delegate from each county. The motion affects very few counties and those most affected are being spared the possibility of being relegated – they will hardly object.
Special Congress is due to start at 11.30 and finish by lunchtime. It could be over in five minutes if that was desired.
After that then we will have the draws for next year’s championships, with Carlow and all other teams who took part in this year’s All-Ireland hurling, participating again.
Another motion to do things properly, according to the official guide, will come before next year’s Annual Congress. It all shows the uncertainty and idiosyncratic nature of the new qualifier system. Could we see a move to introduce an open draw nationally emerging out of all the confusion and complexity? Stranger things have happened and in this climate anything could happen.
