Frank Murphy really hit the nail on the head

It’ll be the wrecking ball for Cork soon enough as the bulldozers move into Páirc Uí Chaoimh. But it was county secretary Frank Murphy who was constructive, namely hitting the nail on the head when he spoke against plans to end the St Patrick’s Day All-Ireland Club senior finals.

“Why are we amending something which has been such a success?” he asked. “These have drawn crowds of 30,000 or 40,000 and to think they’d be replaced by a league game in Croke Park is a farce.”

Thankfully, today won’t be the last of them. If the season is to be condensed into the calendar year, counties will need at least a year’s notice so they can realign their championships. At this stage, 2017 is a safer bet if the proposals are to be adopted at all.