Does hurling in Cork, Offaly, and Wexford need an Emergency Response Unit?

In 2014, the then GAA President, Liam O’Neill established the Hurling 2020 Committee, under the chairmanship of Liam Sheedy, to look at the game and to submit proposals for appropriate change to ensure the improvement of the game over the next 20 years.

The appointment of a National Director of Hurling was one of the main proposals. If a hurling consultant looked at the inter-county game in the top 10 counties he would be concerned with the state of play in the bottom three —Cork, Offaly and Wexford.

Offaly won three minor All-Irelands in 1986,’87 and ’89 but haven’t won since. These three victories provided a strong base for the All-Ireland senior wins in ’94 and ’98. They have a good chance of reaching this year’s Leinster semi-final. But they are not remotely close to Dublin, Galway or Kilkenny, the other likely semi-finalists.