Kelly defends format of provincial championships
Speaking in Croke Park yesterday, where the qualifier draw was made for the first time, Mr Kelly described the provincial championships as being integral parts of Irish society.
However he expressed concern about coaching structures at underage level, saying that unless players are 'coming through' to minor and Under-21 level then problems are experienced in the senior ranks.
"That is where we are failing. We are not getting the players up to the levels. It has to be tackled in its totality where we can see it starting at grassroots level, having an infrastructure in place that will bring it forward, at club and college level, and at inter-county up to All-Ireland level.
"And, I would see the plate competition as part of that process."
Mr Kelly said that he could appreciate why people would question the impact of any county winning six titles on the trot.
"Watching the game, knowing the effort that Wexford put in and looking at the under-age in Leinster over the last ten or eleven years with Kilkenny dominating, there's obviously a huge task ahead to bring hurling up to the same high level in all the top counties.
"In an overall context, the provincial championships have been such a wonderful source of inspiration, that it would not be timely to eliminate them.
"If you were to look at a player's C.V. at the end of his career and take provincial medals out of it, a lot of them would have very bare cupboards.
"The Munster final was a wonderful occasion. It's part and parcel of what society in Ireland is all about.
"It's a question of looking at the qualifiers and seeing how they can dovetail better into the overall system. We are doing that now and we have the next three or four months to look at it from a very broad perspective."
Mr Kelly announced the appointment of Joe Connolly, the former Galway hurling captain, as chairman of a committee which will examine the 'malaise' of alcohol abuse, as it may relate to the Association membership.
"This was something that Sean McCague initiated towards the end of his Presidency.
"I felt it was important that we should have a committee to look at the whole aspect of drink abuse in the country and the part we can play in it. Because of our networks and particularly our influence on young people, maybe we can do something to alleviate the situation rather than just talking about it."
Guinness Sponsorship Manager Michael Whelan will be a member of the committee.
Meanwhile, a big screen will be in use for the Leinster football final on Sunday week.
Mr Kelly pointed out that it's part of an overall effort to improve the presentation of games and to create 'a bit more razamatazz' for their major occasions.
"It's something that I have been very concerned about.
"It was time to move on and look at different ways of doing things, at look at what's happening world-wide," he commented.
"A lot of things happened during the Special Olympics ceremonies in Croke Park, which showed we can generate a lot of interest and a good carnival atmosphere prior to matches and during half-time."
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