Ulster GAA ‘victimised’ by meagre funding

CHAIRMAN of the Ulster Council John O’Reilly claims that it is being victimised in its quest for funding.

Speaking at the province’s centenary convention in Armagh City at the weekend, Mr O’Reilly said that meetings with the Department of Culture, Art and Leisure, and the Ulster Sports Council had been “to no avail”.

“There appears to be an agenda emerging to facilitate other sports, especially soccer,” he said. “It has resulted in miserly amounts of money being awarded to the GAA.”

Meanwhile, Tyrone manager Micky Harte is delighted that his sides' NFL title defence remains on course, after victory away to Kerry in Killarney on Sunday.

“It was worth the long journey to win the two points, which guarantee Division One survival for another year, but there were certain aspects of our game that I was not one bit happy with,” he said afterwards.

“Only for the brilliance of Darragh Ó Sé at midfield, we’d have won the game far more convincingly. He was simply magnificent, and kept Kerry in the game in the first half.

“I don’t ever recall such an exhibition of clean high fielding as he produced.

“The journey home was shortened a bit by the victory. “Not many teams come away winners from Killarney, and it sets up an intriguing clash with Cork in our last game in Dungannon.

Victory for either side will guarantee a place in the knockout stages, so there will be a lot hanging on that fixture.”