GAA confirms RTÉ will televise three championship draws

THE GAA yesterday confirmed that the televised draws for the Connacht, Leinster and Munster Championships will take place on Friday, November 11.

The Association and RTÉ had planned to televise all provincial draws last week but the Ulster Council broke ranks and broadcast their 2006 fixtures draw on BBC Northern Ireland.

Negotiations with the national broadcaster have now been finalised and the three draws will take place live on RTÉ on November 11.

Munster Council secretary Simon Moroney says it's a case of better late than never: "It's probably as late as it has ever been, at least in my experience. It does leave things a little tight in terms of getting the dates into the annual diary and things like that.

"But we felt that it was the best option open to us at this stage."

A major discussion took place on the selection of minor, U-21 and junior management teams at the October meeting of the Kerry County Committee, prompted when chairman Sean Walsh indicated he wanted to change the system so the managers could pick their own selectors.

He said more high-profile names would be interested in taking charge of county minor, U-21 and junior sides in future if they were allowed pick their own management teams.

"I would like to open a discussion and come back at the next meeting on November 7 with proposals on the appointment of managers and selectors. Over the last eight it has been very difficult to get people to manage teams as they have to work with selectors chosen from around the county.

"I know people will find this proposal a big change, but I would like to know how many club teams still elect their selectors to work with their managers? I know it is time honoured tradition that selectors in some cases have been elected by the clubs and by and large these people have made glorious contributions to Kerry football: My proposal is not casting any aspersions on them.

"In a nutshell, it is more difficult to find managers if the selectors have already been chosen for them. So, I'm suggesting to allow them name their own selectors.

"I am proposing the U-21 manager would appoint two selectors, the minor manager name four selectors - strategically placed around the county - and that the Junior trainer would appoint two" he said.

Meanwhile six members of Cork's All-Ireland SHC winning team are named on the Munster squad for the Martin Donnelly Interprovincial series. The team for the first game against Ulster on Sunday in Belfast cannot be finalised until Saturday night as several players are involved in club championship fixtures that day.

The Martin Donnelly Interprovincial Hurling semi-finals take place on Sunday with Connacht playing Leinster at 2.30pm in Loughrea and Munster playing Ulster in Casement Park also at 2.30pm. Children will be admitted free with adults paying €7.

Munster: T Browne (Waterford), T Carmody (Clare), P Curran (Tipperary), R Curran (Cork), D Cusack (Cork), D Fitzgerald (Clare), D Fitzgerald (Tipperary), J Gardiner (Cork), N Gilligan (Clare), E Kelly (Waterford), P Kelly (Tipperary), S Lucey (Limerick), P Maher (Tipperary), A Markham (Clare), D McMahon, (Clare), O Moran (Limerick), P Mulcahy (Cork), E Murphy (Waterford), J Murray (Waterford), B O'Connor (Cork), J O'Connor (Cork), G O'Grady (Clare), P O'Grady (Limerick), S Prendergast (Waterford), G Quinn (Clare), N Ronan (Cork), M Webster (Tipperary).