Brennan deals blow to future of interpros

THE survival of the Interprovincial championships took another significant blow yesterday when GAA president Nickey Brennan admitted the event may well be “beyond its sell-by-date”.

The competition would have died a death a long time ago only for the commitment of sponsor Martin Donnelly but it has consistently failed to capture the imagination of the general public in recent years.

Both finals returned to Croke Park for the first time in years, 12 months ago yet, despite ticketing discounts and the attraction of the first-ever hurling game under lights at HQ, only 10,000 people turned up.

That was still an increase on previous deciders but the finals have been moved to Portlaoise this season and will clash directly with the International Rules series in Australia where the country’s top players will be performing.

The end, it appears, is nigh and Brennan ruled out the possibility of switching the competition to a January berth as Donnelly has suggested, declaring the club championships to be his main focus at this point in the calendar.

“I would like somebody to tell me when it is an ideal time to play the Interprovincials,” he said. “It is a competition that, quite frankly, we are finding very difficult to fit into the calendar.

“The public have given us their view on the Interprovincials and, although I know some people enjoy playing in them, it is far more important to make space for the club championships at this time of year.

“I would concede that the International Rules does cut across that but it is only every two years if that were to continue. We are accommodating the Interprovincials at the only time they can be.”