Eastern promise for Donnelly

NO OTHER competition organised by the GAA generates such conflicting emotions as the interprovincial games in hurling and football, for so long known as the Railway Cups.

The wonder is that they have survived in the face of dwindling public support and some strong opposition from prominent officials over the last decade. While it’s not the primary factor, a majority of inter-county players still regard it a big honour to represent their province and remain committed.

Apart from that, a small number of individuals such as former Munster chairman Noel Walsh have striven to ensure the competition’s future and, most importantly, the Association’s leadership has held back from pulling the plug.

And, then there is the fact that Dublin-based businessman Martin Donnelly, who has had been involved in a wide range of sponsorships (including the Clare footballers and, more recently, boxer Bernard Dunne) was prepared to match his commitment to the games by providing substantial financial support.

That resulted in an enhanced profile (boosted by the use of a PR firm) and finals being taken to Rome, Paris and Boston. And, this year GAA hurling championship partner Etihad Airways have come on board in a promotion which will see the hurling final being played in Abu Dhabi next month.

The fact that it’s being called the M. Donnelly GAA Interprovincial championship confirms his continuing involvement, but, he admitted yesterday that he had considered opting out at one stage.

Based on what he had been hearing at the end of 2008, he feared that the competitions might not survive. “That would not have been my decision, but the way things are at the moment, I did consider not getting involved. As I said once before, I’d keep sponsoring it as long as I was selling power tools. I am still selling power tools but not as many as I used to.

“I look at all that at the beginning of the year. It would come up for consideration because it’s only year-on-year. I don’t have any long-term commitment to it. I have been doing it now for six years and obviously after last year there was a lot of negativity about the low attendance.

“Croke Park got in touch with me to say that Etihad Airways were interested in getting involved to play a hurling competition in Abu Dhabi and how could you turn that down.

“It’s unusual, to say the least, to have the hurling final played in Abu Dhabi, but definitely it’s worth bringing our games abroad to a culture like that.”

Donnelly accepts that public apathy is the main impediment to a more successful promotion of the games, recalling that after a serious promotional effort by the GAA two years ago (they spent about e100,000, targeting non-nationals in the capital and offering free tickets), but the attendance on the night was a paltry 10,000.

However, he agreed that the fact of having no Leinster team involved in either final was ‘a major setback’ in terms of attracting support.

At this stage he wonders if the GAA should consider seeking ‘tenders’ for the games, in much the same way as they did in deciding the venue for the first test in the International Rules Series. “Maybe, you could bring them to smaller venues and get clubs to host and promote them if they were doing something special. You’re not going to get back to the day of the tens of thousands, but it might be the way to go.’’