Christy Ring winners warned off top tier

LEINSTER COUNCIL chairman Seamus Howlin has warned of disastrous consequences for the winners of this year’s Christy Ring Cup should they decide to accept promotion to hurling’s top tier in 2011.

With promotion and relegation between the four tiers now a matter or choice for the teams concerned since last month’s Congress, up to 16 counties could be competing for the Liam McCarthy Cup by 2016.

That means that one of Kerry, Westmeath, Mayo, Down, Kildare, Wicklow, Derry or Meath could be facing the likes of Kilkenny or Galway in 12 months’ time and Howlin has called on counties to think long and hard about such a scenario.