Walsh: ‘fixture schedule may need to be altered’

MUNSTER Council chairman Seán Walsh believes GAA chiefs may be forced to restructure their fixture schedules to ensure earlier finishes to provincial club championships.

The entire weekend programme in Leinster and Ulster was postponed due to the icy weather conditions with officials hopeful of playing the matches next weekend.

Though all the ties in Munster were played yesterday, Walsh admits that the colder winters Ireland experienced in recent years may force the GAA to try and conclude competitions earlier each season.

Indeed he revealed the Munster Council “probably suffered in terms of attendances and monies yesterday because of the conditions.

“People were worried about travelling which was understandable and opted to listen to the games on the radio or watch the provincial hurling final on television.

“The other provinces wouldn’t have that loss because they rescheduled the games for next week.”

Walsh said that the Councils were operating on a very tight time schedule in an effort to play off the competitions before Christmas.

“As a provincial council it is our job to see that all the club championship games in the province are played on time.

“Counties cannot deviate from those schedules unless they have permission from us.

“For the most part, games are played on time at county level and then teams can progress to the provincial club campaign on the dates given.

“The only way to finish the provincial club campaign earlier is for the national fixtures schedule to be revisited.

“You cannot have a month or three weeks between the All-Ireland finals. I believe there should be shorter time gaps between All-Ireland championship matches. Instead of waiting around for a couple of weeks, we should have games played every fortnight.

“The way things are it is all too drawn out towards the end of the championship. But I would also stress that we have to realise that our players are amateurs, we can’t expect them to be going every week. A happy medium must be found.”

Former Donegal star Martin McHugh, speaking on RTÉ Radio One, called on the GAA to radically restructure the fixtures schedule with club championships played in tandem with the intercounty series, ensuring more games for club players and an earlier finish to domestic competitions.

Walsh however, believes it is unachievable. “No club is going to play without their county player and no county manager will be keen on his player playing a high intensity club game a week before an inter-county championship fixture. I think a lot of counties could take a leaf out of the Cork book. They set a plan in place at the start of the year and rarely, if ever, deviate from that plan.”

Walsh was speaking at the Bord Gáis Energy Munster GAA Awards in Killarney on Saturday night where over 30 players, officials and GAA legends received accolades.

“There were some questions asked about having a black tie event such as this in the current economic climate but I think it is important to honour people in the right fashion,” he explained.

“We honoured many people who wouldn’t usually receive accolades, the referees, the people who give of their time in the background without often getting the recognition which they deserve.

“We had an opportunity to do this and I think that the Association is in a better position by undertaking things such as this. In times of recession people always turn back to the GAA. Our biggest numbers were in those dark times.

“People were good to us in the good times- we should now be in a position to repay them.”

AWARD WINNERS

Hall of Fame Award Hurling: Mick Roche, Tipperary.

Hall of Fame Award Football: Declan Barron, Cork.

Senior Hurling Award: Michael Walsh, Waterford.

Senior Football Award: Colm Cooper, Kerry.

Special Merit Award: Dr Con Murphy, Cork.

Media Award: Michael Dundon, Tipperary Star.

Referee Award: Batt Moriarty, Kerry.

Education Award: Tom Collum, Tipperary.

Manager of the Year: Davy Fitzgerald, Waterford.

Distinguished Service to GAA Award: Gerald McKenna, Kerry.

U21 Hurling Award: Seamus Hennessy, Tipperary.

U21 Football Award: Peter Acheson, Tipperary.

Minor Hurling Award: Niall Arthur, Clare.

Minor Football Award: Brian Hurley, Cork.

Camogie Award: Patricia Jackman, Waterford.

Ladies Football Award: Geraldine O’Flynn, Cork.

Intermediate Hurling Award: Eoin Conway, Cork.

Handball Award: Padraig O’Carroll, Limerick.

Junior Football: Michael O’Donoghue, Kerry.