Galway tied to Leinster until at least 2013

GALWAY GAA officials are shocked after discovering that their senior hurlers will have to participate in the Leinster senior hurling championship until at least 2013 — two seasons longer than they agreed to.

Their controversial move to Leinster, which divided the county two years ago, was due to be reviewed at the end of the specified term in 2011.

But Galway have now been told by Croke Park that they must participate until the end of the 2013 campaign because of a new rule which was passed at the GAA Congress in Newcastle last year. And Croke Park’s interpretation of the rule will mean Antrim must remain in the Leinster championship until then at least.

Croke Park have confirmed the development in writing to Galway County Board.

A board source said: “Nobody saw this coming. There is nothing to suggest there is anything underhand in it. The new rule was passed that does not allow a change to the championship until the end of the 2013 and we have been told that means we are in Leinster until then.”

The matter referred to is part of Rule 6.28 which states: ‘The inclusions of Galway and Antrim in the Leinster Championship shall be up to and including the Championship of 2013 at which time a Congress decision shall be made on the outcome of a review of these inclusions’.

Two years ago Galway county board voted by 66 to 54 to participate in the Leinster championship for a three-year term after heated and emotional arguments. The disclosure that Galway will not be able to decide where their senior hurlers play until 2013 is likely to be discussed at this evening’s Galway county board convention in Claregalway.

Meanwhile one of Sligo’s top GAA officials has called for the introduction of modern technology in order to help referees and umpires and prevent mistakes.

Former chairman John Higgins said that the standard of refereeing in 2010 was ‘the darkest cloud’ in the GAA.

Higgins, who served as chairman of the county board in the early 80s, called on the policy makers to introduce video technology for referees to avoid a repeat of last year’s Leinster final debacle.

“The darkest cloud in the GAA’s sky this year was surely the poor refereeing standards and also mistakes that were made by umpires in some of our major games. While I am glad to see Croke Park plans to address this issue, it was not surprising to see such violent scenes in Croke Park after this year’s Leinster final between Meath and Louth,” said the long-serving Sligo official.