A dim view of night hurling

IT’S a subject that was first raised by our own hurling expert, Tony Considine, last year, when he questioned the practicality of hurling under lights.

“Finally, I want to say here,” he said, after the Cork/Limerick National League game on a frigid Saturday evening in the Gaelic Grounds, “I’m not a fan of hurling under lights; maybe it was just the fact that the game was a damp squib, but there was zero atmosphere in the Gaelic Grounds, to match the zero temperature.”

He raised the question again a couple of weeks ago, after Tipp and Kilkenny had met in Thurles, the rain causing all kinds of problems for the players as they tried to follow the ball in the lights.

He raised it again yesterday after yet another night game in Thurles, this time Tipperary’s win over Waterford.

So, how do the players themselves feel about it? What do managers think of this new development, what do former players think?

Yesterday, the Examiner conducted its own poll, got the opinions of many from across a variety of counties, and across a couple of generations. The following are their replies, but a quick look-through would suggest that those against the idea are far more passionate and vehement in their views than those in favour, who are very definitely in the minority, with a lot of players still with reservations.

THOSE IN FAVOUR

Lar Corbett (Tipperary forward): I don’t mind them.

Alan McCrabbe (Dublin forward): I have no problem with it.

Ger Farragher (Galway forward): I’d be for it.

TJ Reid (Kilkenny forward): They’re grand, it doesn’t bother me.

Brian Carroll (Offaly forward): I’ve no problem with it, if it meant you could play with your club on a Sunday, it’d be great.

That leads into another debate though of too much training and not enough matches for lads.

Johnny Pilkington (former Offaly midfield star): I love matches under lights, always a good atmosphere at them.

Liam Dunne (former Wexford defender): I don’t see any problem at all with it.

Anthony Daly (Dublin manager): I think the positives outweigh the negatives.

Brian Cody (Kilkenny manager): I’m happy enough with it.

Michael Jacob (Wexford midfielder): I always enjoyed hurling under lights. I don’t have a problem with vision, and I wear contact lenses when I play.

Rory Jacob (Wexford forward): I have no problem with it. I think if it were promoted in a correct way it would be a success and there could be a great atmosphere.

GAA should possibly look at playing two hurling games on one night in Croke Park or Thurles and give it the same promotion as they give Dublin and the International Rules series.

Brian Geary (Limerick defender): Difficult to spot the ball at times, but, all in all, I enjoy it.

David ‘Dotsie’ O’Callaghan (Dublin forward)): Personally I’ve always liked playing under lights, with club and county.

It brings a different and unique sort of atmosphere.

THOSE AGAINST

John McIntyre (Galway manager): Not for me.

Brian Hogan (Kilkenny defender): I’m not a fan of it.

John Meyler (Kerry manager): I’m not a fan; there are blind spots, you can’t see the white ball in the lights on cold evenings. The league games should be played on Sundays as double-headers, division 1 with division 2, to add profile to the lower divisions. We had only 200 in Carlow yesterday, tough going!

Tony Óg Regan (Galway defender): It can be difficult for players to judge the flight of the aerial ball but I’m sure this is down to lack of matches under lights.

Stephen Lucey (Limerick dual defensive star): Sure it’s very common now, but you’d much prefer to play in daylight, you find vision easier, don’t lose sight of the ball.

Eddie Keher (Kilkenny hurling legend): I don’t enjoy it, the atmosphere is not the same. I feel players have difficulty with the high ball, a lot of catches missed. Hurling is best played and enjoyed on Sunday afternoons.

John Mullane (Waterford All-Star forward): Hate it.

Jerry O’Connor (Cork midfielder): It creates a good atmosphere for supporters but I would not be for playing games under lights.

Ben O’Connor (Cork forward): It’s fine for training, but I wouldn’t fancy them for championship.

Keith Rossiter (Wexford defender): It can be hard to judge the height/flight of the ball, which can sometimes get caught in the lights — there’s a blind spot. I’ll put it this way — I wouldn’t fancy hurling an important match under lights!

Eamon O’Donoghue (former Cork forward): I’m not a fan of it.

Kevin Martin (Westmeath manager): I don’t like it at all;okay for football but not good for hurling.