Meaney blasts Leinster chiefs over ‘daft’ fixture alterations

Carlow GAA officials have accused the Leinster Council of making daft decisions and altering fixtures on the presumption their county minors would be beaten.

The Dolmen County were scheduled to play Dublin last weekend, a match they lost 4-24 to 0-3, in the Leinster MHC but when the initial draw was made they were due to play Laois, if the O’Moore side lost to Kilkenny, and Carlow beat Westmeath.

However, before that Carlow victory, Offaly approached the Leinster Council stating that Dublin would beat Wexford and Westmeath would beat Carlow (therefore meaning Offaly would have to play Wexford again) and the draw was changed.

Carlow county board chairman Michael Meaney was shocked the situation was allowed to arise.

“It’s completely daft,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense to change the draw before a ball is pucked. Couldn’t the change have been made after Carlow beat Westmeath and Wexford beat Dublin? Why was it made on a presumption? It looks like Offaly didn’t want to face Dublin and they were beaten by Laois, who we should have been playing. We’re both out in the end, but it’s a shock it was allowed to happen in the first place”.

Carlow had appealed the decision made by Leinster Council initially but had to settle for home advantage. Leinster Council PRO John Greene insisted the change was made in good faith.

“The same thing happened around this time last year and it was a move made in good faith. Carlow were annoyed they hadn’t been informed and you’d have to have sympathy for them, but the decision was made before they played Westmeath but where there was an issue was in Carlow getting the information. As it turned out the change wasn’t needed and Carlow’s argument was why not wait until after the Westmeath game but it was a move made in good faith to prevent even the potential for two teams to clash twice.”

However Meaney responded stating: “Last year the change was made out of necessity. This year the change was made on an absolute assumption that Carlow and Wexford would lose.

“They are correct to say there was a delay in getting the information but we checked with the other counties involved and they hadn’t heard either. There was absolutely no need to change the draw when they did. Why couldn’t they have mad the proviso that ‘if’ Carlow and Wexford lose then there will be a change, instead of making it definite?”