Skelly backs provincial competition

Leinster council chairman Martin Skelly has extolled the virtues of provincial competition and sees no future for a more evenly divided system of qualifying for the All-Ireland series.

There have been suggestions that some of the counties in Leinster could be moved to other provincial championships to form four eight-county conferences.

Skelly’s native Longford have been mooted as amongst those that could benefit from being moved out of Leinster, but the former county chairman doesn’t believe such a development would find favour.

“Everybody is talking about sending Longford to Connacht — without asking the people of Longford,” said Skelly.

“Is anyone talking about moving Kilkenny to Munster hurling, to even off numbers?

“ Do you ask Donegal to leave Ulster football?

“Both Leinster football and hurling (championships) are fantastic competitions. Okay, they’ve been dominated recently by Dublin, and Kilkenny, but we’ve seen the buzz Galway’s victory here brought to the whole championship last year.

“Why should we do away with something that still generates huge crowds?”

The Leinster council is hoping to maintain or increase those attendances over the summer with a ‘Super Six’ package of ticket offers designed for families, students, senior citizens and clubs. For full details, log on to www.leinster.gaa.ie.