Munster counties united against calendar GAA season plan

All six Munster counties are against the introduction of a calendar GAA season from next year, the Irish Examiner can confirm.

Counties via Central Council last June voted in principle to support the proposal by the Football Review Committee. However, in what will be considered a major blow to the GAA hierarchy’s plans to implement it, Tipperary have become the latest Munster county to oppose it.

There had been indications before Christmas that Tipperary were going to be the only county to back the initiative of condensing all fixtures into the one year, which would see the All-Ireland finals brought forward by a week, meaning an August hurling decider, as well as the senior club finals moved from St Patrick’s Day back to December. Counties would also be expected to have their club championships by tighter deadlines.

However, new Tipp chairman Michael Bourke confirmed after last Tuesday’s county board meeting they are not in favour of it. “Tipperary will find it very hard to support a straight calendar year with dual county and dual club commitments. There would have to be a lot of adjustments made to the provincial and All-Ireland series to accommodate that.”

The proposals don’t form a motion but are set to be discussed by Central Council with a mind to the 2016 fixtures schedule being completed in the early autumn. However, those plans could now be up in the air, especially with an entire province expressing doubts about them.

Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford have already signalled they won’t be backing recommendations outlined by the fixtures workgroup, which includes GAA director general Páraic Duffy, president Liam O’Neill and GPA chairman Dónal Óg Cusack.

For various reasons, Cork secretary Frank Murphy, Kerry secretary Peter Twiss and Waterford chairman Paddy Joe Ryan have all spoke against the calendar season idea. Last month, Clare chairman Michael McDonagh described them as “unworkable”. He said: “There isn’t a hope in hell that we can finish our club fixtures and go well at inter-county level with the dates being asked for by Croke Park.”

Speaking to the Irish Examiner yesterday, Limerick chairman Oliver Mann said: “We’re very doubtful that it would be feasible, particularly in Limerick, where we have so many dual clubs.”

O’Neill, who steps down as president tomorrow, this week reiterated the advantages of the calendar season. “The report on the calendar year, which was sent to Congress, I think will have far reaching effects,” he told the Donegal Democrat. “Bringing back the All-Irelands a week; playing two All-Ireland semi-finals over one weekend is creating gaps. It means if counties are organised, they can play club league football in the first half of the year and club championship afterwards. “In early August now, we will have only four teams left in both championships and that would give the other 28/29 counties plenty of time to run off their championships. We will then have a gala weekend in Croke Park around the second or third weekend of December where we will have the junior, senior and intermediate finals in football on the Saturday and the hurling on Sunday.

“We feel with the six games over one weekend in December that we could create a great festive occasion. It would also create a definite end to the playing season.”

Meanwhile, there is strong opposition in traditional hurling counties against the Europe motion to introduce the black card, Cork, Kilkenny, Limerick, and Tipperary among those in the “no” camp.