Galway sought to have replay with Dublin in Pearse Stadium

Galway county board chairman Sean Treacy has confirmed they sought to have next Saturday’s provincial quarter-final replay against Dublin staged in Pearse Stadium.

However, the request was turned down with the alternative being the neutral venue of Tullamore’s O’Connor Park, where Galway have failed to win a championship tie since entering the Leinster competition in 2009.

“As far as we are concerned, we are in the Leinster championship,” stated Treacy. “We respect that there are rules and respect the decision of the council.

“We are disappointed that we don’t have all our teams in there (U21 and minors are not currently included).

“We asked Leinster Council to give us a replay in Pearse Stadium. No agreement has been reached over the past three years on home and away with Leinster. Consequent in that it was not for consideration and the match has been fixed for Tullamore. We fully respect the right of Leinster Council to fix that and while we are very disappointed we are fully confident our supporters will travel in their thousands to support the team.”

Treacy added: “We have made some progress over the last few years in putting in conditions to our involvement in Leinster.

“We are hoping that as the structure evolves and as Galway evolves within Leinster that we will get total acceptability and equal treatment with all the other counties.”

Treacy said he is positive about Galway being permitted into the province’s U21 and minor competitions after the Leinster Council rejected the proposal last year.

“We went into very serious negotiations last year. We got our intermediate team in as a result of those negotiations and I think at the end of the day wisdom will prevail ultimately in the interests of the game and we are optimistic Galway and Antrim will be totally included in all the competitions in the future.”