Galway championship format restructured

The Galway senior hurling championship, which has produced half of the teams which have won the last 24 All-Ireland club titles, has undergone a radical overhaul.

Portumna have won the All-Ireland four times, Athenry have captured it on three occasions, Sarsfields were the first to win successive crowns, and there have also been national successes for Kiltormer, Clarinbridge, and St Thomas since 1992.

But now the structure of the Galway championship, which has been increased by two to 24 clubs, has been radically changed and it will be a lot harder for at least three of those clubs to repeat their successes.

Athenry, Clarinbridge, and Kiltormer have been included in a 12-team ‘B’ section, divided into two groups of six with only the winners automatically qualifying for the knockout stages, although a number of play-offs will give clubs another chance.

Another dozen teams, based on last year’s championship, are included in two groups of six in the ‘A’ section, where the top two will qualify for the quarter-finals in each pool and the next two will play off in a preliminary quarter-final.

Clubs voted for the change to give more competitive fixtures — a promotion/relegation procedure will decide the sections for 2017.

Teams from the ‘B’ section can go on to win the Galway championship but they have a much tougher route.

The draws for the 2016 championship, which were made on Tuesday night, will see reigning champions Sarsfields face tough opposition in their pool from Gort (winners in 2014 and 2011), St Thomas (winners 2012), and a Loughrea side who won it in 2005 and have been runners-up in four of the last seven seasons.

The draw for the 2016 Galway senior hurling championship is:

Senor A:

Group A – Sarsfields, St Thomas, Loughrea, Turloughmore, Castlegar, Gort.

Group B – Cappataggle, Liam Mellows, Portumna, Craughwell, Padraig Pearses, Ardrahan

Senior B:

Group A – Abbeyknockmoy, Maigh Cuilin, Tommie Larkins, Beagh, Kiltormer, Killimordaly.

Group B – Kilnadeema Leitrim, Clarinbridge, Mullagh, Athenry, Carnmore, Tynagh Abbey Duniry.