Pitch maintenance group set to improve standards

The GAA has established a pitch maintenance work group with the goal of improving the standard of playing surfaces across the country.

The organisation has teamed up with the Irish Golf Course Superintendents Association of Ireland (IGCSAI) to develop “an educational structure and platform for groundsmen in Ireland”.

The work group, chaired by Cork County Board executive member Kieran McGann, held its first meeting on Tuesday, a timely coincidence with the decision on Sunday to move the Division 1 FL game between Roscommon and Dublin away from Hyde Park due to a waterlogged pitch. Among the members are Stuart Wilson, Croke Park pitch manager, and secretary Damian McLaverty, who is the general manager of the IGCSAI.