‘Hurling people feel everything in Croke Park is football-orientated’, says Mike Fitzgerald

On December 15, former Limerick and Munster treasurer Mike Fitzgerald stood up at county convention and delivered his motion: that the GAA provide special status and support to the unique game of hurling at primary school level in clubs throughout the counties.

After the proposal had been outlined, there were no dissenters, only words of support and it was backed unanimously. “Football, rugby and soccer are first cousins,” he explains, “You can pick it up from the age of 12 or 13. I can promise you the same can’t be done with hurling. Nicky English is one of only a few who have been able to achieve it. The other 90% of us had to learn it from an early age.”

Next month’s Annual Congress was to be the next step but this past week Fitzgerald was informed that Croke Park had ruled the motion out of order by the rules advisory committee as it was deemed it was already in rule in the form of Rule 1.3: “The Association shall promote and control the National games of Hurling, Gaelic Football, Handball and Rounders, and such other games, as may be sanctioned and approved by Annual Congress.”