GPA express anger at Portlaoise go-ahead

The Gaelic Players Association has hit out at the decision to play yesterday's Leinster SHC double header despite the "appalling conditions" at O'Moore Park.

Heavy wind and rain hit many parts of the country yesterday, forcing the postponement of the Connacht SFC clash between Galway and Sligo in Salthill. Elsewhere, the race meetings at Gowran and Meath, two eircom League games and day four of the Nissan Irish Open golf were also affected by the weather.

But on what Offaly manager John McIntyre termed a "scarcely playable" pitch in Portlaoise, the two Leinster hurling quarter-finals (Dublin v Westmeath and Offaly v Laois) went ahead amid a plethora of puddles.

Laois boss Dinny Cahill said: "They were the worst conditions I have ever seen to play a championship match. You do all your training getting ready for championship and you play in conditions like that - to me it’s ridiculous.

“I wasn’t consulted by the referee beforehand. To me, the referee is responsible for the protection of the players and if he saw it wasn’t fit to play then he should have called off the game," he added.

The Leinster Council allowed the games to proceed after they were satisfied that referees Johnnie Ryan from Tipperary and Meath's Fergus Smith had deemed the pitch playable.

In a statement released this afternoon, the GPA expressed "its deep dissatisfaction at the decision to play" both games.

"Having been contacted by squads involved, the GPA cannot understand how these games were played - the decision showed scant regard for the safety and well being of the players involved," the statement read.

"Considering the postponement of other high profile sporting events on the day in question, players are outraged that they were expected to perform in such treacherous conditions."

The GPA called on the GAA to "review this situation to ensure steps are taken to prevent such an occurrence in the future".

The conditions were particularly bad for the opening game - before the start of the second half, Dublin forward Kevin Flynn even resorted to using his hurl to scoop away excess water off the surface.