Bad weather claims opening FBD League games

The severe cold snap is expected to heavily disrupt the first full weekend of senior inter-county GAA action of the new year.

The four opening games in the 2010 FBD Insurance League, which were due to take place on Sunday, have been postponed by the Connacht Council and the Leinster, Munster and Ulster Councils are likely to follow suit with confirmation of match postponements this afternoon.

A statement confirmed that "due to hazardous driving conditions and having checked the weather forecast for the weekend, Connacht GAA Council has postponed the start of the FBD Insurance League until Sunday, January 17."

The matches cancelled include Joe Kernan's first competitive game in charge of Galway. The Tribesmen were due to play Sligo in Tuam.

The other pre-season competitions that will almost certainly be delayed by the bad weather are the O'Byrne Cup in Leinster, the McGrath Cup in Munster and the Barrett Sports Lighting Dr McKenna Cup in Ulster.

The preliminary round matches in the McGrath Cup have already been rescheduled twice, with the Tipperary v UL, Kerry v IT Tralee and Limerick v WIT ties postponed last weekend and again in recent days.

It is anticipated that the Dr McKenna Cup openers, if pitches are deemed unplayable this weekend, will go ahead under floodlights next Wednesday (January 13).