GAA consider new hurling province for National League

National Director of Hurling Paudie Butler has revealed that GAA chiefs are formulating a plan to create a new hurling province involving the seven lower tier counties in Connacht, Ulster and Leinster, which would see them withdraw from the National Hurling Leagues in favour of extended club competitions.

Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, Fermanagh, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth are the seven counties identified, with the possibility of Tyrone as an eighth.

The plans would curb the travel costs incurred by those counties during the spring in league games.

"We have a big idea coming forward about a fifth province and I think it will come to fruition. For instance Sligo and Leitrim, Connacht can’t do much for them as they are not up to that level to compete (with Galway) and their clubs are isolated. But 20 miles away you’d have several other clubs. We’re talking about underage hurling and then let it come into for adult.

"The championship is a guarantee, that’s protected. The national league and the cost of the travel is a concern. We have to be careful that we do the right thing now. Hurling people don’t want to be tricked into something that is cost saving for football. We don’t undermine hurling now that it has a foothold."

Butler’s five-year tenure as National Hurling Director ends next April and he is confident that the state of hurling nationally has improved since he assumed his post.

"I’m happy in the five years that we have turned a corner for hurling. We have more players playing and higher skill levels in the weaker counties. We now have 300 hurling walls in action as against none five years ago. They were 15 or 16 counties who would write off the year once the league was over but now everyone has a chance of winning in four divisions. That’s a massive improvement."