Antrim U-21 boss angered by choice of final venue

The decision to hold the upcoming Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship final in Thurles has been branded 'a total disgrace' by Antrim U-21 manager Kevin Ryan.

Ryan's charges made history last Saturday by beating Wexford to become the first Ulster team to ever qualify for the All-Ireland U-21 decider.

That match took place as part of a double header at Semple Stadium in Thurles, with defending champions Clare coming through the second game that day against Galway.

The GAA have fixed the Antrim-Clare clash for Thurles on Saturday, September 14 (throw-in 5pm), but the Ulster champions are hugely annoyed at being asked to travel such a distance once again and that Clare will be playing the final in their home province.

The Antrim County Board said in a statement: "We feel strongly that the match should take place in a non-Munster venue, and somewhere more equidistant between our two counties.

"This is something we have taken up with GAA centrally and we will pursue it."

Ryan feels so strongly about it that he has indicated his players should not travel south for the final, telling the Irish News: "I haven't spoken to the (Antrim County) Board yet but my honest feeling is that we're not playing. It's a total disgrace.

"It probably won't happen but I'd leave it there. I'm sick over it. We had a meeting yesterday (Monday) and we were going to contact Croke Park about the idea of holding the game at an Ulster venue.

"You look at the Junior and Intermediate club finals, camogie, ladies football - those finals are at Croke Park.

"And yet we have the first Ulster team in an All-Ireland U-21 hurling final and they bring it to Thurles. I know they're trying to promote Thurles but the Clare lads will be over there and our lads won't even be in Belfast.

"And then you have Clare involved in an All-Ireland senior final the week before, with a number of their U-21s involved. They'll bring 10-15,000 fans to Thurles and they'll be buzzing. We had a one-in-50 chance of winning but that's gone now."

The Waterford native added: "It won't be the County Board's position but I wouldn't go down there. I'd suffer the consequence. We have no chance going down there to play Clare.

"It was an opportunity for games development, to have it an Ulster venue like Breffni Park or something. It was the chance to have a couple of thousand Antrim people there."