Cork's divisional debate: Time for change or maintain the status quo?

At tonight’s Cork GAA convention, club delegates will decide whether or not divisional teams should be excluded from the county senior championships. A motion to be tabled by Glen Rovers is seeking to delete bye-law 41, which permits the board to allow divisional side enter the senior championships.

This year was the first occasion since 1998 that a divisional team reached both the Cork senior hurling and football finals. The Imokilly hurlers, who had 10 points to spare over Midleton when successfully defending their Cork hurling crown, boasted an average winning margin of 11 points throughout this year’s championship. We asked five chairmen, whose clubs field senior teams, whether this motion was a knee-jerk reaction to Imokilly’s growing dominance and should divisional teams be left continue in the senior championship. The five chairmen were also asked for their views on a second Glen Rovers motion which would prevent third-level club sides (UCC and CIT) from using players who also play for senior clubs in counties outside of Cork. If this motion is passed, it would then go before Congress next spring.