GAA Nua: Wexford chiefs have the last laugh
There were strong words from a “vindicated” Wexford chairman Derek Kent as he oversaw the completion of the first senior county competition in Chadwicks Wexford Park. Wexford were condemned for their format and schedule but it turned out to be one of the best in a long time. Kent reserved most of his criticism for the Club Players Association who released a letter from an unnamed angry club player when the county executive set out their initial plan for their championships.
“On behalf of Wexford County Board, I wish all the clubs the best in a weekend of hurling finals. Great credit is due to everyone involved with Wexford that made it possible to play our finals, especially given that earlier this summer the idea of playing our games seemed far from a reality. We didn’t give up hope and we have seen played out one of our best hurling championships in recent times and the format of split seasons of hurling and football within a clearly defined timeframe was a major success with our players, clubs and our supporters. The format of the Championship had many positives that will lead to much debate in the coming months and is probably the only positive sporting outcome of Covid 19. These have been testing times for Wexford GAA and emotions ran high earlier in the summer as we had keyboard warriors with all the answers, the CPA criticising our fixtures plans with seemingly no knowledge of our championships in Wexford and very little knowledge of fixtures in general in a dual County, and with some members of the media commenting without any basis in facts or research. Through all this, we have done our best by our clubs and I think our approach of starting our games as early has possible has been vindicated by recent developments.”
Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1 yesterday, GAA president John Horan referred to Limerick manager John Kiely’s remarks during the week that a Championship would lift the country. In fairness to Kiely, Davy Fitzgerald and Liam Sheedy, they have been banging that drum since the start of the pandemic. “It’s great that we have so many people who would love to go to our games,” Kiely said to this newspaper in July. “Maybe it’s just this year they will have to be careful, particularly the elderly and those with any health issues to stay away from our games and watch them. We could all do with the lift later in the year…”
Sheedy, also speaking in May: “In my own mother’s scenario in her later years, what she got from television and watching the matches when she couldn’t go did make a real difference and I do think behind closed doors would give the whole nation (a lift). Now, obviously that’s not financially viable, I’m not stupid, I know the numbers wouldn’t add up but I think that’s a question that needs to be posed to the country and say, ‘Listen, as a government is that something you want to consider understanding that here is the price that this would take?’”
It’s a tradition for the captains of Leinster Senior Cup winning teams to be presented with the prize but it felt like a first in Fraher Field this weekend when the same happened as Colligan Rockies won their first West Waterford junior A title in 36 years. On hand to present the cup to county hurler Colin Dunford and his joint captain Mark Flynn was Tricia Walsh, the chairperson of the Western Board who also happens to be Colin’s mother.
At last week’s county chairpersons meeting, the case of a Dungarvan hotel hosting the parents of the Ballygunner minor hurling team indoors to watch the county final indoors while they weren’t permitted to see it in person outdoors in Fraher Field was raised. The irony of that shouldn’t be lost on anybody but at least it has since been clarified that parents and guardians can attend their children’s matches. But what happens when it’s the GAA itself who are exploiting the inconsistencies in the crowd restrictions. On Saturday, Ratoath pulled off a surprise win over Kiltale in the Meath senior hurling championship. Of course, no supporters from either club were permitted to attend the game in Páirc Tailteann. However, on their social platforms Ratoath promoted the fact that they were streaming the game in their clubhouse. A legitimate way of allowing supporters to congregate and cheer on their team or a move which is not exactly in the spirit of the social restrictions?
The word is that Wexford intend keeping their hurling and football championships separate and the formats of other competitions have been getting the thumbs up. In Galway, the groups of four in the senior hurling championship have been deemed a great success. This past weekend, Craughwell and Gort both finished on five points and level on score difference but Craughwell were deemed top on the basis of points scored. Craughwell beat Kinvara handily enough but it was their last-gasp goal scored Adam Clarke that ensured they have the easier quarter-final draw. Qualifiers Turloughmore and Oranmore-Maree also finished on the same number of points (four) in Group 2 as did Killimordaly and Ardrahan in Senior B Group 2.
Fresh after the awful targeting of the new East Belfast GAA club, an anti-GAA sign with a machine gun under the official logo of the association has appeared in Dungannon. The sign bearing the words “the sporting wing of the IRA, not welcome in this area" was erected in Coolhill outside the Tyrone town. Sinn Féin MP Michelle Gildernew for Fermanagh and South Tyrone representative slammed it as a sectarian attack in a town which has two GAA clubs, Thomas Clarkes and Eoghan Ruadh. "The erection of this threatening and sectarian banner in Dungannon is the latest of a series of reprehensible attacks on the sport," said Gildernew. “The GAA is inclusive and open, it welcomes all sections of society to participate in its games. Within Tyrone the GAA is the bedrock of many communities.”
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