Christy O'Connor: GAA will do well to find a cure for their splitting headache

The club championships will always have some brilliant marquee games but using them to fill the new inter-county vacuum on TV in late summer and early autumn won’t be straightforward

SPLIT SECOND TIMING: Na Piarsaigh’s Peter Casey keeps a close eye on the ball despite the tackle of Doon’s Richie English during the Limerick SHC clash at Claughaun. Feedback from players on the split season so far has been mostly positive. Pic: Evan Treacy

When the European Championships begin in Munich next week, it will be the biggest sports event in Germany in terms of participants since the 1972 Summer Olympics.

For ten days, the championships will feature nine Olympic sports: athletics, beach volleyball, canoe sprint, cycling, gymnastics, rowing, sport climbing, table tennis, and triathlon. On each of the eleven event days, athletes will be competing for a total of 177 gold medals.