Seán Kelly: Reform of Kerry Senior County Championships needed

Donal O'Sullivan, East Kerry and Mark Casey, Templenoe in action in the County Senior Football Chamionship.

Former GAA President, Sean Kelly MEP, has called for a reform of the Kerry GAA Senior County Championship format.

Kelly pointed out that because the “Senior County Championship is run with divisional teams as well as club teams, we now have a situation where we have reached the finals of the Junior and Intermediate were postponed for five weeks to accommodate the Senior County Championship."

“That does not make sense to me," Kelly continued. "Neither, does it make sense to me that Kerry, the strongest and most successful county in football in Ireland, has only eight Senior Club teams. 

"This does not make sense and any team could be relegated any year, as we saw last year with Austin Stacks.”

Kelly noted that the solution may be to take the divisional/district teams out of the Senior County Championship, underlining that such a shift would allow for the simultaneous and earlier organization of the Junior, Intermediate, and Senior Championships.

“What I'm suggesting is that we must change the format. We have to consider taking divisional teams out of the Senior County Championship.

“[This would give] Divisional Boards an opportunity to run their competitions, as they have traditionally been almost as important as the County Championships."

Regarding the role of divisional/district teams, Kelly offered an alternative perspective. “I don't think the need for divisional teams is what it was before.” 

The former GAA President suggested a special competition for the aforementioned divisional teams, “in the latter part of the year, without interfering with Divisional Board Championships or Club Championships”.

He highlighted that the rise of the Junior and Intermediate Club Championships, coupled with development squads, now ensures that players from weaker clubs have the opportunity to showcase their skills and be considered for the county team.

On the Junior and Intermediate Club Championships, He added: "With the Junior and Intermediate champions going forward to represent Kerry at Munster and All-Ireland level, it has given a new status and a new lease of life to those competitions.”