Plans to play Railway Cup before All-Ireland finals hit snag

Kevin Hynes, Connacht, in action against Conal Keaney, Leinster in the 2014 Railway Cup hurling final at Croke Park. Pic: Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE

Plans to revive the Railway Cup as All-Ireland senior football and hurling final curtain-raisers appear to have hit a snag.

As the Irish Examiner revealed last October, a committee charged with improving the All-Ireland final experience had considered the return of the interprovincial competitions, the first of which were played almost 100 years ago in 1927.

However, it is predicted that clubs will be reluctant to be without their inter-county players for any additional period after their interests in the All-Ireland championships have ended.

In the case of the Connacht hurlers, Galway would comprise the vast majority of the team and playing in an interprovincial semi-final and/or final may delay their own championship if they have not reached the All-Ireland SHC final.

The body led by Antrim’s Terry Reilly will present a discussion document to Central Council on Saturday listing a number of ideas to augment the All-Ireland final day experience.

The importance of a curtain-raiser has been highlighted but options are thin on the ground. The last minor deciders on All-Ireland final day were in 2019 and the competitions now finish in late June and early July, while the Tailteann and Joe McDonagh Cups conclude weeks before the Sam Maguire and Liam MacCarthy Cup finals.

The last interprovincials occurred in December 2016 as Munster’s hurlers saw off Leinster in Thurles while Ulster’s footballers beat Connacht in Carrick-on-Shannon. Due to poor weather, they didn’t take place in ‘15. The previous Railway Cup final in Croke Park was the 2014 hurling meeting of Leinster and Connacht.

Adding more razzmatazz to the event both in Croke Park and off-site is on the agenda, possibly with a pre-game show for supporters. The GAA’s growing relationship with NFL franchise Pittsburgh Steelers has given them an insight into how to enhance the spectacle. Promotional such as firing jerseys from cannons into the crowd are among suggestions as well as more pitch-side interactions and a possible pre-game show for supporters in the stadium.

A revised celebration of the jubilee All-Ireland winning teams is also under consideration. This year, the Cork hurlers and Meath footballers of 1999 are to be honoured. Last year, there were complaints about the timing of their presentation to the crowd as well as former players’ tickets.

The committee’s work comes as the GAA’s national finance management committee in January recommended All-Ireland final tickets be increased, stand admission going from €90 to €100. The previous rise was in 2019 when a stand ticket climbed from €80.