For Cork's GAA divisions, championship withdrawals is a bleak portent

FADING FORCE: Duhallow's Jason O'Callaghan against Avondhu in the Co-Op Superstores Cork SHC at Glantane. Pic: John Tarrant

The manager of a Cork divisional hurling team that conceded its championship fixture this week doesn’t see a future for divisional teams.

Duhallow were unable to fulfil their second round-robin game against Muskerry in the unseeded colleges/divisions section of the Cork Premier SHC, becoming the fourth division this year - after Carrigdhoun in hurling, and Imokilly and Beara in football - that failed to field because of a lack of playing numbers.

Duhallow manager Eamon Moynihan expects the number of divisional teams dropping out to continue rising in the years ahead. He had 17 players for their championship opener against Carbery earlier this month, but knew at the end of last week that he wouldn’t be able to get 15 together for Tuesday’s game.

“Do I think there is a future in divisions? I don't,” says Moynihan. “Even Duhallow footballers will struggle for numbers this year. They have a reasonably good success rate, but I believe they are struggling this year to get training sessions organised and trying to get a team together because it is becoming increasingly more difficult. We can all see that. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if more withdrew next year. Not a bit.

“The commitment levels are rising all the time with the club, and that is the biggest issue. Your club is everything and so your club takes precedence regardless. They are training three nights a week and playing at weekends, either football or hurling, so that is four nights a week.

“Carrigdhoun pulling the plug surprised me. They have the service of a couple of big intermediate clubs, the likes of Ballinhassig and Ballymartle. We are pulling from six junior and one premier junior club. But the players from the bigger clubs in Carrigdhoun are probably saying to themselves, club comes first.” 

Cork GAA’s scheduling of the unseeded colleges/divisions section in June was to put enough space between these games and the start of the county championship proper in late July so that club players could commit to their division. But the number of withdrawals this year would suggest this approach isn’t working.

“They have exhausted all avenues to be honest,” Moynihan continued. “I don't see a future in divisional teams.” 

Beara secretary Joseph Blake, whose own divisional football team were one of those unable to get out 15 players this year, suggested tweaking the club league schedule in May to allow divisions get a panel together and get a bit of training done. In essence, build a base before their June games.

“Before, the league began in March, with group games finishing in October and finals stretching into December. Now the group games finish in June, with finals in July before county championship. It squeezes things up a lot from March to the end of June, and thus it's hard to find space for divisions,” Blake explained.

“Maybe playing the May league games back-to-back in each code (they are currently every second week), so two weekends of football followed by two of hurling, thus allowing a few weeks of a window for divisions to get together.”