Two hurlers denied requests to play for Clonea in Waterford SHC transfer to Kilkenny club Glenmore

The two hurlers who were denied their requests to play for Clonea in this year’s Waterford senior hurling championship have transferred to Kilkenny club Glenmore. Pic: Sean Byrne.

The two hurlers who were denied their requests to play for Clonea in this year’s Waterford senior hurling championship have transferred to Kilkenny club Glenmore.

Micheál Harney and Ciarán Kirwan’s plea to line out for Clonea were rejected by Waterford GAA’s Competitions Control Committee (CCC) despite a Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) judgement in favour of the pair.

Harney, a member of the Waterford senior hurling panel last year, and Kirwan sought permission to represent Clonea as their respective clubs Bonmahon and Kill were football-only.

The DRA determined that Waterford’s CCC “failed to adequately set out the reasons for the refusal of the Claimant’s application”.

The three-man DRA body ordered that the hurlers’ application “to assist” Clonea be remitted to Waterford GAA’s CCC for processing before the start of the championship last Friday. However, it was rejected again and the duo have now crossed the border to Kilkenny senior club Glenmore.

Harney and Kirwan sought the hurling-only move as Bonmahon and Kill were not fielding an adult team in that code in 2024. Harney's application was rejected on the basis that it did not comply with a bye-law pertaining to players from football-only clubs lining out for “neighbouring” hurling-only units.

Harney, among other Bonmahon players, was allowed to represent Dunhill in 2023. St Mary’s East, a new club established last year combining hurlers from Bonmahon and Kill, was the amalgamation the CCC believed the players should assist as it was most proximate hurling-only unit to their football clubs.

Meanwhile, Tyrone are expected to seek nominations for the position of senior football manager from their clubs in the coming days. Ballygawley-based Malachy O’Rourke is a strong favourite for the role, although there is also interest in him in Derry where he is managing Glen, his former county Monaghan as well as Meath.

Fermanagh man O’Rourke’s long-time coach Ryan Porter is from Strabane but their focus is fully on Glen retaining their Derry senior championship title.

Tyrone have several native options too including Paul Devlin, Colin Holmes, Enda McGinley, Paddy Tally, Ciarán Meenagh and Mickey Donnelly but the appeal of two-time Ulster SFC winning manager O’Rourke is strong.

Elsewhere, Loughmore-Castleiney versus Kilruane MacDonaghs is the pick of the Tipperary SHC quarter-final draw, which took place on Tuesday night. It along with the meeting of Thurles Sarsfields and Nenagh Éire Og, Toomevara against JK Bracken and champions Kiladangan versus Moycarkey-Borris will be played over the September 14/15 weekend.

The relegation semi-finals, Borris-Ileigh v Lorrha and Roscrea v Templederry Kenyons, have also been organised for the same weekend next month.