Pre-season competitions set to return in January after 12-month hiatus

However, Munster GAA is canvassing the opinion of their counties before a decision is made on whether to restore the Walsh Cup and Munster Hurling League

Derry players in a huddle before the Dr McKenna Cup match against Down at Celtic Park in January 2024. File picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Ulster chairman Michael Geoghegan said the council lost out on over £300,000 in revenue as a result of there being no McKenna Cup this year.

Having been suspended for 12 months, pre-season competitions are set to return for January 2026 with confirmation expected to come at this weekend’s Central Council meeting in Croke Park.

As well as Ulster who celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the McKenna Cup in 2026, Connacht and Leinster are keen to revive their various competitions. 

Connacht claim they missed out on €100,000 without the FBD Connacht League while Munster would have averaged a similar figure in gate receipts. 

Munster GAA is canvassing the opinion of their counties before a decision is made on whether to restore the McGrath Cup and Munster Hurling League.

Last September, the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) successfully lobbied Central Council to halt the pre-season competitions for 2026. Prompted by some of the provincial councils, an attempt to reinstate them the following month narrowly failed.

Because of the novelty attached to new rules, Armagh’s All-Ireland success last year and them being one of four Ulster counties in Division 1, the Ulster Council had anticipated huge interest in the McKenna Cup this past season.

“It could have been £300,000 plus lost to the council here,” said Geoghegan. “Armagh were drawing full houses for all their home matches in the league particularly as All-Ireland champions. There was just that appetite among the Ulster public for these games. You’re talking about maybe 100,000 people attending some of the competitions. Only a few years back, Armagh-Tyrone were attracting 17,000 to 18,000 people.

“I know there have been issues over the years with the availability of college players but really it should be recognised that they shouldn’t be used in it so that they could be given the opportunity to concentrate on the Sigerson Cup.”

Limerick manager John Kiely has welcomed the absence of the Munster Hurling League. File picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Aside from finances, Geoghegan said the McKenna Cup served to expose up-and-coming players to the rigours of senior inter-county football. “Over the years, McKenna Cup has been used to develop players and most counties have 40-plus players and they can’t all get competitive games.

“We use it to develop referees too, which is something we feel is important, but not only that you were looking at the cost for counties to go and play challenge games. They were playing those games anyway but there wasn’t as much expense involved to them playing in the McKenna Cup.” 

The GPA had sought the suspension of pre-season competitions to ensure a zero contact month of November for inter-county players. However, they later admitted counties had breached it.

Geoghegan felt the move was counterproductive “because people were still training. If they (the GPA) want to come back with measures to stop that, then I’m sure everybody would listen because nobody wants to see a player burnt out.

“At the same time, there is a need for fringe players to get inter-county games and referees to be developed. Because nobody is going to play the fringe players in the league. It’s too important now. Counties don’t want to lose those games.” 

New Mayo manager Andy Moran wants to see the matches returned for 2026. “In January when you have no games, travel all over the country to get a pitch, all of a sudden you can’t get into a pitch because the weather is bad,” he said last month.

“But if there is a FBD game, the game has to go ahead. You are running around chasing challenges anyway. It doesn’t make any sense (not staging it).” 

On the other hand, Limerick manager John Kiely welcomed the absence of the Munster Hurling League earlier this year. 

“There’s a clear body of work of six, seven weeks just to get physically prepared for the season ahead. I think that’s why some of our injuries that we’ve picked up aren’t serious because they’re physically strong and able for when injury comes.

“That’s something I’d like to get into the conversation around the pre-season because a competition early in the season gives you less chance to focus on your physical preparation and I think the players deserve that opportunity to be physically strong going into the season because it is a long season.”