Munster back All-Ireland minor U18 return but adult club games to be barred during inter-county run

Munster GAA chairman Tim Murphy has backed the creation of a two-week gap between the All-Ireland senior hurling and football finals

Munster GAA chairman Tim Murphy said U18 "is a better age group for inter-county footballers and hurlers in our view". Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Munster GAA’s proposal to return the All-Ireland minor championships to U18 will insist minor players won’t be permitted to compete in adult club competitions during the inter-county competitions.

Provincial chairman Tim Murphy provided some of the background to the proposal, which has the backing of all six counties and will be presented to Congress in February with a view to coming in for the 2027 season.

“So, this all came about from an academy review that we commissioned last year, out of that came a recommendation for minor to go to U18 at inter-county level.

“The essence of the motion is inter-county minor will go to U18 but this decoupling will also be part of that so that for example an U18 player who is hurling or football can’t play with their club, their adult team for the duration of the county's involvement, but after that then they can.” 

Munster have no intention at present to see the All-Ireland minor finals returned to the same undercard billing on senior final day. “That’s not really part of our proposal,” Murphy insisted. 

“We’re just focusing on that because we feel that's a better development pathway for players at that particular age group. That 18 is a better age group for inter-county footballers and hurlers in our view and actually all the six Munster counties will be playing under-18 in 2026 anyway.” 

Speaking at the launch of the Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League in Raheen on Tuesday, Murphy also gave his full support to the creation of a two-week gap between the All-Ireland senior finals.

Part of that motion includes the disbandment of the pre-season competitions, which return in 2026 having been suspended this past season following a request from the Gaelic Players Association.

Murphy is far more certain about the need to give each final more space. 

“Firstly, I totally support the two-week gap between the All-Ireland hurling and football finals. I think for maximum promotion and maximum exposure, it's a good thing and it gives hurling the opportunity to be promoted up to the day of the final and the reviews after. Similarly, then for the run-up to the football final and the reviews after so from that point of view I do think that's good.

“In relation to the pre-season stuff then, that's obviously a debate that's going to take place. I can understand both sides. I can see the issue in relation to player burnout or player welfare being protected versus the pre-seasons going ahead but the argument against that then is this perhaps they're going to be playing challenge matches anyway.

“I think there’s a big portion in Ulster and Connacht in particular to retain the pre-seasons. From a Munster point of view, we asked the six counties this year and in both codes all six came back and said, ‘Yeah, we want to partake in it’, so I think we'll just watch that space.”