Kerry the latest to oppose extension to inter-county season

Paudie Clifford of Kerry during the GAA Football All-Ireland SFC final match between Kerry and Donegal. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Kerry club delegates fully endorsed county secretary Peter Twiss and the executive’s opposition to extending the inter-county season by two weeks at this month’s county committee meeting.

If the motion were to be passed at Congress, the football final would be played in the second week of August and the hurling decider at the end of July.

The motion would also confirm the end of the pre-season competitions in January on a permanent basis.

Twiss outlined to delegates that Kerry had nothing in principle against the two-week extension but the knock-on effect it would have on the Kerry club and county championships was a price clubs should not be asked to pay.

The secretary said that 16 weekends are needed to play off the club championships in Kerry to have winners ready to take part in the Munster club championships.

“The problem is the squeeze on the club fixtures. The question is, and we have to raise this at Congress, we need 16 weekends to play our county championships, our club championships. We have no problem at all if the dates for the All-Ireland go out two weekends; we think there's a lot of positives to that, provided 16 weekends for the county [championship] is held.

“We do need to clarify that, because in fact we probably welcome the move out to August for the All-Ireland final. If someone can say that they can squeeze up the provincial or All-Ireland [club championship] from the other side and say to us that’s where the two weekends would be gained, or compensated for, that’s fine. If they don't do that, or say they can't do that, then we have a problem," Twiss explained.

“I do believe that in that context, a county like Kerry needs to be listened to in the sense that we have a very successful club championship set up. And somebody’s going to have to take heed of that. Some counties run a county championship that doesn’t really need 16 weekends. That’s fine but that’s no good to us,” He said.

Club delegates, including Sean Barry (Annascaul), Peggy Horan (Glenflesk), Bill Riordan (Gneeveguilla) and Bobby O’Connell (Desmonds), all spoke against the motion.

Tipperary also decided to oppose the proposed calendar extension on Tuesday night.