'Hurling needs more matches, not a final two weeks later': Galway chief calls for rethink

Paul Bellew maintains the promotion of hurling would be far better served by changing the structure of the inter-county window rather than pushing out its conclusion to a later date.

Galway GAA Chairperson Paul Bellew. Pic: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Munster GAA’s proposal to conclude the All-Ireland senior hurling championship in August “is only papering over the cracks”, says Galway chairman Paul Bellew.

A staunch advocate of the split season, Bellew maintains the promotion of hurling would be far better served by changing the structure of the inter-county window rather than pushing out its conclusion to a later date.

The Munster Council want to shift the All-Ireland final from its mid-to-late July finish. It follows a similar recommendation that was withdrawn at Congress earlier this year as it was about to face a heavy defeat.

Bellew led the opposition to the motion and senses there remains little appetite for Munster GAA’s attempt to revive it. “I was surprised by it because it doesn't solve any of the issues that are there.

“That's been one of the most frustrating elements publicly on the debate over the last couple of years around the promotion of hurling: It's not a calendar issue, it's a structural issue and extending out the current situation is only papering over the cracks. It doesn't change anything.

“I'd be very much more aligned with (Cork GAA chief executive) Kevin O'Donovan's comments. We all have to look inwards and see what's the best solutions and for us to be blatantly putting money before participation I think is just not going to fly.

“I can hark back to Congress again when the motion was pulled. That motion would have been defeated 90% to 10% and that feeling hasn't changed on the ground among people and sometimes it gets glossed over. People have a lot of strong reasons for why they believe in the split season in both football and hurling counties.” 

Bellew sees merit in Cork chairman Pat Horgan’s idea to reintroduce four All-Ireland quarter-finals with home advantage for the provincial finalists.

“Hurling needs more matches, not a final two weeks later. From speaking to some of the officials in Munster, it (the August final proposal) was not a position of the counties in Munster. 

“We have to return back to the schedule. Are we playing too many league games? There is not enough space for championship games and enough hurling games later into the summer. 

“We just really need to be hitting a rhythm and a structure of playing every couple of weeks. I think it's the league that has to be sacrificed in both hurling and football for that to happen.” 

Five league games are sufficient in both codes, Bellew feels. He mentioned Galway football captain John Maher’s call earlier this year for fewer league fixtures. There are a minimum of seven games for each county in football, six in hurling.

“It was just interesting from a player's point of view that it's very attritional at that time of year. It would also take the pressure off colleges from a Fitzgibbon and Sigerson Cup point of view as well, if you took that pressure in terms of the amount of matches off.” 

When Munster GAA have a senior hurling championship that generates €8.381m in gate receipts, they will want to protect it. At the same time, Galway’s gate receipts last year came to a handsome €1.242m and Bellew reports hurling attendances are up almost 7% on last year.

“That interest is a result of our structures,” he maintains. “Every county can structure their championships as they see fit. We structure our championships so that we give people a minimum amount of games. We play them every second week.

“Everyone knows the schedule. Everyone can book their holidays at the start of the year. They know 100% hurling. They know 100% football. The money isn't our driver. We basically come along, we listen to the clubs, we listen to the people when they want to play hurling. They want to play it in August and September and that's what we've done.” 

As former GAA president Nickey Brennan concludes his review of Leinster’s hurling championships, Bellew would like to see more of a crossover of games between the provinces at the under-age levels.

“Munster is an incubator of excellence. You have five teams of a very good standard together, playing each other. I think we probably saw that in the underage championships this year, despite us winning the three Leinster titles. We have some views on how those counties should be structured together.

“The big one for us is that the championships are structured equally and fairly and that teams get the same amount of home games. We played seven games in Portlaoise last season.

“We have some ideas and we'll be engaged with Nickey on that and see where it lands. He was very supportive of Galway entering the Leinster minor championship and has always been very progressive in that regard.” 

While Galway are happy with their own U17/U18 minor hybrid model, they would be supportive of minor returning to U18 at inter-county level.