Glen manager Mulcahy on age eligibility regulation: 'There's a big argument for it to be abolished'

Glen Rovers’ Michael Tadhg Brosnan breaks away from the Inagh Kilnamona defence. Pic: Noel Sweeney

Glen Rovers’ manager Tomás Mulcahy says Cork GAA has to reconsider its age eligibility regulation after they were able to field Michael Tadhg Brosnan in the Munster club championship.

Since 2024, the county has prohibited an U18 player from lining out at adult level from all levels above and including premier junior. Brosnan lined out for The Glen against Inagh-Kilnamona as a replacement for Micheál Mullins who couldn’t start due to his shoulder injury sustained in last month’s PSHC final win over St Finbarr’s.

“I think there's a big argument for it to be actually abolished, to be honest,” said Mulcahy. “I think we're the only county in Ireland that has that rule, that a man can play in a Munster club but he can't play in a (county) club championship.

“And look, it made no difference to the result today. I'd not thought about that. But we had him in our panel, and his brother Josh, who was actually a sub in the Cork development squad as well. Two guys who were involved with Cork U20 and they can’t play senior hurling with their club.

“You see guys across the water and they're playing World Cup finals at 16, at 17. We protect our players. We would look after them. We would mind those players. And that's not a reflection on the game today. Inagh-Kilnamona were better than us and we congratulate them.

Inagh Kilnamona proved the stronger of the two sides on the day. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

“But someone has to look into that, right? If you have a Cork U20, playing with Cork 20s this year in the (inter-county) championship and he's not able to play with his club hurling in the championship. It goes for everybody, every senior club, not just Glen Rovers. I think it’s a crazy rule.” 

Mulcahy was disappointed the game couldn’t take place in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. “I know the grass was cut here this morning, but it was heavy underfoot,” he said of the Páirc Uí Rinn surface. “To be fair, I believe Inagh-Kilnamona wanted the match in Páirc Uí Chaoimh as well.

“It doesn’t seem like sour grapes but we requested the game be in Páirc Uí Chaoimh as well. They said, ‘No, there’s county finals on there as well’. But that doesn’t take from today. We just kept our mouths shut. We just said, ‘We have got to see it and play it the way it is. We have to go to Páirc Uí Rinn, a 1.15pm match as well.

“It was the same for Inagh-Kilnamona. They had to travel a good distance down this morning as well and they delivered a big performance. But yeah you would have loved to say, ‘Munster club in Páirc Uí Chaoimh’. That’s where we played the last couple of matches, it would have been brilliant for us as well but not to be.”