ICC to meet County Limerick Coursing Club over Irish Cup crux
The ICC, in a surprise move last month, said it intends to transfer the meeting from Limerick racecourse at Patrickswell to an alternative, unnamed venue.
Following the announcement, the County Limerick club, organisers of the Irish Cup, informed the Clonmel based ICC that it had no legal role in matters relating to the Irish Cup.
Historically the event was run on lands owned by the late Lord Dunraven at Clounanna, near Adare.
When that venue became unavailable, the event was moved to Tralee for a number of years, before the CLCC brought it back to Limerick Racecourse at Patrickswell.
Following on the decision taken by the ICC, Bill Burke, chairman of the CLCC, informed the ICC chief executive, DJ Histon they have no authority in relation to the running the Irish Cup.
Following a meeting in Patrickswell earlier this week the county Limerick club agreed to meet with the ICC in Clonmel tomorrow in an effort to sort out the matter.
Mr Burke in a letter to Mr Histon stated: “We wish to advise the executive committee (ICC) that the running of the Irish Cup is the responsibility of County Limerick CC). The rules of the ICC make specific mention of the County Limerick CC in relation to the Irish Cup. The executive committee (ICC) have a role in the running of the National Meeting (at Clonmel). For all other meetings the primary responsibility is with the coursing club hosting the event. Furthermore the rules of the ICC make no reference to the executive committee of the ICC deciding what club will run the Irish Cup.”
Mr Burke said the CLCC wants the ICC executive to confirm it will not in any way commence a process of allocating the Irish Cup to any other club.
In his letter Mr Burke warned: “If the executive committee (ICC) continues to try and exceed their powers then County Limerick Coursing Club will pursue all legal challenges available to it to prevent the executive committee (ICC) from implementing decisions which they are not empowered to make.
“The actions of the executive committee (ICC) are extremely damaging to the prospects of County Limerick Coursing Club financing a move to a new venue.
“The creating of an expectation that the executive committee (ICC) could take the Irish Cup from County Limerick Coursing Club has caused significant reputational damage to our club.”
Mr Burke said the decision by the ICC was “ultra vires” and had no effect in law.
