Relegation no more as amnesty granted for threatened four

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*Photograph: Gerard O’Neill

The protracted Clare Senior Hurling Championship relegation issue finally concluded this evening, with no team being demoted to intermediate level for 2022 following a vote at the special meeting of Clare GAA in Treacy’s West County Hotel.

Upon his election to the chair seven days previously, Kieran Keating immediately set about resolving this ‘thorny issue’ that was put into doubt during the relegation round-robin between Clarecastle, Clooney-Quin, Crusheen and O’Callaghan’s Mills but only officially decreed null and void in early December after a successful Munster Council appeal from Crusheen.

Consequently, sorting out the relegation debate was placed back at the feet of the county board as all four candidates were to be considered equal in any decision. Four options were put forward by Clare GAA:

1. Revert to the original play-off format of drawing two play-off pairings out of the hat with the losing sides being relegated.
2. Look to replay the round-robin series again with the bottom two sides being relegated.
3. Relegate no-one in 2021 and instead look for special dispensation from Croke Park to relegate two teams in 2022 and two in 2023 in order to meet their 16 team criteria.
4. Relegate no-one in 2021 and relegate three teams in 2022.

What followed was an impassioned hour long debate that spanned the full spectrum of views and possible outcomes.

First, there was the potential of further appeals on the lack of governance surrounding the legitimacy of the entire 2021 fixture masterplan that could ensure that no adult championship team in either football or hurling be relegated at all.

On the flip side, the prospect of Clarecastle, Clooney-Quin, Crusheen and O’Callaghan’s Mills all being relegated if they failed to field in any rescheduled relegation series was also put on the table.

In the end, Kieran Keating looked for motions from the floor, with former Munster Council Chairman and O’Callaghan’s Mills delegate Robert Frost proposing that 18 teams contest the 2022 Clare Senior Hurling Championship, with two teams to be relegated for the following two seasons, this was seconded by John Skehan of Clooney/Quin.

If rejected, a reversion to the original winner-takes-all play-offs would be implemented but following a further 20 minute discussion from both sides of the divide, the clubs voted narrowly in favour of O’Callaghan’s Mills’ motion by 18 to 16.

Earlier in the meeting, the following inter-county managers were ratified for 2022:
Under 20 Hurlers: Terence Fahy (Whitegate)
Minor Hurlers: Brian O’Connell (Wolfe Tones)
Senior Footballers: Colm Collins (Cratloe)
Under 20 Footballers: Michael Neylon (St Joseph’s Miltown)
Minor Footballers: Dermot Coughlan (Kilmurry Ibrickane)