*PJ Fitzpatrick. Photograph: Joe Buckley
DECISIONS made following the findings of the hurling review committee last year as to the structures of the various hurling competitions in 2025 were instrumental in ensuring that a number of motions before this Tuesday’s structures meeting didn’t succeed.
Proposals from Clooney/Quin and Sixmilebridge would, if successful, have led to change in what had been agreed following proposals by the special committee set up to examine the hurling competition structures.
“A group of people sat down and deliberated and came up with proposals and, now, before a ball has been struck in the 2025 championships we are seeking change,” said Scariff’s Tom Crotty at Tuesday’s meeting.
Broadford had a motion asking that the senior hurling championship draw for 2025 be seeded into four categories as follows; Pot 1: four semi-finalists; Pot 2: four beaten quarter finalists; Pot 3: third placed teams; Pot 4: fourth placed teams plus intermediate champions.
Anthony O’Halloran of St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield said “at the moment the four semi-finalists are seeded and the current system add to the excitement and it gives everybody a shot”. Ruan’s Michael O’Regan was of a similar view as were the majority of those present.
Clooney/Quin proposed that if a club wishes to enter a new team at a higher level than the current entry level of Junior C, the County committee should allow this but at no higher level than Junior B.
Last year’s hurling review report scheduled that the finishing positions of teams would determine their championship grade for 2025 and that led to strong opposition to the proposal put forward on Clooney/Quin’s behalf by John Skehan.
Anthony O’Halloran (St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), Padraig O’Brien (Parteen/Meelick) and Rory Hickey (Éire Óg) were just some of the delegates who put forward the view that the recomedations from the hurling review committee should be allowed to stand.
John Skehan’s proposal was seconded by P.J. Fitzpatrick from Sixmilebridge but it failed to receive the support of any other delegate.
Sixmilebridge’s proposal to remove the cap of eight teams per grade for the under 21 championships also failed to win approval as far as the A and B grades are concerned. The meeting did give support to the CCC to change the cap for the lower grades.
Corofin’s proposal that applications for player regrading be dealt with online received support.
There were mixed views in relation to a proposal from St Joseph’s Miltown which asked that where two teams from the same club are playing in the same competition that players who have played in the B side may play for the A team but thereafter cannot play for the B side in the remainder of the competition. A majority favoured the system in place at present whereby clubs name separate panels.
