Leinster want to give more time to county championships
ELONGATED TIMEFRAME: Shane Walsh of Kilmacud Crokes scores his side's first goal despite the best efforts of Cathal Flahety of Ballyboden St Endas during the Dublin County Senior Club Football Championship Final between Kilmacud Crokes and Ballyboden St Endas. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Clubs in Leinster could have more time to complete their county championships in 2024.
A proposal from the province’s competitions control committee to condense the timeframe of the Leinster championships is to be voted on by counties next week.
If successful, counties could possibly have another two weeks to finish their championship. The senior football competitions commenced this year on October 22 while its hurling equivalent began on November 12.
Leinster’s competitions control committee believe the integrity of county championships can be enshrined by having extra weekends. From the start of August to mid-October, clubs had 11 exclusive championship weekends.
Kilkenny’s senior hurling final took place on October 29, the same day as the Dublin hurling decider, a full 10 weeks after the Wexford SHC final on August 20. However, Wexford are considering running their football and hurling championships on alternate weeks next season.
Meanwhile, another Ulster county has been hit by a slew of unavailable players for 2024.
After Fermanagh’s footballers confirmed they would be without three players in the new year, report that Antrim’s hurlers will be unable to call on the services of five panel members.
In the wake of Neil McManus’ retirement after 17 years playing for The Saffrons, Dunloy’s Ryan Elliott, Seán Elliott, Keelan Molloy and Eoin O’Neill and St Enda’s clubman Joe Maskey will not be part of the Antrim set-up in 2024.
It's a major blow for manager Darren Gleeson as Antrim will again look to be competitive in the Leinster championship while hoping to figure for one of the top three places in Division 1, Group B ahead of the anticipated Allianz Hurling League reshape.
Mainstays in Gleeson’s team, forward Molloy and goalkeeper Ryan Elliott’s departures will be keenly felt. They begin their Leinster SHC away to Kilkenny on April 20/21 before welcoming Wexford to Belfast the following weekend.
Elsewhere, Donegal’s 2012 All-Ireland winner Karl Lacey is set to remain in charge of Down champions Kilcoo. Having taken over this past season, the four-time All-Star had expressed doubt about his future in the role following the Ulster semi-final defeat to Scotstown earlier this month.
However, Kilcoo have confirmed the Four Masters man, who had previously headed up the Donegal academy, will lead them next season. "Eoghan Rua Cill Chua are delighted to announce that manager Karl Lacey and his backroom team will look after our senior side in 2024,” their statement read.
