ROUND 2 of the Clare senior hurling championship will go ahead as scheduled this weekend after the clubs of Clare rejected an appeal from senior hurling manager, Davy Fitzgerald to have the games postponed.
At a specially convened meeting at GAA headquarters in Clareabbey last evening, board chairman Michael McDonagh called on all present to conduct a good debate before saying that he didn’t want any divisions. He said he was not going to allow the players to get involved and the meeting was called folowing a request from the senior management to have the round 2 games deferred.
Crusheen manager John Carmody read a statement to the meeting on behalf of a number of club managers. He said that club hurling managers representing Newmarket, Inagh-Kilnamona, Cratloe, Crusheen, Kilmaley, Clooney-Quin, Clarecastle, Ballyea, Eire Og, Tubber and Tulla had met at the West County on the previous evening.
Earlier on Tuesday they had spoken with representatives of Clonlara and Whitegate. “All made it known that they wanted the championship to go ahead as scheduled over the next two weekends”.
“As a group of senior hurling managers we are all proud Claremen. We want and hope that Clare go on and retain their All-Ireland title this September but we see no reason why this cannot be done in tandem with the proper running of our senior hurling championship”, said Carmody.
Cratloe manager Joe McGrath reminded the meeting that clubs were promised last October that this would never happen again. “As late as last week Michael McDonagh (board chairman) stated that these games would go ahead as they are set in stone in the masters fixtures list ratified by the county board after a lengthy process earlier this year”.
Earlier delegates from Sixmilebridge, St. Josephs and Broadford told the meeting that they were not invited to the managers meeting on Monday night. “We are the county champions and surely we should have been notified. Who called this meeting and why were we omitted”, asked Sixmilebridge club chairman Paddy Meehan.
Board chairman McDonagh adjourned the meeting for 15 meetings to consult with the Competitions Control Committee. When he returned he told all present that he would not be allowing a vote and that the fixtures will be going ahead as scheduled this weekend.
By Seamus Hayes