GAA explain schedule decision

INTERCOUNTY FIXTURES:THE GAA have explained the decision to leave next weekend's schedules free from intercounty activity. Apart from a rescheduled NFL fixture between Leitrim and Carlow, Saturday and Sunday are taken up with the All-Ireland club semi-finals and the interprovincial hurling semi-finals.

The schedule is in stark contrast to last weekend when nearly 30 matches were played as the football and hurling leagues doubled up, resulting in a reduction of the exposure both sets of fixtures would have enjoyed had they been played a week apart with the club matches spread between the two weekends.

“The idea was to leave the field to the All-Ireland club semi-finals and allow them the full promotional benefit of next weekend’s coverage,” said a spokesperson.

“The interprovincial hurling semi-finals were an afterthought and weren’t originally scheduled for those dates.

“In the end they were the reason we couldn’t refix some of the postponed hurling matches for this weekend.”

Next Sunday will see one of the most eagerly-awaited hurling matches of the year, as the club champions of the past three years, Galway champions Portumna (2006 and 2008) and Kilkenny’s Ballyhale Shamrocks (2007) meet in Thurles.

Meanwhile, Limerick hurling manager Justin McCarthy has confirmed full-forward David Breen did not suffer a punctured lung against Kilkenny in last Sunday’s NHL fixture in Nowlan Park.

Breen and Kilkenny defender Brian Hogan were stretchered off the field following a sickening collision shortly after half-time at Nowlan Park.

However, injury updates from both camps were positive yesterday as Hogan was revealed not to have suffered a broken shin bone, as had been originally feared. Breen is a doubt for Limerick’s next outing against Dublin on Sunday week, but a longer lay-off was predicted after the Na Piarsaigh man coughed up blood having taken a heavy blow to the chest.

Breen and Hogan were taken to St Luke’s hospital in Kilkenny City but were later released following tests. Hogan suffered heavy swelling and bruising to his leg but X-rays revealed no break.

Hogan left hospital on crutches on Sunday evening and Kilkenny selector Martin Fogarty said: “We don’t know yet how long Brian will be out for. We have to see what damage is done when the swelling goes down over the next couple of days.”

“We don’t want to see anybody coming off on a stretcher,” added McCarthy. “It’s sad when these things happen, very unfortunate, and it took a bit of steam out of the game.

“David Breen is recovering well. He’ll rest for about two weeks. He took a bang to the chest and while there was talk of a punctured lung initially, that’s not the case.”

Elsewhere, Monaghan footballer Dermot McArdle, in action on Sunday as the county climbed to the top of the Division Two table, is also busy with the current release of his company Gaelic Performance’s two coaching DVDs for football. The first of these, entitled 99 Animated Drills and Conditioned Games for Gaelic Football, consists of drills and games used by top county teams throughout Ireland.

The second sees Gaelic Performance team up with innovative coach John Morrison, to produce a series of concept games that help coaches and teams to solve problems that they may encounter during a season. Further details can be found on: www.gaelicperformance.com/equipment.asp.

Finally, the 2009 Comórtas Peile Páidí Ó Sé returns to West Kerry from the 27th February-1st March 2009.

The competition is an invitation-only senior club men’s and women’s football tournament, which takes place every year on the Dingle Peninsula. Tomorrow in Dublin, Taoiseach Brian Cowen will officially launch the 20th running of the tournament.