McKenna Cup crowds well up

THE BIG crowd in Omagh for this week’s McKenna Cup match between Tyrone and Peter Canavan’s Fermanagh, around 7,000, was part of a trend that has seen a significant increase in the competition’s attendances, which have risen by 40 per cent on last year.

According to provincial secretary Danny Murphy, there are a couple of reasons: “Weather conditions are far better and we’ve been lucky with the draw and the number of local matches. Down and Armagh was up 50 per cent on last year and the (Peter) Canavan factor had an impact on Wednesday.

“It’s probably slightly unfortunate Tyrone play Fermanagh again in the semi-finals on Sunday but without being certain, we’d expect around 5,000 for the double bill in Armagh (Derry play Down in the other match).”

The weekend’s biggest match is, however, in Leinster where the O’Byrne Cup semi-final between Kildare and All-Ireland champions Dublin is a re-run of last summer’s controversial Leinster semi-final, edged by Dublin with the last kick of the match. Although 58,723 attended Croke Park for that encounter, there isn’t likely to any pressure on St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge, according to Kildare secretary Kathleen O’Neill.

“The capacity is 7,000 and it’s only January. All we can go on are the attendances so far and Dublin’s have been below 2,000 for their two and our last match attracted about 3,000. It’s also live on TG4 so we’re happy that there’ll be plenty of room.”

Meanwhile, it was announced Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) have signed an agreement with the Cork County Board to provide training facilities for the county’s senior hurling panel. Last year CIT signed a licensing agreement with Munster Rugby, which saw the Cork-based members of the Munster squad and academy headquartered at CIT’s Elite Gym.

PLAYER awards from the tiered hurling championships were announced yesterday. The three selections are led by the respective winners of the Ring, Rackard and Meagher Cups, Kerry, London and Donegal. The awards will be presented at a ceremony in Croke Park tomorrow week.

CHAMPION 15 AWARDS: Ring Cup: Kerry: James Godley, Jason Casey, Shane Nolan, Darragh O’Connell; Wicklow: Eamonn Kearns, Stephen Kelly, Andy O’Brien; Kildare: John Doran, Tony Murphy; Down: Eoin Clarke, Brendan Ennis; Armagh: Cahal Carvill; Derry: Oisín McCloskey; Mayo: Shane Morley; Meath: Shane McGinn. Rackard Cup: London: Michael Walsh, Colm Forde, Aidan Ryan, Martin Finn; Louth: David Dunne, Shane Callan, Adrian Wallace; Sligo: Keith Raymond, Tomás Cawley; Roscommon: John Coyne, Ian Delaney; Fingal: Aodhán McInerney, Peter Daly; Monaghan: Peter Treanor, Ronan Meegan; Meagher Cup: Donegal: Colm Breathnach, Enda McDermott, Niall Campbell, Joe Boyle; Tyrone: Damien Maguire, Martin Grogan, Rory O’Neill, Ryan Winters; Warwickshire: Shane O’Hanlon, Chris Brough; South Down: Liam Morgan, Eoin McGuinness; Leitrim: Michael Lane; Longford: Eoin Donnellan. Fermanagh: Fergus Bannon