MARTIN DONNELLY has welcomed the retention of the GAA interprovincial championships but has challenged the authorities to investigate all possible methods of making them attractive to the public again.
Donnelly has been an enthusiastic sponsor of the championships since 2001 and is passionate about keeping them alive. Amongst the possibilities worth investigating, according to the successful Clare businessman, is to allow a club to host the competition and attempt to generate an interest locally surrounding it.
Donnelly intends to meet with the GAA early in the new year to put some of his ideas to them and push for as much promotion as he can get for the interprovincials.
Giving a club the responsibility of hosting the competition would be a radical change of approach but something like that is needed says Donnelly.
"I agree it has to prove itself. The semi-finals have to start generating a bit of interest and then you go from there. I would see a club being able to run them.
"There are a lot of options that haven't been explored. The day is gone where you'll see them in Croke Park or any of the big venues. But maybe a club celebrating a centenary or opening a pitch could host them.
"That's just one of the areas that hasn't been explored yet."