GARRETH McDAID,
Sir, - The fact that Waterford had a six-week lay off prior to an All-Ireland semi-final where they met a Clare team who had played twice in the same period, including a game at Croke Park, is a clear indication that the organisation of the All-Ireland Hurling Championship is a nonsense.
It is true that changes introduced by the GAA in recent years have resulted in more hurling during the summer months (eg Galway 7-15 Down 0-13), but it is also the case that attendances have dropped at provincial level and that the pecking order of teams competing in the latter stages of the competition has not changed..
The GAA seems to have two cardinal rules that it will not deviate from. The All-Ireland Hurling Championship has to be decided on an exclusively knock-out basis and has to include three provincial chamionships in its structure.
Its pechant for knock-out competitions is no doubt traditional, but it is hard to see why a league format could not be introduced to advance teams from the earlier stages of the championship. This would continue to provide for more games and retire the current system whereby stronger teams who lose in the first round are given extra match practice in the qualifiers before coming back to meet their arch rivals in the latter stages of the competition.
It is also hard to see why the provincial championships cannot be separated from the All-Ireland Championship. The fact that Clare, Waterford and Kilkenny experienced lay-offs of four weeks and above this year rubbishes any suggestion that the timetable would not permit this separation. It would also re-establish the significance of the provincial championships, which has suffered recently because of the qualifier system (will Waterford fans still hold their Munster Championship in high regard if they have to watch an All-Ireland final between Clare and Tipperary?) Hurling is a wonderfully evocative and passionate sport, but the current structure of the All-Ireland Championship is generating bitterness and division amongst hurling fans.
The organisation of a competition that both promotes the game to a national audience and allows true champions is an issue that must be addressed by the GAA as soon as possible. - Yours, etc.,
GARRETH McDAID, Celbridge, Co Kildare