Men's Hockey Interprovincial TournamentPat Dawson's outspokenness this season hasn't, naturally, gone down too well with the "conservative types who run the game", as he puts it, nor with the sporting authorities in Belfield who received a complaint from his club, Cork Harlequins, following the Club finals a fortnight ago.
"It's a disgraceful hockey venue," said the Munster Branch president, "our manager and coach saw about 15 rats, most of them coming from behind the dug-outs, over that weekend. And this is our National Hockey Stadium, where we'll be hosting the women's European Championships next year. We'll be a laughing stock. It's a disgrace."
And such was Dawson's mood yesterday, on the eve of the rescheduled senior interprovincial tournament in Belfast, postponed in February because of the weather, Munster may well be deserting the 'sinking ship' that he fears Irish hockey will become unless drastic changes are made.
"As a Branch we simply cannot afford this weekend," he said of the interpros. "In all it will cost €12,000 - €6,000 each for the men's and women's squads - and almost half of that is coming out of the players' own pockets - each player has to pay €170.
"The only reason we're taking part is because the Ulster Branch would have lost 50 per cent of what they paid for hotels and food back in February. But what are we getting for €12,000? Tradition, nothing else - and tradition is all the Interpros have to offer.
"Eighty-five per cent of our income goes on the Interpros and affiliation fees to the Irish Hockey Association, that leaves 15 per cent for us to spend on developing the game in Munster, it's nonsense. It's time to put the brakes on this. If an All-Ireland League, which we firmly believe is essential for the development of Irish hockey, is not put in place we will consider our involvement in future tournaments."
Munster's cause this weekend wasn't helped yesterday with the withdrawal, through injury, of Church of Ireland's David Hobbs, to add to the earlier losses of Wes Bateman, John Jermyn, Paul Lombard and Sean Nicholson.
The Leinster squad is hit by the absence of the Antwerp trio of Stephen Butler, Graham Shaw and Joe Brennan, who are preparing for the European Club Championships in Barcelona, and the unavailability of Justin Sherriff. Ronan Gormley, of Spain's Club de Campo this season, is available.
For Ulster, Timmy Cockram comes in for the injured Chris Jackson. The defending champions open their campaign this evening against the Shamrocks (Irish under-21s).
SENIOR INTERPROVINCIAL TOURNAMENT (at Queens, Belfast) - Today: Ulster v Shamrocks, 6.0; Leinster v Munster, 8.0. Tomorrow: Leinster v Shamrocks, 12.0; Ulster v Munster, 4.0. Sunday: Munster v Shamrocks, 11.0; Ulster v Leinster, 3.0.
LEINSTER: D Bane (Aer Lingus), R Gormley (Club de Campo), C Henderson (Corinthians), I Clarke, D Shaw, A Browne (all Glenanne), G Watkins, I Allen (both Monkstown), A Kershaw, Gordon Elliott (capt), C Brady (all Pembroke Wanderers), A Bothwell (Three Rock Rovers), P Blakeney, P Maguire (both Trinity), W Powderly, A Walker (both YMCA). Coach: Simon Filgas.
MUNSTER: I Hosford, D Smith, M Treacy (all Bandon), G Creamer, D Kavanagh (both Catholic Institute), D Hales, M Ruddle, K Burns, N Buttimer (capt), P Smith (all Cork Church of Ireland), J Aherne, J Black, D Eakins, J Hobbs, M Black, D Lombard (all Cork Harlequins). Coach: Stephen Jackson.
ULSTER: J Moore, I Hamilton, I Lewers, D Robb, D Smyth (all Annadale), G Lennox, E Magee (both Banbridge), A Barbour, G Cuddy (both Cookstown), P Brown, M Gleghorne, M Irwin (all Instonians), E Lutton (capt), T Cockram, M Raphael, B Waring (all Lisnagarvey). Coach: Terry Gregg.
SHAMROCKS: S Chisholm, I McKeown (both Annadale), G McCabe (Banbridge), M Daniel, C Cargo (both Bangor), E Butler (Cookstown), C Daunt (Cork Harlequins), C Acquaye (Havant), S Redpath (Instonians), S Arbuthnot, M Robinson (both Lisnagarvey), C Black (Monkstown), J Jackson (Mossley), K Carroll (Railway Union), A McConnell (Three Rock Rovers), N Lyons (YMCA). Coach: Denis Pritchard.
