Dunloy manager Séamus Elliott will be making a radical proposal about the future of the All-Ireland club hurling championship at tonight's meeting of the Hurling Development Committee. Elliott, a member of the HDC, believes that the All-Ireland club semi-finals should in future be played before Christmas.
"I think it would be fairer. You have the likes of ourselves and Ballygunner who have trained right through and over Christmas and now miss out on the final. At least under a different system two clubs would know that they were in the final on St Patrick's Day and be able to pace themselves. Pitches are at their worst in February after two months of snow, rain and ice and I would like to see the provincial finals routinely scheduled for the end of November."
He feels with the relocation of all inter-county competition to the calendar year that the club championship semi-finals could easily be accommodated before Christmas. Another factor in favour of the move is the edict that counties must complete their championships in time and that they will not be allowed to nominate clubs in the case of unfinished county championships.
"I know that Munster and Leinster have to run far more matches than we have in Ulster," he said. "But I think they could tie things up in time. The fact is that this is the second most important competition in the GAA after the senior All-Ireland championships."
Elliott's team lost narrowly on Sunday despite being 14 to 1 outsiders going into the match against twice All-Ireland champions Birr.
Despite the long road travelled - this was Dunloy's sixth All-Ireland fixture (including replays) in eight years - Elliott still believes the club can win the title. "We had a meeting on the way home and there will be no retirements or resignations - we're going again. We've made big changes since 1995 and have brought young players and have others to come on board yet."
Meanwhile this afternoon in Templemore (2.0), Fitzgibbon Cup holders UCD will face UCC in a re-run of last year's final, won by the Dublin college after a replay. Today's quarter-final will be the fifth successive year that the oldest rivals in the competition have faced each other. Cork were victorious in the first two whereas Dublin have won the two most recent. UCD will be missing the injured Tipperary pair of All-Ireland medallist Paddy O'Brien and Willie Maher.
Kerry footballer Liam Hassett is back in action. He injured his cruciate ligament playing with St Anne's in the Dublin championship last April and his presence was greatly missed by Kerry in the championship. Hassett played for his home club Laune Rangers against Milltown/Castlemaine on Sunday. Playing at full forward, he scored a goal as Rangers defeated their old rivals 2-12 to 0-6 for the first time in two years.
John Evans, who is back in charge of the club he led to the All-Ireland title six years ago, was pleased with Hassett's display. "He did well and it's great to see him back playing football again. He took his goal well but I would caution against any hopes of an early comeback to the starting 15 for Kerry."
