GAA president Jarlath Burns has defended the GAA’s Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) after Jim McGuinness was critical last weekend of the decision to schedule Donegal’s All-Ireland SFC encounter against Mayo for Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon.
Speaking after Donegal’s one-point victory over Mayo on Sunday, McGuinness expressed his frustration at the GAA’s fixture-making body for opting to schedule the round-robin clash in Roscommon.
“We don’t believe we should have been here today either, being honest with you,” said the Donegal manager. “We think it was very unfair to bring us here. It was the equivalent of bringing Mayo to Omagh and we also put in an email to the CCCC to say we couldn’t get a hotel in the area so we had to stay in Athlone. We had to go beyond the venue to come to play in the venue.
“So, it was the equivalent of Mayo going to play us in Omagh and staying in Derry and I don’t believe that would happen. I think that would only happen because it’s us. Disappointed in that. We made a case and we made the case early. It was on deaf ears.”
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I think they are amazing people and I just thought that it was important to put on record my appreciation
— Jarlath Burns
However, speaking in Croke Park on Tuesday afternoon at the launch of the All-Ireland senior football championship knockout stages, Burns made a point of praising the work carried out by the CCCC.
The GAA president did not reference McGuinness or the Donegal manager’s comments but he was keen to highlight the CCCC’s efforts.
“Whenever fixtures are being made there are so many things that they have to take into consideration, particularly with regard to neutral venues,” said Burns.
“I think they do an incredible job, I think they are amazing people and I just thought that it was important to put on record my appreciation and thanks for the work they do in very complex circumstances.”
Burns added that after attending one of the Monday morning championship draws in RTÉ recently, he was able to appreciate the number of calls fielded by the GAA’s games administration manager, Bernard Smith, whose challenge it is to link all the pieces of the puzzle.
“I was on the way back [from the draw], in the car with Bernard and he took seven phone calls from counties asking for clarification on this, asking for a favour there, asking that they could play at a particular time . . . and I think every one of those requests was met.”
One of the arguments put forward by the CCCC was that there was no suitable alternative venue for the Donegal-Mayo fixture. The most logical location would have been Markievicz Park but the Sligo venue is currently closed as the pitch is undergoing repair work. Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada in Leitrim, with a capacity of just under 10,000, would have been too small for a fixture that attracted a crowd of 18,751 last weekend.
St Tiernach’s Park in Monaghan and Breffni Park in Cavan were not available as both counties had their senior footballers in action elsewhere last Sunday afternoon.
Donegal will have a home All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final against Louth in Ballybofey at 4pm on Sunday.
