Despite less than unanimous support for its programme, the Connacht Council is happy with the expanded pre-season competitions it has been running in the province. The FBD Connacht League has in recent seasons allowed third-level colleges enter and this year the Defence Forces are also participating.
Galway have not entered this year, citing the number of the county's players who are members of college teams, which have prior call on county footballers.
Connacht Council secretary John Prenty says that as well as providing a programme of matches for counties and colleges, the competition guards against over-use of young players. "One of the reasons for inviting the colleges to take part is to try and stop young fellas getting 'killed'," he says.
"Previously counties organised challenges against colleges and you had players being asked to play twice and sometimes three days over a weekend."
Hurling is also being catered for this year with a hurling league for emerging teams, sponsored by Knock Airport.com. This is a significant departure for a province without a senior championship and has been enthusiastically received. The germ of the idea was planted two years ago in Prenty's annual report.
"I said that it would be great to have a big hurling day in the province with a match between Galway and the Rest of Connacht. Eventually we decided to go down this road - of a sort of FBD equivalent - and then when I was down in Knock at a medals presentation, the airport people were looking to get involved with a GAA sponsorship."
The competing teams are Rest of Connacht, Galway Development, NUI Galway and Galway-Mayo IT. Winners travel to Birmingham for an exhibition match and in future the competition may relocate to the autumn.
This afternoon the two college teams, who were defeated last week, play each other with Rest of Connacht and Galway Development meeting tomorrow.
Elsewhere there is a full programme in the other provinces. In Munster the McGrath Cup semi-finals take place with Waterford taking on Limerick in Ardmore and Tipperary play Clare in Clonmel. Tipperary have suffered the withdrawal of dual player Brendan Cummins from the football set-up but have all star Declan Browne back from injury.
Páidí Ó Sé's Westmeath have home advantage in tomorrow's O'Byrne Cup semi-final at Mullingar against last week's conquerors of Dublin, Carlow, who will be without full back Brian Farrell (broken arm). Injury concerns also affect Mark Brennan and John Hayden.
The winners will take on either Meath or Offaly, who contest the other semi-final in Navan.
Ulster have a full schedule of McKenna Cup matches with All-Ireland champions Tyrone returning to Casement Park for a re-match of last June's Ulster semi-final against Antrim.
