The Kilkenny County Board has expressed concern about ticket prices for the Canal End of Croke Park for the All-Ireland finals later in the year. Tickets from the new stand, now under construction there, will cost £20 for next September's All-Ireland's hurling and football finals.
The Kilkenny board discussed the issue earlier in the week when Pat Henderson, the former All Star hurler, team manager and now member of the county's management committee, objected to the price of £20 which has been fixed. He was also critical of the fact that the Canal End would be all seated. "Young people like to go to matches and shout and dance and enjoy themselves. They can't do that in an all-seated area and they will not be able to afford to pay £20 in any event.
"As well as that, if a couple with two children go to the match it will cost £80, not to mention travel and food an so on. I fear we may be losing some of our grass-roots supporters if tickets continue to rise like this. "The Canal End was always favoured by Kilkenny supporters and we are worried that this tradition may be lost. If we lose it, we might never get it back." Henderson's attitude was endorsed by Sean Tyrrell from the James Stephens club and other county boards are expected to join the protest.
Two former Kilkenny All-Ireland medal winners who have been together in Dublin for two years or more will be in opposition in the opening series of matches in the Kilkenny senior league within the next few months.
Eamonn Morrissey and James `Shiner' Brennan, both then working in Dublin, joined the O'Toole's club and eventually played for Dublin in the Leinster championship, including the match against Kilkenny last summer.
Both have now returned to Kilkenny to join their old clubs - Morrissey to St Martin's and Brennan to Erin's Own. Their teams have been drawn against each other in the first round of the Kilkenny senior league which is used as a preliminary to the championship with four teams qualifying for the semi-finals of the championship later in the year.
Also in Kilkenny, an oversight about the appointment of the management and selectorial panel for the county team has been put to rights. The team was not properly ratified according to rule but went ahead with their duties nevertheless and selected a county panel under team manager Brian Cody, the former All Star and All-Ireland winning fullback. The matter has now been sorted out.
Meanwhile, Croke Park is still waiting for confirmation of dates for the International Rules series in Australia.
Last Autumn, Ireland shaded the series with Australia on aggregate after two very exciting games at Croke Park. The Australians do not appear to be as enthusiastic as the Irish which explains the delay I making arrangements, although late October is the favoured date.
Sean McCague, the experienced official from Scotstown in Monaghan, has been nominated for the position of GAA president-elect by the Tyrone county executive.
