Interprovincial championships: Several leading Gaelic footballers are being forced to choose between club, province and country in the coming weeks due to a severely clogged fixture schedule.
The M Donnelly Interprovincial final takes place at Canton Field, outside Boston, on October 22nd just six days before the International Rules first Test at Pearse Park, Galway, while many county championships remain weeks away from a conclusion.
Last year the Central Games Administration Committee defended the decision to move the interprovincial championship to October on grounds there was no other slot available on the GAA calendar. However, the clash with a home International Rules series and ongoing club championships is a genuine threat to its future existence.
"I thought the competition had been resurrected by some great games and the decent crowds that turned up last year," said Leinster manager Val Andrews. "Considering the time and financial effort invested by Martin Donnelly (sponsor) it is a pity there is a clash with the Compromise Rules, which as an international event should take pride of place. Every competition is suffering as a result."
Most of the Dublin panel are unavailable for Leinster as the county championship quarter-finals take place the same weekend as the interprovincial semi-final against Ulster. Andrews will announce a panel next Wednesday but players from Dublin champions Kilmacud Crokes or, for example, Tomas Quinn, whose club St Vincent's have also made the last eight, cannot be considered. Several others are injured (Ciarán Whelan and Stephen Cluxton) or committed to the International Rules (Shane Ryan).
The ongoing Wexford, Laois and Offaly club competition's have taken quality players like Matty Forde, Ross Munnelly and the McNamee brothers, Niall and Alan, out of the equation.
"There will be a significant number of debutants this year and the Dublin representation will be down due to club fixtures, injuries and players involved with the Compromise Rules squad," continued Andrews.
"The real shame is players seem to like playing in it but the timing restricts them from being involved."
Ulster manager Brian McEniff faces a similar problem but he has already announced a provisional panel. Munster manager Ger O'Keefe was unavailable for comment.
The Mayo contingent joined John O'Mahony's Connacht squad on Tuesday for a challenge match against Roscommon.
"We play Munster on Friday week in Ballyforan under lights so it made sense to play a match up in Roscommon first," said O'Mahony. "From Mayo, David Heaney, Alan Dillon, Pat Harte, Ger Brady and Peadar Gardiner all played."
The decision to field a Roscommon selection against the rest of Connacht was because John Maughan has already reconvened a panel ahead of his second year in charge. The Connacht versus Munster semi-final takes place under floodlights on Saturday, October 6th, while the other semi-final, between Ulster and Leinster, takes place the following evening at Cavan's Breffni Park.
The finalists receive an all-expenses paid trip to Boston.
The interprovincial hurling final will be held at Pearse Stadium, Galway on October 28th as a curtain raiser to the first International Rules Test, in Ireland, under floodlights.
The semi-final pairings see Leinster play Ulster on Friday, October 14th, at Parnell Park, Dublin, at 7pm, while Munster host Connacht the following afternoon in Cusack Park, Ennis.
An official launch for the Interprovincial competitions takes place at Croke Park next week.
Meanwhile, TG4 will show deferred coverage of the AFL Grand Final between the Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles on Saturday at noon and 9.40pm.
Kerry's Tadhg Kennelly, whose recently-deceased father Tim and brother Noel both won All-Ireland titles in the green and gold, will be aiming to climb the winners podium at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for a second successive season.
In last year's final, the Swans beat the Eagles 58-54 with Kennelly making a crucial late intervention to complete a significant individual contribution. The 25-year-old is then expected to join SeáBoylan's International Rules panel next month.
It was stated in these pages yesterday Kennelly was "The only Kerry icon yet to pull on a Kerry jersey". This was a reference to Kennelly's non-availability to play senior intercounty football due to professional ties to Australian Rules since 1999. Of course, Kennelly had a distinguished underage career for Kerry at minor and under-21.
INTERPROVINCIAL FOOTBALL SEMI-FINALS
October 6th: Connacht v Munster, Ballyforan, Roscommon, 8.0. October 7th: Ulster v Leinster, Breffni Park, Cavan, 7.0 Final: October 22nd Canton, Boston, 3.0
INTERPROVINCIAL HURLING SEMI-FINALS
October 14th: Leinster v Ulster, Parnell Park, 7.0. October 15th: Munster v Connacht, Cusack Park, Ennis, 2.30. Final: October 28th Pearse Stadium, Galway, 5.15
