The Games Administration Committee has defused a major fixtures problem by rescheduling an All-Ireland club hurling semi-final. But in the process they have created a dilemma for Clare supporters who will now have to choose between backing the county's hurling champions St Joseph's Doora-Barefield or their football counterparts Doonbeg, both of whom will be engaged in All-Ireland semi-finals on the same day.

The difficulty arises from the original fixtures clash between the All-Ireland club hurling semi-finals and the Fitzgibbon Cup final weekend, both scheduled for February 28th. Doora-Barefield and Connacht representatives Athenry who won the All-Ireland two years ago will now meet a week earlier on February 21st, the same day as the club football semi-finals.

Among the players with potential twin commitments was St Joseph's county midfielder and All Star Ollie Baker who is captain of the host college this year. Dara O'Driscoll and Kenneth Kennedy are involved with UCG and the potential was there for players to have to be withdrawn from college teams on the weekend of the Fitzgibbon. Garda and UCG are scheduled to meet before the final but there would have been problems regardless of which - if either - of them progressed.

Despite the inconvenience involved, the switch has been welcomed by those involved. Des Cullinane, chairman of Comhairle Ard Oideachais, was particularly relieved that the Fitzgibbon weekend was no longer threatened with disruption.

"We have always been given an understanding that the Fitzgibbon would be left on its own and that no other major hurling events would be fixed. We were aware of the problem from the moment the calendar was published but the chairman of the GAC (Frank Murphy) has been away on holidays for four weeks. As soon as he came back, we knew the situation would be looked at."

Des Crowe, PRO of the Clare county board, said that people in the county were disappointed but understood the difficulties facing the GAC. Doonbeg, the first Clare club to win the Munster football title, will face Ballina in Ballinasloe whereas Doora-Barefield will play Athenry in Thurles. Time and distance constraints mean that supporters will be unable to attend both matches because although the throw-ins will be staggered, this is intended to facilitate broadcasters rather than provide an opportunity for people to migrate from one venue to another.

"There would be a few thousand people," according to Crowe, "who live near enough to south Galway and would have made the short journey across the hill who will now be going to Thurles for the hurling. Both clubs felt that it wouldn't be fair on supporters to play their match on a Saturday.

"Our Central Council delegate Tom Downes is also on the GAC. He went by the advice of both clubs and the decision is what the clubs wanted. There is another complication in that the National Hurling League is also due to start on that Sunday," said Crowe.

Co-incidentally, the Fitzgibbon Cup starts in earnest today. Favourites Waterford IT take on Athlone IT in Carrigkeen whereas the match of the day could be the meeting of holders UCC, chasing a fourth successive title, and IT Tralee.

The Kerry college has been more famed in recent years for its football activity and will shortly be commencing its campaign for a three-in-a-row of Sigerson successes. This year, the hurling team has been strengthened by the arrival of a number of prominent Clare hurlers: Niall Gilligan, who played for DIT last year, Alan Markham, the county's most notable newcomer last summer and John Reddan, star of the minor victory of 1997, who also made his senior debut during last year's championship.

Meanwhile the Leinster Council will tonight consider video evidence from last Sunday's Walsh Cup fracas between Dublin and Laois. The council has taken possession of the video and will discuss their next move - probably the calling of those involved from each side to a further meeting.

Clontribret O'Neills, Monaghan, launched a new provincial inter-club football championship when they announced details of their intermediate series at a press conference in Monaghan last night.

Sponsored by the Bank of Ireland the competition is confined to the winners of the intermediate football championship in each of the nine Ulster counties and it gets underway this Sunday at 2.30 in O'Neill Park, Clontribret, with the preliminary round meeting of Derry champions, St Mary's Faughanvale and Down side Leitrim Fontenoys.

The winners will play Fermanagh side Roslea in the first of the quarter-finals and the draw for the three remaining quarter-finals was as follows: Clan na Gael, Tyrone v Naomh Mhuire Donegal; Culloville, Armagh v Corduff Gaels, Monaghan; St Paul's Antrim v Killygarry Cavan.