Galway U21s head to Thurles under protest

Date Published: {J}

Dara Bradley

THE nuclear option – boycotting the All-Ireland U21 hurling final – has been averted. But despite a fortnight of behind the scenes negotiations and correspondence with Croke Park top brass, the outcome and the venue remain the same: Galway will face Tipperary in their backyard under floodlights at Semple Stadium, Thurles at 7pm on Saturday.

How the GAA’s Competitions Control Committee (CCC) arrived at the decision to fix a national final in the home ground of one of the competing teams has caused bewilderment – and outrage – among the GAA fraternity right across the county.

What makes matters worse is the CCC, in a letter to the Hurling Board this week, admitted it had reached its decision on August 30 – nine days after the two finalists were known.

Outrageous and unprecedented say the Galway officials; nothing untoward says Croke Park officialdom; and the Galway supporters, players and management are once again left rueing the county’s apparent lack of clout in these matters.

It’s not today or yesterday, though, that the fans learned of Galway’s lack of influence in the national hurling corridors of power but it doesn’t make the decision any less infuriating.

The Galway Hurling Board officials were snookered between a ‘rock’ that is the CCC’s decision and stubborn attitude, and a ‘hard place’, in the form of sustained pressure from fans and clubs adamant they should not back down until the venue was changed.

Last Friday, board officials met with GAA Director General Padraic Duffy, and afterwards Hurling Board Chairman, Joe Byrne, expressed confidence that the venue would be switched.

Even as late as Sunday, when it is understood CCC members met at Croke Park to discuss Galway’s protestations, there was still hope the Thurles decision would be reversed. But Duffy subsequently re-iterated in a letter received by Byrne on Monday that there would be no change.

It appears the CCC doesn’t ‘do’ change of hearts and Galway must play the match albeit in protest – as Government Ministers and spokespeople would say, “we are where we are”.

Six Hurling Board officers met on Monday and agreed the game should be played. They met with the U21 management, who were upset and angry and asked that the game not go ahead unless there was a venue change. But after lengthy discussions the Board instructed management that the fixture be fulfilled.

The alternative of a boycott could have meant officials and Galway teams be suspended for not fulfilling a fixture; and the Board was also cognisant of not wanting to deprive young players of the opportunity to play in a national final. The sponsors Bórd Gáis, was taken into account while the ‘optics’, bad publicity and ill-will Galway would receive had they not played, was also a factor.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.