From Táin to Allianz Hurling Leagues
The return of the Allianz Hurling Leagues comes at a timely juncture for the GAA following on from the publication of their recent National Hurling Development Plan document. Incoming President Liam O’Neill described the release of the plan as one of the most significant days for hurling and camogie in the history of the association.
The importance of the document was underlined by O’Neill’s comments at the plan’s launch when he stated hurling development was ‘literally hanging by a thread’. “Previously it was all about throwing money (at the problem), but now this has changed. This is a people-based plan and it is about games first. We set our stall out straight away with the Táin League. This is about games, getting hurling played, because if you don’t play games you can’t develop hurling” commented O’Neill.
Táin Leagues
Strong words but apt in the context of the GAA’s commitment to encouraging the development of training structures and a regular playing schedule outside the usual strongholds of hurling in Munster and Leinster. Six main initiatives identified in the Development Plan included the establishment of a new National Hurling and Camogie Development Centre in Waterford IT plus the provision for Sports Science support to six counties, Antrim, Carlow, Down, Kerry, Laois and Westmeath.
The most significant initiative however centered around the creation of the Táin Leagues; a brand new club competition including all Ulster counties as well as representatives from Sligo, Leitrim, Longford and Louth. The competitions began on February 4th with 59 clubs (from the counties previously mentioned) taking part in regular, competitive league fixtures across five grades and split into ten divisions.
A dedicated Táin organising committee has also received a crucial commitment from Christy Cooney in ensuring that any arranged league fixtures take priority on specific dates so as not to conflict with football or other sports. This pronouncement ensures that club players involved in the Táin Hurling Leagues will now have played at least three competitive fixtures before the Allianz National Hurling Leagues return and that can only benefit inter-county squads ahead of their respective campaigns.
“To strengthen counties for the Allianz League we had to start hurling before the League starts. That’s why it’s in February. Our engagement with the clubs will end in mid-June. Now they go back to their own counties and they have the benefit of hitting the ground running.” Liam O’Neill explained before the National Leagues begin this coming weekend.
Allianz National Leagues
The GAA are to be commended for putting such a proactive National Development Plan in place and the subsequent Táin Leagues are already benefitting the perceived ‘weaker’ hurling counties. The focus now switches to the top end of the hurling spectrum ahead of Saturday night and Sunday afternoon’s first round of National fixtures. An alteration to the format of the 2012 Allianz Leagues has generated plenty of debate before a sliothar has been pucked in anger with the introduction of a new six division structure comprising of six counties in 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B and 3A, and four in division 3B.
The marquee meeting of Cork and Waterford in Pairc Ui Rinn on Saturday night in Division 1A should provide an early insight into how well Jimmy Barry-Murphy’s second tenure as Rebel Coach is going. JBM’s appointment and the addition of Seán Óg Ó hAilpín to the Cork backroom team lifted the gloom around Leeside following a disappointing end to the Denis Walsh era. An excellent showing in a recent Waterford Crystal semi-final against Tipperary in which a young Cork team narrowly lost after extra-time to last year’s All-Ireland runners-up suggests a positive league campaign awaits Jimmy Barry-Murphy’s new-look side.
Michael Ryan has endured a difficult few months in his new role as Waterford senior hurling Coach. The acrimonious departure of Eoin Kelly created plenty of column inches as well as talismanic forward John Mullane’s decision to take six weeks out from the inter-county panel. Ryan has installed Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh as Waterford’s Captain for the coming campaign.
Reigning League Champions Dublin will be anxious to hit the ground running at Pearse Stadium against Galway on Sunday as Anthony Daly’s charges begin their preparations for this year’s Leinster Hurling Championship. Galway’s new manager Anthony Cunnigham faces an uphill task in returning the Tribesmen to the top table of hurling following difficult campaigns in recent years.
A positive performance against the Dubs would be welcome from long-suffering Galway hurling supporters but Cunningham’s recent record of guiding Garrycastle to victory in the AIB All-Ireland Club semi-finals and overseeing Connacht’s victory in the Interprovincial semi-finals suggests the right man has been appointed.
No doubting the match of the weekend takes place in Nowlan Park where a re-run of the past three All-Ireland hurling finals sees Kilkenny kicking off their league campaign against old rivals Tipperary. Rarely, if ever, has a competitive meeting of the two counties been overshadowed in its build-up by retirements of key personnel. Lar Corbett’s decision to step away from the Tipp senior hurling panel sent shockwaves through the Hurling world.
The forward cited increasing work commitments as his reason for not wishing to be involved in the upcoming campaign but Tipperary boss Declan Ryan remains hopeful Corbett might yet return to the panel in time for the Munster Championship.
Brian Coady’s squad has undergone major changes in the off-season with James 'Cha' Fitzpatrick, Michael Kavanagh and John Dalton all retiring from the Cats’ senior panel. How well Coady and the remaining Kilkenny panel are managing to deal with the loss of those three wonderful hurlers should become apparent in Sunday’s opening league encounter with Tipp in which home advantage should swing the result in the All-Ireland Champions’ favour.
Follow Ger on Twitter: @germccarthy74
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