GAA president Larry McCarthy says the controversial proposal to exclude counties with fewer than five adult hurling clubs from the National League is "dead in the water for 2025".
The proposal from the CCCC would have meant that Cavan, Fermanagh, Leitrim, Longford and Louth would only have played in the Lory Meagher Cup from 2025, cutting their inter-county season from six to three months.
Following a negative reaction from the hurling community in those counties and beyond, it was withdrawn before a Central Council vote at the weekend.
4 December 2023; Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Larry McCarthy speaking at the 2024 GAAGO match schedule launch at Croke Park in Dublin. Fans can avail of 38 exclusive matches in Ireland for €69 up until December 31st. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
At Croke Park on Monday, McCarthy revealed that the proposal has been referred to a new National Hurling Action Plan Workgroup.
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"We created that workgroup in the context of the [2022 - 2026] strategic plan. That was always going to be happening anyway," said McCarthy.
"The CCCC did a wide consultation with the counties, and then the counties decided 'No, we don't like this'. Initially, they were in favour of it.
"We referred that idea to this committee to take a look at it. It is dead in the water for 2025. If they come back and look at it again, and say 'Right, maybe we need to do something different', that's fine, but we'll wait for their report."
The workgroup, which held its first meeting on Saturday, is chaired by Colm Nolan of Maynooth. Its purpose is to create a "three-year action plan to sustain and grow hurling". Following on from the weekend's meeting, a survey was created "to allow all those interested in the game to have a say on how hurling might be grown and developed". Responses will be factored into the three-year plan.
31 July 2021; Caoimhín Carney of Cavan is tackled by Barney McAuley of Fermanagh during the Lory Meagher Cup Final match between Fermanagh and Cavan at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
McCarthy also revealed that the appointment of a successor to Martin Fogarty as national hurling development manager is not currently under discussion. Fogarty, Brian Cody's former right-hand man with Kilkenny, held the role from 2016 to 2021.
"But we wait for that committee to come back and see if they make that recommendation," said McCarthy.
"All of those lads who are on that committee are from the lower tiers of hurling. They know what they need.
"Éibhear O'Dea is there because of his involvement in the Limerick academy. Paddy Scales is representing, ostensibly, the education system, but he comes from Offaly.
"If those guys come back with that sort of a recommendation [to appoint a new national hurling development manager]... Let's see what they say."
McCarthy believes that for hurling to grow in counties like the five that had their National League status under threat, the GAA needs to "get more clubs up and running".
21 May 2022; Louth goalkeeper Ruairí Morrissey celebrates after his side's victory in the Lory Meagher Cup Final match between Longford and Louth at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
"At a basic level, we need to get more people playing hurling," he said.
"How we do that is what I'm hoping this workgroup will tell us. The reality is that the number of clubs in those five counties has gone down over the last number of years. We need to build that up.
"One of the counties, I think, had two hurling clubs. Some of those players, who were on the county panel, were not making the club team for the county final. There's something wrong there.
"Build up the schools, build up the clubs, build up those cross-county leagues. I always go back to the one that Kieran Farmer runs in Ulster, the South Ulster Junior Developmental Hurling League, a mouthful of a name but it gives an awful lot of clubs a lot of opportunities.
"I've been at a couple of the games, [featuring] East Cavan, Four Masters, Erne Gaels. They get games in the middle of the week and thoroughly enjoy it.
"We have broken out beyond the bounds of county leagues. We need to give these guys opportunities to play in competitions. We don't also need to stress them so they have to go from Belmullet to Dundalk. We have to regionalise it."
National Hurling Action Plan Workgroup
Colm Nolan - Kildare (Chairperson); Éibhear O’Dea - Limerick; Kieran Farmer - Fermanagh; Keith Higgins - Mayo; Darragh Cox - Sligo; Joey Carton - Waterford; Kevin Kelly - Derry; Paddy Scales - Offaly; Ryan Gaffney - Armagh (Camogie representative)
