Irish Sports Desk Hurling League reaches halfway point

By Sean Creedon

The Church & General National Hurling League reaches the halfway stage on Sunday, March 12, but already Galway seem certain to secure one of the semifinal places. Offaly and Clare would be regarded as two of the stronger teams in Division 1A, but both have already fallen to the Tribesmen. On Sunday, Mattie Murphy’s team should pick up another two points when they face Dublin in Athenry.

In Division 1B, it’s a lot tighter. Any one of five counties could eventually win out. On Sunday joint leaders Kilkenny and Waterford meet in Nowlan Park. Both have two stars forwards. Henry Shefflin hit 10 points for The Cats in their last outing, against Laois, while Paul Flynn went one better, getting 11 points for the Decies in their victory over Wexford. Former hurler of the Year Tony Browne seems to have recovered from a troublesome ankle injury and could make a comeback with Waterford on Sunday.

Chicago: their kind of town

The opportunity of good work in Chicago is currently keeping two well-known GAA players away from their counties. Kildare have almost given up any hope that Niall Buckley will return to wear the famous Lilywhite jersey in this year’s Leinster championship. And Waterford hurler Brian Green says that he would much prefer to find suitable employment in Ireland.

"I want to hurl with Waterford more than anything else in the world, but it was impossible for me to do so and play to my potential because of the job I had before I came out here,” he said.

FAI get Euro money

The FAI have been allocated a grant of 83,000 Swiss Francs (£41,500) by UEFA toward costs incurred in the course of the Euro 2000 qualifying campaign. Three senior and three under 21 games had to be refixed, the most expensive was the late postponement of the game against Yugoslavia last June. The Irish government had earlier refused to allocate any money to FAI, even though it was they who refused visas to the Yugoslavs in June.

Triple resignation in Mayo

There’s trouble in the Mayo Ladies football camp less than five months after winning the All-Ireland title for the first time. Coach Jonathan Mullin, and team manager John Mullin (his father) and the chairperson of the County Board have all resigned.

Collins concedes to Shelbourne

Roddy Collins, manager of second placed Bohemians, says his team has no hope of catching leaders Shelbourne. The league resumes this weekend after a break for the FAI Cup quarterfinals and Shels have a six-point lead. With Cork City and St. Patrick’s Athletic both fading rapidly, it’s now a straight fight between the two Northside Dublin club, who are only a good goal kick away from each other. But I suppose in reality you would need a strong wind in your back to kick the ball from Dalymount to Tolka Park.

Talka Park name game

Last week, Shels said they are willing to sell the naming rights to Tolka Park. The ground, which was synonymous with the now-defunct Drumcondra, has been given a major facelift since Shels bought it in the 1980s. It will become the first Eircom League club with Corporate Boxes, when the new stand at the Drumcondra end is opened next month.

In fact, nearby Croke Park is the only other ground is the country with corporate boxes. With Eircom willing to pay £12 million for the naming rights for Eircom Park, Shels obviously want to cash in on the Celtic Tiger.

Murphy back in Dublin

Vinny Murphy is set to rejoin the Dublin squad after spending the last few years playing for Kerins O’Rahillys in Tralee. Murphy had a trial with the Kerry team, but obviously didn’t impress Paidi O Se. However, he did play for the Kerry hurlers. Murphy is now back in Dublin and playing for his old club Trinity Gaels. Providing he proves his fitness Dublin manager Tommy Carr says there’s a place for the burly full-forward in the Dublin squad.

Doherty-Stevens rematch

Ireland’s Ken Doherty will play Matthew Stevens, who beat the Dubliner in the recent British Masters Final, in the first round of this year’s Benson & Hedges Irish Masters. Last year’s winner, Stephen Hendry, is defending his title and he will be joined by all the big names in snooker, including John Higgins, Alan McManus, Mark Williams, John Parrot, Stephen Lee and Ronnie O’Sullivan in the tournament which runs at Goffs from March 21-26.

Cork for Tralee

Several Kerry football teams began the defense of their Munster and All-Ireland titles in Austin Stack Park, Tralee. But I think we could have a first this year when reigning All-Ireland hurling champions Cork begin their defense of the McCarthy Cup in Tralee. Cork were originally due to play Kerry at Pairc Ui Rinn on May 27, but they have agreed to the Kerry County Board’s request to play the game in Austin Stack Park.

"We asked Cork to come to Tralee and they have sportingly agreed to do so and I’m sure they will get a great reception,” said Jerome Conway, vice-chairman of the Kerry Board.

GAA discipline inconsistent

One of the biggest criticism of the GAA is the lack of consistency in the application of the rules on suspensions between provincial and Central Council. Westmeath manager Brendan Lowry got a six-month ban from the Leinster Council after an unofficial pitch incursion in the O’Byrne Cup Final against Longford, when he appeared to have shouldered a Longford player. But Westmeath appealed to the GAA’s Management Committee and the former Offaly star got off on a technicality.

Apparently the Leinster Council didn’t tell Lowry that they were going to use video evidence against him. It’s not the first time that the Central body has overruled a provincial council and I suppose it wont be the last.

All-Ireland soccer league?

It now looks like we could see the first moves toward an All-Ireland soccer league if the Super Eight competition gets the go ahead.

The plan is to have a competition next season between the top four clubs from the Eircom League and the Smirnoff Irish League. Of course, this is not the first time that we could have a North-South competition. In the past we had it under various different guises, but there may be more hope of a permanent link-up in these times of peace. FAI officials seem to be behind the idea, but we have yet to get the green light from officials in Belfast.