Conran joins protest against abolition move

GAELIC GAMES:JOHN CONRAN has added his voice to those protesting against the impending abolition of the Railway Cups. The former Wexford All Star was the last manager of the Leinster hurlers and led the province to titles in 2006, '08 and '09, the last year the interprovincials were played.

“I got a very good feeling from the players involved – and not just from counties who wouldn’t play at the top level but from Kilkenny as well. Henry Shefflin and Tommy Walsh loved it. I’m devastated at it not going ahead.”

Tomorrow’s Central Council meeting will debate the abolition of the competition, which was established in 1927. Last year Central Council agreed to suspend the interprovincials and GAA president Christy Cooney intimated they were unlikely to return.

In recent years a number of initiatives have been tried in an effort to revive the competitions, which enjoyed massive public support in the 1950s but which have struggled for most of the years since. Having been shunted around the calendar for a long time, the inter-provincials were found annual slots in October and November.

“The big problem is timing,” according to Conran. “The competition was played at a time when club activity is very busy and I probably never had all of the players I would have liked involved.

“I would play the finals on the same day as the club final. Play the interprovincial hurling with the club hurling final in Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day and then the football on Easter Monday and alternate them every year.

“It would benefit the club finals as well. I’ve been at them when the hurling crowd leave before the football comes on or the football crowd arrive half way through the hurling.

“It would benefit the Railway Cups because by that stage of the year there’d only be two clubs left involved and other players would be available. You’d have the top players in action in both codes and I’m sure you could get crowds of 25,000.”

Conran also believes the inter-provincials hold a special significance for hurlers, who don’t have the high-profile international outlet of the International Rules football Tests against Australia.

“In football you can play for your country, but the hurling internationals are played against shinty players and the games are completely different so the highest level hurlers can play at is inter-provincial.”