GAELIC GAMES:JACK O'CONNOR has not factored the revived Railway Cup into his championship preparations. As a result, only two Kerry footballers are expected to feature in Munster's Interprovincial semi-final against Leinster at Parnell Park this Sunday.
This is in stark contrast to 10 of the Dublin side that beat them in last September’s All-Ireland final being available for Leinster. These include the Brogan brothers, Bernard and Alan, along with Bryan Cullen and Stephen Cluxton.
The Munster panel, having trained last night in Mallow, will be announced today. Dr Crokes’ involvement in the All-Ireland club semi-final against Crossmaglen on Saturday takes Colm Cooper and Eoin Brosnan (who confirmed his availability for Kerry in 2012) out of consideration but Munster manager Ger O’Sullivan had to concede a general lack of appetite from the Kingdom.
“I know they have some reasons but for one reason or another they just don’t seem to be interested,” said O’Sullivan at yesterday’s M Donnelly Interprovincial launch in Croke Park. “It doesn’t surprise me that much but it disappoints me that one of the top counties in the country wouldn’t give it more support.
“I think the players would like to play but they have a training schedule laid down for this week. Jack is not involved with Munster and he wanted the players so they are not released and we will have to work with what we have.
“When we won in 2008 we had only Tomás Ó Sé and Pádraig Reidy [from Kerry] and we won it. What you want is 20, 25 committed players. I think the team that takes the field for Munster on Sunday will be committed. We’re coming up on Saturday evening, we’re taking it very seriously.
“Okay, I know Leinster are very strong, but we’d still hope to give them a game.”
O’Sullivan, who doubles as Cork selector, must also do without a few marquee names from his own county like injured pair Daniel Goulding and Colm O’Neill, “but Graham Canty, Alan Quirke, Paddy Kelly, Paudie Kissane and Paul Kerrigan will be there”.
The usual problem for the formerly-named Railway Cup is it doesn’t have a permanent home on the GAA fixture list.
“I suggested to Martin (Donnelly, main sponsor) that when this is over the interested parties should get their heads together and look at all the options in relation to timing,” O’Sullivan continued. “We can get a window in the calendar but the current window probably isn’t suitable.
“We have a fortnight break now in our league and a week would do us. Play this off at the end of the McGrath or O’Byrne Cups. Don’t play back-doors or shields. Play the first rounds of the interpros before the league then pencil in a weekend around the [club] finals. If not St Patrick’s Day then somewhere close.
“Have a week of GAA activities and tie it in with the clubs. I know there were proposals to play the football with the [club] football and hurling with hurling. I know one of them would have to move but maybe change them every year. Give it a permanent spot on the calendar for three years.”
GAA President Christy Cooney, who previously declared the competition to be finished, hardly gave it a ringing endorsement at yesterday’s launch in Croke Park.
“I have said this already, ye know my views – number one, the players have to be committed to it; number two, spectators have to turn up and watch it; and number three, it has to be cost effective.
“The association can’t put a lot of money into the development of a series that nobody wants to go and see.”
