Long Term Fixtures Plan Released

[Lone Shark]

A three month gap between round one and round two for club players. I've said it before but the sooner we split the summer up into two distinct seasons with a county one from Late April to July and a club one from Late July to early October (Championship only - league would be played all summer) then we are just messing.

Here ye are anyway.

Friday 16th May

Aidan Bracken Building Design Junior A Hurling Championship
Drumcullen v Tullamore Rath T Caroll 8pm
Shamrocks v Shinrone Mucklagh N Cooney 8pm

Sat 17th May

Aidan Bracken Building Design Junior A Hurling Championship
Kilcormac/Killoughey v Edenderry Mountbolus M Kirwan 8pm
Lusmagh v Killurin Lusmagh P Egan 8pm
Aidan Bracken Building Design Junior B Hurling Championship
Belmont v Killeigh Moystown T Carroll 7pm
Kinnitty v Seir Kieran Kinnitty A Ryan 7pm
Coolderry v Drumcullen Coolderry M Kirwan 7pm

Sun 18th May

Division 1 Hurling
Seir Kieran v Coolderry Clareen D Cooke 12 noon
Tullamore v St Rynagh’s Tullamore C Buckley 12 noon
Drumcullen v Belmont Rath M Walsh 12 noon
Shinrone v Kilcormac Killoughey Shinrone A Ryan 12 noon
Lusmagh v Killavilla Lusmagh M Mahon 12 noon
Kinnitty v Shamrock’s Kinnitty M Kirwan 12 noon


Aidan Bracken Building Design Intermediate Hurling Championship
Ballinamere v Coolderry Rath N Cooney 12 noon
Seir Kieran v St Rynaghs Kilcormac T Carroll 12 noon

Aidan Bracken Building Design Junior A Hurling Championship
Ballinamere v Killeigh Ballinamere N Cooney 3pm
Birr v St Rynaghs Birr D Mc Loughlin 3pm
Aidan Bracken Building Design Junior B Hurling Championship
Raheen v Gracefield Geashill N Flynn 12 noon

Tuesday 20th May

Division 2 Hurling League
Carrig & Riverstown v Belmont Carraig M Kirwan 8pm
Clara v Ballyskenagh Clara N Cooney 8pm
Brosna Gaels v St Rynagh’s Ballycumber B Gavin 8pm
Kilcormac Killoughey v Kinnitty Mountbolus P Freeman 8pm
Coolderry v Ballinamere Coolderry M Walsh 8pm

Thursday 22 May

Division 3 Hurling League
Killavilla v Drumcullen Killavilla P Freeman 8pm
Kilcormac Killoughey v Seir Kieran Kilcormac D Cooke 8pm
Crinkle v Killeigh Crinkle N Flynn 8pm
Edenderry v Shinrone Edenderry N Cooney 8pm
Tullamore v Killurin Tullamore C Buckley 8pm

Division 4 Hurling League
Kinnitty v Ballinamere Kinnitty P Egan 8pm

Friday 23 May

Division 1 Football League
Ballycumber v Ferbane Ballycumber D Brazil 8pm
St Bridgids v Shamrocks Croughan C Costello 8pm
Rhode v Gracefield Rhode P Brady 8pm
Tullamore v Edenderry Tullamore E Cusack 8pm
Shannonbridge v Walsh Island S/bridge B Gavin 8pm

Division 2 Football League
Tubber v Raheen Tubber P Conlon 8pm
Erin Rovers v St Rynaghs Pullough M Mahon 8pm
Daingean v Clara Daingean K Groome 8pm
Bracknagh v Clonbullogue Bracknagh E Dunne 8pm
Doon v Ballyfore Doon T Anderson 8pm

Saturday 24th May

Division 3 Football League
Killeigh v Ballycumber Killeigh N Cooney 7pm
Birr v Clara Birr M Kirwan 7pm
Kilcormac/Killoughey v Kilclonfert Kilcormac P Jordan 7pm
Durrow v Ballinagar Durrow M Carty 7pm
Cappincur v Gracefield Cappincur E Dunne 7pm

Division 5 Football League
Tubber v Kilclonfert Tubber D Brazil 7pm
Doon v Ballycommon Doon M Buckley 7pm
Daingean v Durrow Daingean E Dunne 7pm
Clonmore Harps v Walsh Island Clonmore P Brady 7pm

Monday 26th May

Tullamore Court Hotel Junior B Football Championship
Coolderry v Durrow Coolderry M Walsh 8pm
Junior C Football Championship
Ballycumber v Kinnitty Ballycumber T Anderson 8pm
Crinkle v St Rynaghs Crinkle M Kirwan 8pm

Tuesday 27th May

Division 4 Football League
Edenderry v Shamrocks Edenderry K Groome 8pm
Tullamore v Ferbane Tullamore P Jordan 8pm
Shannonbridge v Rhode S/bridge T Anderson 8pm
St Rynaghs v Erin Rovers Cloghan D Brazil 8pm
Friday 30th May

Division 2 Hurling League
Ballyskenagh v Kilcormac Killoughey Ballyskenagh P Egan 8pm
Clara v Carrig & Riverstown Clara N Cooney 8pm
Kinnitty v Brosna Gaels Kinnitty N Russell 8pm
St Rynagh’s v Ballinamere Banagher D McLoughlin 8pm
Coolderry v Shamrock’s Coolderry M Kirwan 8pm

Sat 31st May

Division 1 Hurling League
Coolderry v Drumcullen Coolderry M Walsh 7pm
Seir Kieran v St Rynagh’s Clareen D Cooke 7pm
Belmont v Tullamore Moystown M Mahon 8pm
Kilcormac Killoughey v Kinnitty Kilcormac M Kirwan 7pm
Shinrone v Killavilla Shinrone P Freeman 7pm
Shamrock’s v Lusmagh Mucklagh N Flynn 7pm
Division 4 Hurling League
Belmont v Gracefield Moystown A Ryan 6 30
Raheen v Kinnitty Geashil K Groome 7pm

Sun 1st June

Division 3 Hurling League
Seir Kieran v Edenderry Clareen M Walsh 12 noon
Kilcormac Killoughey v Killavilla Kilcormac P Egan 12 noon
Shinrone v Crinkle Shinrone D Cooke 12 noon
Killeigh v Killurin Killeigh N Flynn 12 noon
Tullamore v Drumcullen Tullamore C Buckley 12 noon

Friday 6th June

Division 1 Football League
Tullamore v Gracefield Tullamore P Jordan 8pm
Shamrock’s v Shannonbridge Mucklagh B Gavin 8pm
Walsh Island v St Brigid’s Walsh Island E Dunne 8pm
Ferbane v Edenderry Ferbane D Brazil 8pm
Rhode v Ballycumber Rhode C Costello 8pm

Division 2 Football League
Bracknagh v Clara Bracknagh M Carty 8pm
St Rynagh’s v Doon Cloghan M Walsh 8pm
Ballyfore v Erin Rovers Ballyfore K Groome 8pm
Raheen v Clonbulogue Raheen N Cooney 8pm
Daingean v Tubber Daingean P Brady 8pm

Saturday 7th June

Division 3 Football League
Durrow v Kilclonfert Durrow P Conlon 7pm
Clara v Cappincur Clara M Buckley 7pm
Gracefield v Birr Gracefield M Carty 7pm
Ballycumber v Ballinagar Ballycumber B Gavin 7pm
Kilcormack/Killoughey v Killeigh Kilcormac M Kirwan 7pm

Division 4 Football League
Shannonbridge v Raheen S/Bridge C Buckley 7pm
Ferbane v St Rynagh’s Ferbane M Buckley 7pm
Erin Rovers v Tullamore Pullough T Anderson 7pm
Shamrock’s v Rhode Muchlagh P Jordan 7pm

Division 5 Football League
Ballycommon v Durrow Ballycommon N Cooney 7pm
Walsh Island v Kilclonfert Walsh Island P Conlon 7pm
Daingean v Clonmore Daingean C Costello 7pm
Tubber v Doon Tubber M Mahon 7pm

Tuesday 10th June

Division 2 Hurling League
Kilcormac Killoughey v St Rynagh’s Mountbolus
Ballyskenagh v Coolderry Ballyskenagh
Ballinamere v Clara Ballinamere
Shamrock’s v Kinnitty Mucklagh
Brosna Gaels v Carrig & Riverstown Ballycumber


Saturday 14th June

Division 3 Hurling League
Edenderry v Killeigh Edenderry
Seir Kieran v Tullamore Clareen
Killurin v Kilcormac Killoughey Killurin
Drumcullen v Shinrone Rath
Crinkle v Killavilla Crinkle

Division 4 Hurling League
Kinnitty v Gracefield Kinnitty
Ballinamere v Raheen Ballinamere

Saturday 21st or Sunday 22nd June

Tullamore Court Intermediate Football Championship
St Brigids v Bracknagh Clonbullogue
Raheen v Clara Killeigh
Doon v Kilcormac/Killoughey Clara
Birr v Clonbullogue Gracefield
Ballyfore v Kilclonfert Rhode
Walsh Island v Tullamore Geashill

Tullamore Court Junior A Football Championship
Edenderry v Cappincur Edenderry
Ballycumber v Daingean Ballycumber
Rhode v Ballinagar Rhode
St Rynagh’s v Durrow Cloghan
Ferbane v Shamrocks Ferbane
Killeigh v Gracefield Killeigh

Tullamore Court Junior B Football Championship
Daingean v St Brigid’s Daingean
Coolderry v Durrow Coolderry
Clara v Shamrocks Clara
Raheen v Erin Rovers Raheen
S/Bridge v Tullamore S/Bridge
Clonmore Harps v Rhode Clonmore



Tullamore Court Junior C Football Championship
Crinkle v Lusmagh Crinkle
Bracknagh v Ballyskenagh Bracknagh
Walsh Island v Drumcullen Walsh Island
Kilclonfert v Killavilla Kilclonfert

28/29 June
U 21 Football Championship Preliminary Round

4/5/6/th July
Intermediate and Junior Hurling Championships

11/12/13/July
Intermediate and Junior Football Championships

17/18/19/July
Intermediate and Junior Hurling Championships

25/26/27/July
Senior Hurling Championship
Intermediate and Junior Hurling Championships

1/2/3/ August
Senior Football Championship
Intermediate and Junior Football Championships

8/9/10/August
Senior Hurling Championship
Intermediate and Junior Hurling Championships

15/16/17/August
Senior Football Championship
Intermediate and Junior Football Championships

22/23/24/ August
Senior Hurling Q/Finals
Intermediate and Junior Hurling Championships

29/30/31/August
Senior Football Q/Finals
Intermediate and Junior Football Championships

[Hyper]

Is ther not supposed to be a break somewhere in the season?

[king of kings]

i think that is stupid how can they make us wait 3 months. if the footballers loose to westmeath or longford wont there be a 6 week break til the qualifiers start cant there be a round of football championship then?

[Lone Shark]

Is ther not supposed to be a break somewhere in the season?

That's true, I forgot about that - I thought they usually took the builders holidays off.

[Treasurer]

Is ther not supposed to be a break somewhere in the season?

That's true, I forgot about that - I thought they usually took the builders holidays off.

No Adult Championship games from Monday 2nd June to Friday 20th June 2007 inclusive. August bank holiday was free up to a couple of years ago I think but pressure due to the number of available weekends got rid of that.

[Heshs Umpire]

A three month gap between round one and round two for club players. I've said it before but the sooner we split the summer up into two distinct seasons with a county one from Late April to July and a club one from Late July to early October (Championship only - league would be played all summer) then we are just messing.

In Laois, we are trying out a system like that you propose LS this year. All leagues will be finished by mid July and the junior championships will be played off in July/August with the senior and intermediate championships not starting until late July/early August.
Will let ye know how it went in October

[GOOFY]

Lads this has to stop, a 12 week layoff between championship games is ridiculous, think about it.
Its just another example of the county boards ineptitude yet again - there treating club players like shite and still expect to produce competitive county teams

I play a bit myself but if next year is gonna be the same situation then i think il pack it in and rejoin the lads in June or somethin

[Treasurer]

When you actually sit down and look at all the county fixtures that need to be worked around, you can see how difficult it is to try and fit it all in, but I can't understand why we repeatedly play one round and then have this big gap. We'd be far better off STARTING in June/July than this one round job in April, at least then clubs wouldn't have to start gearing themsevles up for a big game so early and then struggling to keep the momentum going for heaven knows how long, followed by 3 or 4 weeks on the trot and then bang, it's all over for most. It's not as if our county teams appear to be benefitting from it either!

[corner back]

I agree with most of above but I must give them credit for at least they are giving us an idea when matches might be. Lads can at least book a holiday now.

I've posted before about how daft the Offaly championship system is so I won't go into it again. Suffice to say after the first round results it must be difficult for drumcullen, shamrocks, lusmagh etc. to motivate their senior hurling teams for the next 3 months.

[GOOFY]

Absolutely agree with Treasurers post that its very difficult to fit in games due to our Dual status etc , but the point is that the championship needs to be changed very soon - i can seriously see this as a problem for encouraging kids to take up GAA in the first place,
Also its hard for supporters to keep interest in the championships as they are structured at the moment - god knows attendances are low enough at the moment
Laois seem to be addressing this issue this year - how long before we do??

[beirut]

Well I presume why we start the Senior Championship in April/May is so that the Intermediate/Junior Championships can start (grading etc). Anyone know how other counties do this? I know in Dublin you can play 3 games Intermediate championship and still play junior championship, strange I know.

P.S. You can also play Junior Championship in Dublin and play back home too.....

[ballymanabroad]

It's pretty easy really. Name your first 15 senior players then play anybody on junior teams after that. It might result in a few players playing Junior then straight into Senior and some clubs may bend the rules and include lads who are travelling or unavailable in their first 15 but it beats training for 6 months to play the second round of a championship.

In Clare, Roscommon and Leitrim (three counties that I know of - there are surely more) they only start the championship in late July and lads start training in March. It means that lads can have a winter season playing soccer or rugby and it doesn't impact on your GAA season. At the moment in march, april and may you have the situation where some lads are dancing to the tune of two masters and over-extending themselves. injuries and disinterest are the inevitable consequence. It also makes things easier for leaving cert students or people doing college exams in May and June.

[Lone Shark]

That's the big danger when you have to start junior and intermediate earlier - it can be abused by senior clubs. Roscommon have a real problem with this - a senior panel gets named but they include on it lads who are retired and all sorts so that junior teams in June are a world away from Junior teams in September, which is not right either.

You would have to be careful and do something like naming 15 players, but those fifteen have to have played at that grade the previous year, not just any fifteen names from the club. I'm not sure how you safeguard against long term injuries or travelling - maybe something like they must all play at least two league games as well?

[Treasurer]

In theory the current system for leagues would work, but it would have to be monitored a bit closer than at the moment. Say you are entering senior and intermediate league teams - you first list all players who played senior last year, then you list fifteen of those players and the rest are eligible for the lower grade. That's the theory, but in practice I think most clubs just list their "first fifteen" which is wide open to having "dummy" name - lads away, injured, retired, etc.

Kilkenny have had big problems in the past with intermediate teams being beaten in early rounds by teams littered with senior players.

[corner back]

I think the system they have in Cork allows players who haven't been regraded but are dropped for the first round of the championship to be eligible for subsequent matches at a lower level.
Surely this is fair and makes sense. I know there'll be an injured good player or two taking advantage but allowing the other lads some bit of a game is more important.