McKenna Cup 2024

[stronghold]

This mess should be sorted out by saying the dual players at colleges / county can choose which side they'd like to declare for.

I know very little about the workings of the University teams but could the issue not be solved by the colleges if they linked the receipt of player bursaries to McKenna Cup participation? I'd have thought the best college players would be be getting them?

Very few students in Ulster on scholarship/bursaries. None at St Mary,s , 3 or 4 post grads at UUJ, 2 or 3 from Queens and the Sean O Neill bursaries at Queens not sure of numbers but very little money involved

[shawshank]

This mess should be sorted out by saying the dual players at colleges / county can choose which side they'd like to declare for.

I know very little about the workings of the University teams but could the issue not be solved by the colleges if they linked the receipt of player bursaries to McKenna Cup participation? I'd have thought the best college players would be be getting them?

Very few students in Ulster on scholarship/bursaries. None at St Mary,s , 3 or 4 post grads at UUJ, 2 or 3 from Queens and the Sean O Neill bursaries at Queens not sure of numbers but very little money involved

And this explains why this situation had developed in Ulster, the vast majority of players at the universities in Munster, Connacht and Lenister have most of the county players tied in with these scholarships and can't play for their counties, feck all to do with choice. More proof that our Gaa brethren gets more perks that us Ulster folk, same as it has ever been.

[stronghold]

Id guess we will move towards two groups (one with 4 teams & the second group with 5 teams)
The two winners of each group to play in the final. You could have semi finals as well if you wanted but it would be overkill.

The UUJ message comes across as very shabby & not well thought out. It is in complete contrast to the tone of their previous statement when they couldn't fulfil their last league game due to exam commitments, injuries & player unavailability. It smacks of one impulsive tweet to a journalist by the individual who controls their official twitter account.

This mess should be sorted out by saying the dual players at colleges / county can choose which side they'd like to declare for.

How can you compare a one sentence tweet to a press release. The tweet was talking about next year and never mentioned Tyrone. It is the only solution either the universities exit the Mc Kenna Cup or all the counties comply with the rules and the spirit of the rules. Afterall the counties sign up each year to these rules. The current situation is unsustainable. A University cannot compete if they lose 12/13 players to the Counties.
This is the only solution
1. Exclude the Universities or
2. Include the Universities and invite those Counties would will abide by the rules and regulations

[stronghold]

This mess should be sorted out by saying the dual players at colleges / county can choose which side they'd like to declare for.

I know very little about the workings of the University teams but could the issue not be solved by the colleges if they linked the receipt of player bursaries to McKenna Cup participation? I'd have thought the best college players would be be getting them?

Very few students in Ulster on scholarship/bursaries. None at St Mary,s , 3 or 4 post grads at UUJ, 2 or 3 from Queens and the Sean O Neill bursaries at Queens not sure of numbers but very little money involved

And this explains why this situation had developed in Ulster, the vast majority of players at the universities in Munster, Connacht and Lenister have most of the county players tied in with these scholarships and can't play for their counties, feck all to do with choice. More proof that our Gaa brethren gets more perks that us Ulster folk, same as it has ever been.

That's a bit strange right enough. Surely some of them get scholarships from the GPA or is just grants they deal with?

There are GPA grants but no commitment to play for the Uni attached

[trueblue1234]

Id guess we will move towards two groups (one with 4 teams & the second group with 5 teams)
The two winners of each group to play in the final. You could have semi finals as well if you wanted but it would be overkill.

The UUJ message comes across as very shabby & not well thought out. It is in complete contrast to the tone of their previous statement when they couldn't fulfil their last league game due to exam commitments, injuries & player unavailability. It smacks of one impulsive tweet to a journalist by the individual who controls their official twitter account.

This mess should be sorted out by saying the dual players at colleges / county can choose which side they'd like to declare for.

How can you compare a one sentence tweet to a press release. The tweet was talking about next year and never mentioned Tyrone. It is the only solution either the universities exit the Mc Kenna Cup or all the counties comply with the rules and the spirit of the rules. Afterall the counties sign up each year to these rules. The current situation is unsustainable. A University cannot compete if they lose 12/13 players to the Counties.
This is the only solution
1. Exclude the Universities or
2. Include the Universities and invite those Counties would will abide by the rules and regulations

I actually agree. Hopefully they'll do away with the Universities.

[ck]

The GPA would appear to be as proactive and vocal on this issue as the Ulster council are. Where are you GPA on this? *Tumbleweed*

Jordastown are dead right to pull out this year. Personally I hate all this scholarship nonsense and it should not influence a GAA decision or rules. I've heard that players playing for colleges is a rule in the provinces except Ulster. maybe they should start here and make it a rule? Or else just pull out.

[tonysoprano]

Mickey's main argument for taking the University players is that this is the only opportunity to prepare their team for the league. A  few Ulster teams played in the O'Fiaich Cup this year and it seemed to be a success. In the future would the Ulster Council not consider a Pre-McKenna Cup tournament (like the O'Fiaich) which includes all the Ulster teams so Mickey would have necessary preparation and the Universities would be able to have all their players available to them in the McKenna Cup.

[God14]

Mickey's main argument for taking the University players is that this is the only opportunity to prepare their team for the league. A  few Ulster teams played in the O'Fiaich Cup this year and it seemed to be a success. In the future would the Ulster Council not consider a Pre-McKenna Cup tournament (like the O'Fiaich) which includes all the Ulster teams so Mickey would have necessary preparation and the Universities would be able to have all their players available to them in the McKenna Cup.

As far as I know Tony, Tyrone were not permitted to enter the O'Fiaich Cup due to their extended run in the championship last year.

[From the Bunker]

Mickey's main argument for taking the University players is that this is the only opportunity to prepare their team for the league. A  few Ulster teams played in the O'Fiaich Cup this year and it seemed to be a success. In the future would the Ulster Council not consider a Pre-McKenna Cup tournament (like the O'Fiaich) which includes all the Ulster teams so Mickey would have necessary preparation and the Universities would be able to have all their players available to them in the McKenna Cup.

Ah yeah, but sure all the other counties around the country have the same problem and get on with it without their students? Anyway i thought that for allot of Managers it's a chance to look at other players and look at your own on another team? Is this over preparation? Greediness? Overemphasis on small competitions?

[OverThePostsAWide]

Is/was there not a rule in place for the McKenna Cup already? My recollection on this is hazy so happy to be corrected, but I seem to recall that the Ulster Council took the McKenna Cup off Mickey-Tyrone (after they had won it) early on in the experiment for playing University players illegally? However, Mickey-Tyrone appealed it as far as DRA and won. Don't know if there is any truth in the rumour that Human Rights were cited, but since then all Mickey-Tyrone players sign a letter (completely voluntarily of course) stating that they want to play for Mickey-Tyrone rather than their University. The Ulster Council have cowed ever since.

I would think the O'Fiaich Cup organizers would happy enough to escape Mickey's attention for as long as they can - demanding synchronised starting times (all on the Cross pitch) would be the least of their worries   

[ck]

If the Ulster council are incapable of resolving then should the GAA not step in? Mickey Harte has lost the run of himself long since but there's many who'd support his stance so rules are needed, anything less and the northern colleges should just pull out.

[BennyHarp]

Mickey's main argument for taking the University players is that this is the only opportunity to prepare their team for the league. A  few Ulster teams played in the O'Fiaich Cup this year and it seemed to be a success. In the future would the Ulster Council not consider a Pre-McKenna Cup tournament (like the O'Fiaich) which includes all the Ulster teams so Mickey would have necessary preparation and the Universities would be able to have all their players available to them in the McKenna Cup.

Let the Universities play in the O'Fiaich Cup and leave the McKenna Cup for counties that want to prepare properly.

[supersarsfields]

If the Ulster council are incapable of resolving then should the GAA not step in? Mickey Harte has lost the run of himself long since but there's many who'd support his stance so rules are needed, anything less and the northern colleges should just pull out.

Sense at last.

[EC Unique]

Id guess we will move towards two groups (one with 4 teams & the second group with 5 teams)
The two winners of each group to play in the final. You could have semi finals as well if you wanted but it would be overkill.

The UUJ message comes across as very shabby & not well thought out. It is in complete contrast to the tone of their previous statement when they couldn't fulfil their last league game due to exam commitments, injuries & player unavailability. It smacks of one impulsive tweet to a journalist by the individual who controls their official twitter account.

This mess should be sorted out by saying the dual players at colleges / county can choose which side they'd like to declare for.

How can you compare a one sentence tweet to a press release. The tweet was talking about next year and never mentioned Tyrone. It is the only solution either the universities exit the Mc Kenna Cup or all the counties comply with the rules and the spirit of the rules. Afterall the counties sign up each year to these rules. The current situation is unsustainable. A University cannot compete if they lose 12/13 players to the Counties.
This is the only solution
1. Exclude the Universities or
2. Include the Universities and invite those Counties would will abide by the rules and regulations

This. They offer very little to the competition except complaining and whinging.

[Zulu]

Surely it is Micky Harte doing most of the whinging?