Changing the provincial set up

[Shamrock Shore]

I, for one, would welcome our new Connacht overlords.

[Jinxy]

The whole of the Midlands should be made play in the Connacht championship.
They're only cannon fodder in Leinster anyway and I don't like their accents.

[ha ha derry]

Martin Breheny's piece on this during the week was actually quite sensible.
Longford and Donegal joining the west, wexford and carlow joining the south. 

The only fly  was that he ignored NY.  Maybe you could have an international championship including London and NY to determine who takes that 32nd spot.  Although if Kilkenny ever start treating football seriously it would throw the whole lot out.

Anyway, surely the benefits just to the fixture scheduling of having 4 conferences of eight teams each doesnt need any explaining.
The objections raised by the Musnter council chairman was more to do with the fear that it would be the first step in a campaign to do away with provincial councils than with the idea itself.

The gaps and delays in the current setup are very unfair and very inefficient.

See, those gaps should first be adjusted within the current system before any changes are made, doing it any other way is putting the cart in front of the donkey. HQ needs to make a concerted effort to force the councils to  produce fixture lists that don't include six week gaps between games, and that can be solved without adding a single to team to any province.

It's easy, just play all the first round games on the one date.... and so on !

[Shamrock Shore]

By Jove.

Jinxy is correct. Shove Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly into the Wesht.

Mayo would never win a title again.

And leave Meath to be ridden by Dublin and/or Kildare, Wexford, Louth in quieter surroundings

[Captain Obvious]

By Jove.

Jinxy is correct. Shove Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly into the Wesht.

Mayo would never win a title again.

And leave Meath to be ridden by Dublin and/or Kildare, Wexford, Louth in quieter surroundings

Longford,Westmeath,Laois won't stop Mayo from winning Connacht but there inclusion would allow Sligo,Leitrim,Roscommon the opportunity to win more games.

[Jinxy]

By Jove.

Jinxy is correct. Shove Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly into the Wesht.

Mayo would never win a title again.

And leave Meath to be ridden by Dublin and/or Kildare, Wexford, Louth in quieter surroundings

Steady on.

[Tony Daily]

Everyone going on about Connacht - Dublin have a population of 1.2million Leitrim have a pop of 31,000 - and everyone all over the country going on that saying that connacht have an unfair advantage - How well has the Indo sports writers though this tru 

[brianboru00]

the comment that annoys me most is along the lines of ......."the constant referring to the possibility of Dublin having to win 4 games just to get out of leinster whereas Galway can be in an All-Ireland quarter final having played twice".....
while completely ignoring the fact that its also possible for Dublin  (or any other Leinster county ) to reach the quarter finals after three games as it is in Connacht.
In fact Munster is the least competitive province. 5 winners of the Connacht title in the last 20 years, 3 in Munster ....and thats 20 years ago since Clares win.

Harping on about "unfair" provincial competitions would be fine in a league structure but its a knockout competition - its not going to lead to more games for teams.  Leave the provincials alone. 
Maybe give the provincial champions seeded status in a champions league style League Championship...

[Zulu]

Your missing the point here Brian. It doesn't matter what province is strongest or how easy it is for any team to get to the QF stage it is the inherent unfairness and ridiculousness of starting a competition with 4 different size groups (provinces) where the finalist of those groups get to the same stage that is the issue. It is simply madness continuing as we are.

[muppet]

It is simply madness continuing as we are.

Thus it has always been madness?

[Zulu]

Well basing our champiionship on provincial structures would have made some sense 100 years ago as would a knockout format etc. However, everything is now changed, not only can we travel easily but we are in competition with other televised sports and have U21 IC competitions, enlarged University competitions, club All Irelands etc. We need a competition structure and season that reflects the modern world and GAA , not the one created in 1884.

[muppet]

Well basing our champiionship on provincial structures would have made some sense 100 years ago as would a knockout format etc. However, everything is now changed, not only can we travel easily but we are in competition with other televised sports and have U21 IC competitions, enlarged University competitions, club All Irelands etc. We need a competition structure and season that reflects the modern world and GAA , not the one created in 1884.

There isn't a single good reason there to tear up the provincial system.

[brianboru00]

I don t think I m missing the point - I'm saying that it s not that ridiculous or unfair.  it would only be if the provincials were run on a league basis.

it may be unfair if connacht contained only division 3 & 4 teams but in general theres a fair spread in all provinces. Do you  honestly think Longford or Carlow or Wicklow for that matter would have multitudes of provincial titles if they were operating in Connacht or Munster?

[Rossfan]

The obvious way forward is a shorter sharper NFL in say Feb/March.
Provincial Championships on present knock out basis during April/May.
Then a Champions League type thingy  - say 3 rounds over June/July - with the Provincial champions seeded but of course then you'd need a "B" Championship for weaker teams.
Otherwise the perennial losers would have difficulty getting lads to  train/play for 3 hammerings.
Then QFs/Semis and All Ireland Final.

Of course this should only happen as part of an overall package re Club fixtures/under age etc etc.

Then you have the crowd with the sticks to consider as well ..

[Goats Do Shave]

We'll amlagamate a few sides then... 

It works in the Kerry club C'ship, no?