'There’s a vein of good will running through all selectors in this county and the co-operation between Fr Tom (Fogarty) as Under-21 manager and ourselves is great. They don’t have to go anywhere looking for challenge matches as long as we’re around. Declan Ryan, Tommy Dunne and Liam Cahill with the minors – they’re our good friends.' Tipperary hurling manager Babs Keating hints that he may opt for a more youthful line-up against Dublin at Parnell Park this weekend.
'We are hoping this will give new impetus to our Championship. As well as giving everyone more games it also gives teams the chance to play sides they would not meet in their provinces.' Ladies' Football President Geraldine Giles hopes the new 'Champions League' style four groups of four format for the TG4 All-Ireland Championship, which gives each team at least three games, will prove successful.
'The standard of hurling the Kilkenny seniors are playing at now has its roots in what they did 12 years ago, in the lessons they learnt at the time when they were having a hard time of it at all levels. Everybody has modelled themselves on that. Wexford, Dublin, Offaly and Laois are replicating that and the result is that we now have good practice all over Leinster. Hurling development officers have been put in place and things are going very well.' The GAA’s National Hurling Director Paudie Butler insists that Kilkenny's Leinster rivals will come good despite the current obvious mis-match in the province.
'’I think that our strength and depth in the squad told in the end, where we could bring on certain subs and they all played very well. The competition for places really helped us.' Galway football selector Eoin O’Donnellan hails the strength in depth of the current squad.
'If Galway were in Leinster they would win most minor and Under-21 titles. I will accept any debate on hurling so long as it includes Antrim and Down. We (in Leinster) still need to complete our regeneration process. We're not ready to cope with them, never mind compete with them.' Leinster Council Chairman Liam O'Neill does not believe adding Galway is the solution to improving the competitiveness of the Leinster Hurling Championship.
'There was never a problem although Páidí was never given an official term – he mentioned himself at the launch that he would give it a go for two years. There’s a lot of apathy towards the Tommy Murphy Cup but Páidí said that as soon as we got organised for it, he’d be there.' Clare team liaison officer Tom Downes reveals that Páidí Ó Sé will be at the helm for the upcoming Tommy Murphy Cup campaign.
