Aogán Ó Fearghaíl: Galway should have home games in Leinster Hurling Championship

GAA president Aogán Ó Fearghaíl believes that the Leinster SHC title race has become a ‘rest of Ireland championship’ and teams such as Galway should be allowed home and away fixtures.

O Fearghail said that moving Galway and other counties into Leinster was an experiment but it should now move on and all counties be treated equally.

Galway and Antrim joined the Leinster Championship in 2009, with the Christy Ring champions having the right to play in in the province since 2010. However, no non-Leinster county has had a home game outside of the qualifier group stage.

“There was an experimentation period. For me that period should be now passed," said Ó Fearghaíl. "Galway are full participants of Leinster. It has been good for the Leinster championship and it has been good for Galway.

“Once it has got to that stage it would be much fairer, it would look better and it would be better for all counties involved if Galway had the same arrangements as all other counties in the championship.

“In truth, it’s a rest of Ireland championship, in terms of who participates in it. Kerry, Antrim occasionally, Galway participates. That’s the way it is moving. I know at the moment a lot of Leinster counties wouldn’t share that view. But all I can be is honest about the situation.

“It is now becoming a rest of Ireland championship and anyone who is in it deserves the same rights as whoever is in it already.”

O Fearghail, speaking at the turning of the sod for the redevelopment of Hyde Park in Roscommon, said that it was up to Galway and the Leinster counties whether the Tribesmen minor and U-21 teams switched to that province as well.

“It would probably be a bit wrong for me to tell Galway where they should participate with their minor and their U-21. That’s a decision that Galway will have to take.

“If they are keen and the rest of Leinster are keen to accommodate that...

"That is again a democratic decision, that is a strength. Sometimes people see it as a weakness but I see it as a strength in the GAA. There is a democracy there and people will argue their case and eventually the best argument will win out.”