Naomh Brid has withdrawn from the 2024 Senior Hurling Championship, forfeiting their Saturday game against Bagenalstown Gaels.
This sudden decision has left only five teams in the competition, resulting in one team having a bye in each round of the group stage. Bagenalstown manager Eddie Scally expressed his frustration with the timing of the decision on the Kilkenny Hurling Podcast:
“I have no disrespect to the team if they want to drop intermediate, but I think what’s happened here is it’s so unfair on everybody else in the championship. We’re in a situation in a county with six senior hurling clubs that have become five. This should have been addressed last year at the end of the year, if the need to amalgamate clubs like they do in Kerry.”
“I think what Carlow needs to do and they need to get working on it straight away, if they’re serious about wanting to promote hurling in the county, they need to look at restructuring the championship altogether. Perhaps run their intermediate and junior championships a little bit earlier in the year.”
“I don’t know if there’s many intermediate hurlers playing for the Carlow senior hurling team. If there isn’t, I’d be inclined to say, what you do is you run your intermediate and junior hurling championship much earlier in the year and have it done. Then like Kerry does, amalgamate a couple of teams, put Carlow Town Hurling, and amalgamate them with two or three other clubs to make a senior hurling team. Do the same with, say, Kildavin/Clonegal and Ballon, and make a senior hurling team out of that as well. And get the Carlow hurling championship up to eight teams as fast as possible.”
Upcoming Matches in the Senior Hurling Championship
Despite this disruption, the JJ Kavanagh & Sons Senior Hurling Championship is set to commence on Friday evening at 7:30 PM with a highly anticipated match between reigning champions Mount Leinster Rangers and the 2022 winners, St. Mullins, at Netwatch Cullen Park. Tickets are available at the gate. The competition continues on Saturday with Naomh Eoin facing Ballinkillen.
Listen to the full discussion below:
