GAA president believes hurling could take 20 years to fix

GAA President Jarlath Burns has expressed a somber outlook on the development of hurling outside the traditional powerhouse counties, suggesting it might take two decades to elevate the game's standard. His comments follow a weekend of disappointing All-Ireland Hurling Championship quarter-finals, which starkly revealed the quality disparity between the top tier and the rest.

“

Hurling has never been stronger in Ireland. There are more people playing hurling at a higher level than ever before. You're seeing the likes of Kildare making breakthrough. Carlow and Laois, these counties are in the chasing pack.

Clare's dominant performance against Dublin and Cork's ruthless victory over Offaly in the weekend's matches underscored the gulf in class. This season also marked a rare occasion where traditional Leinster powerhouses like Kilkenny, Dublin, and Wexford failed to reach the latter stages of the competition, with their last All-Ireland final appearances dating back decades. Even the gap between Joe McDonagh Cup teams and mid-table Leinster counties is widening, as evidenced by Kildare's immediate relegation after winning the Joe McDonagh Cup last year.

Despite these concerns, Burns highlighted positive developments, stating, "Hurling has never been stronger in Ireland." He noted an increase in participation at higher levels and acknowledged the progress of counties like Kildare, Carlow, and Laois, who are part of the chasing pack. However, he identified the significant challenge of bridging the gap between winning the Joe McDonagh Cup and competing at the Liam MacCarthy Cup level, particularly given the exceptionally high standard in the Munster Championship.

“

The biggest challenge is the difference between winning the Joe McDonagh and making the breakthrough into Liam MacCarthy, because the standard at Liam MacCarthy, particularly in the Munster Championship, is so high. It is really, really difficult for a lot of other counties to make that.

Burns stressed that the GAA is actively addressing the issue through long-term strategies. "The Hurling Development Committee have taken a very, very long-term view on this," he said. A key focus is strengthening club structures, as Burns believes that without a robust club system, it's unrealistic to expect counties like Armagh, which currently has only eight hurling clubs, to make a serious challenge for top-tier competitions. The goal is to foster broader competitiveness and ensure more counties can eventually contend for the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

“

The Hurling Development Committee have taken a very, very long-term view on this. Our attitude is that you are never going to have other counties participating in the Liam MacCarthy Cup as long as you don't have clubs.