Ard Chomhairle at its most recent meeting has asked An Lár Choiste Cheannais na gComórtaisí to consider eligibility criteria in relation to the Inter-County Intermediate Hurling championship and Junior Football championship (Rialacha 6.16 and 6.17 T.O. 2011).
A major concern, in relation to these competitions is the extent to which they have become distanced from their presumed original objective of providing an inter county outlet to players from Intermediate or Junior clubs. The competitions have increasingly become Reserve team championships; in 2011 only two counties, Kilkenny and Cork participated with truly “Intermediate” hurling teams – all other participants were permitted to field their “second best” team by Ard Chomhairle. In football only six counties participated with “Junior” players and Kilkenny and the British Champions as designated Junior counties. It is in this context, the context of club fixtures, the availability of county players to club teams and the increasing number of teams participating in these competitions on derogations from rule, that Ard Chomhairle asked CCCC to examine the eligibility criteria and the future of these competitions. In the meantime there will be no decision on requests which have been made for derogation for the 2012 competition.
An Lár Choiste Cheannais na gComórtaisí intend discussing this at its meeting on 23rd January.
