How do you ease the burden on talented young gaelic footballers and hurlers? GPA Chief Executive Officer Dessie Farrell suggests a later start to the leagues as one solution.

Farrell was speaking to The Irish Independent yesterday at the launch of the GPA's report into the experience of third-level intercounty players.

The objective of the report was to shine a light on what is regarded to be a problem period on the GAA calendar and to support the various groups involved at this level in providing solutions to some of the particular challenges.

Farrell said: "To me, it doesn't make a lot of sense.

"We kick off with the start of the National League and then there's a two-week break in the middle of the whole thing.

"There's no other competition in the world that is run on that basis. A big launch and then there's a pause, it goes again.

"I think you could definitely tighten it up. I think you could push it back. Again, I think there'd be an appetite there.

"It removes the overlapping (with third-level competitions)

"Now you still have club but that's an issue you have to deal with anyway.

"But in terms of college, underage and senior, it's definitely confining those players to windows that everyone knows and buys into.

"In effect, you may only be playing with one team at a given time."

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