by Paddy Hickey

A top-ranking GAA official has poured cold water on the hopes of Ballymun Kickhams manager Brendan Hackett that a provincial club championship might be played in the New Year.

Following his side’s win over reigning Dublin and Leinster champions Ballyboden St Endas in last Sunday’s county final, Hackett said he harboured a wish that the Leinster Club Championship would take place.

"It would be lovely to play in the Leinster Championship,” the former Longford, Offaly and Westmeath boss remarked. “The way we're playing now I'd love to test ourselves out against clubs from other counties and other provinces if we got that far."

But remarking on Hackett’s comments, Leinster Council secretary Michael Reynolds said: “We’d like if we could play a Leinster Club Championship, but unfortunately it’s a non-runner.
“Nobody has suggested any dates for the competition to me, and, if we played a Leinster Club senior football championship, we would also have to play the five other provincial club championship competitions – senior, intermediate and junior in both football and hurling - that we play every year.

"And while it would be great for the likes of the Ballymuns and the Portlaoises if we could stage a Leinster senior football competition, we also have to think of the lesser lights among the clubs in the province.

“As well, some of the other county club championships won’t be finished until late November, and if we held the provincial club championship in January it would interfere with the (third-level) Fitzgibbon and Sigerson Cup competitions.

“There’s also the second level (secondary schools) competitions to be considered, of which some matches will hopefully take place in January. And with the age limit for senior competitions now being at 19 and a half years of age, some club players from the various county champions around the province would also be involved in those competitions.”

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