Replying To iarmhiabu:  "My good friend, read between the lines. A bizarre decision given Barcelona Gaels do all their training on astro, in other words they would be unaccustomed to a soft to heavy grass pitch. Ballinagore were the home team in this fixture but someone done them a disservice with changing the pitch. These are quotes from a Barcelona Gaels person: "Everything we do in Spain is <b>done on Astro</b> or 11 a side on rugby pitches with lower crossbars." "We won senior mens, senior ladies, intermediate mens, intermediate ladies championships. That was great for us, but it is a <b>completely different game to then going towards playing 15 a side on a grass pitch in Kilkenny in November</b>.""</div>They won that game in Kilkenny last year on a grass GAA pitch. The Downs was unplayable, Kinnegad was unplayable, there was 4 junior hurling games called off at the weekend, so that's another 8 pitches that were unplayable (8 cos if home ground unplayable then game switches to away ground). Where would you have played it?"

Replying To iarmhiabu:  "If there was no suitable grass pitch available inside the county (which I don't believe was the case), then the game should have been brought to a grass pitch outside, Abbotstown or Dunganny. No other games in the Club Championships, in any province, were played on a 3G Pitch. The County never use the St. Loman's 3G Pitch for Adult Club Championship games. Ballinagore were made play the game on a synthetic surface which they have probably never played a Championship game before, while their opponents would be all too familiar or comfortable with it. Familiarity with a synthetic surface provides an advantage, the conditions directly influence players to perform to the best of their ability (the ability to change direction quickly etc) and it allows for a faster game overall. It varies significantly to a mucky grass pitch in the winter. I feel sorry for Ballinagore, any little advantage they had in their favour was taken away from them and given to Barcelona Gaels. This proved telling in the end. Quote from the Examiner report: <i>Switched to the all-weather 3G pitch due to persistent rain, this was a real test of character for both sides and it was the visitors who coped better for most of the game</i>"</div>Which grass pitch was available?"