Galway delegates have given their backing for the county's proposed move into the Leinster senior hurling championship following a heated debate in Athenry on Monday night. Delegates voted in a secret ballot by 66 to 54 to support the Galway team's plea to join Leinster, despite most of the top officers in the county vehemently opposing it. Galway hurling captain David Collins, serving as the Liam Mellows delegate, and hurling board secretary John Fahey were the only two speakers who spoke in favour of the move. The rest of the speakers, including hurling board chairman Miko Ryan, Central Council delegate Bernie O'Connor and former county board chairmen Frank Burke and Gerry Cloherty, were strongly opposed to it. Galway captain David Collins said the move would give them the competitive games necessary for them to challenge for an All-Ireland title. Collins, who stressed that the Leinster counties would also benefit from Galway's involvement in the championship, pleaded with delegates to back the players and allow them move across the Shannon. "I plead with you to give your backing to the players. They voted unanimously to back the move. I am asking you to do the same," he said. But Central Council delegate O'Connor, who was a selector when Galway won the All-Ireland in 1987 and '88, pointed out that the county had managed to win three All-Ireland senior titles, nine National Leagues, nine All-Ireland under 21s and seven All-Ireland minors in the past 30 years "without having to leave our province". A lack of representation on the Leinster Council, the impact on Galway club games, the absence of Galway's Leinster championship games being played in Galway and the fact that four Leinster counties (Dublin, Wexford, Offaly and Westmeath) have already voted against the move were cited as the main reasons by those opposing the plan. Following last night's vote, the proposal will now go before Special Congress in Croke Park on Saturday with the backing of the Tribesmen. Tweet

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