Galway hurler Conor Whelan has spoken out against the proposed changes which would see hurling's minnows confined to the Lory Meagher Cup from 2025 onwards.
The CCCC has recommended that counties with fewer than five adult hurling teams be prevented from competing in any other competitions than the Lory Meagher Cup, beginning from the 2025 intercounty season.
Currently, that move would impact Fermanagh, Cavan, Leitrim, Longford, and Louth - all bar Louth will play at Lory Meagher level next year, with the Wee County a tier above in the Nicky Rackard Cup.
The move would remove these teams from the National Hurling League, and see three months of their intercounty season eliminated - months which, according to the proposals from the CCCC, would be used to push development of the sport in those counties. The counties in question would only be readmitted after a period in which they fielded five or more adult teams for at least three consecutive years.
Start-up grants would be available to fund more coaching at school and club level, with a push to increase adult participation in hurling in those counties. It is said that the GAA are concerned that positive work done at underage level has not translated to increased participation at adult level, with all five of the above counties seeing a drop in the number of adult teams over the past 15 years.
Despite the emphasis on development of the game, Galway's Conor Whelan has slammed the proposal to limit the intercounty opportunities for the five counties in question, calling the CCCC's recommendation "barbaric."
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Conor Whelan slams potential Lory Meagher Cup changes
3 June 2023; Monaghan joint captains Niall Garland, left, and Kevin Crawley lift the Lory Meagher cup after their side's victory in the Lory Meagher Cup Final match between Monaghan and Lancashire at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
After the news of the proposed changes to the intercounty hurling system were first reported this week, Kinvara and Galway man Conor Whelan took to Twitter to voice his discomfort.
The 2017 Young Hurler of the Year said that the proposals would do the opposite of what they had been advertised as doing, and that he hoped there would be widespread support for the five counties in question in opposing the motion:
This seems like a pretty barbaric idea. The emphasis is supposed to be on keeping the game alive and promoting hurling in every county across Ireland. These counties have to be supported to in being completely against this proposal.
Last year's Lory Meagher Cup was won by Monaghan, who beat Lancashire in July's final at Croke Park.
The current number of clubs with adult teams in the 'at risk' counties see Louth, Longford, and Cavan with three each and Leitrim and Fermanagh with two each.
The CCCC's proposals will be voted on next month.
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