Sligo boss Tony McEntee slams plans to flip Tailteann Cup semis with hurling quarters

Sligo manager Tony McEntee has criticised the 11th hour proposal to flip the Tailteann Cup semi-finals from next Sunday to Saturday to accommodate the All-Ireland senior hurling quarter-finals.

McEntee, whose Sligo team are due to face Down in a semi-final in Croke Park next weekend, believes the convening of a special Central Council meeting Sunday to vote on the rescheduling shows disrespect to the Tailteann Cup.

The Cork-Dublin and Clare-Wexford hurling fixtures were set to take place in FBD Semple Stadium on Saturday with the Sligo-Down and Antrim-Kildare/Laois football clashes slated for the following afternoon.

However, GAA president Jarlath Burns was asked by hurling counties in Leinster and Munster fixtures roadshow meetings last week to consider switching the football and hurling games. Wexford, who beat Laois Saturday to make hurling’s last six, are also hosting Feile na nGael on Saturday.

McEntee expressed his disenchantment with the decision to call Sunday's meeting and furthermore claims the move would sully his former Armagh team-mate Burns’ strong start in the uachtarán’s office.

“As far as I know, it’s the hurling counties wanting to increase the profile of hurling and I understand that entirely. And the idea that these Tailteann Cup games are on a Sunday and not a Saturday makes no difference.

“However, the problem here is the Tailteann Cup has a certain status among the lower-ranked football teams and it has been given that status by the Association and the president, and at the first opportunity we have to recognise we change it just because people have requested it for the profile of hurling.

“These are hurling quarter-finals, which are probably dead rubber matches in the most case. My disappointment as a manager is in the Association and while I am not a Sligo man their decision to not support the lower-ranked counties and moving the Tailteann Cup semi-finals. In what is Jarlath Burns’ first year as president, it would tar his very positive early start.”

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In 2022, the Tailteann Cup semi-finals in Croke Park were the only senior championship games on the third Sunday in June as a means of promoting the fledgling secondary competition. The matches were broadcasted as they were last year, although the Galway-Mayo All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-final in Salthill was arranged for the same day.

If the motion is endorsed, today’s quarter-final winners, Laois or Kildare, will have one day less to prepare to face Antrim who are facing into their fourth game in as many weekends.

McEntee, who oversaw a quarter-final win over Limerick yesterday, doesn’t envisaged there being enough backing to retain the hurling Saturday, football Sunday schedule.

“I’m getting the sense that this is an a fait accompli and has been since midweek and work has gone on in the background with hurling counties and that.

“I don’t think the football counties, certainly the stronger counties I believe, have any need to support us because there is no fight in this for them. I just think it’s a move that wasn’t required and it’s wrong.”

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