Fermanagh GAA: Erne county 'shocked' by hurling proposals

Fermanagh GAA has strongly criticised the GAA CCCC's proposals about the development of hurling

Fermanagh GAA says there is "shock and disappointment" over proposals to develop hurling in "weaker" counties.

The proposal by the GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) would see any county with less than five clubs removed from the Allianz Hurling League from 2025 and beyond.

Fermanagh would be impacted along with Cavan, Louth, Leitrim and Longford.

They would play in the fifth-tier Lory Meagher Cup, which would reduce their season to three months from six.

The proposals are set to be debated at the GAA's Central Council meeting on Saturday, 2 December and Fermanagh have called for "a serious discussion" on the future of the sport amid backlash to the CCCC's plans.

A Fermanagh GAA statement added: "We do not concur that we were appropriately consulted on a proposal of this magnitude to remove Fermanagh from the Allianz Hurling League prior to them being presented at the Ard Chomhairle meeting.

"To deny our hurlers the opportunity to represent their county on fewer occasions than other counties would be a travesty and detrimental to the development of hurling in Fermanagh.

"We call for a serious discussion on hurling resources within the smaller counties and again ask for a fairer distribution of funding to support hurling in Fermanagh."

Fermanagh added that the work of volunteers in the county have helped to "develop sustainable hurling structures to allow the game to grow and flourish" in "small but important steps".

The county pointed to its progress in the Division 3B of the Hurling League, Nicky Rackard Cup and previous editions of the Lory Meagher Cup in supports of its own development.