Leinster Council chairman John Horan says he's disappointed at Galway hurling committee chairman Joe Byrne's comments regarding the decision not to allow the Westerners' underage hurling teams to play in Leinster.

Byrne described the decision as "selfish" and wondered if the Galway's senior involvement in Leinster was to "benefit the financial coffers of the Leinster Council", to which Horan replied in the Irish Examiner: "Finances had nothing to do with this decision.

"We gave Galway extra funding last year so to say they get paltry amounts is not fair. I would not accept the comments of Galway officials that this was a selfish decision.

"This was self-interest, counties looking out for themselves. There is a big difference between the two. The decision not to allow Kerry into the Leinster minor hurling championship was unanimous. The decision not to allow the Galway minor or U21 hurling teams into Leinster was far less unanimous.

"I am not surprised at the result. There was a sense that Galway's involvement at underage would hinder the development of emerging counties in Leinster."

Meanwhile, the Leinster Council's acting CEO Michael Reynolds believes Galway and perhaps Kerry and Antrim could be accommodated in the Leinster minor and U21 hurling championships in the future.

"The general view from the counties was that they were happy enough with Leinster hurling as it is," he is quoted in the Irish Times.

"Kerry had an application to come into minor hurling and then you'd have to ask about Antrim's position and it would very quickly become quite complicated.

"It probably will happen at some stage, but Galway are in the senior Leinster championship because it's in the Official Guide."

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