Joe McDonagh Cup champions Carlow are keen to retain the link between the Joe McDonagh Cup and the All-Ireland SHC series.

Whereas his Offaly counterpart Michael Duignan has spoken against allowing the McDonagh Cup finalists enter the Liam MacCarthy Cup at the preliminary quarter-final stage, Carlow chairman Jim Bolger is in favour of maintaining the status quo. Offaly, who were runners-up to Carlow in May’s McDonagh Cup final, were subsequently hammered by Tipperary, but Carlow gave a much better account of themselves against Dublin.

“We made a submission to Croke Park,” Bolger told scoreline.ie.

“We feel as long as the route to the MacCarthy Cup is through the provincial system, then there has to be a preliminary quarter-final for the McDonagh winners because the McDonagh winners are playing in the provincial championship the following year.

“We’re in the Leinster Championship next year and I think it’s a good measure, it’s invaluable from the players’ / management perspective to see what the standard is and I think it’s an eye-opener for the supporters as well. It’s a great way of measuring / benchmarking what the standard is like and where we need to go.”

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