GAA president Jarlath Burns is in favour of scrapping the All-Ireland SHC preliminary quarter-finals.

A motion to abolish the preliminary quarter-finals, which pit the Joe McDonagh Cup finalists against the third-placed teams in the Munster SHC and Leinster SHC, was defeated at Special Congress in 2023, but Burns feels it needs to be revisited due to the one-sided nature of the last-eight ties.

“As we look forward, we must also be reflective,” he wrote in his All-Ireland SHC final programme notes.

“There is a necessary and timely conversation to be had about the structure of our senior hurling championship, specifically regarding the Joe McDonagh Cup finalists entering the All-Ireland series through a preliminary quarter-final.

“While the current system offers a pathway, it may also place an unfair burden on teams whose seasons have already been long and challenging.

“If we were to remove the preliminary quarter-final, we would open the door for a longer and more meaningful Joe McDonagh Cup competition – a competition that deserves to stand proudly on its own, with adequate time, coverage and respect.

“These are discussions that must be held with fairness, vision, and the future in mind.”

Tweet

Most Read Stories