Keep all counties separate. We already have favouritism in some counties with selection, imagine having a manager from one county managing an All-Ulster (minus Antrim) side, there is going to be some favouritism there surely. If I was from Mayo, Donegal, Tyrone, Carlow or Kerry or any so called 'weaker' hurling county, when we do win something, I'd rather it be in my own counties colours with my own county men and make it our own win. As for Tipp football, I wouldnt like an All-Munster side (Minus Cork & Kerry), I want to see Tipp win by themselves with our own talent. If it doesn't happen, sure that's just our own hard luck. Keep all counties the same. I was actually at a Tipp - Galway Senior hurling quarter final in 2003 and the game before it was Galway v Rest of Connacht in Minor hurling. Galway won it but I forget the score.
Having, for example, provincial sides made up of Ulster minus Antrim, or Connaught minus Galway etc, would be a tool to help counties get to the level where they can compete individually with the top tier teams. The situation with hurling is very different to football, and at the moment (and foreseeable future) potentially great hurlers in counties such as Armagh, Longford, or Mayo have no hope of ever getting to play at the top level. But if an outlet is created whereby the top hurlers from each county can compete at the highest level, the experience might help improve the standard in each individual county over time.
Tippsno1fan County: Tipperary Posts: 19 Non one is saying disband the county system. If anything there is huge amounts of work going on in these so called weaker counties by a small few. Just these district amalgamations allow junior and intermediate players to play senior hurling at club level. The same idea could work for county teams with the players also playing on their own personal county teams in the lower competitions.