Four All-Ireland hurling semi-finalists facing dock to team holiday funds
The four All-Ireland senior hurling semi-finalists are facing a dock to their team holiday funding should they reach next month’s final.Clare, Cork, Galway and Limerick have yet to arrange press briefings for this weekend’s games. Grants distributed by Central Council to finalists are contingent on engagement with national and local media at this stage of the season.Galway organised a briefing for local journalists only last week as they did for the Leinster final. Cork captain Darragh Fitzgibbon and Clare’s Seán Rynne spoke to the national media last week as part of a commercial promotion with competition sponsors Eir.This Thursday, The Banner’s 2024 hurler of the year Shane O’Donnell is available for interviews as he launches a Gaelic Players Association’s (GPA) collaboration with Irish nutrition brand Nuvion in Croke Park.However, as none of those events are considered official briefings they will not be enough for Clare and Cork to avoid reductions to their would-be team holiday funds.Clare and Limerick are already set to be docked for not sending a representative to the All-Ireland SHC launch in Blarney earlier this month. Limerick were not in a position to do so as it is understood players were required to be in Cork on Monday evening and the group were celebrating their Munster final victory the day before.In 2024, All-Ireland champions Clare along with Armagh successfully lobbied the GAA’s Management Committee for the team holiday funds to be increased due to the two-week turnaround between the semi-final and final.They argued that there was not enough time to fundraise in the 14 or 15 days and the funds for the winners were increased from €80,000 to €150,000, a jump of almost 90%. The larger sum is given to each of the four senior finalists and is partly funded by their respective provinces.At Congress last year, GAA president Jarlath Burns cited that there was “not one interview” in the two-week build-up to the 2024 All-Ireland SHC semi-finals.In a step to secure their media co-operation, he outlined: “Under a proposed new arrangement, access to post-finals team holiday funding will be linked to measured media access around the national launches of our All-Ireland championships and games in the knockout phases of our All-Ireland series. Failure to assist will impact on the funding available for team holidays for winning teams.”Burns argued coverage in the lead-up to games was important. “Notwithstanding the demands on all of those involved with county teams, we cannot complain about airtime and print space afforded to our codes if we do not facilitate it.”Ahead of last year’s All-Ireland semi-finals, all but Dublin organised press conferences. Cork, Kilkenny and Tipperary staged in-person events. For the football semi-finals, Kerry, Meath and Tyrone scheduled briefings. Donegal didn’t.For this year’s provincial finals, Cork, Dublin and Limerick managers and players spoke to the media in conferences at their bases in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Parnell Park and Gaelic Grounds.In his address in February, Burns commended the GPA’s acknowledgement in their strategic plan that there is “the need for enhanced media engagement”.He added: “The men and women who play at the highest level of Gaelic games are outstanding ambassadors for their generation. These young, intelligent, well-educated and articulate people have inherited our national games and through their dedication and devotion are custodians of Ireland’s living cultural heritage and help pass it on to the next generation.“Managements who gag them and prevent them from exposure promoting our games do them and us a disservice, and I am pleased to report that our request for improved media relations from inter-county teams has seen improvement – one that needs to continue.”
