Hurlers left high and dry after Senior quarter-final fixture mess

PLAYERS and supporters from St Patrick’s and Avondale GAA clubs were left with no Senior hurling quarter-final game last Monday night in Greystones due to an Under-16 championship game starting late on the floodlit pitch in the Éire Óg club.

The vital game had been fixed for an 8pm start but communications between Mick Hagan and the Éire Óg club had resulted in an agreed 8.30pm start at the latest.

However, delays with the underage games in the Éire Óg club that evening meant that the Under-16 championship game only got underway at 7.50pm and concluded at 9.10pm.

An emergency solution of playing the game in Bray was suggested but work commitments and the lateness of the hour meant that the St Pat’s and Avondale contingents could only throw their hurls in the boots and head home.

“We were told (by the Éire Óg club) that the Under-16 game would be finished and that the hurling match would start at 8.30pm,” said Mick Hagan. Everybody arrived at the venue and it came to light that the Under-16 game had only started at 7.50pm.

“Our county finals will now have to be put back by one week, we’ve no other choice,” he added.

A spokesperson for Éire Óg, Greystones said:

“There were two juvenile fixtures fixed for our grounds on Monday, 12th. Our club made the county board aware of this and informed them that as a result, the pitch wouldn’t be available until about 8.30pm.

However, there seems to have been a delay in starting the second juvenile fixture which had a knock on effect on the pitch’s availability.

Éire Óg, Greystones regularly hosts club championships matches and is happy to continue to do so.”

The game has now been refixed for this Saturday in Aughrim at 3pm ahead of the SHC semi-final between Glenealy and Carnew.