Bolger insists Leinster fixtures were ‘well flagged’

LEINSTER COUNCIL chairman Jim Bolger insists that provincial fixtures were “well flagged” to all competing counties before the fiasco which saw Wicklow SFC champions St Patrick’s play two games within 24 hours.

St Patrick’s boss Casey O’Brien vented his anger in the aftermath of their Leinster SFC defeat to Rhode – the day after their county final replay victory over Rathnew – and Bolger insisted that such a scenario is “never palatable”.

Playing games in such close proximity is not something the Carlow native (above) would like to see again and he believes it is avoidable if all parties learn from it.

“It’s never palatable to have to play on a Saturday and a Sunday, that’s never what we’re about but we had our fixtures as a province well flagged to all counties so they were well aware of that,” he said.

“You try to work back and maybe they (Wicklow) got caught with the draw as well and that happens from time to time and it was unfortunate on St Pat’s, you’d feel for the players. “It’s not something that we would like to have repeated and we’ll have to learn from this as well and unfortunately just circumstances dictated that that’s the way it was.

“You shouldn’t have to go from the high of winning your county title today to the low of going out of the Leinster club the next day.”