Ulster council in need of a map

THEY could do with some geography lessons in the Ulster Council, it seems. Donegal and Derry contest the Ulster Under-21 Championship final tomorrow. And where have they decided to bring these two northwestern counties? To Armagh. Apparently, the logic behind this decision lies in the fact that Derry refused to agree to a coin toss for home advantage — Healy Park’s drainage problems means that venue couldn’t be risked — and the Ulster champions are scheduled to be out against Dublin five days later. But how did they decide on Armagh? Did anyone look at a map?

THE Ulster senior hurling Championship sprang to life yesterday with semi-finals played in Inniskeen and Celtic Park. There is so much talk within the GAA about the state of our national game and yet, the Ulster championship is allowed to run off over two weeks before the ground is even hard, with the final due to be played next week on Easter Sunday — this is no way to encourage the game.