Divisional link to county championship continues to cause debate in Tipperary

The issue around the divisional link in Tipperary continues to cause much debate in the county.

Following GAA congress, only 16 teams may compete in a senior or intermediate county championship.

This ruling has caused friction in the county, as winning a divisional championship may no longer guarantee progression into the county knockout stages.

Speaking during a debate with TIpp FM Sport, Gortnahoe club man and former Club Players Association member William Coleman, doesn’t have an issue with the link being broken:

“I don’t a major issue with it to be honest, I think it’s the right way to go.

“I would like to see the divisional championships played and put in a special period of the calendar that the county players can be available and they can be played as separate competitions and taken seriously and competed for that way.

“As regards linking it, I don’t see the need personally really to have them linked to the county championship.

“You’ve got four different fixtures makers, five including the county board trying to feed into the one competition, you’ve got different numbers in each division.”

Taking away the link to county championships will dilute the divisional championships, according to Tipp camogie coach Denis Kelly.

Toomevara native Kelly says removing the link could diminish the competition:

“I love the divisional championships.

“It’s a tricky one but I think back to 1991 when my own club Toome got over the line in the North Championship and it was one of the greatest days as a young lad going to the match.

“I think back to 2012 when we played Portroe and they beat us in the final, that was one of their greatest ever days and they’re still talking about it down there.

“You take the link away, I think you dilute the competition a little bit.”

Full debate with Tipp FM’s Stephen Gleeson is below: