Injury Time . . . with Jerome O'Connell

THE Munster football review committee have published their report with a number of interesting proposals - Oola’s John Landers chaired the committee, which was tasked with raising football standards among the so-called weaker counties of Limerick, Clare, Tipperary and Waterford.
It is understood that the report is to come before the Limerick Football Board and a full meeting of Limerick County Board in the near future.
One section of the report deals with addressing the imbalance in inter-county football standards.
The committee propose an under-17 and an under-20 championship, limited to just the four ‘weaker’ counties.
The under-17 championship would be run in preparation for the minor grade of the following year and would offer five games. Likewise the under-20 competition would help with preparations for the under-21 grade and here is it outlined that each county would play three games with the winner to get €10,000 towards the cost of a weekend training camp. This section of the report also suggests weekend blitzes should organised at minor level with counties outside the province competing
The report states that funding would be made available for all these initiatives. With regard to inter-county standards, it is also recommended that the open draw persist in the Munster championship.
A Post Primary School Development Plan is also unveiled. This would see three schools in each county get intensive coaching.
Starting at first year level, funding and coaching would be made available to graduate the school team to under-18 A level. At present no secondary school in Limerick play at the higher level and indeed just one school team played at ‘B’ level last year.
The third section of the report deals with club football standards and it is proposed that all club footballers should be playing 20 games per season. It is stated that the Munster League should be expanded to groups of six teams - one from each county in the province.
The report also pinpoints the problem of a player who is with a club whose primary game is hurling and the football is played at junior level.
The suggested solution is that a player from such a club who wishes to play competitive Gaelic Football at the highest level can play with the nearest senior or intermediate club and still be entitled to play junior football with his own club.

Playing under the lights
THE honour playing the first competitive match under the new floodlights in the Gaelic Grounds has been bestowed on the senior hurlers of the Kilmallock and Doon.
Well for about two minutes at any rate!
The sides met last Thursday night in the Gaelic Grounds in round three of the county senior hurling championship.
Prior to the game tests on the new lights were underway and the system was still switched on when Shane Hourigan commenced proceedings. However about two minutes into the game the lights were turned off.
As of now it still appears that the scheduled county senior football final on October 10 will be the first full game under the lights.
However with the fading light in the evenings, officials could be forced to schedule a number of games for the new facility as the varying championships near an end.

Congrats to Niamh Mulcahy
CONGRATS to Ahane’s Niamh Mulcahy, who has made the final 10 in the inaugural Gala Performance Award in the All-Ireland senior camogie championship.
Niamh made the short list for her performance in the Clare v Limerick game in Cusack Park in July.
If Niamh is successful, she will not only win the coveted trophy but will also walk away with a 5-star luxury weekend break in Ireland.
The Gala Performance Award will be awarded to the finalist as chosen by the public.
Votes for Niamh can be cast on www.camogie.ie