Fermanagh manager Kieran Donnelly has said they were “blindsided” by the decision to suspend the Dr. McKenna Cup next year.
The decision comes following a campaign over a number of years by the GPA (Gaelic Players’ Association) to abolish the pre-season inter-county competitions and at the weekend, the GAA Central Council voted to ‘pause’ the tournaments next year.
“I’d heard murmurings of it the year before, that they were discussing it and the next thing was that it was gone. So, it just seemed to come on us very quick, without major discussion on it, to be honest,” said the Erne boss.
The provincial competition kickstarts the inter-county season and had previously got underway in January, offering counties an opportunity to trial players and systems of play before the league swung into action.
The removal of the competition, which was formed almost 100 years ago, in 1927, has left Donnelly among others feeling “disappointed” by the decision.
To read more.. Subscribe to current edition
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere