‘It’s so unfair to everyone’ Naomh Brid withdraws from 2024 Senior Hurling Championship, sparking debate over competition structure

Naomh Brid have bowed out of the 2024 Senior Hurling Championship, losing their Saturday match against the Bagenalstown Gaels.

The sudden decision left only five teams in the competition, giving one team a bye in each round of the group stage. Bagenalstown manager Eddie Scally expressed his frustration with the timing of the decision on the Kilkenny Hurling podcast:

“I don’t disrespect the team if they want to drop out of the mid-tier, but I think what’s happened here is it’s so unfair to everyone else in the league. We We are in a situation in a county where six senior hurling clubs have become five. This should have been addressed last year, at the end of the year, if there was a need to merge the clubs like they are doing in Kerry. .

“I think what Carlow need to do and they need to work on it straight away, if they really want to promote hurling in the county they need to look at completely restructuring the championship. Maybe run their intermediate and junior championships a bit earlier in the year.

“I don’t know if there are many intermediate hurlers playing for the Carlow senior hurling team. If not, I would be inclined to say, what you do is hold your intermediate and junior hurling championship much earlier in the year and get it done. Then, as Kerry do, merge a few teams, create Carlow Town Hurling and merge them with two or three other clubs to form a senior hurling team. Do the same with, say, Kildavin/Clonegal and Ballon, and make them a senior hurling team as well. And get the Carlow Hurling Championship up to eight teams as quickly as possible.

Upcoming Senior Hurling Championship matches

Despite this disruption, the JJ Kavanagh & Sons Senior Hurling Championship is set to begin on Friday evening at 7.30pm with a highly anticipated match between reigning champions Mount Leinster Rangers and 2022 winners St. Mullins at Netwatch Cullen Park. Tickets are available at the door. The competition continues on Saturday with Naomh Eoin facing Ballinkillen.

Listen to the full discussion below: