By Niall Gartland

A MOTION that will be tabled at Annual Congress this weekend has the potential to decimate developing hurling counties, according to a well-placed source within the Ulster hurling scene.

Motion 20 proposes that New York will be entered into the bottom-tier Lory Meagher Championship, and not only that, but that they will bypass the group stages and start their campaign at the semi-final juncture.

A source, who wished not to be identified, claims that this shows a total lack of respect to the other counties in the Lory Meagher competition, including Ulster sides Cavan and Monaghan.

If the motion is approved, the source also believes that New York will win the Lory Meagher at a canter with the knock-on effect of ruining the integrity and credibility of the competition.

The source said: “Last year New York played in the Connacht pre-season league. They beat Leitrim by over 20 points, Galway by over 11, who weren’t at full strength, then Mayo by 13 points in the final.

“Mayo will probably win the Nickey Rackard this year, and New York were 13 points better than them.

“You hear all this waffle about development hurling from the GAA, and it’s completely meaningless. Winning the Lory Meagher would mean so much to some of those boys involved who have soldiered for so long, but New York are going to come in and wipe the floor with them, and only have to play two games.

“Developing teams will have to play five group stage games and potentially a semi-final and final, and New York are being parachuted in. Not only will they win the Lory Meagher, but next year they’ll be catapulted into the Nickey Rackard semi-final and they’ll win that competition as well.”

At the heart of the source’s complaints is the strength of the New York squad.

“This is a hybrid team of players from all the strongest counties – former inter-county hurlers with serious experience of playing at the top level. They’re an amalgamation of top inter-county hurlers.

“The GAA has come in and rode horse and carriage through everybody in the lowest tiers and they’re going to destroy the developing counties once and for all.

“There was last year’s proposal to throw five counties out of the leagues and that was going to have the same effect, and it’s the same story again.”

The source also expressed their annoyance at the lack of consultation from the GAA on the matter.

“It’s a motion that can’t be amended or changed. They haven’t sounded out the stakeholders, someone has come in single-handedly and said this is what we’re going to do, and it’s clear it’s someone who has no notion, idea or future plan for hurling.

“Why couldn’t they have entered New York into the Munster or Leinster Championships and senior All-Ireland, and if they’re not strong enough, worked their way down? Instead they’ve done the exact opposite and will destroy developing counties in the process.”